Chapter One: Friendshp Blossoms

Belle sighed and flopped onto her fluffy purple comforter. Her blonde and black hair went flying out around her head in a poofy mess. She stretched out on her large bed, thinking about her day at Skool. Zim was acting pretty weird around her lately. She wondered if she'd done something to upset him. He would act really jumpy when she talked to him, and sometimes he would cut their conversation short, seeming as if he was in a rush all the time.

Belle sighed again, putting her headphones in and turning her iPod on. Zim was all that she could think about lately. She'd known him ever since she was a little girl. They'd met in the fifth grade. She could remember it like it was yesterday...

-FLASHBACK-

"Dib, you're acting stupid," Belle said, clutching her science book close to her. Somehow, her best friend Dib was convinced that the new boy, Zim, was some type of alien being.

"I'm telling you, he's not normal! I offered him a bottle of water at lunch today, and he acted like it was poisoned or something!" Dib exclaimed, getting frustrated.

Belle looked him in the eye. "Look, he might not exactly be 'normal,' but that doesn't mean he's an alien. Maybe he's just a little different. Seriously Dib, listen to yourself."

He gave her an exasperated look. "Belle. His skin is green. How do you explain that one, huh?" She just looked down at her feet, her long blonde hair hiding her face. "I've got to get to class, Belle. I'll talk to you later." With that he turned and walked down the hall. Belle sighed and headed for science.

When she got there, she found that the new boy was sitting in the usually empty seat next to hers. She sighed and took her seat, getting her notebook from her backpack.

Zim turned to her. "Hello, human girl. I understand your name is Belle, yes?"

Belle snapped her head up and looked at him with wide eyes, startled. She hadn't realized he was so outgoing. Realizing she was staring, she blinked a few times and replied. "Yes, I'm Belle. You're Zim, right?"

He smiled slightly. "So you have heard of Zim? How wonderful. I am sure that all of the students are talking about me already."

Belle laughed a bit and said, "Yeah, my friend told me earlier that there was a new kid in town. It's a bit ridiculous, but he uh... he thinks you're an alien." She laughed again at the thought of an alien living in her neighborhood.

Zim recoiled at that statement and looked quite horrified. "A WHAT?"

Belle looked down nervously, afraid she had offended the new boy. "Um, yeah. He said that he offered you some water at lunch which you denied... and that you have green skin... but there's probably some kind of medical condition that can explain that... right?"

He laughed uneasily. "Yes... a medical condition... ha, yes. That is why Zim has green skin and didn't accept Dib-thing's water... haha..." The look in his eyes was very strange. Almost... suspicious.

Then Ms. Bitters cleared her throat and began class, ending the conversation for them. Belle was beginning to wonder if maybe, Dib was right.

Later that day, Belle saw Dib in the hallway. She practically ran over to him, yelling, "DIB! DIB! DIB! OH MY GOD, DIB! YOU WERE RIGHT!"

Dib was quite startled, and since he hadn't seen Zim since the first class of the day, he'd practically forgotten about him. "About what?"

Belle looked at him strangely. "Um, about Zim, duh?"

"Who's Zi- OH! Yeah, the alien. I told you!" he said, glaring at her.

"Yes, I know. You were right and I was wrong. Go ahead and rub it in. But the important thing we need to figure out is why he's on Earth. What if he's here to take over?" Belle was starting to panic and hyperventilate.

Dib took hold of her shoulders. "Woah woah woah... woah. Calm down there turbo. We'll figure it out after school. Right now, we need to finish out the day. Alright?"

Belle began to calm down a bit. "Ok... BUT, promise me that we'll get to it RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL."

"I promise, B. Right after school."

As Belle sat in her English class, the last class of the day, she watched the clock intensely. She was leaning forward, counting down the seconds until the final bell.

15...

14...

13...

12...

She couldn't wait to spy on Zim and find out what he was up to. Why was he here, in this small town, of all places?

11...

10...

9...

God! Hurry up already! Zim could be plotting to overtake Earth at this very moment!

8...

7...

6...

5...

4...

I think time is slowing down just because I'm in a hurry. The seconds feel like hours!

3...

2...

1...

BRRRRINGGGGG!

Belle jumped up from her seat and took off as soon as she heard the ring of the final bell. She found Dib outside, looking at his watch nervously.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, pulling on her arm. "What took you so long? I feel like I've been waiting here for hours!"

