Ari's POV (Because it's never happened before and because everyone has a chance to shine so why not?)
When I wake up, I stare at my ceiling for a while, my mind going back to yesterday....
That woman...
"Ari!"
I let out a low groan "Give me a minute!"
When I'm done with brushing and bathing, I quickly wear my uniform and head down the stairs, a frown visible on my face as Mother makes a smiley face "Look at my handsome baby"
I snap my teeth at her as she chuckles while I sit on the table "I wasn't able to sleep last night"
"Watching anime I suppose"
"No" I cut in even though she winks at me like I'm lying and I sigh before I adjust my glasses "Something happened yesterday... It's still quite unsettling"
She makes a face as she drops my cereal box and bowl infront of me "When you went to see Vanessa?" When I nod, she says "How is she anyway?"
"I don't know...." I sat quietly, the memory of yesterday hitting me.
After I called Miss Sweet as Vanessa asked, she arrived immediately, asking me to go home and rest, that she would watch over Vanessa.
Or Vanilla, as she had said.
I ignored it, as she kept staring at Vanessa through the see through glass wall before I pass her and smell it.
There is a mixture of smells there, and one, was unmistakably Vanilla.
Yesterday I had heard Vanessa was getting discharged and didn't go to school as I should have but went to see her, and how she was doing.
But when I got there, she was still asleep.
And the woman...
THAT woman was seated there, a smile on her face as she said "I was expecting you, can we talk Mr Light?"
I somehow doubted I had the capacity in me to refuse her, to tell her no and I nodded as she stood up and walked to my side.
She is terribly tall... For a woman, and always smiling.
Is that possible?
She has a scent on her... Different flavour scents, Vanilla being the only prominent one I could recognize as we walked till we reached a sort of bridge, under us a large mass of water as she turns around and says, still smiling "I suppose I did not tell you thank you for saving Vanilla's life"
I want to ask her why she's calling Nessa that, because it sounds similar to her name, yes, but it's not.
Yet, I just grumble and look away "I didn't really do anything"
"You called for help even though you were scared. I saw the footage" She says so calmly... So softly "Thank you"
Why does she sound like the wind for God's sake?!
"I am a therapist Mr Light"
That makes me turn to her "I didn't ask"
She chuckles "I know, but normally, after every traumatic event, people usually tend to turn to us for help. Not that you need it, I just want you to know that my job is literally to tell you that it was not your fault, what happened that night. Do not blame yourself"
"But I'm not blaming myself"
"Liar"
Though, as she says this, she's still smiling.
There is something off about her... Just this hutch I always had, I suppose I got it from my Otousan.
He could tell and read people, their aura and their behaviours.
I could tell the TF boys were bad people without having to come close to them, it reeked so easily, even if one of them there seemed to be as meek as a lamb.
But when I saw Vanessa.
I just knew.. that she was like me.
That she couldn't really fit in because she was weird and that made me stick to her.
But this woman....
She tilts her head "Are you trying to read me as well?"
I suddenly felt my face heating up as I look away "No. And what do you mean as well?"
"Oh, your Father used to try doing the same thing"
My head turns sharply to her "You... You knew him?"
She nods "He worked with me at my rehabilitation facility. He was our psychologist, my personal one, we both worked hand in hand Mr Light"
"Just call me Ari" I say as she nods "Why should I believe you?"
"I have no reason to lie to you, but if you insist" She says "Your Father used to say you were 'a glass of gold and an art of old'. I never knew what it meant, do you?"
I still.
A glass of gold and an art of old....
Father used to... Call me that.
As a child then, I did not really understand it, none of my siblings did, but as I grew older, I sort of grasped a meaning, at least what I thought was a meaning.
No one in my family ever talked about it after Father passed away.
How did she...
She smiles again "And he used to call me Doc. Doc Zero"
And it clicks there.
Memories of Father rushing home, resting and then telling me about his 'Boss' who proved to be his biggest challenge yet.
He called her Doc Zero, because normally when Otousan met someone, since he could read them, he rated the sort of flow they gave out.
Zero meant that he did not understand the person.
And.... And his 'Boss' was the only one that he ever gave that figure too.
"His death hit all of us hard" She says "I have not found anyone who has such a talent with understanding people as he does, but I suppose you have the same gift as well. That is why you are thinking of majoring in the same field he was, isn't it Ari?"
I adjust my glasses "I don't think it's a nice thing to poke around people's private businesses"
"I won't call it poking if I had a right Ari" She says "Years ago, your Father.... He knew he was sick and you were the only one who would actually continue his legacy in the list, so he saved up enough money in the bank for your high school and college fees...."
Then she looks away "But I myself was grateful for the help he gave me as well, so I kept the money in a savings account and decided to sponsor you, with a scholarship"
"What?"
She turns to me, a bright smile on her face "Please, don't really see it as a favour, it is selfish in my side. I hope that after your college, you might decide to come work with us at the facility, but this is all up to you"
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!" I suddenly snap "My Family needed that money.... We still do"
"I'm sorry, but your Father specifically said it was for you alone" She replies "Your family members all dropped out of high school even though your Father begged them not to. He had his hope on you. If the money had gone out, I doubt your external family members would have even let you have it because of how young you were"
I stare at her, feeling tears suddenly drop from my eyes as she reaches out, tenderly and wipe the tears from my cheeks "I am proud of you and I bet wherever he is right now, he feels the same way I do"
And I sort of broke there.
After I cried for I don't know, an hour, she told me that after high school, I could get possession of the money he left behind and that now, she had to go meet Vanilla and I should head off to school but before she does that, she gives me a small squishy ball and tells me to squeeze it when ever I did not feel okay, that it always helped.
At first I did not want to, but I accepted it because her smile made me want to do things.
Weird things.
I also told her I was late, that school wasn't necessary, but she only smiled and said that I had already missed three days of school and would handle whatever came up about my lateness.
Instead of me to leave immediately, I stayed behind and watched her walk into Vanessa's ward, and I have never, NEVER, seen her look as happy as she did when she saw the woman.
The love between them was so obvious and I stayed long enough to see them kiss that it sort of made sense why Vanessa never wanted telling me who she was dating.
Possibly because she thought I was homophobic or something and get mad.
But this sort of made me not even mad.
It kind of made me feel better that she actually preferred girls and not boys.
And I finally left, squeezing the red ball she had given me.