Invader Zim Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Moon Rising ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Ms. Bitters once told her that she was a blessed child with the most admirable personality. She had quickly become the teacher's favorite because of her outlook on life that none of the other students had. She would constantly write essays talking of how humanity would someday eat itself up and suffer a most terrible fate with `Doom, doom, doooom.' She loved that essay. She got an A+. Now Gaz was sure that she wanted to be long gone when that happened. She had to admit, her heart was softer then it once saw, she did care what people thought of her, and she did care about certain people. Over the years that had become Dib, Zim, and sometimes Gir; if he wasn't annoying her. Or, for that matter, if any of them didn't annoy her.

At this time Zim wasn't annoying her, so she was a little worried. If he was to die, Dib would return to never leaving her alone. And truth be told, she ate with Zim at skool; though they ate outside, while Dib ate with all the `rich kids' in the lunch room. They didn't like her; and they told Dib this.

So, she had a soft spot for Zim; they didn't really talk at lunch, just sat together. That was their special relationship. She watched as he tripped under a tree and curled into a ball. She slowly made her way across the street, not paying attention as a car swerved behind her causing her to become drenched. Zim opened one blood red eye, his contact having popped out on the ground near him. She squatted down next to him and moved her bangs out of her eyes to see him better. He looked terrified to see her. The man who would one day rule them was afraid of her?! Wait, man?!

That was the wrong term on so many levels.

She looked about her and sighed. She was drenched, if she got any more so she was sure her night shirt would be see through. She tugged on his trench coat and realized that he had way too little resistance as it slid of his arms. She moved it over his body, covering all but his legs and a hand that stuck out. She tucked in the few appendages and sad down before him looking up into the rain. The least she could do was wait until it stopped, if it got worse she would have no choice but to rush him to her home.

Lucky for them both the tree was thick and had plenty of protection. After a while she heard him groan and moved to where he could look at her. “After what you saw you help Zim?” he mumbled. Gaz snorted and leaned back on her hands.

“Everyone has a dirty little secret Zim.” She said quietly watching a leaf fall from the force of a stray drop. He looked a bit confused, the top of the coat slipping down as he clutched it to his shivering body. She looked at him briefly before she smirked. “Yes, I have many secrets too.” She didn't say more, and Zim didn't ask more. He rubbed the edge of his coat with his fingers nervously. He hated this weather, but he watched as she looked ecstatic to be in it. Or at least as ecstatic as Gaz Membrane could be. She moved her hand to her hair and tugged at a stray hair; he was confused but let his gaze drift back to the rain. He could understand what a wonderful thing rain could be, if only it didn't burn him so. Just like the meats.

“Zim?”

“Eh?” He replied harshly.

“Why did you look at those things?” The Irken felt a shade of red tint his cheeks. When she looked back at him over her shoulder he looked up at the tree.

“I like to know things.” He didn't explain much, but she understood what he meant. “Dib once told me I had sex appeal or something like that, and even after all my research I don't understand it.” Gaz let out a rather unladylike snort; not to say she was ladylike to begin with. “What?”

“Nothing.” She sat up her arms wrapping around her legs as she watched the rain. It seemed to be letting up. “You may be able to go home soon. It looks as if the rain is stopping.” She almost sounded sad.

“You like this cursed thing?”

Gaz turned on him; her eyes open as she glared. Zim was taken aback. She had nice eyes! Amber with some brown in them, yet they were scary as well. “Rain is not a `cursed thing'!” She scolded. “I personally admire this thing.” She slowly regained her normal look and sat, though her eyes where open to see him.

“Admire something that can kill me?” he looked angry. She rolled her eyes. “Why do you like this thing?”

“A-it is not a thing! B-It reminds me of happier times.”

“You mean before Zim came to this planet.” He was starting to act like he did when they were younger.

“No, before my mom left this planet.” She mentally slapped herself. How dare she tell him this? It was none of his concern, and by the look on his face he knew it. She let out a growl when his smirk grew and he sat up.

“Your mother is an alien?” Gaz stopped her growl at that.

“No…”

“You said she left this planet…”

“Zim you idiot! I meant she went to Heaven.”

“Heaven?” Gaz stared at him with a blank expression, her eyes fully open in shock. Zim looked just as confused. “Wait, the Heaven that goes along with this `God' figure your race obsesses about?” Gaz looked away into the light rain now. Why did she start this? Maybe if she held off long enough she could get away. He didn't need her here anymore anyway. The rain was almost done. She didn't like to talk religion. Simply because she didn't understand it. She knew Dib was atheist and that Membrane was as well, but as for herself she didn't know. For a large portion of her teen life she knew she didn't think that way, but as she grew she became curious. Unlike Dib she wanted to believe that there was a God.

