Tuesday 28 March 2023 – SEVENTEEN, Episode Four – Champions

By
William E. Spear

Volume 1, Issue 13

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Full Transcript –

SEVENTEEN, PODCAST EPISODE FOUR – Champions

ORIGINAL DATE: 28 MARCH 2023

(Tenny’s Theme fades up)

Hello . . . and welcome to the Three Fifty-seven.

(Tenny’s Theme plays)

My name is William Spear and this is our series titled SEVENTEEN.

(Tenny’s Theme plays)

In the previous episode, Principal Baker accused Superintendent di Stefano of hiding from her past.

And now, Episode Four . . . CHAMPIONS.

(Tenny’s Theme plays then fades out)

The Principal ripped into di Stefano: “You’ve been running away from your brother’s death – denying it even – for more than forty years.”

The Superintendent matched intensity: “I have never denied . . . anything . . .”

Baker swung fiercely: “He is dead.”

“He’s . . . well, he’s . . .,” stumbled the Superintendent,

“Dead,” pressured the Principal.

The Superintendent responded with, “Stop it. Stop it! STOP IT!”

“There was a funeral,” said the Principal. “And you didn’t go.”

The Superintendent continued to falter: “I don’t see what a funeral means from forty years ago.”

“It means you’re a coward,” roared the Principal. “The school can’t survive a coward.”

Di Stefano shot back: “You want guts? Here goes. My first decision is to fire you.”

“You haven’t got the backbone,” growled the Principal and she stormed from the auditorium.

Half a school and one hundred emotional miles away, history teacher Clarke Evans was propping up the still-unsteady and still-talking Trace Jones.

She spoke: “He really did punch me for no reason.”

The teacher reminded her that she grabbed Tenny’s arm and called him an Old-timer.

The Chief of Staff’s legs gave out and she fell into a trophy case. Her nose pressed against the plate glass. Inside was memorabilia of the school’s athletic history and she laughed.

She pointed to a picture and said: “That’s The Superintendent . . . as a cheerleader?”

Evans leaned over for a closer look. He saw a young Mills di Stefano and others standing with the football team looking at something not shown in the photograph.

It was from over forty years ago when the school won a conference title. But there wasn’t much celebrating going on in the picture.

Evans read the caption: “Gunderson High School – Champions, Then Tragedy.”

Meanwhile, two floors below, Jennifer Hargrove found Tenny and asked, “What’s happening?”

(Tenny’s Theme fades up)

You’ve just listened to Episode Four of the series SEVENTEEN.

Theme music is through the courtesy of Lemon Music Studio at PixaBay.

The Three Fifty-seven is written and produced by William Spear.

Thank you for listening.

(Tenny’s Theme fades out)