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PROLOGUE

“If only these walls could talk…the world would know just how hard it is to tell the truth in a story in which everyone’s a liar”

—Gregg Olsen

MELODY

“You will all be queued in the moment we come back fro, Chicago!’ You all look prefect,” the producer for Good Morning Chicago said to all of us, as she and the rest of the camera crew moved to their places

“Whose bloody idea was this again?” Lia his hand ondoard

“Liam”

He sighed, his hand stopping onhappy family in the middle of the newly renovated park we had spent millions on for the “community”

To hborhood picnic I found athered with their stupid fanny packs and grubby hands all reaching for so free to stick in theiraround us handing out balloon hats

“Don’t you dare,” I muttered to myself, as I watched the freak march its fat feet towardsit until it was so comically, he handed it to me

“A crown fit for a queen,” he said

Liae to snap at the it, I smiled and placed it on my head

“Thank you” You stupid fuck

“And we’re on in ten…” The producer pointed to us, pulling us back into focus

We squashed up beside each other, as if we all loved each other so ether Normally Lias, but not today Instead, Olivia and her family stood in the center, while ere pushed off to the side

It was Senator Cole for President after all, and since today was the day of the priood press couldn’t hurt Elections are just popularity contests How ether is your family? Can you throw a football? Do you like The Beatles? That’s all that mattered to them—no matter how much they pretended to care about the “issues” And all of that could be faked We were all fakers; lying to people ere lying to themselves

Three

Two

One

“Good o!”

ONE

“Every unpunishedfrom the security of every man’s life”

—Daniel Webster

LIAM

I simply wanted to close odda for more political cameras But that wasn’t even the least of , but I kneas coht from hell