We got to the cinema about 6:45, and it seemed like it was Rom/Com weekend or something, because everywhere I looked there were teenage couples holding hands, laughing or gazing into each other's eyes blissfully. So cliché. This makes me surprised when the first suggestion of Carrie's is War of the Worlds. Personally, I hate Tom Cruise with all my soul, but a film about aliens that want to destroy someone's home planet, well, reminds me of Lorien. I bought us popcorn and a drink each and we made our way to the cinema number 3, which is when I catch Carrie sniggering at me. "What?" I say, in a half laugh, half question, "It's just the look you're giving all these people kissing, it's like you're going to puke" "I am going to puke, It's sickening" once again she splits into laughter, and I cannot help but gawk at her, because she is really quite stunning. When we sit down, she turns to me and asks about me, and a bunch of other questions. I answer them, as formally as I always do, I do not like having to lie at the best of times but I really did not want to lie to Carrie, she feels trustworthy. If there's one thing I hate about living with humans, it's the lying. First we have to learn the lie, and every excruciating detail, and then we have to recite to every person we make any slight conversation with. It's exhausting. All this, and the Mogs haven't even found us on earth yet, if they ever will. They're definitely taking the time with the whole shebang.

We decided to get the train home. Calling either of our parents would be more trouble than it's worth, and since I'm supposed to be a big alien with superhuman abilities, we should be fine. There are no places to sit down, all the seats are taken by drugged up and passed out men with eyes sunken and clothes sodden, some of the great pleasures of living in northern England. I think this makes Carrie a little on edge because she wraps her arms and chest around my arm. Does she think this is a date? Is it a date? I hope it is, but I still don't really want her to think it is. We stop at our station and as soon as where off she exhales as she loosens her grip on my arm. The rest of the walk home she apologises for being so clingy "I'm sorry, I was just so nervous, they looked like evil aliens or something" This makes me wonder if that is what Mogs look like. "Awhh, did someone get frightened by the big scary film?" I tease, "That's not funny, what if your home planet was really overrun with aliens, what would you do?" This question makes me stop, I feel a chill on the back of my neck. I miss my mother, I miss my father. My real family, my real home. I want to cry but I can't, instead I answer with "I guess it would be quite sad" I continue walking because Carrie is exploding into a bluster about how "I would have no time to be upset" and that "I would be too busy trying not to die" I slip in and out of the conversation thinking about Lorien, how it looked and how I felt. I remember a time with my dad. It was early morning and he was downstairs reading a book. When I entered the kitchen, he looked up at me and said "you're always the first one to start trouble, I guess you just decided to start even earlier today" those were the last words I remember my father say. He died that, in the hands of a Mogadorian.

"James? James!? Are you okay?" we stood awkwardly outside Carrie's house. "I'm sorry I was just thinking about... Aliens" (least I wasn't lying) she cocked her head at me and squinted her eyes at me. "okay..." she fumbles with her hands and looks down. "um, would you like to come for tea tomorrow, there's something I need to talk to someone about, and you're the only person I could think of" Her eyes flicker against the streetlight, are those tears? "what what is it?" I say a little too hasty. Now I know she is really crying because I see streams of water roll off her cheeks and then she says something that makes my stomach turn.

"I think... um I think I'm moving to Malaysia"