The Road to the White House

Chapter 6

5th of June,156 days til the election

David P.O.V

After the thought of Denver leaves my head, Gerald walks up to me and says:

'David, you should go to make-up. They will make sure you look respectable enough for TV and get you a mic.'

He is just about to walk away, as I fully realize the meaning of his words.

I grab his arm and say:

'So.. you mean I'm going to be on television?'

He gives me a funny look and says:

'The speech will be broadcasted live Nationwide by CNN, so you better try not to make a fool of yourself'

'Well, ok, I guess.' I answer kind of hesitantly.

As Gerald leaves me standing on my own, I feel the nerves taking over my body. I did not know this, I thought I was just going to take some pictures after the cameras were gone. Fuuuck, this is going to be nerve-wracking.

I guess I could have expected this as well, mom's speeches are broadcasted live a lot of the time, and certainly an important one like this at the start of the campaign tour. Jeez I should've known.

My legs kind of automatically take me to the make up, I have been there before, since mom always spends like an hour there.

When I get there, I am quickly received by a middle-aged woman, who seems to be leading this department;

'Hello darling, please sit down on that chair over there, someone will help you very quickly.'

I do as I'm told. After sitting down on one of these makeup chairs, you always see in backstage videos, I scan the room. The pace at which everything goes over here surprises me. There a lots of people running in and out, the unrest in the room doesn't help to control my nerves.

I see a lot of people already being helped, most of the campaign team but I don't get why. Like, I mean, the only ones on stage will be me and mom, right?

After a few moments a young girl, like 20 or something, walks up to me and says with a smile:

'My name is Anna and I will help you today.'

She is quite tall and intimidating, but she seems nice. I don't even know how I assume people are nice just based on their appearance. Probably I just think she is nice, because she is pretty.

I decide to make contact, since it will be quite awkward otherwise with her looking at my face the entire time.

'So, er, Anna, are you traveling with us or are you working on this venue we're at now'

'I'm traveling with the team, so if you will be on TV more, you better like me, because then you'll see me a lot.'

I smile kind of awkwardly, she is quite direct, I think that's a good word to describe it. I kinda like that though.

She snaps me out of my thoughts about her by saying:

'So, it's David,right? Is this your first time on live television?'

As soon as she says that, my nervousness, that went awayduring the short conversation, immediately returns.

All muscles in my body tense up for a moment, I see she notices it, but she doesn't mention it. We talk some time about the tour and mom's Republican opponent, did I mention him at all yet, Abraham Johnson. I have decided that I like this girl, she seems fun.

After a while a guy from the technical department walks up to us and gives me the headset.

●●●●

Marley P.O.V

'Ma'am ,please, move to the stage.' I hear in my ear.

I take one more deep breath, I adjust my hair one last time, and I go.

For the first few seconds I am blinded by the enormously bright lights but then I can see my supporters in their full glory.

I see the crowd of men, children but mostly women, after all my candidacy is largely supported by women. I see mothers and daughters, sometimes even entire familys, God I like this.

After some waving, smiling, I take my place behind the lectern and hear the director talking through my earbud :

'Ma'am we're live in 11 seconds, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, please start your speech now.'

And that's exactly what I do.

'My friends, thank you all for coming out here tonight.

Tonight we start preparing for our task to take America forward, making it more free, more equal and more fair.

Tonight we start preparing America for a new Golden age of prosperity, happiness and equality!'

This little trilogy is one of the best things to apply in speeches, it always gets the crowd on their feet. A teacher in high school taught me it, I will be forever grateful to her.

She would have loved this speech.

●●●●

David P.O.V

'Thank you all, God bless you all and God bless the United States of America!'

As I hear my mother finish her speech, the nerves are running through my body faster than my blood, which is quite an achievement considering the rate my heart is pumping blood at right now.

I've been standing on stand by for a couple of minutes now, ready to go on stage every minute, but it lasts quite a while before I actually get called on.

'David, the tv analists are discussing the speech while showing the stage live, now is your moment.'

Well that's a relieve, I'm not going to be the focus of the attention. I'm actually really relieved by this, that I forget that I am still going to be seen by millions of people nonetheless.

As I step out, I see my mom waving to some people in the crowd. After she sees me, we hug each other, and I whisper in her ear:

'Good speech, mom, you were great.'

'Thank you, David. You do know how much I love you and how proud I am?

'You have every right to.' I say somewhat jokingly.

After we pull apart, I feel a good feeling of affection for my mother run through my veins. She may be busy all the time, but I know she does it all partly for me, to create a better future for me. I've known that before but now the full realization hits me.

I'm quite moved by this, and I'm not the only one. I hear the crowd burst out in a loud wave of 'aaww's.

A/N

Hello everyone, already got so much readers, thank you! And a good deal of votes and reactions. Really makes me happy, keep em coming! Hope you liked this chapter, and Marley P.O.V for the first time :)

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