The Oval Office ✓ (Book One)

Chapter Fifty Nine

Kyle's P.O.V

  Godamnit I hate this job. There's no other way to say it- I fucking hate this. There have been good moments, of course. Passing the healthcare amendment, and- during the first year of my presidency, having abortion laws passed as a constitutional right. Restoring unity in more ways than one.

  Now, though- the bad outweighs good, at least to my family. My mother? Dead. Brother? Dead. My second best friend and the second best investigator in this country? Dead. Lauren's mother? Dead. The fact remains, no matter how much anybody try's to say differently- that they all would still be alive if I'd just dropped out of that first Presidential race.

  I could put in my two weeks  "I'm not running for a second term, and by the way I fucking quit" letter on live tv, but at this point, with just a few months left in my term, it'd be smarter to just stick to the first line. Until then, I still have a job to do.

  I pause for a second in the hallway outside of the residence, glancing at myself in the mirror. Christ- i look like actual dog shit. In just a month, the wrinkles that I'd managed to keep away for almost thirty nine years have popped out, becoming the most prominent features on my face. I never thought I'd look like one of those tired, old politicians who clearly hates their life- but looking at myself now, I'm that exact stereotype. There's even a couple of gray hairs, and I can feel my heart constantly beating at a dangerous rate that's just about given every single one of my doctors heart attacks. All they can do for now is medicate me and do the daily exams to make sure I don't, you know- die. That would really be the icing on top of the fucking cake.

"Mr.president-" Ella says. "The king is waiting on the line."

"Yeah yeah, I know." I reply, exhausted and annoyed. "Wait- I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

"You've had a tough month. It's understandable."

"Maybe, but that doesn't make it excusable." I take a sip from my water bottle. "As my head of security you're going to be stuck with us for quite a few years. Now I'm not sure how your last protectee treated you-"

"President Williams's son was a fucking asshole." She blurts out. "Sorry Mr. President."

"It's okay. I'm not your grandmother. Anyways, I can promise you that I will not be 'A fucking asshole' on purpose at any point. Hold me to that." I say. "And for gods sake Ella, stop calling me Mr.President. Makes me feel like I'm sixty."

"Kyle-" Her watch beeps. "King Joseph's still waiting."

I guess I can't procrastinate the whole "presidential duties" thing for much longer. I sigh, playing out a scenario in my head where I bang my head against the metal elevator walls over and over again until my blood flows freely,but come to my senses in less than ten seconds. What the fuck is wrong with me?

In my secondary office, I pick up the phone, putting on the presidential tone. "King Joseph- is the legislation going well?"

"Well, I've had my legal experts type up the second draft- since the first one was mostly just ideas we scribbled on a piece of paper."

"Okay- and?"

"They've got the skeleton finished so we will be holding the announcement as planned."He replies. Finally - something good'll happen this month. It may not draw reporters away from the White House for very long, but at this point we'll take anything we can get. An email pops up on my screen, and attached, is the document that will essentially be the foundation of Ordaia's new government.