Podcast Title: Nuestras Palabras

A Multi-Voice Podcast Adaptation

Adapted from the novel, “THE HATE U GIVE“ by Angie Thomas.

[SFX: The sound of a professional studio headset being adjusted. A soft, modern
synth-pop beat fades in- clean and upbeat.]

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

Welcome to Sunnies Media Studio Podcast. The date is March 1, 2026, and you’re listening to
the first podcast for the “Raise your Flame” series.

(A short, rythmic beat drop)

Hi, and welcome to the new podcast. I’m your host, DJ Rye, and today we’ll be diving into a
story about identity, the echoes of one’s rights, and the courage that it would take to find
your voice when the world tries to silence it.

[SFX: The upbeat music begins to slow down, warping slightly into a more
energetic tone]

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

(Transitioning to “Story Mode” -deeper, more cinematic)

Meet Danielle Santos. To the world, she’s the new girl at Williamson. To her family, she’s
Danny- a bridge between two cultures. But to herself? She’s a ghost in her own life who
always struggles to fit in through the small spaces of a standard that’s raised high in society.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

(Internal Monologue – Close to mic, voice tight)

Why did I even agree to go to this party? My skin feels like it’s about to combust in this tight
dress. I can feel the eyes- they aren’t looking at me, they’re looking for a reason I don’t
belong here.

AYALA (TUMBAGA)

Jeez, I’ve been looking for you everywhere, Danny! I thought you got kidnapped by some old
geezer across the street. I was worried sick!

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

You’re exaggerating, Lee. I’m perfectly still in one piece.

AYALA (TUMBAGA)

You know... the music is getting more hype. You should go and dance for a bit.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

Dance? I don’t dance, Lee. If it weren’t for Susanne’s request, I would’ve been at home right
now.

AYALA (TUMBAGA)

Suck it up, Danielle. I’m not about to babysit you all night. Besides, I don’t want others to
think you’re my girlfriend.
DANIELLE (ADLAO)

Wow. So first it’s the racist Hispanic jokes, and now we’re suddenly labeled as lovers just
because I look a little masculine? Seriously?

AYALA (TUMBAGA)

It’s disappointing, I know. But hey, it’s Williamson.

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

The area reeks of alcohol and weed with a hint of expensive perfume. Under the glistening
disco lights, Danielle carefully observes the reckless crowd.

[SFX: High-heeled footsteps click-clack toward them. Music dips.]

HARPER (GERVACIO)

Oh, hi, Danielle. I didn’t expect you’d be here.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

Hello, I guess?

HARPER (GERVACIO)

I see you’re still playing the "brooding outsider". It’s a bit much, don’t you think? Maybe
you’d be happier back in Spain with your... troubled friends.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

Thanks for the advice, Harper, but I don’t need it.

HARPER (GERVACIO)

I’m just kidding! Gosh. But honestly, I was telling everyone how "exotic" your family history
is. It’s so... “urban.” I expected you to be, you know... louder?

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

I’m not a volume knob, Harper. I don’t just turn up for your entertainment.

HARPER (GERVACIO)

Gosh, so sensitive. Anyway, the vibe here is clearly too... sophisticated for some people.

[SFX: Harper’s heels click away, fading into the heavy thump of the bass. The
sound of a muffled car horn honks twice from outside, sharp and impatient.]

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

That’s Susanne. She’s here. I'm out.

[SFX: Transition – The heavy thumping of the party fades as a door slams shut.
The sound of the crowd is replaced by the crisp, cool whistle of the night wind and
the crunch of gravel under boots.]

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

The transition is jarring. One moment, Danielle is suffocating under the fluorescent judgment
of Williamson; the next, she’s breathing in the sharp, honest air of the night. Across the
street, a worn-out sedan idles, its headlights cutting through the darkness like two tired
eyes. The interior light flickers on as Danielle opens the door, revealing a space that smells
of peppermint gum and cocoa butter.

[SFX: Car door opens and creaks shut. The hum of the engine is steady and
vibrating. Soft, soulful R&B plays on the radio.]

SUSANNE (LIMEN)

You look like you just escaped a crime scene, Danny. Was it that bad?

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

Worse. Harper asked why I wasn't "louder."

SUSANNE (LIMEN)

Forget her. We’re different, remember? We don’t leave our own behind. You know, I was
looking at those statistics we talked about for class. Did you know that in 2024, nearly 1,200
people were shot and killed by police in this country? And Black people were killed at a rate
2.9 times higher than white people. It makes you realize why our parents have "The Talk"
with us before we even learn to ride a bike.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

My dad says it’s not about being afraid, it’s about being prepared. But I’m tired of being
prepared, Susanne. I just want to exist.

