Page 123 of I'm Gonna Get You Back
Clara asks if he knows how she could have been sabotaged. When he says he doesn’t know, off camera she asks, “Your dad never got any leads?”
Josh scoffs. “You’re smarter than that, Clare-bear. He never even looked into it.”
A collective gasp travels around the crowd.
The story expands to include interviews with older alumni, and former Legacies, some who used the program to launch their lives and others who felt held back by it and the expectations of the town.
But it doesn’t stay on that point too long, either. It includes moments of camaraderie and bonding that Legacies experience. The way it motivates some of us and brings the town together every year. She includesPrincipal West’s perspective, and as he sticks to the same motivating messages he’s always used, it seems more unhinged as it contrasts with all of our actual experiences.
It’s a more complete picture than the one I saw last year. But it’s just as revealing. Highlighting how grueling and competitive the program is, while also not taking away how positive it can be, too.
The doc comes to a close with a song playing over a series of silent shots of each of us from the weekend. Clara asks off camera, “Was it worth it?”
There’s a quick flash to each interviewee’s answer. Josh rears back a little, surprised by the question. “Of course.”
Delaney goes still and thoughtful. “I don’t think so.”
Amaya laughs. “I have no idea.”
Nicole nods once. “Absolutely.”
Finally, it ends with a shot of me looking out over the horizon at the overlook. The exhaustion and stress on my face this year compared to last is stark. Haunting. My voice filters over it with the last line from my interview, “Too soon to tell.”
It fades, and I can hardly breathe. Because now I know what I have to do.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIXCLARA
I IMMEDIATELY SECOND-GUESS EVERYTHINGI put in the doc when Reid’s eyes land on mine across the room. Did I reveal too much about him? Everyone?
I had convinced myself even if it upset some people, even if it upset him, this was the right move. Stories that rattle are the ones that matter most. They’re the ones I want to tell.
But they all have real futures on the line. Their families, colleges, fancy coaches. And given the stress of the weekend and everything Reid’s going through, I might have gone too far. I might have been too shortsighted.
The doc ends and, to my shock, the applause is loud, and some grins are wide. Especially from my friends and their families. Sure, there are several people who look aggrieved. Principal West looks like his bright red head is going to combust. That’s to be expected. Yet the overwhelming consensus is positive.
Though, in the sea of varied expressions turned toward me, Reid’sremains indecipherable. I wish I could pull him away where we could be alone. To explain.
But a profusely sweating West gets up on the stage.
The feedback from the mic screeches through the speakers, enhancing the awkward, lingering silence while West adjusts his necktie and looks out at the crowd. “Well, I’m a bit lost for words.” His glare lands squarely on me, and my returning smile is false as my stomach churns.
A chair scrapes across the hardwood floor as Reid stands and stares at West. He doesn’t speak but several people look to him.
“I’m not sure we have time for your speech now, Mr. Rousseau,” West says grimly. Clearly upset with how honest Reid was in his interview.
But Reid isn’t deterred. He starts to walk to the stage, his steps slow and careful. The applause that follows is confused, scattered. Everyone unsure what to think about their Golden Boy now.
He walks up the steps, and, having forced his hand, West gives the mic to Reid.
Reid turns toward the crowd, his black eye and bruises muted by the soft light in the room. He doesn’t smile. Doesn’t charm. He puts a hand in his pocket, and stares ahead bearing a thoughtful expression. But when he starts speaking, we can’t hear him.
Which is exactly how we planned it.
There’s a rumbling through the crowd and someone shouts, “Mic’s not working!”
Logan huffs out a frustrated sigh and jumps to his feet. He charges toward the stage as I hoped he would to adjust it, and I grab his phone quickly from the table. My heart is pounding hard at the remote look on Reid’s face. At the seconds I have to use the passcode I saw Logan put in and get the proof we need.
I do.
