Freshman for President

by Ally Condie

  They opened the door to the shed. It smelled musty, but it was pretty clean except for a spot near the door where Mrs. Walsh must have potted the plants she kept on her front porch. There were a few empty planters that she hadn’t ended up using, along with a little dusting of potting soil on the floor.

  Milo swept up the soil and carefully stacked the empty planters in a corner, taking care not to move too fast. He didn’t want Mrs. Walsh to trip on anything if she ended up coming to the shed for something. Although it didn’t look as though she came in here much.

  While he was doing that, Jack pulled the rakes out of the corner and found some plastic garbage bags for bagging leaves.

  “Does she have any hedge trimmers?” Milo asked.

  “Right here,” Jack answered, holding them up.

  “Let’s get started.”

  Being out in the fresh fall air helped. Milo could feel his mind clearing as he and Jack swept up the fallen pine needles and pinecones, raked the leaves, trimmed the roses back. He moved slowly, but he felt pretty good.

  “How was the bus ride home?” he asked Jack as they worked. The two of them had a pattern going. They both raked; then Milo held the bag and Jack scooped the leaves into the bag. It had been a while since they’d worked side by side like this or had a chance to talk without anyone else around. A week or two ago, the leaves had been a bright mosaic of color covering the ground. Now they were brown and dry and fragile, breaking up when Milo or Jack touched them with the rake.

  “It was fine,” Jack said. “I think everyone had a pretty good time. Even Logan told me it had been cooler than he thought it would be. I told him to volunteer, we could use any help we can get.”

  “You guys have all been working like crazy.” Milo felt bad.

  “We’ve been working like dogs. But you’d do the same for us.”

  “None of us had any idea what we were getting into, did we?” Milo asked. “I don’t think even Eden had any clue about what this was going to be like.”

  “You need to promise not to run for anything ever again.” Jack grinned. “At least not while we’re in high school. This is cool and all, but next year I’m going to be busy. I’m going to be playing varsity football and dating all the hot girls.”

  “The ones I’m not dating, anyway,” Milo told him.

  Jack tied up the last bag of leaves. “I think that’s about it. Let’s tell Mrs. Walsh we’re finished.” He hefted a bag of leaves.

  Milo followed him.

  Mrs. Walsh was waiting for them on the front porch bench, all bundled up in a down jacket and fuzzy boots with a bright red scarf wrapped around her neck. “Finished already?” she called out to them.

  “We just got done,” Milo called out. He and Jack deposited the black garbage bags on the curb, where they slumped over like tired bodies. Then they walked over to talk to Mrs. Walsh.

  “Oh, thank you, boys,” she said. “It feels wonderful to know I’m all ready for winter. It was so sweet of you to come even when you’re so busy.”

  “No problem,” Milo said.

  “Would you like to come in for some hot chocolate?” Mrs. Walsh asked them. “I want to hear all the behind-the-scenes news about the debate. You were just wonderful last night. I stayed up late and watched the whole thing on television.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Walsh, but we can’t stay,” Milo had to tell her, for the first time ever. “We’re supposed to go to Haventon and get working on some more campaign stuff. I hope that’s all right.”

  She smiled at him. “Of course that’s all right. I’m so proud of both of you. I hope you’ll come over for a cup of hot chocolate when this is all over, and tell me everything.”

  “We sure will.”

  As he and Jack walked home from Mrs. Walsh’s, Milo thought again of the list waiting for him. He didn’t have the time to do everything he was supposed to do, everything he wanted to do, and everything he needed to do. He hadn’t been running to stay conditioned for soccer. He hadn’t taken care of Mrs. Walsh’s yard the way he’d planned. He hadn’t solved the mystery of Maura or kept his grades sky-high. He hadn’t done most of the things he had thought he would be able to fit in without much trouble.

  He’d thought of the campaign as a crazy extracurricular activity, something he would work hard on, but he hadn’t known how quickly it would absorb the rest of his free time and his life.

