Identity Distortion: The Perfect Family

Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

Nathan Shaw

April 6, 2016: Two Months Before

---Counsel Session---

I've decided to take your advice.

What?

To put on my own art show.

Oh! That's great! When is it?

It's going to be a part of a graduation party that I'll be hosting on the tenth of June. That's two days before the graduation day. Before you say anything, I know you're probably wondering why the art show is being merged with a graduation party but my reason for doing so is to attract more people since they're more likely to show up for a party than to see some paintings.

Well, I think that's a very clever idea.

Thank You!

So, I missed you last week. What happened?

Um, I couldn't make it last Wednesday.

Why not? Because of that interview the night before?

Oh no! You saw that?

I did.

Ugh! That was such an embarrassing moment. Our first live interview ever and I messed up big time. Although, I don't think it was entirely my fault. I messed up because Scott practically gave me a run through of what to say only like fifteen minutes before we went live on TV.

How come?

Okay, first I have to go back to two days before that interview. Mom was telling Scott that he should give me a chance to speak about something significant since I never really have much to say in these interviews like the rest of them. At the time, Scott refused but skip forward to fifteen minutes before the interview, he gave me a sheet of paper with arguments for the main discussion of the evening and he tried to get me to quickly memorize all the info in order to be a part of the discussion. I was excited to do it but knowing the short amount of time I had to memorize all that, I started to get nervous. And getting nervous only made things worse as it made it harder for me to focus. You're probably thinking that I should've just told Scott that I couldn't do it but him giving me the opportunity to finally talk about something of importance on the first live interview of the campaign was really big for me and I didn't want to let him down. Anyway, it wasn't easy to concentrate as a lot was going on around me. There's a lot that goes into getting ready for an interview other than knowing what to say. You have to get the microphone properly placed on and have it tested, there's make-up that needs to get done so that the lighting doesn't make you look like a freak, and there are people coming up to you asking questions. A lot was going on so it was hard for me to memorize anything. Still, I told Scott that I was prepared, before going live. Before reaching my part of the interview, Scott was talking about other stuff so I sat there trying to go over everything in my head. That was when I started to panic because I realized that I was getting confused and there was nothing I could do since we were live. The time eventually came for me to talk and then, you know what happened. I hesitated a lot, I gave ridiculous responses, and so on. I made a total fool of myself.

Well, Nathan, these things happen. Embarrassing moments are only for a moment. It's life! And we all mess up at some point so don't be too hard on yourself. I'm sure you did your best.

I wish Scott saw it that way. He let me have it the entire drive home after that interview. Even went as far as to yell at Mom for pushing him to make me more involved in the interview. He certainly overreacted in my opinion. Bryan even had to tell him to calm down. Scott is taking this campaign thing way too seriously and as a result, he is treating us differently. It's like now we're his puppets that he only wants to participate in interviews and whatnot so no mistakes are allowed. The major irony of it all is that we are constantly being called the perfect family. I still don't know why that label caught on. If people were to see what Scott and our family is really like behind closed doors, they'd all be shocked. Scott has excellent PR skills. He has so many women drooling over him because they see him and Mom on TV constantly retelling their love story to the world but at home, Scott isn't so loving. We're putting in so much into his campaign and it's like he's not even appreciative. I nearly got detention once for not finishing an assignment, due to time spent with the campaign. Thankfully my teacher gave me a pass but it's not even about that. The problem is that this campaign has resulted in Scott becoming short-tempered and impatient. Each day he goes over the edge a bit more and it's our family that has to suffer.