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“I wouldn’t mind being boring.”
She rolls her eyes. “If you’d wanted to be boring, you wouldn’t have become a quarterback.”
My mouth snaps shut. While I didn’t choose the position for fame, I’m aware the two are connected. Just like I’m aware that boring doesn’t sell tickets. When you’re young—I’m talking, like, ten—you imagine fame will get you whatever you want. Like being able to skip the line at Disney World or sit courtside at a basketball game. And those things are part of it. But the advantages don’t always beat the disadvantages. I’ve learned that the hard way.
“Don’t worry. I can’t prove something that isn’t true. If you’re as innocent as you claim, you’ll do fine.” She sashays away without another word.
My nerves ratchet up five minutes later when she settles into her chair. A whole team surrounds her. A short man with a mohawk blankets her with hair spray and fiddles with her already perfect bob while a woman wearing sneakers dabs blush onto her cheeks. I’ve already gotten all the makeup I’ll allow, so they ignore me. Her producer, a man named Cliff whom I met briefly, steps in front of her and begins speaking rapidly.
I hear him say my name as Judy crouches next to me.
“You don’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to answer. They have the same list of questions I showed you. Stick to the facts. Stick to the truth. Don’t malign Ronnie. Don’t make accusations. You want to garner sympathy. People like you already—all you have to do is remind them that you’re a good guy.”
I nod. Judy has been chirping at me for the last two hours. If I haven’t gotten it by now, it isn’t going to happen.
It isn’t as if telling the truth is difficult.
Suddenly, the people surrounding Annabelle scurry away. I shift uncomfortably when her piercing blue eyes land on me. Annabelle Singer makes athletes cry. I try to take comfort in the fact that I haven’t cried in public since the third grade.
“You ready?” she says, her smile swift and slightly calculating.
“Let’s do it,” I respond, with all the confidence I can muster.
The room quiets when the overhead lights snap on. Annabelle darts a quick glance at Cliff. After a subtle nod, she begins speaking.
“I’m Annabelle Singer and today I’m going one-on-one with quarterback Slater Jones.” Some ominous sounding music plays in the background when she pauses. “Slater has had many memorable games during his four-year career. There have been heroic wins and stunning losses. I am here today to discuss recent accusations of cheating, how he handles failure, and what it’ll take to get him to the top.”
The music hits a crescendo as she turns to me with a broad smile. “Ronnie Hicks, your former teammate, claims he has proof you lost the playoff game for Miami on purpose. He believes you influenced the game for your own financial gain. You have denied these allegations. Would you care to respond?”
Luckily, I’m prepared for her to hit me with the toughest question first.
I look directly into the camera. “I have never, under any circumstances, lost a game on purpose. I always play to win.”
She looks as if she neither believes nor disbelieves me. It would be very useful if I could convince her. She could sway public sentiment in my favor.
“What proof do you believe Ronnie has?”
“There is no proof.” I say it as plainly and definitively as I can.
“Why does Ronnie claim he has proof?”
I resist the urge to squirm in my seat. “I have no idea.”
“Do you believe Ronnie has a grudge against you?
I keep my expression steady. “I have no idea.” Judy made it very clear that I should not speculate on Ronnie’s motives or intentions.
“Ronnie has made disparaging remarks about you on numerous occasions. You don’t have any idea why?”
I shake my head.
“Hmm…” She taps her finger against her lips. The silence stretches. She waits for me to fill it. I’m not an idiot, so I keep my lips sealed. When I say nothing, she asks, “What was your relationship like in the locker room?”
“We were teammates. We were focused on doing everything we could to win.”
“So it wasn’t contentious?”
I didn’t say that. “I worked hard. Ronnie worked hard.” His dedication to the physical aspect of the game is undeniable. He probably wouldn’t say the same thing about me, but since he’s prone to lying, that isn’t a huge blow.