  He wondered how on earth anyone could actually survive being president. There was so much to do. How could anyone ever do any of it well, let alone all of it perfectly, the way the public needed and expected?

  Maybe it was a good thing the campaign was almost over, he told himself. Yesterday he hadn’t wanted it to ever end, but today he remembered that most days weren’t like yesterday. He didn’t know how the other candidates, or how anyone in politics, did this for years. Well, maybe he did. Yesterday had been pretty cool.

  * * *

  Something was up. Milo could tell. He and Jack were ten minutes late getting back to Milo’s house and Eden wasn’t the least bit upset, even though there were people already there, waiting for them. Instead she was holding her cell phone and smiling when she came to the door.

  “What happened?” Milo asked her.

  “Guess who was on the phone.”

  “Good Morning USA,” Milo guessed. Maybe the debate coverage had convinced them to make good on their promise to have him on the show again.

  “Yup.”

  Milo almost laughed. Things were getting so crazy it was actually funny. “All right. So they really do want to have me on the show again?”

  “It’s even more amazing than that,” Eden told him. “They want you to interview Senator Ryan and Governor Hernandez, and ask them the questions you would have asked last night.”

  “No way.” Milo shook his head. “Senator Ryan and Governor Hernandez would never agree to that.” He couldn’t picture either of them taking time at this point in the campaign to do an interview with him.

  “Apparently they already have. We have a lot of work to do to get ready. The interview will be Thursday morning. In New York. Live.”

  “Okay.” Milo took a deep breath. “We can do this. The only big events we have left are this interview, and the rally and speech on Election Day. We can handle it for a little while longer.” He was telling himself this as much as he was telling Eden.

  Everything would calm down in just a few weeks. He’d go back and have hot chocolate with Mrs. Walsh. He’d start running with his friends from the soccer team. He’d hang out with Eden at the drugstore and help her invent new kinds of ice cream sodas. He’d sit in Jack’s family room and play Madden Football for hours with him. He’d get his license and take Maura for a drive and try to get her to talk to him and tell him what was wrong.

  There would be time for all of it—just not right now.

  Chapter 24

  October

  Transcript of Good Morning USA television interviews, conducted by Milo J. Wright, age fifteen

  Carly Crandall: “The Presidential election is right around the corner, and we at Good Morning USA are thrilled to have three presidential candidates on our show this morning: Senator Ryan and Governor Hernandez, who will be appearing shortly via satellite, and Mr. Milo Wright, who is sitting here with me right now. How are you, Milo?”

  Milo J. Wright (grinning fiercely): “I’m great.”

  Carly (facing the main camera with brilliant enthusiasm and equally brilliant teeth): “After I introduce Milo and his segment, I’m going to get right out of his way so that he can interview the other two candidates. Milo, are you looking forward to this chance to speak one-on-one with the other two candidates?”

  Milo: “Yes.”

  [Brief pause.]

  Carly: “Tell us briefly about how you selected the questio
ns you’re going to ask them, Milo.”

  Milo (reddening slightly): “Oh, yeah. We asked other teenagers to submit the questions they wanted me to ask Senator Ryan and Governor Hernandez in these interviews on my website. We took the top ten questions for each candidate and we’ll see how many we can get through in five minutes.”

  Carly: “And do the candidates know what questions you’ll be asking them?”

  Milo: “No, actually they don’t. Some staff from your show went through the questions and removed a couple they thought might be inappropriate, but the candidates themselves have not seen the questions.”

  Carly: “I guess I shouldn’t ask about the questions that weren’t appropriate.”

  Milo: “Well, it was kind of weird. They let through all the questions I thought were kind of silly, like ‘Who’s your favorite celebrity?’ But the other ones, like ‘What is your stand on abortion?’ they didn’t let through. I guess they thought they were too controversial, or that they’d been answered before.”

