Her head throbbed in bearable but annoying pulses. She had arranged her pillows and quilt comfortably, but her muscles could not relax. The book in her hands that she had chosen off the shelf somehow lacked appeal. Her eyelids drooped but wouldn't stay closed. She wasn't expecting to sleep at all that night although it was all that she wanted to do. At the peak of her restlessness, someone popped out of the blue beside her bed. She turned sharply, and her pupils dilated for a second until her brain recognised the face. She chided in some amusement,
“Kathryn, you do realise it's two in the morning.”
Kathryn stood frozen in the spot, shifting her eyes quickly to survey the room. It was cozy, dimly lit, and Clarisa was sitting under the covers in her sleepwear, holding a book and looking exhausted. Something really needed to be done about that mental control. She fumbled for a good explanation but thought of none, and ended up stuttering,
“I… I just… I’m… I’m really sorry. For everything.”
Clarisa blinked.
“You came to apologise?”
“Well, not exactly…” Kathryn looked away nervously. “I was just... thinking about you. Again.”
There was about five seconds of awkwardness before Clarisa’s puzzled face broke gently into a smile. She suggested,
“Why don't you take a seat? And we can start an insomniac club.”
Kathryn’s eyes widened, surprised by Clarisa's two AM hospitality. She moved towards a small chair near the bed, but felt her foot touch something soft. She bent down to look under the bed, and Clarisa introduced,
“Oh yes. That's my cat, Purdey.”
Kathryn cooed in delight as she caught sight of the snow-white fur.
“I love cats!”
“But don't touch her while she's asleep. She’ll get angry.”
Kathryn sat down reluctantly and looked back up at Clarisa. She remembered fact eight,
“Lots of things must have happened to you today, if you're up at this time of night.”
Clarisa closed her book and replied tiredly, “Not exactly, but lots of things have been happening the past week, too many to reflect on.”
“And am I one of them?” Kathryn highly suspected.
“Yes, you are one of them,” Clarisa smiled, realising they had been thinking about each other. “Why don't we share what's on our minds, and hopefully sleep better tonight?”
Kathryn smiled back, in favour of the idea. “Fine, but let me continue from where I left off,” she said playfully, then her face turned sorrowful again. “Fact eight: I’m so sorry about the last session.”
“It's alright,” Clarisa comforted. “What happened between you two in the end?”
Kathryn rolled her eyes disdainfully. “He told me all about the deal he made with you. He's such an incredible jerk!”
Clarisa let out a cheerless laugh, and Kathryn continued angrily,
“He explained how everything went to hell after he withdrew the funds. I mean… all I can say is... Do you understand now why I despise him?”
“Yes, I realised that a little too late,” Clarisa said regretfully. “Fact nine: I’m sorry about the last session. I thought he could be trusted, but it turns out he wasn't the changed man he claimed to be. And I’m sorry for breaking my promise to you. I really believed that he could help.”
“In the end even he agreed that he couldn't help me,” said Kathryn, “Not with me kicking and screaming like that every time I see him.”
“He decided to leave you alone then?”
“Yes,” Kathryn frowned, “But did he do anything at all about the funds?”
“He restored them,” Clarisa assured. “After witnessing what happened in the alley.”
“Fact nine,” Kathryn’s face turned white as she recalled the scene, “What happened in the alley scared me to death!”
“Me too,” Clarisa closed her eyes.
“And what scared me most was what it did to you!” Kathryn burst into tears. “How do you… How do you even cope with all that?”
“You stick to what you believe in,” Clarisa told her. “Even if it kills you.”
“Even if it doesn't seem to work?
“Yes, because it has to work if you believe in it enough,” Clarisa reopened her eyes, and in them was a new strength that she had earned from the episode. “Fact ten, what happened there taught me more than it scared me.”
“Fact ten, I can never be like you,” Kathryn sniffed.
“Well that depends on which aspect of me you're referring to.”
“Every aspect,” Kathryn said firmly. “I mean, I can try my best, do everything you tell me to, and still not have your level of positivity.”
“It takes time, and a load of perseverance,” Clarisa assured, then recalled Jonas’ instruction. “Which reminds me… Fact eleven: I think you have what it takes to be an active perceiver. The only question is, are you ready to take on the job?”
