Keegan84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3DQ101rIQ
“This is a story about love. And about hate.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiB8rKGi4Im
Rebecca Wolfe’s lush voice rises and falls as she looks into the camera; it almost sounds like she’s reciting a fairy tale. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HqVwcy4Xv
But it’s not a fairy tale. She’s talking about real people, real problems. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rgxkiPpVZ
“This is a story about ambition and power,” Rebecca goes on, “heroism and heartbreak. It’s about two young lovers—rich college kids—just getting started in life. And about other young people who will never get a chance to live their lives, go to college.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8GAedfm3g
“Young, brave men barely out of boyhood, men from disadvantaged backgrounds, who will never get married or have a child. Who will never grow old, never look back at all they’ve accomplished.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtC30tF4tn
She’s really piling it on thick. Blue, standing next to me and holding my hand, flinches at her words.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUQBDymEsV
We’re standing under a cloudy sky on the Oval, the center of campus. We’re just out of view of the camera trained on Rebecca, and we’ve been told to wait until she introduces us and then step into the shot together.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucAHWUKaJg
“This is also a story about friendship,” Rebecca intones. “And betrayal. Courage and cowardice. It’s an almost Shakespearean saga. It’s about telling the truth. And about a terrible lie.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtTIKpV98I
Holmlund, standing a few feet away, fidgets at her words.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8kw0aC7T8
“Un…fucking…believable,” he says loud enough to be heard by the producer, a woman named Allie, who is standing in front of Rebecca next to a burly, bearded cameraman.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiTny6WiUZ
Allie turns to glare at Holmlund, and he swells up like one of the scrappy roosters at the ranch.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSunIaILXpq
“This is not what we agreed to,” he says in a stage whisper, obviously wanting Rebecca to hear him. He slaps his palm against his forehead and walks a tight, angry circle before continuing. “This is absolutely not what we agreed to.” 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPvDAsRCbm
Allie moves toward Holmlund with her hands out, slowly lowering them as she tries to calm and quiet him. So, naturally, he raises his voice.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUDhVd8BfH
“Allie,” he says, “what the hell is this about rich kids and disadvantaged backgrounds? What are you trying to do? Set up some kind of rich versus poor angle?”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAcsXzD9TC
I look back and forth between Holmlund and Rebecca, who goes on speaking into the camera as her eyes shift ever so slightly toward her whispering producer, who is doing her best to contain our lawyer.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNVrYnwCEY
“Money has nothing to do with this story, and you know it,” Holmlund goes on. “I was promised an objective interview. And what’s stuff about a terrible lie? That’s editorializing.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBwNXVDSAd
Blue’s eyes are fixed on Rebecca, but I’m not sure he’s really watching her. He has that look he sometimes gets when he is seeing something other than what’s in front of him.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rBkWqo3cn
After another moment of Holmlund’s ranting, Rebecca drops her microphone. “Cut! Goddammit, cut.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxv1jxIoTzA
She stomps over to Holmlund, her heels sinking into the brown grass. “What is the problem?” she snaps.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8bwWHVIDj
This close, I realize she’s older than I’d initially thought. Wrinkles brackets her eyes at the temples, and two heavy frown lines between her brows are in full force. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGGOXrQGBQ
At least she hasn’t botoxed her face into an emotionless mask. As a public figure, the pressure to do that is probably intense. I like her a little better for resisting.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohOElcfqnw
Until she opens her mouth again.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoss1kE1A6
“I told you up front that I would go where the facts take me in this story,” she says evenly, her gaze flickering over me and Blue before coming back to Holmlund’s contorted face. “And it’s a fact that these two had every possible advantage growing up and that the boys in Mr. Daniels’ unit, the boys who went out looking for him, who went out to save him from his own—”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1d48IBWEau
Holmlund and I start protesting at the same time, but Blue silences all of us with his quiet words. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3oGkhZKXS
“That’s right. You’re right. I grew up rich. And Monti, Hud, and Cunny all grew up without much money.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfm3bMvmLc
All of us just stare at Blue for a moment.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOOmfzazHL
“But what I did,” he goes on, “and what they did, had nothing to do with money. I enlisted in the Army. I didn’t have to do that. I wanted to. I wanted to serve my country. And those guys didn’t have to go out looking for me. They wanted to find me and bring me back. They were my brothers. They were…”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFEfAeaLH5