Zim stared blankly at her as, for the first time since he knew her, emotions flashed across her face. “Girl?” He asked, snapping his thumb and forefinger together. She looked startled at first. “How do you feel about this God?” She made no move to answer, or to run away as she wished to.

“That is a hard thing to talk about Zim.” She said simply, hoping it was sufficient for now. “Don't they have something like this on your planet?” She watched as he cleaned a contact and put it on his eye.

“The control brain was the closest thing to my understanding. I don't know the origins of your God or our Brain, and they both are supposedly the answer to all.” He said no more as he mirrored her pose, arms on his knees. “This is one thing I cannot understand about your people. You talk of this God, but in different ways, about this son of his, about these after life things. About being bathed in this `holy' water to be saved? It makes no sense to Zim.”

“Welcome to the club.” Gaz rested her head on her arms and stared at him. It was rather unnerving really. For him. This girl had looked like she was going to throw up hours ago in his lab when she saw what he was looking at, but now she seemed to confide in him, or was it him in her?

“Gaz?” She blinked in acknowledgement. “Dib said there was no such thing.”

“Don't listen to him; come up with your own conclusion.” Zim nodded before resting his head on his arms like her. Gaz was the last person he imagined to be `religious' as Dib put it. “The rain has almost stopped. You think you can get home okay?” She knew the answer but waited anyway.

“I'll see you at Skool.” He mumbled waving his hand in a dismissive manor. He had a lot to think about. Gaz nodded and took was about to take of when the coat hit her back and slid to the ground, turning she bent over and picked it up looking at Zim, puzzled. “I can see through your shirt,” he didn't look at her. “You may not want more to see you that way. I'll be fine as soon as this `blessing' stops.” Gaz quickly put it on pulling it together in the front. So this entire time he could see her bra?! She ran off quickly, embarrassment wasn't what she felt, anger was more like it.

The next morning Gaz woke up with an awful cough and sneeze. She had been out that night in only a tank top like night shirt and jogging pants. She didn't dry off either before bed, she arrived at home and went to bed before the Professor got home, if he got home. From the look of the house he did not. Dib didn't bother her anymore, seeing the concentrated look on her face when she entered.

He did take note, however, on the trench coat she wore.

Gaz and Dib walked slowly down the road to skool, neither really wishing to drive on the damp day. It wasn't raining like last night but it was foggy and a bit of a spray hit them. “I wonder how Zim will do in this weather?” he mumbled looking at Gaz for a reaction. Her shoulders rose and fell as they walked. Her black backpack, skull on it and all, was slung on one shoulder, the coat safely inside with her books. Dib looked to the road as a car passed. He had a messenger bag on one side, crammed full with more electronics then skool stuff. “Did you get sick from the rain?”

“No.” she mumbled, though it sounded as if her head was full. He shook his head in disapproval.

“Was it worth it?” he finally spoke, the skool in view.

She didn't answer that one. He rolled his eyes and waved to her good-bye as he spotted his friends waiting on him. Gaz hated his friends. They didn't like her either. She watched as her brother was welcomed by smiling faces and laughter. She knew he deserved it for all the ridicule many of them had given him in the elementary skool.

Hi Skool. She hated it.

Zim was looking into his locker, his eyes seemed unfocused. When he noticed two heavy black boots next to his body he looked up from his position on the floor; curses upon having a bottom locker. Gaz held out his coat awkwardly, her fisted glove hand waiting for him to take it. Zim took it and tossed it over his arm as he waited for her to do anything. She simply stood there. He knew he wouldn't get a thank you or anything from her, but he hated when she did this. “I see you made it home okay.” He told her as he closed his locker with his foot. She nodded and said the same to him. He let a small smirk spread on his face. She was either embarrassed or scared. And he knew she didn't get scared.

“I'm not a pervert you know.” He eventually said as she scratched her elbow. She opened her eyes to look at him for a long moment. She was looking down her nose up at him, it was a bit odd.

“Did I say you were?” She finally said before spinning around and heading down the hall to her Biology class. Zim was confused by this human. Most were very open about anything and sometimes confided in people they barely knew, which is what he blamed last night on. Yet she completely eluded him. He glared in her direction before spinning and walking away to his class, no longer with the Irken march.

Dib had watched from down the hall the exchange. Zita noticed this and followed his stare. She turned back to him and smiled. “Looks like Gaz likes has a crush on the `alien'.” Even though she liked him she still brought up his behavior.

“Looks that way doesn't it?” he said finally turning his gaze to her as the two separated down the hall. Zita smiled brightly at him and punched his shoulder.

“It may be good for her.”

“He isn't good for anyone.” Dib said before he waved good-bye to her and ran up to catch Zim. They both had Calculus next and it wouldn't seem to out of the ordinary. “Did you do something to Gaz?” He asked as he came up next to Zim. The alien seemed to jump and then looked at his rival confused. Dib's eyes landed on the coat on Zim's arm. His eyes narrowed as he connected the dots to last night. “What did you do?”