  Carly: “I have a feeling this is going to be a very interesting interview, Milo.” [Turns from Milo to the camera.] “Stay tuned for Milo’s first interview. Both Senator Ryan and Governor Hernandez are on the campaign trail, but we’ll be speaking to them live via satellite, right after the break.”

  [Commercial break: A new show that airs on the same network as Good Morning USA has been called “gripping,” “daring,” and “the best new show this season.” Dramatic music plays as the words flash across the screen.]

  Milo: “Hi, I’m Milo Wright, candidate for President, and I’m about to interview Senator Ryan, who is currently in Washington, D.C. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Senator.”

  Senator Ryan (smiling pleasantly from a screen on the wall across from Milo): “The pleasure is mine, Milo. I have to say, before we get started, that I think what you are doing is wonderful. Wonderful indeed. To have someone young out there, getting other young people energized about politics and interested in their country’s present and future—well, I think it’s quite something.”

  Milo: “Thank you, sir. Do you mind if we start with the first question? This is the one that most teenagers wanted to know about you.”

  Senator Ryan: “Certainly.”

  Milo: “What kind of music do you listen to?”

  Senator Ryan: “Um.” [Laughs]. “Classic rock, sometimes the Top 40 when my kids have it on.” [Pause.] “My favorite band is the Eagles. You’re probably too young to even know who that is.”

  Milo: “I know who they are. They sing the song about the Hotel California with the awesome guitar solo.”

  Senator Ryan: “That’s right.”

  Milo (red-faced, after bending down to retrieve a paper he has dropped on the floor): “I’d like to get to some of the more serious issues now. Our next question is about teenagers and responsibility. There’s been a recent movement to raise the driving age up from sixteen. How do you feel about that?”

  Senator Ryan: “Actually, I strongly believe the driving age should stay where it is. Sixteen is old enough to drive. And, as this is also a state law, I firmly believe in the state’s right to enforce that law.”

  Milo: “Yeah. In Idaho, for example—”

  Senator Ryan: “You can get your learner’s permit when you’re fourteen.”

  Milo: “I should live in Idaho. Right now, my sister drives me everywhere.”

  Senator Ryan: [Laughs politely.]

  Milo: “Most of us who are teenagers now will be able to vote in four years in the next election, so if you do end up being president, they’ll be voting for you or against you for reelection. I have to say, I hope it’s me they’re reelecting.”

  Senator Ryan: [Laughs politely again.]

  Milo: “But anyway, what do you have to say to teenagers now, keeping in mind that they’ll be helping to decide your fate in the next election?”

  Senator Ryan: “That is a great question, Milo, and incidentally, let me say if ever there was a teenager we should let into office, I think it should be you.”

  Milo: “Thank you, sir.”

  Senator Ryan: “To answer your question, though, I want to tell American teenagers that we, my running mate and I, have you in mind. Almost everything we do is with our children in mind, wanting to make this country and this world a better place for you.”

  Milo: “Thank you, sir. I’ve just been signaled that my time is up, so I want to thank you for taking the time to be interviewed today.”

  Senator Ryan: “My pleasure. Thank you for interviewing me.”

  [Commercial break: A woman is doing laundry. She is so happy. In fact, she has never been happier because her new detergent can remove anything from any type of clothing. For example, it has just successfully removed tar from her wedding dress, although the small print at the bottom of the screen warns consumers that results may not be typical.]

  Milo (unaware he has been humming “Hotel California”): “Oh, hello. Welcome back. I’m Milo Wright, candidate for President, and we’ve just heard from Senator Ryan. Now we’ll be talking to Governor Hernandez. Governor, are you there?”

  [The screen opposite Milo shows Governor Hernandez’s face.]

  Governor Hernandez: “I’m here.”

  Milo: “Hello, Governor.”

  Governor Hernandez: “Hello, Milo.”

  Milo: “Are you ready for your first question?”

