Episode 1 of School Spirits opens with Maddie watching anxiously as the Principal addresses the school, informing everyone of her mysterious disappearance. The Principal's voice is filled with hope, urging that Maddie will be found safe and sound. Meanwhile, students around her struggle to recall memories of Maddie, trying to piece together her identity.
Among the chatter, a pair of cheerleaders whisper excitedly, one claiming that the police found smears of blood in the janitor's closet, while the other insists it was the boiler room. The tension mounts as the police believe Maddie's phone is still lurking somewhere within the school's walls.
On the opposite side of the auditorium, Simon and Nicole, Maddie's closest friends, sit silently, their faces etched with worry. As the Principal wraps up his speech, asking anyone with information to come forward, he beckons the cheerleading squad to the stage.
Maddie stands alone, unaware that she is now accompanied by a fellow ghost, Charley. He gently breaks the news to her that she is now a ghost and no one can hear her voice. Charley tries to comfort her, assuring her that it's only a matter of time before someone discovers her lifeless body. Maddie, still reeling from the revelation that she's been dead for three days, struggles to comprehend her new reality. The thought of spending her afterlife trapped in high school fills her with dread.
Charley, a seasoned spirit who's been around since the 90s, offers to guide her through this transition. As they wander through the familiar hallways, Maddie attempts to reach out to Nicole, but her voice remains unheard. Charley introduces her to an afterlife support group led by Mr. Martin, where she meets other ghosts, including Wally and Rhonda. Rhonda's curious inquiry about how Maddie died is met with surprise when Maddie confesses that she has no memory of her own murder. Maddie's mind drifts back to happier times, recalling moments spent with her boyfriend, Xavier, before heading to class with Simon.
During the class, she couldn't help but recall the sight of Xavier cutting class and dashing to his car to indulge in drugs. As she approached him, she gently implored him to reconsider his drug use, before stealing a fleeting kiss and hurriedly returning to her seat. However, her phone, her sole connection to the outside world, suddenly died on her way back, leaving her stranded.
After the emotionally charged Afterlife support group meeting, Maddie stealthily trailed Xavier, her heart heavy with the realization that he was far from thriving. She clung to the hope that perhaps there was still a chance for her to return to the land of the living, but Charley, her spectral guide, gently shattered her illusions. He firmly stated that there was no going back, only forward to the great beyond. To ease her transition, he offered her a ghostly tour, introducing her to other spirits who had perished on the school's halls.
As Maddie attempted to grasp her missing poster, Charley gently explained that she could no longer alter the affairs of the living world. Instead, he advised her to find solace within the support group, which he promised would aid her in her journey to the beyond. With a heavy heart, Charley left Maddie to continue her surveillance of Xavier as he attended his class.
The teacher's attempts to be considerate of Maddie's absence were overshadowed by Simon's growing anger. He was incensed by the apparent hypocrisy of his classmates, who he believed were mocking Maddie's disappearance rather than showing concern. His ire was particularly focused on Xavier, whom he suspected knew more than he was letting on about Maddie's mysterious disappearance. The tense atmosphere erupted into a heated altercation, with Simon grabbing Xavier's bag and ripping it open, revealing Maddie's missing phone.
The revelation sparked widespread confusion and suspicion. Everyone wondered why Xavier was in possession of the phone, especially when the police had been actively searching for it. Maddie, too, was puzzled, but she assumed that he had kept the phone in an attempt to piece together what had happened to her. Charley, however, questioned why Xavier hadn't handed it over to the police if he truly sought answers. Maddie, determined to defend Xavier, became increasingly agitated, prompting Charley to lead her to his makeshift "office" - the boys' shower room.
As he distracted her with tales of his own untimely demise due to a fatal allergic reaction, Maddie's mind drifted back to happier times. She recalled a fond memory of hiding in the shower room with Xavier, giggling and avoiding the wrath of a strict teacher after the school bell had rung.
Meanwhile, Simon was hell-bent on proving Xavier's guilt, refusing to believe any other explanation for Maddie's disappearance. Nicole, however, tried to temper his anger with a more optimistic outlook. She clung to the hope that Maddie was still safe and would soon return to them, unharmed. The pair's attention was suddenly drawn to a startling sight - Claire, standing outside the Principal's office, reaching out to Xavier with a pleading expression on her face.
Meanwhile, Maddie stumbles across Wally, who offers his assistance in unraveling the mystery surrounding her disappearance. Despite his goodwill, Maddie politely declines, inquiring instead if he had brought everything he owned into the afterlife. Her curiosity is piqued, particularly regarding the fate of her missing phone, backpack, and a cherished necklace.
A flashback reveals the culprit behind Maddie's missing phone - Xavier, who took advantage of her distraction when she saw her mother arrive at school.
After her conversation with Wally, Maddie rushes to confront Xavier, who is embroiled in another altercation with Nicole and Simon. Simon, enraged that Xavier has been withholding Maddie's phone for three days, attempts to strike Xavier but ends up getting punched. The teachers intervene, separating them, and Maddie is shaken to see Xavier's angry outburst.
Seeking answers, Maddie heads to the gym where a gathering of ghosts is underway. She implores Wally to help her extract a confession from one of them, thinking that all he needs to do is harness his ghostly powers to intimidate Xavier into spilling the truth. However, Charley and Wally disabuse her of this notion, and Rhonda urges her to desist. Mr. Richard advises her to vocalize her feelings as it would aid her in moving forward, but Maddie storms out in a fit of rage.
Determined to leave the school, Maddie repeatedly attempts to exit the premises but is inexplicably drawn to the boiler room. After several futile attempts, a ghost reveals the startling truth - she is unable to leave the school. Despite this revelation, Maddie persists in her efforts, only to find herself back in the boiler room where her blood stains the wall. She struggles to recall what transpired in that room, but her memory remains elusive.
She surrendered with despair and retreated to the meeting, where she learned the shocking truth: Rhonda had been brutally murdered by her own school guidance teacher. She inquired about the handling of the situation, and Mr. Richard gently advised her to let go of the past's grip. As their conversation unfolded, the rest of the school streamed into the gym, preparing for a vigil in her honor. Maddie was startled to see her mother, who was overwhelmed with emotion and unable to deliver a speech.
Outside the gym, Xavier engaged in a tense conversation with his father, who incidentally served as the sheriff. He eagerly sought answers regarding how Xavier had ended up with Maddie's phone. Xavier confessed that he had been cheating on Maddie with Claire. In a moment of panic, he had mistakenly sent Maddie a message intended for Claire and had stolen her phone to erase the evidence. Xavier insisted that he was unaware of Maddie's fate. Unfortunately, Maddie eavesdropped on the conversation, her heart shattering to hear that Xavier had betrayed her trust.
As Maddie wandered down the hallway, she overheard Simon's heartfelt conversation with a teacher. He wept, confessing how much he missed her and was certain that Maddie's absence was not of her own volition. He had witnessed Maddie endure so much and was convinced that she would never abandon them.
Meanwhile, the sheriff escorted Xavier into a police car, reassuring him that he would handle the situation. The other students assumed Xavier's guilt, and the episode drew to a close with a mysterious twist: Somehow, Simon was able to glimpse Maddie in her ethereal state.