“I haven't the faintest idea as to what you are insinuating.” The alien replied before entering the classroom. Dib watched as Zim sat by the window, all chairs near him empty. Dib glanced around the room and went to take his seat in the middle of the class.

Gaz, down the hall, was glaring at her teacher. Biology was her least favorite class; only because of this happy teacher. The woman had been pregnant earlier last year and had returned shortly afterwards, leaving her husband at home to care for the child. The woman had photos all over the room and would constantly speak of the child like an idol. Gaz turned the page of her novel and waited for the blasted bell to ring. She just wanted this day to end already. She had been acting weird around Zim. She didn't like it. She was way too soft around him. Yet, when near him, she couldn't help it.

Was this pity? He didn't have friends, and he always sat alone in class. He didn't speak much, and he rarely ate. She drummed her fingers along the desk and turned another page. She was hopping the main character would fall into a hole and die soon.

A somewhat chubby hand hit her desk and pulled her book away from her. She looked up sharply at the person to ruin her reading. Her stomach tightened in anger as who it was.

Iggins.

She felt like punching him then and there. The boy had not changed, he still believed he was the master of all reality and gaming. She still wasn't over the whole Game Slave 2 thing either. Neither was he apparently, for he constantly tried to bully her. Why didn't he die in that elevator crash?! She hissed to herself before grabbing the book back.

“How are you today Gazzy?” he asked her. Gaz's eye twitched.

“Sit down Iggins.” She murmured almost begging the bell to ring, she didn't like when he spoke to her.

“Make me.” He rested his head on his fist as he stared at her across the table. Gaz narrowed both eyes, one still twitching.

“You do not want to suffer my wrath again Iggins.” He didn't look phased.

“That was just a stroke of luck on your part Gazzy.” The bell rang. Thank God. She thought to herself as he moved across the room to sit with his friends. Her lab partner was missing again today, as he was almost every other day. He skipped too much. There was no way he was passing this class, so after the first quarter he stopped showing up. The teacher made no move to get Gaz a new partner.

Gaz plopped down against a wall, book at side and a sandwich in hand. She was going to actually eat today. Her stomach had been screaming at her to eat since last night when she abandoned her dinner in frustration with Dib. She looked about and noticed Zim was no where in sight. She shrugged and bit into her sandwich. When a shadow loomed over her she assumed it was Zim and made no acknowledgement. “Gazzy.” The voice drew out the lovely nickname. Gaz stiffened.

“Iggins.” She stated, still not looking at him. He made her so angry, but mostly uncomfortable.

“What you eatin'?” he asked with a smirk. Gaz finally looked up at him but the sun was in his favor and was directly besides his head. She couldn't look at him without burning her eyes. No one else did this to her. She couldn't defend herself. Or maybe it was because no one ever did for her so she stopped.

“My lunch.”

“You mean my lunch.” He snatched the sandwich, no resistance, and walked off. Gaz felt tears sting her eyes. When had she become such a wimp!? A few moments later the shadow re-appeared and she felt hot anger. She punched the leg. But the yelp of pain wasn't Iggins. Zim clutched his leg, his teeth clinched together in pain. He glared at her before he sat down, a bit of distance between them, more then usual.

“I thought you were someone else.” That was his apology. He made no motion to say he understood, he simply pulled out a muffin. After he finished half of it he handed it to her. “No.”

“Take it girl.” He hissed moving a bit closer. He had seen the exchange between her and the Iggins boy. That boy was rather bothersome. She was the only human he had a soft spot, if you could call it that. She grumbled but took the offered muffin. “Why don't you stand up for yourself anymore?” he asked her finally.

“Why stand up anymore? It won't stop it from happening. If it gets bad enough I will stand up, but the little stuff…I just don't care anymore.” She tossed the muffin cup into a nearby trash can. She looked up at him. “You never did when you were younger.”

“I had no actual thoughts when I was younger. I didn't think ahead to what it could do. What will happen next year when your Dib-Monkey is gone and people won't keep distance? He won't be around to scare them off.”

She remembered what it was life before that, when she defended him. “You don't understand Zim.” She said frankly.

“Make me understand then.” He said watching as a teacher walked by, sending him an odd look.

“I don't care anymore.”

“You don't care that they bully you?”

“I guess so.” She gave her answer that meant end of conversation. Zim rested his head against the wall.

“Dib thinks I am up to something. That I did something to you.” He just felt like talking now. “You have been acting differently around me and everyone really. Why is that?”

She slowly noticed his lack of referring to himself in the third person. “I don't know.” She picked up her book and hoped that he would drop it.

He did. “Whatever,” he mumbled finally pulling out another muffin out of nowhere.

I know it is extremely OOC for Gaz like this. But it is my story so deal with it.