SUSANNE (LIMEN)

I hear you. But hey—tonight is just us. No standards, no Harper, no "urban" expectations.
Just the road and the music.

[SFX: A sudden, violent 'WHOOP-WHOOP' of a police siren. High-pitched electronic

[SFX: Car stops on gravel. Footsteps approach, heavy and rhythmic.]

OFFICER 115 (RALE)

Hands on the wheel! Driver, out of the vehicle!

SUSANNE (LIMEN)

Officer, I’m reaching for my phone—

OFFICER 115 (RALE)

GUN!

[SFX: THREE DEAFENING SHOTS. A heavy thud. Then, an infinite, high-pitched

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

Three shots. In the space of four seconds, a lifetime of dreams is erased. The ringing in
Danielle’s ears is the sound of a world breaking. She watches, paralyzed, as Susanne falls—
not like a character in a movie, but like a heavy, discarded thing.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)
SUSANNE! NO!

[SFX: Transition—Rain against a window. A hospital waiting room. The rhythmic

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

The hospital waiting room is a sea of white tile and cold fluorescent light. It’s a place
designed for healing, but it feels like a morgue. Danielle sits between her parents, her dress
stained with a reality the news is already trying to rewrite. Then, the uniform appears. Aunt
Betty.

OFFICER BETTY (PAYOT)

Danielle, stop talking to the reporters. Every word makes it harder to close the file.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

"Close the file"? Is that what she is to you, Aunt Betty? If the badge means you have to lie
for a murderer, then maybe that badge isn't as honorable as you told me it was. I’m done
being quiet.

[SFX: A sharp, digital "glitch" transition. The sound of a rapid-fire teletype or

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

While Danielle sat on the couch, the world was already moving on without her. Before the
glass was even swept off the pavement, the story was being chewed up and spat out by the
24-hour news cycle.

JACKIE JONES (ABRENICA)

(Fast-paced, high energy, filtered through a television speaker)

This is Jackie Jones for Sunnies Media. We are following breaking news out of the Garden
Heights area. A routine traffic stop turned deadly late last night. Police sources say a
"suspicious" vehicle was pulled over, leading to the fatal shooting of a local teenager.

[SFX: The sound of a remote clicking, changing the channel.]

JACKIE JONES (ABRENICA)

Questions are being raised about the victim’s history, with some reports suggesting a
connection to local gang activity. The officer involved, a ten-year veteran, remains on
administrative leave as the community braces for—

[SFX: The sound of the TV being abruptly shut off. Deep, heavy silence follows.]

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

The silence in the Santos house isn't empty; it’s heavy. It smells like the peppermint tea
Danielle’s mother keeps making, and the old wood of the dining table where they’ve spent a
thousand happy dinners. But tonight, nobody is eating.

PAYTON (COSICOL)

Danny... baby, please. You’ve been staring at that wall for an hour. Come here. Let me just
hold you for a second.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)
I can still hear the TV, Mom. Even when it’s off. Jackie Jones keeps saying "suspicious."
Susanne wasn't suspicious.

RICKY (JUSTAN)

They use those words for a reason, Danielle. They use them so the people in the suburbs can
sleep better at night. They want to make her death her own fault.

PETER (RALE)

It’s a lie. I saw Harper’s post, Danny. She’s “sending prayers” while her dad is the one on the
news board calling Susanne a “troubled youth.” It makes me sick.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

Aunt Betty told me to keep my mouth shut. She said I’d just make it worse for everyone.

RICKY (JUSTAN)

Your Aunt Betty is trying to protect a system that wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to her.
But you? You were in that car. You are the only thing standing between Susanne’s memory
and their lies.

DENISSE (RENZON)

Look, I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. But if you don’t speak, they get to write her
ending. Do you really want Harper and Jackie Jones to have the last word?

[SFX: Transition to a massive crowd. Megaphone feedback. The sound of

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

March 1st. The air in Garden Heights is electric. Danielle stands at the front, flanked by her
father on one side and Peter on the other. She looks back and sees her mother, Payton,
holding a candle with a hand that has finally stopped shaking.

DANIELLE (ADLAO)

My name is Danielle Santos! I am the witness! Susanne Collie didn’t die because of a
“standard”! She died because the world was too afraid to see her as a human being!

[SFX: The crowd roars: “SAY HER NAME!”]

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

The date is March 1, 2026. The story is no longer being told about Danielle Santos; it’s being
told by her. The silence has finally broken, and in its place, a fire has started that no one can
put out. This is just the beginning.

[SFX: Synth-pop beat returns—triumphant and grand.]

NARRATOR (MORGADO)

Thank you for listening to Nuestras Palabras. This has been a Sunnies Media production.
I’m your host, DJ Rye. Keep your flame high.

[SFX: Final beat drop. Fade to silence.]