With a bounce on her step, Lisa shook off the shock of Roseanne's unexpected presence and entered her second day of training with a smile. Despite having to wear her glasses thanks to a contact lens mishap, she was determined to enjoy every moment of what she'd worked so hard for. Out of thousands of applicants and three rounds of interviews, she'd landed her dream job. Roseanne wasn't going to ruin that for her no matter how hard she tried.
"Hey," she greeted Minnie when she entered the training room. "Not stuck outside today! That's an improvement."
She looked up from the state-issued laptop with a flush in her cheek. "I got here an hour early just in case," she admitted sheepishly.
Lisa rested against Minnie's section of the table after dropping her bag off on her chair. She was a little early too, and judging by the mostly empty room, they'd been luckier in their commute than their comrades. They made small talk as the room gradually filled.
"We're going to get an overview of County Court and Domestic Violence Court today," Lisa explained quietly as she leaned in closer. "At the end, we'll fill out preference sheets for where we go for Weeks Three and Four of training. And more critically, where we'll be for nine months when training is over."
Minnie peered up at her with wide eyes. "How do you know?"
It was the wrong question.
"I suggest you put in for DV. The DV office is in the same building as the courthouse and the monthly parking pass doesn't cost as much as my rent. Once we move to felonies, it'll be a long time before we can drive to work again. Plus, County is a total frat house, and you don't want to spend nearly a year there if you can avoid it." She gave her the answer to the question she should've asked. "It's not a sure thing, but if you put it as your top pick, you'll have a better chance."
Minnie's lips blossomed into a smile. "Thanks."
"Anytime," she replied before getting to her seat a few minutes before Doyeong strode in followed by two prosecutors only a little older than them. Lisa recognized the man as the Assistant Chief of DV, Chris. He'd been a baby prosecutor her first summer at the office.
For the next three hours, the group learned about the different cases each division handled. Lisa had no interest in prosecuting drunk drivers and municipal infractions, but she had to admit the County Assistant Chief sold it a hell of a lot better than Chris did. Based on this presentation, she'd be shocked if anyone opted for DV, which suited her perfectly.
"Before you all dart off for lunch—" Doyeong started handing out the preference sheets "—fill these out so we know whether you prefer County or DV. There's no guarantee we can accommodate your request because about fifteen of you will go to DV while the bulk of the group will be going to County, but we like to try."
"What if we have no preference?" Roseanne asked, looking bored as she accepted the paper.
Doyeong furrowed his brow. "I suppose you can write that in," he replied after a beat. "Though you might be the first person not to lean one way or the other after listening to the song and dance."
Lisa knew she was openly glaring at Roseanne, but she couldn't help herself. Could she really care so little? She could think of a dozen people that wanted nothing more than to sit in her spot but hadn't been picked.
Incensed, Lisa filled out her sheet and deposited it on Doyeong's lectern. As she waited for the room to clear so she could move her chair to the lunch circle, she couldn't stop staring at Roseanne in disgust.
When Doyeong approached Roseanne as she gathered her things, she couldn't help feeling satisfied. She hoped he was calling her out for her rude behavior. Instead, all she could make out was something about cellphones and stepping outside.
