Beside me, Sarah lets out an exhausted sigh. I glance at her sideways and her slack expression changes to a slight smile. She continues to stare at the screen without interest. I'm still watching her when she says, "What is it?"
I shake my head with a small smile. "Nothing."
"Your awful at lying, John Smith," Sarah playfully punches my shoulder. "Something bothering you?"
"Funny," I reply, turning my head toward Sarah to look directly at her, "I was going to ask you the same thing."
We were sitting on a couch in an abandoned house at Ashwood Estates, attempting to have a date while watching a cheesy romance movie. Sarah had her legs curled up and was wearing black leggings and mismatched socks. Her upper body was swamped in my own hoodie, her blonde hair ungracefully falling around her shoulders.
"Whatdya mean?" Sarah asks casually.
"Oh, come on, you're not even interested in watching the movie," I say.
"Neither are you," she points out.
"Okay, well that probably has something to do with how crappy it is. Are you sure you're okay?" I ask, looking at her with what I hoped was a caring expression.
"I'm… just missing my family, that's all." Sarah says in a small voice after a moment's hesitation.
"Oh," I say, silently cursing myself for such an idiotic response, wishing I could say something like Yeah, I do too sometimes, but it's quite clear that our situations are totally different.
"It's just…" Sarah continues, looking up at me now, her eyes watery, "it's Christmas soon, and I just wish I could be home with them…"
"Christmas?" I ask, "That holiday where everyone just buys presents for each other and decorate trees? That's the one, right?"
To my surprise, Sarah actually laughs. "Yeah," she says with a renewed smile, "that's the one."
"What's so funny?" I say, smiling too.
"You're what's funny, John. You and your lack of common knowledge."
"Well sorry," I said in a mockingly serious tone, "that I am from another planet and do not know Earth customs."
Sarah, still laughing, leans over and kisses me and says, "I love you all the same."
She leans back, apparently under the impression that she'll go back to where she was before, but I grab hold of her with my telekinesis and pull her towards me. She lands hard against my chest and lets out a small surprised shriek, but then bursts out laughing again.
"Don't do that," she manages to say. "Hey, what's wrong?"
I'm all serious again, looking down at Sarah, and I say, "We're your family too."
There's a moment of awkward silence before she replies.
"Don't think I don't already know that." Sarah says quietly.
"Just thought I'd remind you." I smirk. I lean down and kiss her gently, the movie lost to thought.