[Backdated] [Open] And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope.

[starryeyed_cass]

Elizabeth died today.

Cassie doesn't want to face that. In such a short space of time, she's lost so many friends in Chicago. Too many. And now today she's lost another one, an important one. They're all important to her, but Elizabeth was something special to her.

She sits up on the roof of Kashtta that evening. In denial, she thinks by sittiing up

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[please_see_me]

Dusty is just getting some fresh air. Theta is distracted, drawing and writing in his book, recording the story she told him. She told him about the day she first realised how much she loved the cello. It wasn't the first time she played. Or even the first year. It was the first time she had a proper recital, when she was seven, and she played like it was the only thing in the universe that mattered. And when she was done and everybody was clapping, she looked at her mom and her mom had tears in her eyes.

And then she knew she wanted to do that forever.

She can't now, though. So instead, she kisses Theta's cheek and says she'll be back soon, and takes her backpack up to the roof to finish her homework in the fresh air, away from everyone else.

Except that when she gets up there, there's already someone there, who she doesn't notice until she's already flopped down loudly.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry Ms. Riddle, I didn't know you were there, I didn't mean to bother you!"

[starryeyed_cass]

"Elizabeth?" she doesn't recognize the fact it's not Elizabeth. She just hears a girl's voice and her sleeping mind puts two and two together and gets fourteen.

Cassie awakes with start, she stares for a few moments - blinking as she wavers between sleep and wakefulness. She wasn't exactly expecting one of her students to be here, but then again - some of her students are Wanderers just like her. ".. Oh, sorry,"

For a brief moment, she thinks she's still in school and rubs at her face a little furiously. Her skins feels tight where the tear tracks had been. It's not appropriate to have been crying in front of students, or so she thinks.

But she's not at school, she's cold - she's outside, "Dusty," she says finally as she sits up, her back aching a little. "Oh.. no, it's alright. I didn't realise I'd... fallen asleep,"

And then she remembers why she was here in the first place and her heart sinks.

[please_see_me]

Dusty doesn't miss that change in expression. She's not always the most observant and she knows that, but when it comes to people... well, she tries to notice as much as she can. Combine that expression, the fact that she initially called her Elizabeth, and the journal entry she saw saying a girl named Elizabeth was dead, and Dusty's heart suddenly aches for her teacher.

"Did you know the girl who died?" she asks hesitantly. She doesn't want to assume and then, y'know, make an idiot of herself if that has nothing to do with anything.

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie sighs and slowly gets to her feet. Elizabeth isn't coming, she knows that. But she just thought, that maybe, it being Chicago, she might come back, somehow. At Dusty's question, swallows hard and nods sadly.

"Yes, I did," she says, "She was my friend. The first friend I ever made here,"

[sitherequietly]

Castiel isn't looking for Cassie this time. He simply likes spending time on the roof. He appears suddenly, as he always does, and when he sees her, he's surprised. He didn't expect to see her there, but it's a pleasant kind of surprised. He's always happy to see a friend.

"Hello, Cassie."

[starryeyed_cass]

The voice pulls her out of her doze and she looks up. It's not Elizabeth, but it's a friend. A good friend. Blinking, she wipes at her face and sits up. Her back aches a little, but she's definitely glad to see him.

"Hey, Cas," she says with a watery smile, "Sorry, I kinda dozed off there.."

[sitherequietly]

"It's alright," he says softly, moving to sit next to her, looking concerned. She seems sad. He had seen the announcement in the journals, but he hadn't known either of them.

"You seem sad."

[starryeyed_cass]

She wants to laugh, she seems to be sad a lot here. "Yeah?"

Cassie falls silent for a few moments, looking toward the door to go back inside - still wishing Elizabeth would appear. "I lost another friend today,"

She takes a breath, "Did you see the journals?"