“So I’m sure you heard about Jioni, right?” DaMarko asked.
Derrin stood up straight and folded his arms. “I’ve heard they have people on the ground looking for her because of treason or something—but that’s all I know. It’s a shame, too, because she’s such a good kid.”
“Are we talking about the same Jioni?” LaMesha put her hands on her hips.
“You’re not as funny as you think,” Derrin replied. He walked away from her and moved closer to DaMarko. “Do you know what she did and why she’s wanted?”
“It’s not what she did. It’s about what she’s going to do,” DaMarko said.
Derrin only raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, they never told you she’s ‘leaving’ City Two?” LaMesha added.
After this, there was silence. A range of emotions fell on his face—confusion, disbelief, and worry—he wasn’t aware of Jioni’s plan; from his sadness, LaMesha briefly matched with an empathetic expression before blocking out the emotion altogether; she stepped closer.