“All right, fine. I have to get in there and set up. I’m going to be sitting in the back as it is and I hate that,” I tell her.
“Always the little star pupil, huh?” She laughs out.
“Hey, I can still change my mind if you’re going to be a brat.”
“Sorry, sorry, I’m just kidding. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Okay, talk later,” I tell her.
So much for her wanting to watch the press conference, I think as she heads in the opposite direction of the Hayes estate.
When I finally make my way through the gates, the lawn is packed with reporters. They set the stage up in front of the expansive mansion. Lord, this is how the other half lives, I guess. I wasn’t wrong about not being able to afford to live within a five-mile radius, but it’s probably closer to ten miles. The house has to sit half a city block, at least, with luscious green ivy growing up the walls. I remember Abigail doing a piece on Mrs. Hayes a couple of years back. The pictures didn’t do her home justice. The gray stone covered in ivy is surrounded by full trees that are still dewy from the morning’s rain, with colorful flower beds dotted along the perimeter of the house. It must take an army of gardeners to keep this lawn as immaculate as it is. Everything smells so clean and is so green and bright it’s hard to believe we’re just outside of Philadelphia. A few clouds persist in the sky still, so we’re not out of the woods yet for a sudden rainstorm. Thankfully, they set up a large tent cover to keep us dry, just in case.
Of course, the conversation with Lindsey when I got here has made it impossible to get a seat in the front. I’m not relegated all the way to the back, but far enough away from the stage that I’ll be lucky to have any worthwhile view of Donovan Hayes. Okay, so maybe I’m not looking forward to having to write this article or cover this press conference, but it’s time to get my head in the game. If this is what it takes to get where I want to be at the Sun, then this is what I have to do. I’ve had plenty of practice getting the job done. This is simply no different.