Cassandra could see the tension that pulled his entire frame tight. Her intention hadn't been to cause that sort of distress in him, that reason as much as her confusion was what contributed to her desire to downplay it all. Simply put, she wasn't used to having someone react to things like people she had met at Halcyon did. She had spent years perfecting not being a burden under Jack's watchful eye. To lay all her worries out for others to help her sort through was still... a new thing for her.
Her fingers toyed with a few wayward bits of thread that hung down from her sweatshirt sleeve. She watched as he settled down into the seat at her desk, Milo the cat immediately made a figure eight between his legs, rubbing his gray fur along Max's pant legs. Well at least her cat approved of him, that almost brought a smile to her wan features. He didn't want to sit and have normal conversation that Cassandra had requested, that was obvious with just a look at his features. But he humored her and for that Cassandra was grateful. Those few minutes, those simple things that he told her about his day meant a great deal. It reminded her that she was at Halcyon and that she wasn't alone in her room no matter how she had closed herself off from the world for the day. "Your mother wants to meet me?" Cassandra asked with a bit of surprise lighting her eyes. "I hope she likes me." And there was more truth to those words than she cared for.
Her fingers finally dropped the thread that she'd kept such a strong hold on and Cassandra forced her shoulders a little farther up the wall. She tried to let go of the stranglehold she had on her knees but that was a lost cause. Even Milo had stopped trying to crawl into her lap. "Thank you Max. I'll tell you now. I... just needed that second. I've... never really had to talk about any of this, when my sister didn't ask, I wasn't sure if I ever would." She admitted truthfully. It was one thing to hold the thoughts but another to push them into words.
Cassandra settled her chin onto her knees. "I am okay though, no one hurt me." She had to assure him from the start. "I guess I should start at the beginning though. Not much makes sense without that." Bare toes curled into her comforter. "When I was little and my abilities first started... my family was, is, really religious. My mom didn't understand and my dad was gone. She... she was convinced that I had- well that I had a you in me?" She tried for a brief second to smile with that response. "Whatever was wrong with me, she could fix with enough prayer and enough tries to remove whatever Satan had left on my soul. I- I well it didn't work and when I was ten decided that running was better than staying. So I did. It really wasn't a better idea but I don't know if I thought I had any other choice."
Cassandra paused and took a much needed breath though it did little to calm her ragged nerves. "Someone picked me up as I was trying to make it God knows where in the rain. He told me his name was Jack and... I thought he was just going to take me back to my mother or maybe to the town and the police. But, he didn't. I think I wish he had though." Cassandra's eyes darted down to her toes, unable to hold their gaze forward anymore. "He knew who or rather what I was. He needed questions answered and I never could but it didn't stop and other people always wanted to know things and..." Cassandra felt her fingers tighten around the loose thread painfully and she stopped. "I didn't think it ever would so I tried to stop it. I ended up here instead, a scout found me in the hospital which I will always be glad for. And I wish I could have made this story shorter but he's.. he's here and just here. Like it's nothing and I-" She finally looked up and over at Max. "I don't know if I can take that."