The Thing about Falling ✓

Thirty Three • Reunion

Owen

I lied about meeting my parents. 

I went to DC instead.

Although I have my own car left at uni, I didn't bother taking it. I had only practiced driving back at home and after that, I rarely found its use since I live on-campus at uni. Also, my utter stupidity peaks upon seeing small road lines and streets and whatnot in maps and directions. I just can't seem to understand them. They're all just a bunch of lines anyway.

Instead, I took a nerve-wracking three hour train ride to DC from uni and to be honest, the trip was quite the experience. I'm never doing this again.

Once I got there, I cursed at myself for not knowing how to ask people for directions to where I was supposed to go. I was too caught up in how different the place was compared to home and as well as to uni. The environment seemed richer and far more preppy than any other place I've ever been. And that includes my foggy memory of that time my family and I visited our relatives in London when I was younger.

DC seemed too elite for me, and I found myself out of place yet again.

I took out my phone as soon as I got off Rosslyn and called him.

Thankfully, he responded within three rings and went to pick me up at the station. It was good to see him again in person after a few months. He looked good.

His blonde hair somehow got a bit darker and sweat shone from his pale forehead as he awkwardly jogged towards me, his height a lanky six foot something. I forgot what it was, exactly. 

Still, we both caught up quickly, wasting no time as he directed me towards his own car, an upgrade from his old bike that he often used in high school. 

Calix helped me into his car, a beat-up blue sedan that seemed too small for his size. Nonetheless, he seemed happy and I wished I were the same. After he put my chair in the back and he sat on the driver's seat, he turned to me with a tight, reassuring smile and handed me some Maltesers. 

"It's gonna be okay, bro. Here, eat some chocolate. Marley says it makes anyone feel better." he said, dropping the small packet of chocolate in my hands before he started the engine. I stared at them and nodded.

"Okay."

The drive to his place was silent. Music was even out of the question this time as I simply stared at the scape of the city and found myself unsurprised that I didn't even look at the buildings in awe or wonder. They were just normal buildings after all.

After what seemed like forever, Calix unloaded my chair from the back and I transferred onto it. We were in front of his dorm outside of campus now. Weirdly, Calix kept handing me packets of Maltesers every now and then  as we went inside and rode the elevator like it was a drug deal or something. If I wasn't feeling so distanced from everything now, I think I would've even joked about it, I don't know. This slump has been going on for too long and it's driving me crazier with each passing moment.

I needed help.

As soon as Calix opened the door to his room, I was jolted to the sound of party poppers showering rainbow confetti, all of which were handled by another familiar face I didn't expect to see this time of the year.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" she squealed in delight. 

Her rosy cheeks were blushed with cherry and her eyeliner was sharp to the edges. Her brown skin was warm and radiant as ever, the same as the last time I saw her before we packed our bags and moved to different cities for college.

Marley was here too and she's never looked better.

"Thanks." I muttered with a forced smile. I wasn't sure I can muster up a real one over this wave of utter confusion, frustration, and guilt I'm feeling inside.