Laura shares an emotional "Bad Kid Edition" episode reflecting on Mother's Day and recent memorials, then reads an excerpt from her booklet "How to Listen to a Podcast."

She recounts the 2015 accident that halted her novel writing, how discovering podcasts helped her recovery, and how that led to creating the Class of '74 podcast.

Laura explains her wish to help older readers discover podcasts, notes the booklet is available on Amazon, and closes with a warm sign-off and a reminder not to drink and drive.

After the pep rally chaos, Cynthia confronts the fallout from Evan's brutal attack when Victor Wronski unexpectedly apologizes — while questions about Evan’s mysterious brain injury and his refusal of testing deepen the tension.

Meanwhile, Clarke’s secret mission to move a new IBM printer introduces the school’s computer room, and unexpected visitors and a mysterious car in Cynthia’s driveway hint at more secrets to come.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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Ending Music:: "Grasshopper Jump" by Airstream

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2.11 Cynthia navigates a dramatic school pep rally where Betsy debuts a stunning new look, the cheerleader squads dazzle, football players impress and a fire alarm sends students streaming outside. Amid the noise, personal tensions surface—Mimi’s family plans, Katey and Evan’s relationship, and Cynthia’s sprained ankle—while the mystery around Clay’s absence lingers and Andover looms on the horizon.

Between friendships, fashion and football, the episode balances high-school spectacle with quieter worries about unexpected change.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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Ending Music: "Elevator to Heaven" by Aaron Paul

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Cynthia digests her visit to the Reliance hotline in downtown Brighton; reviews the infinite good qualities of girls named Cindy (as opposed to Cynthia); learns Brighton High's first football game is moving to Saturday afternoon to accommodate a scout from University of Michigan; is elated to hear from Clay but is fearful when she realizes Clay doesn't know what is about to happen; Mimi's going to a concert with Greg and Annabel; and Cynthia thinks the advisor to the Brighton High fashion club must be off her rocker.

The episode closes with a widening sense of stakes: Clay’s recovery is precarious, family dynamics are shifting, and Cynthia stands at the center of overlapping secrets.

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Ending Music "Moonlight Dance" by Cory Alstad

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Cynthia attends a volunteer meeting at the Reliance hotline in downtown Brighton, where she feels out of place, out of step and humiliated in a role-playing exercise. This is not her scene, and these are not her people, and yet, when she honestly answers the question, why does she want to volunteer at Reliance, it becomes evident her reasons are the right ones.

Written & Narrated by Laura Van Wormer

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Ending Music "Encounter Expedition" by Kurtz Martin

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2024 Photo of Emmy Horner in PIAA field hockey quarterfinal is by David Garrett

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Cynthia and her friends return from Forest Hills after meeting tennis stars, but the night turns complicated when Mrs. Valladares confronts them about their behavior in the Schuylers' absence. Cynthia also must contend with her scraped knee and being forced to wear her mother's "Audrey Hepburn shoes" because of a sprained ankle.

At school Cynthia learns how the Fitzgeralds reacted to Greg and Annabel returning home with a huge dent in the side of their station wagon. Once again Cynthia learns more about Katey Langston than she wants to know, becomes upset with Evan for spreading rumors, and finds herself summoned to the front office but no one knows why.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer.

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Ending Music: "Final Witness" by Albert Behar

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After a roadside emergency on the Whitestone Bridge, Cynthia rushes into danger to help a lost child, injures her ankle, and prays for friends and families as police and strangers race to help. The group barely recovers from the chaos before heading to the West Side Tennis Club, where class and glamour collide at the finals of the U.S. Open.

At Forest Hills they rub shoulders with tennis legends, endure awkward moments and capture a triumphant moment on film. The episode closes with friendship, reflection, and a warm sign-off inviting listeners to return next week.

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer.

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Ending Music: Golden Hour by Golden Mist @ Uppbeat.io

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Cynthia leads the delicate attempt to escape the mess she and Annabel, Mimi and Greg find themselves in across the state line in Port Chester, New York involving fake IDs, hiding evidence, a heroin drug bust, a smashed up car and coordinating lies to the police. (Oh, is that all?)

Will they ever reach the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills to watch the U.S. Open final between Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals?

Written and Narrated by Laura Van Wormer.

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Ending Music: Free Fall by Monument Music @ Uppbeat.io https://uppbeat.io/t/monument-music/free-fall

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