Chapter One
"Take your seat Maj," the aging teacher, Ms.Bitters ordered.
Blonde haired Maj looked around the classroom and shook her head. It was so different from Donegal. Her green eyes searched the room for an empty seat. Her peircing gaze rested upon a green skinned boy in the front. She gave a startled look and backed up two steps.
"I said take your seat!" the teacher barked, "Sit next to Dib." she pointed to a seat next to a boy with black hair.
"Begging your pardon, but someone is already sitting there," Maj said quietly.
"You! Go to the back of the room!" Ms.Bitters growled, pointing to the student in the seat.
Maj took the seat from the grumbling student. She sat down and opened her notebook. She took out her green mechanical pencil and started taking notes on Ms.Bitters's rather pointless lecture on how they were all doomed to begin with. Maj turned her attention over to her left where the boy named Dib sat. She smiled pleasantly at him. He seemed rather harmless. Maybe she could trust him. He grinned back at her, a slight glare coming off of his glasses. He was obviously smitten with her, but Maj had no idea he was, for she had never known love outside of her family. Maj continued to take notes on the plotless speech, when a folded piece of paper landed on her desk with an audible plick! Maj looked at it oddly and finally picked it up in her hand. She unfolded it, her hands in her lap. She remembered note passing in Donegal and how the teacher would force you to read it aloud in front of the class if she caught you. Sometimes the notes they wrote each other were personal, even for third graders, who usually have almost no social life whatsoever.
Maj looked down at the small scrap of paper and it read;
Meet me at lunch, we need to talk.
-Dib
Maj nodded and foled it back up. She put it in her green flannel jacket pocket rather than her black pants pocket and took a look around the room. The green boy in the front kept glaring at her. She knew he was not of human origin. But why green? Green was such a good color and he had soiled it with his non-humaness. Maj knew something else, but she wasn't sure of it. Dib knew too. She had noticed his hateful glances at the green boy.
"Zim!" Ms.Bitters growled at the green boy, causing him to snap into a straightened back position.
"Sir!" He responed automatically.
"Pay attention, Zim," Ms.Bitters said.
Maj sunk low into her seat. What if this "Zim" found her secret out and revealed it to the world? She'd be the freak of the world and the scienctists, no matter how much she loved them, would perform an autopsy on her. She loved science, but the thought of some people taking her body apart gave her shivers. The bell for lunch rang and Maj ducked out of the room quickly, forgetting all about how Dib had wanted to meet her and talk to her. She was so afraid of Zim finding everything out about her that she ran to the girls bathroom and hid in it until she was sure everyone was in the cafeteria.
Maj sat against the wall of the bathroom, thinking over what she could do about her problem, when one of the toilets flushed. Out came a girl with purple hair and dressed entirely in black. She seemed to take no notice of Maj at all until she finished washing her hands. She looked over, startled then took a few steps forward.
"You're supposed to be in the cafeteria you know," she said to Maj.
"I know," Maj whispered, "I cannae go though. I'm na hungry."
"What's with your accent?"
"It's Ayrish, y'like it?"
"Um, yeah." the girl looked around suspiciously and said, " I normally don't socialize with people, but do you want to walk with me to the cafeteria?"
Maj stood up slowly and nodded, " Aye, I do. Are you sure you donnae mind?"
"Yeah, it's cool." she said, " My name is Gaz."
"I'm Maj," she said, smiling.
"Let's go before my brother thinks we've been abducted," Gaz said with what seemed to be a grin. She took out a Gameslave and started playing it.
Gaz entered the cafeteria, no problem, but Maj stood in the door way looking lost. She took her dragon pendant-which was hanging around her neck- in her left hand and whispered, "So send me a savior."
"There you are!" Dib called coming up to her, " I've been looking all over for you!" he grabbed her arm and dragged her over to a lunch table which was deserted save for Gaz.
"He is your brother?" Maj asked Gaz.
"Yep." she grunted, staring at the Gameslave screen.
"Uh, no need for introductions I see," Dib said, sitting down.
Maj followed suit and sat down to his right. "This is very different from m'old school!" she said.
"Where did you live?" Dib inquired.
"Donegal, in Ayrland."
"Wow! Ireland? So America must be a huge change for you then?" Dib said, sounding astounded with something so trivial.
"Aye, it is. The air is much heavier here. In Donegal, in the mountains where I used to live, the air was so clean and refreshing. Just a breath of that air and you had enough energy to last you for the entire day. The sky was grey aroond this time of year, and it was cold too, but it was always so beautiful. It is October here, right?"
"Yeah, it's October," Dib answered.
"As I thought," Maj said looking around suspiciously, " The people here scare me, Dib." she whispered, " There is so much hate in here, I can feel it. The air is thick with it."
Dib looked at her intently and said, " Your breathing is labored. Are you sick, or is it just the air?"
"I've had trouble breathing ever since I came to America. The pollution here is terrible. Thank you for your concern though. That was very kind and sweet of you."
Dib blushed and stammered, " Well, I, er, I, you're welcome!" he turned his gaze from her.
Maj noticed his uneasiness and quickly changed the subject, " So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Dib's entire attitude changed and his bashful smile was replaced by a serious frown. "Well, you know Zim, right? Well, I have reason to believe he's an alien. I saw your reaction to him, so I assumed it would be okay to tell you. No one else believes me, but I don't want you to believe me out of pity or anything. Everyone thinks I'm just crazy and wierd!"
"So I thought you knew too," Maj answered, rubbing a hand over her face in thought," What do you propose we do about it?"
