He sighs and wiggles around in his chair to get comfortable-it's going to be a long night. Watching humans play pretend for two hours doesn't exactly flip his fin. But he can tell Emma's getting restless. And so is he.
Just as he nods off, a loud noise pops from the screen. Emma latches onto his arm as if he's dangling her over a cliff. She presses her face into his biceps and moans. "Is it over yet?" she whispers.
"The movie?"
"No. The thing that jumped out at her. Is it gone?"
Galen chuckles and pries his arm from her grasp, then wraps it around her. "No. You should definitely stay there until I tell you it's clear."
She whips her head up, but there's an almost-smile in her eyes. "I might take you up on that, pretend date or no. I hate scary movies."
"Why didn't you tell me that? Everyone at school was practically salivating over this movie."
The lady next to her leans over. "Shhh!" she whisper-yells.
Emma nestles into the crook of his arm and buries her face in his chest, where she returns frequently as the movie goes on. Galen admits to himself that humans can make everything look pretty real. Still, he can't understand how Emma can be afraid when she knows they're only actors on the screen getting paid to scream like boiling lobsters. But who is he to complain? Their convincing performance keeps Emma in his arms for almost two solid hours.
When the movie is over, he pulls the car to the curb and opens the door for her just as Rachel instructed. Emma accepts his hand as he helps her in.
"What should we call our new little game?" he says on the way home.
"Game?"
"You know, 'Have some Lemonheads, sweet lips!'"
"Oh, right." She laughs. "How about...Upchuck?"
"Sounds appropriate. You realize it's your turn, right? I was thinking of making you eat a live crab."
She leans over him. He almost swerves off the road when her lips brush his ear. "Where will you get a live crab? All I have to do is poke my head in the water and tell them to scatter."
He grins. She's been getting more comfortable with her Gift. Yesterday, she sent some dolphins chasing after him.

Autor: Anna Banks