From Rowan's diary
A few months have passed since my last entry, we're now in the middle of our last semester in college. Everyone is working hard at this point, to be able to complete both the thesis and all the courses before the end of this semester.
Juno: (cheerful) How are you doing, with the thesis?
Rowan: I've finished the first draft, I plan to spend the rest of the semester refining it. You instead?
Juno: I've written two chapters already, three more and I should manage to finish it right on time.
Rowan: Rather, I've heard that this Saturday some talent scouts from Sim City companies will be attending the weekly debate.
Juno: Talent scouts?
Rowan: Yes. Rumours say that they may try to spot some promising students, and propose them to work at their company.
Juno: Oh, that sounds interesting. I'm sure you'll do great!
Interesting is an understatement, graduating with a guaranteed job in a place like Sim City would be quite an opportunity. I have already started sending some CVs to companies I considered to be promising, but being able to demonstrate my value in a debate is an opportunity that I absolutely don't want to miss.
Rowan: I'm telling you this because I think you could participate too.
Juno: What? But I'm not part of that group, nor…
Rowan: You already tried to debate once, in the student areas, and that time you did better than many others. So, I don't think anyone would protest if you showed up too. And then, if you plan to look for work in Sim City, it could be a great opportunity.
Juno: Well, I guess...
She didn't seem so interested when we talked about it, but thinking about it now I guess that she just had something else in mind. Later, she told me that tomorrow evening she plans to return to New Sixam to talk to Francis about their future, I can see why she would be worried about it.
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Juno returned to that topic a few days later. She had convinced me to go to the campus pub to talk about it, with the compromise of sitting in the less noisy part of the building.
Rowan: (cautiously) So… What happened?
Juno: (exhausted) It's over. Finished. Kaputt. Francis keeps saying I've lost my mind, that it would be much easier for me to go back to New Sixam with him and that's it, and that since I moved here I've changed and that I've filled my head with unrealistic ideas. Well, my parents told me the same about this, actually.
Rowan: ...
Juno: I mean, I was already quite sure that we would break up, we didn't agree on anything for I don't know how long now... But I can't help but feel a little guilty, in the end he didn't do anything really wrong, it's me who... who changed. He is actually right about this.
Rowan: …
Juno talked and talked and talked that evening, even though she said she was exhausted she seemed to need to vent. I guess.
Juno: Rather, is that invitation to the weekly debate still valid?
Rowan: Yes, of course.
Juno: Great. I think I'll try, then.
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The following Saturday, weekly debate
Juno: Good morning everyone, and thanks again for letting me participate!
Juno was cheerful and smiling as usual, from the comments I could hear from the audience I suspected that many weren't taking her too seriously. Well, they had to prepare to be proven wrong, then. I'm quite sure they had no idea that she had spent two whole afternoons digging up data and rehearsing her answers, and that she was more determined than ever to demonstrate what she was capable of.
???: I would like to return to the theme of the last debate, time ran out right when the topics started to get more interesting. Thus, to return to the topic of available energy sources, I think we should start with the comparison of the costs per KWh of energy produced. Albeit the importance of environmental conservation, the data clearly shows that it is not realistically conceivable to make a complete transition to...
Juno: May I ask what data you are referring to, exactly?
???: To the feasibility studies carried out by Bennet in the State of…
Juno: But those data are from more than fifteen years ago, and energy costs have varied widely over this period. I have right here the analysis published no later than six months ago by some of Bennet's younger collaborators. If you agree, I would like to explain how his conclusions have changed completely. First of all...
Ten minutes later, Juno's opponent was just shaking their head, in disbelief, because they didn't manage to really enter the debate again. I applauded loudly when the time was up, Juno had undoubtedly done an excellent job. Then I took my notes and headed towards the podium with determination, because I had no intention of doing any less.
It had been a long morning, the rumours about the presence of talent scouts had spread and many more people than usual had shown up. In some ways this meant more competition, but I wasn't really worried about it. I did my best, after all.
Juno: You did great, I'm sure you convinced them!
Rowan: I guess we just have to wait to hear some news about these mysterious talent scouts at this point...
Juno: Yes, that's true.
Rowan: Anyway, you really stood out earlier. You have been even more convincing than during the rehearsals we did yesterday, you know?
Juno: Um, I'm not sure about it... Actually, now I'm remembering about a lot of other things that I wanted to say, but which I wasn't able to insert, and…
Rowan: With the time given, it was hard to do any better.
Juno: Finger crossed, then...
Once the debate was over, we moved to the student areas looking for some books, as often happened during the last few weeks. For sure we're spending a lot of time together, way more than ever before.