  Governor Hernandez: “Yes, I am. Go right ahead.”

  Milo: “What kind of music do you listen to?”

  Governor Hernandez: “The oldies.” [Laughs.] “I love to listen to the classics. Dylan, the Beatles, all of that. I’m stuck in the 1960s and 1970s.”

  Milo: “I don’t know if you heard the earlier interview, Governor, but I asked Senator Ryan how he felt about raising the driving age. What do you think about that?”

  Governor Hernandez: “Forty-one percent of teenage fatalities occur in automobile accidents and it’s the number one cause of teenage death. I’m not quite ready to say we should change the driving age, but I’m also not opposed to looking into it further if we can’t get that statistic down—quickly—in other ways.”

  Milo: “If you are elected, you’ll be the first woman president, and also the first Hispanic president.” [Pause.] “How do you feel about that?”

  Governor Hernandez (smiling): “Can I ask you a question before I answer?”

  Milo: “Uh, sure, I guess.”

  Governor Hernandez: “How do you feel about being the first teenage candidate for president?”

  Milo: “Probably the same way you feel about being the first woman and the first Hispanic to be president.”

  Governor Hernandez (a little surprised): “And that is—?”

  Milo: “Someone has to be first.” [Pause.] “And I want it to be me.”

  Governor Hernandez (laughing): “Exactly. That is precisely how I feel too.”

  Milo: “I have one last question for you, Governor. What do you have to say to teenagers now, bearing in mind that they’ll be helping to decide your fate in the next election if you do become the president?”

  Governor Hernandez: “I want to tell them to get involved, or, if they are involved, to stay involved. I want them to know that you have to stand up for change if you want change, and you have to stand up for the ways things are if you want them to stay the same. I want teenagers to know I am aware of how much they have to offer and how much they are already doing. And I’m grateful we have you to remind us of how important and vital our youth are.

  “Sometimes we get used to talking about you in the abstract when we’re on the campaign trail and debating, and you have been here these past few months to remind us of the actual teenagers and youth behind our words and plans. You’ve reminded us of who, exactly, will be affected by
what we do long after we, the older generation, are dead and gone. I have appreciated that very much.” [Laughs.] “Although it does make me feel like I have one foot in the grave.”

  Milo: “Thank you for your kind words about my campaign, Governor, and thanks for being interviewed.”

  Governor Hernandez: “Thank you for interviewing me, Milo. I’m very much looking forward to the election results next week—not just the ‘official’ ones, but the ones from your website as well.”

  Milo: “Thanks, Governor Hernandez. I’m looking forward to that too.”

  [Commercial break: Milo doesn’t know this at the time, but the commercial is for feminine hygiene products, and will be the source of much teasing and amusement when he returns to Sage High.]

  Carly Crandall: “I’m back in the studio with Milo Wright and it’s my turn to interview him. I’ll be asking him the same questions he asked the other two candidates. If you frequent Milo’s website, or are familiar with his campaign, you probably already know the answers to these questions. But for those of you who aren’t, it’s only fair to give our third Presidential candidate the chance to answer. Milo, are you ready to be on the other side of the questioning now?”

  Milo: “I’m ready.”

  Carly: “So, Milo, what is your favorite kind of music?”

  * * *

  Milo had never realized before what a powerful emotion relief was. Riding in the limo back to the hotel, he sank into the deep leather upholstery and simply wallowed in the glorious feeling of being finished with something he’d worried about incessantly.

  Milo liked looking out the tinted windows of the limo and seeing people and their lives pass by. He saw people that looked like the people he’d see in Sage. He saw people who looked like nothing he’d ever see in Sage, not in a million years. In the throes of his relief, he loved them all. He wanted to roll down the window and yell, “I love New York!” just the way they did in the movies. Or maybe just, “I love America!” Where else could a fifteen-year-old kid get to be on national television interviewing candidates? Where else could someone like him get to ride in a limo and stay in a fancy hotel?