Sarah really didn't like to leave her apartment that much, but she'd started getting out a lot more lately. Why? Because the kids at school made her head hurt and some fresh air always helped her to get rid of that pain. Yes, yes, she knew most kids hated math (which was ridiculous in her opinion) but she wished she could get through their hard little heads that it was so much easier and they wouldn't do so badly if they would just give a little tiny bit of effort. Was that so hard?
No wonder teachers drank.
Her anti-telepathy necklace around her neck, she felt much better about being out in public. Well, in some ways. Her species had a lot of trouble recognizing faces because they didn't have to. When you could read minds, telling one face from another wasn't important. So she had to be careful that she didn't recognize someone she'd never met, or ask the name of someone who was a friend of hers. Both of those things could happen, and would be terribly embarrassing.
It was getting a little cold, and the wind was bracing, so she stepped into a little nature shop to warm up and browse. There was just one other guy in there, and she offered him an awkward smile - all of her smiles were awkward, as facial expressions were foreign to her.