approached by Detective Laura Wheeler, who asks her to come to the station to answer some questions about Simon’s death. Jake quickly leaves her with the detective, instructing Addy to text him if she needs a ride when she’s finished. At the station, the detective shows Addy the post which Simon never got to publish. In the post, he reveals that Bronwyn cheated her way through chemistry by stealing tests from her teacher’s Google Drive; that Nate had been violating his probation by selling drugs at school again; that Cooper had achieved a dramatic increase in pitching speed by using performance enhancing drugs; and, most shocking to her, that Addy had cheated on Jake with TJ. The detective tells Addy that the post is not public and then begins asking her questions about her actions in the nurse’s office that day. As the detective increases pressure through her questions, Addy remembers that she doesn’t have to agree to this line of questioning and leaves. She sits down on a bench outside and calls her sister, begging for help.

Meanwhile, Cooper has been detained by Detective Chang, who has also shown him Simon’s unpublished final post. However, Copper is surprised by the “secret” he reads about himself. Detective Chang pressures Cooper to come clean as well, but Cooper insists that he didn’t use performance enhancers and that he didn’t kill Simon. Cooper asks to call his parents, and when he does, his father tells him not to say another word. His father asks to speak to the detective questioning Cooper, and Cooper is released. Cooper thanks the detective for his time before he walks out the door.

Chapter 8

Detective Mendoza pulls Bronwyn aside at church on Sunday and asks her to come to the police station. Since her parents are there, they immediately take over and refuse to answer anything. Her father feels that the detectives have “flimsy circumstantial evidence” at best, which is why they are reaching so desperately. Bronwyn immediately admits to her parents that she did cheat her way through chemistry, and she can see the pain in their reactions; they highly value merit-based achievement and hard work. Her mother points out that the truth actually gives Bronwyn a motive and asks how Simon knew about it. Bronwyn responds that Simon was never wrong and that no one was sure how he obtained his information. Her father asks if she needs to tell them anything else; Bronwyn lies and says, “No.”

Nate is thankful that his probation officer stuck by his side through police questioning, which is particularly shocking since he had constantly lied to her. She had held the detective’s questions in line and had guided Nate through his responses. Sitting in his driveway after leaving the station, she tells Nate that she isn’t going to ask him whether Simon’s claims are true. Instead, she wants Nate to realize that he is the clear scapegoat of the group and does not have the financial or social support that the other students are afforded. Nate is aware of his disadvantages and goes inside his house. After a while, he decides to ride his motorcycle to Bronwyn’s house, where he is met outside by her father. Mr. Rojas tells Nate that he isn’t welcome there, so Nate is forced to return home.

Analysis

Though the authorities seem to focus their initial efforts on the four students in the room with Simon that day, it is clear that he created numerous other enemies who also have motive for wanting revenge. Cooper’s conversation with Leah is a reminder that Simon’s quest for power left numerous victims in his wake, and he tarnished several people’s reputations in his efforts to spread gossip through his app. 

The characterization of Simon is thus complex; while characters like Cooper certainly sympathize with his death, there are others who are justifiably relieved that they no longer have to fear the damage Simon constantly inflicted through his app. Leah is a forthright character who makes no attempt to conceal her feelings that Simon was a monster and that those who “mourn” his death are mere hypocrites. From this perspective, Simon is not simply a victim, and he must be held morally accountable for the suffering he has inflicted upon his schoolmates. 

Meanwhile, Cooper’s relieved reaction shows that he is still hiding a secret. Since Simon’s gossip app has never been wrong before, there seems to be a greater story behind the secret Cooper still hides from the world. This lapse in credibility doesn’t fit with Simon’s meticulously destructive character, raising questions about why the app was set to publish incorrect information for the first time just before Simon’s death. This foreshadows further conflict for Cooper.