The Thing about Falling ✓

Six • The Thing about the ODS

Owen

Three thirty.

That's what the clock said.

A few more minutes and I'll finally get rid of this heavy weight on my chest.

I was out of the dorm and had to go to this last meet up with the people over at the ODS about my classes. Luckily, these past few days I spent with Fitz proved that he was pretty cool and he didn't even mind accompanying me to fix my schedule and accomodations here at school.

"So this is for that lab class, right? With the terror guy?" Fitz said, leaning over to me as we sat in the receiving area inside the school office.

He was the one who technically sat on the cushions and I anxiously kept tapping my fingers onto the armrests of my chair. My heart felt as if it were a cat about to pounce yet my chest cavity just won't let it do so. I was terribly scared of whatever arrangements will be made final for this specific class.

"With the terror guy, yes." I answered back.

Fitz whistled smoothly as he perched his head up, adjusting his glasses as he took his time to look around.

"You do know there are elevators around here." he said nonchalantly.

I turned my head toward him and shot him a disbelieving look.

"I know. I can't be so sure though since Charlie told me that some elevators are faulty. I don't want to be stuck in an elevator looking all helpless as I wait for the fire department to come get me. I'd rather have my Mum save my arse than firemen."

I shook my head and felt a frown form on my face.

Elevators were almost seen everywhere around campus. Even in dorms too but unfortunately, the one in my dorm was rather broken down and was deemed "unfixable" by the staff.

I even have this irrational fear of getting stuck in a faulty elevator from all these disability blog posts I've read online about elevators not working in universities and I do NOT want any person from the fire department come get me as my fellow schoolmates boggle their eyes at me and call me that kid who got stuck in an elevator.

Fitz scoffed and shot me a small, crooked smile.

"You'll be fine. Though I did beat your ass at Mario Kart." he said knowingly.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"I wasn't playing that much lately. You're the one who brought your Switch to uni, not me. Of course you get to practice."

He shrugged and looked smug. He knew he won fair and square that time we went over to his room and played video games.

"I won't judge if you only play Animal Crossing. I get the hype."

"Shut up."

We were both quiet inside the Office of Disability Services here and it was not long until Mrs. Miller, the one who takes care of literally everything, came around and ushered me into her personal desk space.

I turned to Fitz and he shot me a cheery thumbs up before I unlocked the brakes of my chair and spun towards Mrs. Miller's space.

Mrs. Miller was a small, plump woman in her 50s with greying hair always tied up in a low ponytail. She always had this sweet, grandma smile on her face and it suddenly made me feel less scared of the inevitable.

"So, Owen, how's college move in doing for you? Everything okay with your dorm accomodations and erm, --roommate?" she said as she attempted to mask her amusement.