The Hardest Puzzle || Death Note

12-Goodbye, Apathy

Chapter Twelve * Goodbye, Apathy -
You woke up that morning with the cold and sharp autumn sun shining on your bed, coming from the bulletproof window.
For some inexplicable reason you were in a good mood, and you felt the tiniest of grins stretch across your face.
Your eyes sparkled with determination.
While it wasn't like you could change your personality overnight, you decided that it was time you had a fresh start in life. And here you were, in a new place, about to meet new people... It was perfect.
You sat up, stretching.
Your eyes fell on a pile of clothing.
You slipped reluctantly out from the cozy sheets, and set your small, thin feet on the cold, hardwood floor. Shivering, you then walked over to inspect the small pile.
"These are for you," a sticky note on the pile read. "They're my old things. I tried to find stuff that would fit you, but if you ever need anything else, tell me. Come to the dining room when you're done dressing. -Hal"
You looked down at the clothes. You had a couple of clothing items yourself, but they weren't the best and weren't in the best condition, either.
You picked up the bundle and began to change.
.........
As you walked to the dining room you gradually become more and more nervous.
You practiced different greetings and went through different situations in your head, fervently hoping that they were all nice, easy people to get along with.
As you walked the fabric of your shirt and pants scratched you.
It was really quite annoying, but all Hal had put in the bundle was awkward, huge dress clothing. You'd looked in a mirror, and you had to admit that you looked hilarious in a tie.
So of course you'd ditched the tie.
But looking funny in everything else? You couldn't help that.
You stopped in front of the door to what you hoped was the dining room.
A little under completely terrified, you knocked on the door.
A black haired man opened the door to let you in.
The moment he saw you, though, he burst into laughter.
"God, Lidner!" he gasped. "Wonder who set 'er up with that outfit?"
Hal frowned, sitting at the table you could see behind the man.
"Shut it, Gevanni," Hal said. "We don't have anything else. Or do you want to give her your clothes?"
Still chuckling, Gevanni said, "Well, I doubt she'd be any better off in any of our clothes."
You cautiously stepped around this "Gevanni" and went to sit next to Hal.
"Who's Lidner?" you asked curiously.
"That's my last name," Hal said. "Well, not my actual last name, but the one I go by."
"Hmm."
You stared at her cherry-red lips, entranced. Hal was so beautiful, and self-assured, and confident...You couldn't help but wish that you were like that.
You looked down at your spindly body. You were thin and pale, and your lips were thin and chapped, and your hair was greasy and hanging down in an unkempt sheet.
You looked back at Hal's beautiful and determined self.
The older woman noticed, and looked somewhat disconcerted.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Yeah."
You nodded. "I just wish that I could be like you." Then you flushed, realizing you said that aloud. "I-I mean, you're really good-looking and determined and... U-um, I'm sorry. I, uh..."
Hal was expressionless for a moment; then she smiled at you, chuckling slightly. "That's okay. Thanks for the compliment."
Why did you feel so intimidated by this woman?
Suddenly there was a loud crash from the room connected to the dining room.
The three of you in the dining room leaped up and hurried over to see what it was.
Near was standing there, looking down at about a thousand fallen puzzle pieces.
"Whoops," he said emotionlessly.
You couldn't help but hold back the snicker that bubbled up when he said it. "Whoops" was typically a term used when one made a mistake, and required emotion; yet here Near was saying it in a monotone.
Immediately and instinctively you dropped down to help him pick up the puzzle pieces, gathering hem in little piles that you in turn shoved into the box.
When you and Near had finished your task he didn't bother thank you. But you didn't really mind; from what you'd seen so far he seemed quite socially awkward.
As Near stood and silently left the kitchen you glanced around one last time, and you could've sworn you saw two more puzzle pieces under the refrigerator.
You swiped them out from under there and poked your head into the dining room, but he wasn't there.
You shoved the pieces in your pocket and vowed to return them the second you had the chance.
Then you concentrated on a more important idea: food.
You rooted around to find something consumable in the fridge. And guess what-you found nothing.
You quickly peered into a cupboard and miraculously found a small granola bar.
"Well," you sighed, "s'better than nothing."
You peeled the wrapper open and took a rather large bite. It was amazing how hungry you were, though it probably was because you'd gone without supper the night before.
You quickly finished off the bar, tossed the wrapper in the trash can, and nervously walked into the dining room.
Gevanni, Hal, and the big man-was his name Rester?-were sitting around and discussing who-knows-what, and because you didn't want to interrupt them you quietly hung back in the doorway. Once it had been about ten minutes, though, you grew frustrated.
Clearing your throat, you awkwardly interrupted their serious conversation.
"Umm...I'm sorry, but we...you...There's no food," you quickly said, their annoyed faces making you rush.
Hal stared at you, then nodded. "Okay. Thanks, ______."
You nodded slowly and unsurely. "Yeah..."
Suddenly you felt extremely queasy. Your meager breakfast felt like it was forcing its way in the original direction it came from.
"Ex-excuse me-" you choked out, racing back to your room and to the toilet.
There you promptly were violently sick.
After finished heaving, you flushed the toilet and looked at yourself in the mirror.
You were pale but your cheeks were red, and you were panting. Were you sick? Other than the vomiting, you didn't seem to have any other symptoms. No stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, etc.
"Hmm," you muttered through a dry throat, and you hurriedly washed your hands and rinsed out your mouth.
Then you set out to find Near and see if you could get him to let you online.
You found him working on a puzzle in a big room; supposedly the room where he and the others worked.
Near was in there, finishing his puzzle, with a few other random people who were typing busily on their computers.
You noticed that there seemed to be two missing pieces from his puzzle. He was intent on looking around for them, and didn't quite seem to notice you as you approached.
You fished the pieces you'd found earlier out of your pocket, and slapped them down on the table next to his puzzle.
"They were under the fridge in the kitchen," you explained.
Near stared at you. Something that he, that Near himself, hadn't noticed, and an everyday girl like you did? Hmm...
Near had the feeling that it was going to be hard staying apathetic around you, but he had no earthly idea just how hard it actually would be.