#( int. casey chapman & mallory santos. )

[egotistival]

"yeah, when someone messes with my friends! damn right, i get mean." and its sort of cute, how adamant she is about her friends feelings. it's one of the things that actually endears people to cc - despite the fact that, generally, she's a totally unpopular. a blush, high on her cheekbones, dons her face pink and she wishes mallory would stop that whilst, simultaneously, wishing she'd never stop. the question catches her off guard just as she's taking a drink of water, and it spills just so down her chin before she carefully wipes it away. "nothing," she says, annoyed and slightly put out that she can't even talk to a pretty girl without making a damn fool of herself. she preens mentally at the fact that mallory might stay longer in town - she refuses to admit that it might be for her though. she doesn't want to get carried away. "there's an october carnival coming up!" she perks up at the mention of it. "my mom helps set up the booths every year with the committee she's in. you should... come with me." she hesitates, still not used to anyone showing her active interest and wanting to stick around.

gasps dramatically, both brows raised in astonishment. " good girl has a mean streak about her. " and yeah, mallory finds that endearing. imagines it isn't often that cc says things like this. can see the borderline embarrassment on her face. mallory personally thinks it's nothing to feel nervous over. " you've come with a whole lot of surprises, chapman. " nudges her knee with cc's playfully, maybe even a bit flirtatiously. can't be blamed for finding it attractive that someone could mindlessly accept her what she is. a killer's daughter, a father's victim, an orphan. " what else are you hiding under that sweet, pretty face ? " squints as though deeply examining. finally looks away when she's decided to say something she hasn't in a really long time. " i think i might have to stick around town longer just so i can find out. "

[egotistival]

squeezing the little toy in her pocket, cc doesn't think she's ever been called 'cool' before. "your friend sounds like an idiot." and cc doesn't mince words or even sound close to caring about the friend in question; in fact, she sounds angered on behalf of mallory. "i'm sorry that he obviously couldn't pry his head from his ass to be a good friend to you." and she meant that - usually she wasn't so crass but she thought that anyone who would tell a trauma survivor something like this, was lacking serious brain cells. a blush creeps onto her face at the mention of the word 'interesting' and she shrugs. "yeah, you're welcome."

" that sounds cool. " isn't ridiculing cc when she says that. probably sounds like she is, though. " the youtube part, not the textbooks. " feels the need to distinguish her preference. when was the last time she picked up a book ? she used to love reading, delving into worlds different from her own. now it just makes her feel bitter. it's like she's been touched by darkness and can't step out, forever tainted. nods wordlessly, letting that sink in. could it be that she really doesn't care ? " that'd be a first. " made the mistake of telling one person. a few years back, mallory had fled from her hometown to start anew. was tired of the pitiful stares, the way people would cross the street when they came across her. met a guy in that new town. charming, pretty, and definitely not worth it in hindsight. mallory was different then, though. " i had a, uh, friend. when i told him, he started wondering if i'd wake up someday and randomly kill him. " chuckles, withholding the part where she sobbed like a baby over it. " pretty fucking stupid, right ? " moves back now so that she can sway her legs back and forth. " i . . . " brows furrow, genuine surprise worn on her face. " thanks. for thinking I'm interesting. "

[egotistival]

"i've done extensive hours on youtube watching fbi agents discuss body language and have read a few text books. it comes in handy when you're an investigative journalist." nodding her head like anything she said made sense, cc blanks when she's called on her infatuation of mallory. "i might look at you a little more than i look at other people. but it doesn't have anything to do with how many times you were stabbed." the wince she lets out at the word stabbed doesn't mean pity; it just means 'ouch.' she hopes mallory knows that. "or your father. or anything having to do with a case. i just.." shrugging, she fidgets with her hands, putting on in her pocket and locking onto a little fidget toy that she keeps at the ready. "i've always thought you were interesting, even before finding out everything."

" in my eyes ? " gaze narrows in confusion, falling quiet as the other elaborates. " i didn't know you were a body language expert. " doesn't quite know if she's joking or not. so accustomed to having the upper hand during conversations with cc. isn't a competition, never has been, but mallory can't help but feel like she has to win anyways. " i guess you've been looking at me a lot then. " it's difficult to discern how she feels at the moment. partly upset, partly . . . relieved ? it's been thirty whole minutes and cc hasn't acted any odder than she usually does. odd isn't the right word to describe the other's behavior. annoyingly cute, perhaps. " well, shit. " hums, letting everything sink in. " and now ? am i still interesting ? " probably is, but for a whole new set of reasons. who isn't drawn in by the macabre ? sighs, seating herself on the edge of her motel room bed. " i bet finding out i got stabbed four times isn't the kind of excitement you were looking for. "

[egotistival]

cc will never understand, she thinks. her family is generic in comparison; happy, she thinks. she doesn't know exactly what to say, which is maybe why mallory didn't tell her in the first place. this reaction of hers seems to be a very good indicator that people don't always act the way you wish they would in times when you needed them the most; cc did not want to be one of those people. "right," god, she's so fucking awkward. so closed lipped all the time, so serious, and she never says the right thing... no wonder mallory didn't tell her. "i knew you were hiding something from me; it's in your eyes." holding up two fingers, she swipes them to the left. "you deflect when you lie. there's always little tells when someone lies; you just have to be looking for them." a blush, high and pretty in her cheeks takes over and she glances away from the intensity of mallory's face. "and i just... i-i think you're interesting so that didn't work out in your favor either."

tries to act shameless about it. had hid the truth for the sake of presenting something better. a pretty little fabrication of hers because she can't face the truth, can't speak about surviving like it was a fortunate thing. hasn't done anything worth while with this so -called second chance of hers. crosses her arms in front of her chest, very briefly admiring the effect she has on cc even now. " how exactly do you just tell someone : my dad killed my entire family but i accidentally survived. yippie! " can't help but look away for a moment, trying to compose herself. " how'd you even find out ? i mean, i know you're smart but what . . . were you looking into my past on purpose ? "

[egotistival]

"y-you're joking, right?" she has to be. there's no way that the entirety of the last twenty minutes has really happened. sputtering, the way her cheeks pink is nearly comical and she rolls her eyes, hoists her arms up to her chest and pouts. "that's not funny." she's defensive, feels a little like she's being made fun of and doesn't like it in the least. it feels too much like high school all over again. "you could have told me the truth. i wouldn't have thought any different of you."

" i can't tell how you feel. " brows dip ever so slightly. isn't nervous, though. should she be ? thinks she's been through so much that she isn't really fazed by the thought of cc being mad at her. " are you angry, or is this the face you make when you want to bang ? "/ @egotistival