So we studied for a good part of the afternoon, until the sun began to sink below the horizon.
Juno: We finished early today, do you want to do something?
Rowan: I was thinking about going for a run, actually, just to stretch out a little.
Actually, this is exactly what I miss about the soccer team, being able to do some exercise and spend more time outdoors So, as soon as I have a free moment, I always try to do a bit of jogging through these narrow streets.
Juno: Isn't it boring, though?What about water balloons, I heard people can play with those just over there!
I simply shrugged, as to say: “Why not?”
Rowan: For the record, in Sulani we play with water balloons for more than half of the year.
Juno: (ironic) Thanks for the warning, it's very kind of you!
Juno: Ouch!
Rowan: Hey, are you okay?
Juno: You weren't joking, you really have a good aim!
Rowan: It's because you moved at the last second, I wasn't aiming at your face!
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This is how our last weeks on campus passed, by now the courses and exams are coming to an end, the thesis is written and is just waiting to be defended.
Juno: Good luck! this your last exam, right?
Rowan: Yes. Yours will start soon too, right?
Juno: Yes, actually I'd be better to hurry up! See you later, Rowan!
Rowan: Good luck to you too!
Then, right in the last week I spent in Britchester, the response from the talent scouts who had anonymously attended our last debate also arrived.
Rowan: Oh, so you received a letter?
Juno: Yes. Have you received anything yet?
Rowan: No, and neither did the others in the debate group, as far as I know.
Juno: What, seriously? So they would only write to me?
Rowan: So it seems.
Rowan: By the way, who wrote to you?
Juno: It was the CEO of a Sim City company that deals with ecological transition, he says that they are offering me a position in their fundraising office!
Rowan: Oh. Congratulations, then.
Yes, Juno had done a great job during that debate session, and for a position like that it was obvious that they would have contacted someone who was graduating in economics.
However, I have to admit that for me not receiving a single letter was a bitter surprise. It's disappointing, and it's also very easy to be envious of Juno, that's what.
Juno: C'mon, don't tell me you're worried! You have already sent many more CVs than I did, I'm sure that within a few days someone will reply to you too, you'll see!
Rowan: A few have already responded to me as well. It was all very small law firms though, I'm not sure...
Juno: Well, but it's always a starting point, right?
Rowan: Um…
I was probably a little naive to hope that the talent scouts could hand me the perfect opportunity on a silver platter, and to get the job I dreamt of right after graduating from college. But I had to stay rational, use my head. Nobody ever gives anything away, if the best chance I can get right now is to work at a small law firm, then all I have to do is start from there.
I shook my head slightly, as I often do to ward off bad thoughts, took my backpack and walked back towards the dorm with Juno. There were still a couple of days left before graduation, I was better to concentrate and commit myself to reaching that day there as well prepared as possible, that's what.
I don't think Juno should feel bad. I know she feels Francis 'did nothing wrong' but people break up all of the time over differences in future wants and needs, and the way Juno spoke about it, Francis was trying to tell her what was right for her, instead of letting her make up her own mind on what was best for her.
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for Juno so much. It seems since the start of her introduction so many people haven't taken her seriously, and that always sucks. Let's hope she can sway people her way in the debate! I'm glad that Rowan is much different now than he was before and that he's supportive of her and her endeavours. And to see him doing things just for fun without having to tie it to any kind of academical benefit, that's a big change too, to see him just enjoy himself and not overwork himself or devote himself entirely to his schoolwork.
I don't blame Rowan for feeling jealous, especially when they're scouted for a dream position like that - I'd feel the same way he does to be honest. but I'm glad Juno got the position! It just sucks sometimes when someone else gets a great opportunity seek them out like that, and you just feel a bit deflated after.
Thanks a lot for the comment, as always!
DeleteThis chapter had a lot of ups and downs, yes.
I would say that Juno and Francis mostly took this breaking badly because this was the first relationship for them, and they remained together for many years too (like, from age 16 to the end of college). Once they calm down a bit they would probably agree that this was the solution that made the most sense for them.
Still about Juno, I'm afraid that her attitude of "feeling guilty even when she didn't do anything wrong" is quite strongly related to "people don't take her seriously often". In this chapter probably a lot of people changed opinion about her, anyway, with that debate she destroyed everyone else among the official members of that group.
This latter point was quite tough on Rowan though, he definitively is not used to fail (in particular, not academically). I'd also agree on saying that leaning to take some free time is probably a nice achievement for him, but I'm not sure he grew enough to notice it by himself yet.