His voice falters, and I loop an arm around him. Then I swing around to face Rebecca. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7giaLMAuu
“Are you even interested in hearing our story, hearing the truth?” I hiss. “Or are you just looking to sensationalize it, turn me and Blue into some kind of friggin’ media circus? That’s not journalism, that’s just…just… pathetic.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveYUGsKltm
Brilliant. Insult one of the most powerful journalists in the country, Keegan. Very strategic.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDxgl7IhNJ
“I think we may have to cancel this interview,” Holmlund piles on, shaking his head and shooting me a look. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKbNEutOCb
I guess I’m supposed to leave the verbal jousting to him. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJW2lTgo6lC
“It’s obvious,” he adds in the portentous tone I already recognize as part of his act, “that my clients are not going to be treated fairly.” 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pMrLoNtUV
“From a journalist of your stature, Ms. Wolfe, I expected an objective, open-minded approach. But this, this is the exact opposite of that.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkjszPsq2W
Again the grave, theatrical shake of his head. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwL9ucDTHYG
There’s no way he’s really canceling the interview. He’s just angling for better treatment. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjrFBtDnCy
I can tell from the way Rebecca’s bright-red lips curve into a cynical smile that she’s not buying it either.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvFDZaOXCP
“The stupidest thing you could do at this point,” she says calmly, looking only at me and Blue, “is to walk away. It’s too late to stop this story from getting out there.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSr8S1HzVE
She pauses dramatically, studying her bright red fingernails. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZCNj840BY
“Whether you go through with the interview or not,” Rebecca goes on, “I’m doing a whole hour on it. Tonight. I’ve got other sources I can put on camera. I’m pretty good at getting people to talk to me.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJiTOOfhUB
I can’t help taking a sharp, audible breath, instantly think about Megz. Would she really break the NDA she signed and risk getting thrown out of OU to appear on TV? Or could it also be people from Fort Sill? Lots of people there now know what Blue did. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWTTB8S0b4
It could even be the family members of the men who died. It’s inevitable some of them will give media interviews.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJbYB5gObR
But we were supposed to get our story out there first.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyrUq2N9P4
Rebecca turns back toward me and Blue. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSppcku2AJw
“As for Keegan and Blue, I need a decision now on whether they’re continuing with the interview. We’re on a tight schedule here.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNgl1NcxXk
No one says anything for a long, awkward moment.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDA9uNWocv
“This story is going to be big,” Rebecca continues, ramming home her point. “The rich, powerful families involved, the life-and-death drama of it all. The love story. The media and public are going to eat it up.” Her voice has softens just a little.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB34BYbXSAD
“Your attorney knows this,” she adds, her eyes raking Holmlund. “That’s why he called me. That’s why he desperately wants you to do this interview with me.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aJEqhzT5J
Holmlund makes some small, disagreeable sound, but we all know it’s just for show.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmjLtD8kq3
“So let’s stop playing games,” Rebecca wraps up, her tone crisp, dismissive. “This is your chance to tell the world your story. After today, it’s not going to be a media circus like Keegan said. It’s going to be a media storm. I don’t think you two really understand what’s about to rain down on you.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCpC5jlsju
I’m a friggin’ journalism major. I’ve followed the news as long as I can remember. Especially in the internet age, I do understand. And it scares the shit out of me. But I don’t want Blue to know that.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mblbkh2kD
And Holmlund is probably right. That media storm may be the only thing that can save Blue.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uH8bOplND
“You need to have the whole story—your side of it—out there from the beginning,” Rebecca says. “And there’s no one who can give you a bigger audience than me.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIym9u1zKxI
It’s like the three of us are frozen. We just stand there. Not even Holmlund says anything. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQmgh1f6Pn
“Still,” Rebecca sighs, turning on her heel, “if you’ve decided to cancel, that’s fine. That’s fine.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUW4KkCF8CU
“Wait.” Blue tucks my hand into his arm as he says it and pulls me with him toward the camera. “We’ll do it.” 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjucjTPy9Ey
He takes a deep breath, and then his whole body seems to deflate. “Of course we’re going to do it. I just. . .never mind. Let’s get it over with.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOtgCsS3wb
~~~
Thanks for reading Tangled Up in Blue! More coming up soon. What do you think so far? Please like, share and follow this story!
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