Light spoilers are ahead for School Spirits season 1’s ending.
School Spirits viewers are wondering what, exactly, Nicole was burying in the woods. Of course, that’s far from the only mystery that’s unfolding in the supernatural teen drama. Created by Megan and Nate Trinrud, School Spirits is based on the duo’s forthcoming graphic novel of the same name. Set in the fictional Split River, Wisconsin, both versions of the story center on Maddie Nears (Peyton List), a teenager who comes to in the boiler room of her high school and discovers that she’s stuck in the afterlife. Tasked with investigating her own mysterious disappearance, Maddie learns more than she ever imagined about both the realms of the living and spirits.
A few spirits, including those of late teens Wally (Milo Manheim), Rhonda (Sarah Yarkin), and Charley (Nick Pugliese), help Maddie settle into her new (after)life and teach her the rules of being a spirit. The cast of School Spirits is rounded out by two of Maddie’s still-living best friends, Simon Elroy (Kristian Flores) and Nicole Herrera (Kiara Pichardo). While School Spirits‘ Simon can still see Maddie, Nicole is integral to the plot in other ways. Much of Nicole’s story revolves around blackmail — and something she buries in the woods during the investigation into Maddie’s disappearance.
Nicole Buried The Blackmail Money In School Spirits
While figuring out how everyone died in School Spirits — and who kidnapped Maddie — might be the show’s main focus, there are other side mysteries for viewers to unravel. The Paramount+ original series, which recently started streaming on competitor platform Netflix, sets up a compelling side story for Nicole and two other characters — Split River High’s English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Patrick Gilmore) and a student named Claire Zomer (Rainbow Wedell). At one point, Nicole stumbles upon Claire and Mr. Anderson, who are having a heated conversation, and decides to record them.
Essentially, Claire discovers that Mr. Anderson stole money from the high school. She decides to blackmail Mr. Anderson: if he gives her good grades, she’ll keep his stolen money under wraps. After Nicole takes the video of this very clear-cut exchange, she uses the evidence to blackmail Mr. Anderson (again). Instead of angling for good grades, Nicole requests a cut of the stolen money. Told her art portfolio wasn’t good enough to earn her a college scholarship, Nicole hopes to use the money to move to Chicago with Simon and Maddie. Ahead of School Spirits season 1’s ending, Nicole buries the money in the woods to keep it safe.
What Happened To The Money Nicole Buried?
After Simon confronts Nicole about her blackmail of Mr. Anderson, she reveals her plan to use the money for Chicago. Simon suggests they turn the money into the police in order to aid the Maddie investigation. However, when Nicole takes Simon to the woods, the hole she’d buried the money in is empty. The duo hear someone and catch a glimpse of a hooded figure. Given School Spirits’ Janet twist, it may have been “Maddie,” though the show doesn’t solve the loose thread just yet. Instead, it seems like viewers will have to wait and see how the stolen money plot plays out in School Spirits season 2.