Belle just smirked at him. "And I thought I was the one who was supposed to calm down..."

"Shut up, B! We gotta find Zim."

-30 MINUTES LATER-

"Belle, what can you see?" Dib could barely talk. Belle was sitting on his shoulders, peering through one of Zim's windows.

"Hmm... Nothing much really. Just Zim's poorly-disguised dog running around like a maniac. Who knows what that thing truly is..."

Dib grunted. "Can you hear anything?"

Belle pressed her ear to the window. She could hear someone talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying due to Dib's mindless alien babble.

"Dude, shut up! I can't hear!"

Thankfully, he obliged and became silent. She pressed her ear harder to the window. She heard Zim's voice.

"GIR! What are you doing? We've got work to do!"

The little dog, apparently named Gir, squealed with delight. "WHEEEE!" Then, much to Belle's amazement, the dog sprung rockets from its feet and took off into the air, shedding its dog suit to reveal a small gray and cyan robot. He went flying haphazardly in loops and dives.

Zim came into view, only he didn't look the same way that he had at school. Instead of his black hair, he had antennas. His gray eyes were now entirely a cherry-red color, whites and all. Belle gasped at the sight.

"What, Belle? What's going on?" Dib questioned, obviously worried.

"I's Zim! He IS an alien! His eyes are completely red and he's got antennas coming out of his head!"

Dib gasped and fell over, bringing Belle down with him. They toppled onto the grass, landing with a dull thud.

Zim, hearing the commotion, ran outside to see what was going on. When he saw Dib and Belle laying in the grass right below one of his windows, he knew what was up.

He pointed his laser gun at them. "You two. You were spying on me." The way he said it wasn't questioning, he was stating a fact he knew for sure. "You know what I am."

Dib got up from the ground. "Oh yes Zim, we know what you are! You're an alien, and you've come to take over Earth!"

Zim laughed manically. "Yes, Dib-human. Your big head actually holds a brain!" He laughed again. "What about you, Earth girl?"

Belle calmly stood up, dusted herself off, and said, "Personally, I think Dib is overreacting."

Zim's jaw dropped and Dib gasped at her, looking horrified. "From what I can see, you're not exactly great at the whole 'taking over the Earth' thing. And if you're not a threat, I think it would be cool to have an alien for a friend."

"B, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Dib yelled, shaking her shoulders. "He's an alien! Why would you want to be friends with an alien?"

Belle shoved him off, growing irritated with him. "Look Dib," she whispered, "I don't honestly know. I just trust him. For some reason... I just do."

He just stared at her in disbelief. "Are you nuts?" he whispered back, "I bet he'd kill you in a heartbeat!"

Belle didn't know why her next sentence came to her lips, but it felt right. "No he won't. Zim won't hurt me."

"Fine, Belle. Do whatever you want. When you're all alone and physically and/or emotionally injured, don't come crying to me."

With that, Dib went storming past Zim and down the sidewalk towards his house. Belle felt like she could cry. By now, Zim was just standing there, completely and utterly confused. When Belle dropped to the ground and put her head in her hands, he didn't know what to do.

Belle began to cry. "Human, why is water coming from your eyes?"

"It's called crying. People do it when they're sad or upset."

Zim was beginning to worry about this girl. Why, he wasn't sure, but he didn't like her being upset. "What has upset you, Belle?"

She jumped at his calling her by her name, not "human" or "Earth girl." She looked over at him. "Dib was my best friend."

"Well, now that it seems he is angry with you, may I be your best friend?" Zim asked, looking at her hopefully.

Belle smiled. "Of course you can, Zim."

-END FLASHBACK-

Belle smiled at the memory. Zim was wonderful. She wasn't quite sure what had gotten into her that fateful day, but she was glad it happened. She and Zim had grown to be very close in the years he'd been on Earth. He knew everything about her, from her favorite color to her deepest darkest secrets.

Belle hadn't spoken to Dib since the day they met Zim. She thought it quite sad that he'd torn apart their friendship, but Dib hadn't been near as good a friend to her as Zim had. You would think that a human would be better at friendship than an alien, but when it came to Dib and talking to people, he was like a fish out of water.

The thing that was currently puzzling Belle, however, was the way Zim was acting. It was very abnormal for him to avoid her, but lately she got the feeling that he was doing just that. It had her very worried, and as she thought about her dilemma, she slowly drifted to sleep.