Page 71 of Wicked Pickle

I’m perfectly sure I can have it all.

Tuesday’s class is without Jenna, a small study group I joined that focuses on Florida politics. We review news about bills, elections, the progress of legislation, and the impact of recent laws.

We have a sponsoring professor, but he doesn’t attend our meetings, just reviews our progress. It’s the type of learning I value most as I think about what’s next, where I want to serve, and what my post-grad life will look like.

One benefit of this type of class is we can meet wherever we want, so today, we’re sitting in the sunshine on the grass in the quad. Students walk around us on the sidewalks, entering and leaving buildings. The four of us feel pretty stoked about our freedom.

Mina, an activist from India, passes around a printout of a job board from the federal building. “Lots of openings were listed Friday. Clearly, something is going on with this many posts going vacant at once.”

“You think it was a walkout?” asks Henry, his forehead creasing. “It can’t be budget cuts, or they wouldn’t be replacing them.”

Mina shrugs. “I’m not sure if it’s an opportunity or a descent into hell. But I wanted to share them if anyone was going to get a jump on an internship or to work while you do your thesis. Several of us of are done with our coursework at the end of summer.”

“I’m interested,” I say. “I submit my thesis topic in the fall.” I glance over the list. Eleven spots. This is unprecedented. I could work with a judge. Or in appropriations as a researcher. Or be a letter writer who responds to constituents. Three of those are open.

Henry shakes his head. “Something’s going on.”

“There’s always something going on,” Mina says. “Florida politics are the most volatile they’ve ever been.”

“It’s snowballing, for sure,” chimes in Billy from where he lies in the grass, a Miami Dolphins ballcap covering his face.

The wind picks up, and Mina tugs the scarf covering her hair before it falls, deftly pinning it back into place. “You all are worried?”

Henry marks the printout with a yellow highlighter. “Can we figure out who was working those posts before? If they wererecent college grads or even students like us, they’d walk out over any number of issues happening right now.”

Mina runs her finger down the list. “I’m not sure how we would find that out. It also begs the question, do we go in and replace them and sit in the belly of the beast? Or fight from the outside?”

“We can’t protest,” Henry says. “The first thing they check these days when they hire you on the hill is if you’re politically aligned.”

Mina fiddles with the end of her scarf. “It puts us in a difficult place, doesn’t it? We see the damage, but we can’t do anything.”

“I think being inside is the best place to be,” I say. “It’s powerful to carry a sign and take a stand. But it’s even more powerful to be in the room where the decisions are made.”

Mina gestures to the paper. “But all these people left the room. What does that mean?”

I run my hands over the supple grass to calm myself. I don’t know the answer to that. What could make me quit? Was it clear to them they wouldn’t get anywhere? Did it get too awful to watch?

Did they not want to have any part in what they saw?

Everyone is looking at me like I might have the answer. “We can’t get spooked,” I tell them. “We have to assume they got burned out or pressured to go or something went very wrong. We won’t let it happen to us. Let’s all apply. We know each other. We will help each other find our way.”

Billy peers out from under his hat. “Somebody’s optimistic.”

Henry smirks and hides a laugh behind his phone. “She got laid.”

My face flames. “How can you guys have degrees and still act like high school morons?”

“We saw you with biker boy,” Henry says. “Everybody talks.”

“I’d do him,” Billy says. “We’re just jealous.”

I need a redirect. “So, what do you think? There’s four of us. We could all get hired. We have professors who will recommend us.”

Mina folds her paper. “I agree with Symphony. Let’s all try to get hired. These positions are related. We could even do this class from the federal building. How cool would that be?”

“Pretty damn cool,” Billy says.

“All right,” Henry says. “But someone is going to have to help me with a résumé.”