“Me?” Kathryn recoiled in her chair.
“You did well in that castle, and the difficulty of that assignment was above average,” Clarisa pointed out. “I’ll be there to coach you, and you can choose to work part-time as well.”
Kathryn stared into the air as she considered the offer. Her instincts told her to say no. But she asked herself, What's holding me back? Her father wouldn't be bothering her anymore, and there couldn't possibly be a better colleague than Clarisa.
Besides, she might get to see Leo.
“Fact eleven: I think you’ll find this surprising, but…” Kathryn dragged the sentence for a suspenseful effect.
“I actually wouldn't mind doing it as a hobby.”
Clarisa’s eyebrows shot up high enough to be hidden by her bangs. Very softly she exclaimed,
“You’re serious.”
Kathryn smiled mildly, “I mean, my life is boring, and I don't have many friends, and… I could just join you on weekends or even after school. It's not like I have to pay for transport.”
Clarisa could not believe what she was hearing.
“Kathryn,” she laughed, “What makes you think you're not anything like me?”
Kathryn frowned in confusion, so Clarisa leaned forward and looked her in the eye to clarify.
“You're saying, that you don't mind working part-time for free.”
“Uh huh.”
“There are only two perceivers in our branch who are willing to do that, if that includes you.”
It was Kathryn's turn to widen her eyes.
“You work for free?”
“I've never told you?” Clarisa laughed again.
Kathryn changed the expression on her face approximately five times. “You mean, after all that talk about the funds, you don't depend on it?”
Clarisa shook her head and smiled. “Consider that as Fact Twelve.”
And Kathryn thought she couldn't admire Clarisa any more.
“Then where do you get your money?”
“As I've told you before, I'm a private counsellor.”
“But why not?” Kathryn exclaimed. “This job has to pay well, cause my father is apparently stinking rich.”
“It does pay well,” Clarisa confirmed. “But I don't see why I should get paid to do something I believe so strongly in.”
“And no way do I want to touch my father's money,” Kathryn said in disgust. “The last thing I’m doing is working for him.”
“Well then, I guess we're in the same boat,” Clarisa held out a welcoming hand. “It's a noble ride, by the way.”
Their hands shook, and Kathryn stared at hers as if she had just touched the hand of a worshipped celebrity. Was this her dream come true? Had she finally been promoted to equal status? Clarisa noticed her look of bedazzlement, and remarked,
“You seem overwhelmed.”
Kathryn blushed a little. Should she tell her?
“Fact twelve: I've always wished that we could be… friends.”
Clarisa raised an eyebrow.
“Are we not friends?”
“No,” Kathryn admitted. “You've always treated me as a client, and I've always looked to you as a counsellor. I've been longing for the day we could see each other as… companions.”
It had never occurred to her that Kathryn thought that way.
“I'm sorry if I made you feel like anything less than a companion,” Clarisa apologised. “But most perceivers I induct naturally become my friends. Besides fighting alongside each other we hang out together sometimes. Fact thirteen: I’d very much love to be your friend, Kathryn. I hope this insomniac club is a good enough start to our friendship.”
Tears formed in Kathryn's eyes again, but she blinked them back and tried to smile.
“Fact thirteen: meeting you was one of the best things that ever happened in my life,” she said. “And it's a very short list of things.”
Clarisa smiled back sweetly as a wave of sleepiness settled in. She supposed that it meant the pleasant conclusion of 13 Facts About Me, and that it was time for them both to go to bed. Incidentally, Kathryn rubbed her eyes and asked,
“Can I sleepover here?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have another bed or sofa.”
“I don't mind sleeping on the floor,” Kathryn suggested.
“That's fine,” Clarisa teased, “If you don't mind having a cat climb all over your face.”
“I swear, that will be the second best thing to ever happen to me,” Kathryn gushed, then said, “Fine. I'm leaving.”
“Kathryn,” Clarisa brought up before she could teleport, “Are you available at noon on Christmas Day?”
“Why?”
“Come look for me,” Clarisa winked. “Goodnight, Kathryn.”
Kathryn was already excited. She waved goodnight reluctantly before disappearing from the room. Clarisa placed her book on the bedside table and lay her head on her pillow. She was glad things ended well with Kathryn, but she struggled to fall asleep as another person still lingered in her mind…
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