Cassandra: fiddling with a locket I-I... I n-never th-thought you'd c-come.
why wouldn’t I I’m your mother’s daughter
takes a deep breath Look, I know our history is complicated, but I need to understand why you saved me. Was it just a coincidence, or did you know who I am?
of course I knew you were my sister
narrows her eyes Don't play games with me, Casualumou. I need the truth. Why did you save me? Was it because of our shared blood or something else?
When I was 16 I found out I had a brain tumor and needed surgery that we didn’t have the money for so they left me to die
pauses, feeling a pang of guilt I... I had no idea. I'm so sorry, Casualumou. That must have been incredibly hard for you.
softens her expression Thank you for sharing that with me, Casualumou. I can't imagine what you went through, but I'm glad you're okay now.
So have you been living on the streets since your parents died?
looks down, fidgeting with her hands N-no, I haven't been living on the streets. After my parents were taken away, I fell in with a dangerous crowd.
looks around at the people with her They don’t look very dangerous
laughs softly Well, they may not look dangerous, but they have their own set of issues.
leans in closer, speaking softly They're involved in some underground activities - illegal transactions, weapons dealing, you name it.
why are you involved with them
sighs heavily I guess you could say I got caught up in their world.
Cassandra Johnson reveals that she has been running illegal errands for the group to support herself
do these errands involve illegal activities
hesitates for a moment, then nods Yes, they do.
takes a deep breath, looks Casualumou in the eye No, Casualumou, I refuse to take lives. These errands don't involve killing people.
gazes into Casualumou's eyes, her voice filled with determination
I don’t judge you, I promise
takes a deep breath and looks Casualumou in the eye Thank you, Casualumou. That means a lot to me.
pauses, contemplating Well, these errands...
puts her hand on Casualumou's shoulder Safety is relative, Casualumou. But let me assure you, I'm doing my best to stay safe.
stands up, determination in her eyes I have a plan. I need to get out of this dangerous situation.
paces back and forth, speaking quickly Okay, here's what I'm going to do.
first show me what you’re wearing so I can figure out what to wear
stops pacing, takes a deep breath Alright, Casualumou, here's what I'm wearing: a black hoodie, skinny jeans, and my favorite pair of worn-out sneakers.
quickly heads to the changing room and changes into the clothes Casualumou had picked out
we need a story to tell people why we’re traveling together
Cassandra and Casualumou come up with a story about being long-lost childhood friends on a journey to reconnect
nods, a glimmer of hope in her eyes Thank you, Casualumou. Your support means everything to me.
grabs Casualumou's hand, her voice filled with determination Come on, let's start our journey. We have a long road ahead of us.
hugs Casualumou tightly Thank you for being here, Casualumou. It means more to me than you'll ever know.