Dria slung her bookbag back over her shoulder and looked at the appointment card once more. Guidance Counseling Cubicle 119, Student Counselor, Jerome Ottobanks, College Sophomore. 9:15 AM. Guidance Counseling Building. After the main entrance, take a left. At the first turn take a right. It’s the third cubicle on the right… She counted the cubicles, one, two, three. She read the nameplate, Jerome Ottobanks. Looking in, she saw what looked to be a nineteen or twenty-year-old man seated at the computer going over files. He had olive skin and long, shoulder-length, dark brown hair tied up in a ponytail. He wore thin dark glasses and had chocolate brown eyes. He was dressed professionally though he was only a student.
“Erhmm.” She said clearing her throat to let him know she was there. “Mr. Jerome Ottobanks?” He turned and flashed her a kind smile. “Just Jerome. And you would be Xandria Bones?” She smiled in return. “Just Dria. Thank you.” He nodded. “Welcome to HITS, Dria, please take a seat and we’ll get started.” Dria nodded and sat down in the Cubicle’s extra seat. They went through some routine paperwork to get her registered for HITS. Then came the question she had been waiting for. The question she had been puzzling over all night, and now was fairly certain that she was sure of the answer to.
“And have you decided what your focus will be in, Dria? It’s okay if you haven’t.” “Actually, yes. Aerospace Engineering.” He looked surprised. “Well. I’m glad you’re enthusiastic about it. Unfortunately, we don’t separate the Engineering in the High School levels. Not till the Bridge Program and there isn’t much difference there either, since it’s just an Associate’s. But we can definitely put you down for an Engineering Focus. Let me guess, you want to be an Astronaut?” Dria went red in the face. “Something like that.” “Well, with your grades, you should do well. Alright, you are down for Engineering, is there anything else you’d like to look at, as a backup?”
Dria nodded, suddenly quiet. There was something, but so totally different, it would look unusual coming with the Aerospace Engineering, but she had to, it was, her identity somehow. “Ocean Engineering.” “Ocean Engineering.” He repeated looking at the screen, obviously not knowing what he had just said. Five seconds later, he realized it. He looked at her in surprise. “Ocean engineering? I did hear you right, didn’t I?” Dria nodded. He looked at her strangely. “That’s a little… unusual. Not many students take that, and no one takes it with Aerospace.” Then he grinned. “But there is a first time for everything, right? Well then let’s get you signed up, Spacefish.” His eyes crinkled, and he grinned as he said it, to let her know he was gently ribbing her. Interesting nickname she had just earned herself.
“Alright, now to get you signed up for classes.” He worked out a schedule for her, and it seemed that she would have a double workload. She would be busy, double school, job, patrolling and family and friends. She had a lot to juggle. “Thank you, sir.” “Don’t mention, Dria, and remember, it’s Jerome. No ‘sir’. Welcome to Hits!”

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