039. risky business

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"You're right. We're ready to give the profile."

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Spencer, Bedelia, and Derek are in a classroom and talking about the game.

"Two different mechanisms, strangulation and hyperventilation, create the same effect -- oxygen deprivation in the brain." Spencer explains. "Um..."

Bedelia notices two boys near the back texting and smiling at each other, the boy closer to her not hiding his phone.

"Hey." She calls, walking over to him. "Bad idea. Give it." She orders, holding her hand out. The boy reluctantly gives her his phone. Bedelia resists the urge to roll her eyes or lash out at the minor at the text.

""What planet is this dude from?"" She reads earning quiet laughs from the other kids and Bedelia tries to refrain from cussing all of them out. ""He doesn't want us to win the contest.""

"Um... I-- uh-- uh-- I think the more accurate statement would be, "He doesn't want us to participate in the contest at all."" Spencer says. "This was Ryan's desk, right? This is where Ryan sat?" He stands at an empty desk.

"You guys remember Ryan. He, uh, played football. Took-- took Shaunna to prom. I'm assuming that some of you were probably even friends with Ryan. Ryan wanted to win the contest, too, but the way Ryan choked himself, he cut off all the oxygen to his brain, which sent a distress signal to his heart, slowing it down."

"Then his brain, in an effort to preserve itself, shut off all non-essential bodily functions. His arms gave out. His legs gave out. Which means he couldn't loosen the tie around his neck, at which point panic set in, and in Ryan's case, it escalated to cardiac arrest. Which means that his heart stopped."

"Brain damage began, and within four minutes, he was completely and totally brain dead. He died scared and probably in a lot of pain and unable to stop what he thought he had complete control of. All because he wanted to participate in what I consider to be a pretty-- pretty lame game."

"So, I mean, your text is actually completely accurate. I don't want you to win the contest, because I don't want you the play the game." Spencer says.

"You all believe this crap?" A boy sitting in the back asks.

"You don't?" Derek asks. The boy shakes his head. "Why don't you come up here and tell us what you think."

"Whatever." He gets up and walks along the back of the classroom before bolting out, bumping into Bedelia making her stumble back.

"Hey!" She calls after him.

"Hey. Hey!" Derek chases after the boy.

Spencer and Bedelia catch up to Derek and the kid after the kid goes down the stairs and crashes into a cart that a guy was pushing. Derek gets on top of him, trying to calm him down.

"Stop fighting. Stop it." Derek orders.

"Let me go."

"It's all right."

"You okay?" Spencer asks Derek.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Derek says. "Why'd you run?" Spencer leans down.

"Morgan, look at his neck." Spencer says.

"Let me look at your neck." Derek says, trying to move the choker out of the way.

"Don't touch that!" He struggles.

"Hey, what'd I say? Relax." Derek pulls the choker down, looking at the bruising around the boy's neck.

"Different colors mean different stages of healing." Bedelia says.

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