"Like I told you before, no one else-"
"Who cares what any other ignorant people think! They're just fools! It'll be their own fault if Zim takes over the human race and their all forced into slavery! If you believe yourself, than nothing can stop you!" Maj said.
"I know, I know!" Dib said, " But it just gives me a bad feeling that it may be my fault that they'll be put into slavery if I can't or don't do anything about it."
"Dib," Maj said quietly, " I believe you."
Once again, he turned red and he rubbed the back of his neck, " Heh heh, thanks."
"So you can and will do something about it and I'll help you!" Maj said.
"Are you serious? You'll help me?!" he cried happily.
"Aye, I will. I'll help in any way possible," Maj said with a grin.
Dib gave a small sigh of relief and mumbled, "I thought you wouldn't believe me and join those others that think I'm nuts. I just don't understand one thing. Why?"
"Well, there are many things I would like to find out about different things, especially aliens. Besides, there is much about myself I don't know that maybe you could help me figure out?"
Dib nodded with glee, " I'll help you with anything! You're helping me with something that everyone else degrades me for, so I definatally owe you a lot!"
Maj gave him a look of understanding and said, "I know what it's like to have such a reputation. I was the only girl in Donegal that knows how to play bagpipes, which is traditionally a male only skill. But I didn't care, I wanted to go against tradition and start something new! All the girls and even most of the boys made fun of me. Me Da was always so embarrassed to take me anywhere. He never came to any of my concerts and never spoke highly of me like he did of my brother. I was too imperfect. Well, at least when he was alive that is."
"Your dad is...dead?" Dib asked.
"Aye, that he is," Maj said, nodding, " but it's okay, I was never really that close to him. His death had th' most impact on my brother Aedus."
The teachers on lunch duty started hearding all of the students out of the cafeteria and to the playground for recess. The children formed groups and started playing games, excluding Gaz, Dib, Maj, and Zim. Zim ran from group to group, trying to find some human that would play a game with him. Gaz sat on the Skool steps, playing her Gameslave nonstop. Maj hung around Dib, following him everywhere as he stalked Zim observing the alien's behavior. Maj didn't want to be left alone outside where she was vunerable to anybody. At least when she was inside her urge to do what came naturally was repressed. But now that she was outside, she struggled to keep herself under control.
A cool breeze blew, rearranging Maj's golden Scandinavian locks of hair. She was so glad it was October, even if it was rather dismal and grey out. She hadn't noticed, but she started wheezing from the polluted air.
"Are you okay?" Dib asked, averting his attention from Zim for a moment.
"Aye cough cough I am, donnae worry COUGH! I'll be allright." she rattled.
"No you're not," Dib said looking concerned, " you're coughing like mad."
Maj broke out in a terrible fit of coughing. It was so bad that she fell to her knees and braced herself in a crawling position. She coughed and hacked and wheezed. She hacked up some blood that she spat out on the black top.
"Jeez! Is that blood?!" Dib asked, sounding very worried, "You have to go to the nurse!" he reached out for her arms.
"NO!" Maj roared, looking up, her green eyes seeming to glow.
Dib recoiled and looked heartbroken.
"I'm sorry," Maj whispered, "I should na' have yelled at you like that." she slowly sat up again, " It was terribly mean of me. Thank you for your concern."
She felt rather dizzy and must've shown signs of faintness because Dib ran behind her and caught her in his arms as she fell back. She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. He smiled back at her and Maj's vision became blurry. She shut her eyes tightly to see if she could regain clear vision. When she opened them again, a crowd of students had gathered.
"What's wrong with her?" someone asked.
"Is she sick?" another asked.
"Great Dib! Did you kill her?" someone said.
"No you idiot, her eyes are open!" someone growled.
"That doesn't mean she's not dead! Some people die with their eyes open!"
Maj gave a groan and moved her hands. Dib just stared at her with concern.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
"Aye," Maj whispered back, "thank you very kindly."
"Can you move?"
Maj tried to move her arms, but they felt laden with lead.
"Nae, I cannae move."
"We still have some time left," he said, " I can hold you for a while longer."
Maj felt so tired and Dib's arms around her middle seemed so reassuring she felt she could just fall asleep right there. She felt her eyelids become heavier, but Zim came over and cackled evilly.
"You pitiful humans! Do you not see?!" He yelled.
"See what? That you're a dork?" someone yelled from the crowd.
Gaz stepped forth, it had been she who called out the remark. She approached Maj and Dib and for once, she was not sucked into her Gameslave. She kneeled down next to the two and looked at Maj reassuringly.
"Are you all blind?!" Zim shrieked, "You don't see what this girl really is?!" He gestured towards the fully aware Maj.
Maj's eyes had widened with fear. He was going to tell her seceret.
"Are you going to start acting like Dib?" someone called from the gathering of students.
Maj noticed that Dib winced at the remark and she tried her hardest to move her arms. To her amazment, they moved and she grabbed one of Dib's hands, giving it a squeeze. She saw him smile and noticed his cheeks turn light red. She liked it when she made him do that, but she didn't understand why.
Zim gave evil glares into the crowd and shouted out gibberish words. Maj giggled a little bit and she felt Dib's arms give her a small squeeze. She became fully aware of a new feeling in her body. It was warm and felt impossibly great. Her heart beat rapidly and a heat flowed through her ten-year-old body. She didn't understand what it was that made her see Dib in a totally different light. He was now more than the nerdy, paranormal obsessed friend she had met just a few hours ago, he was a sweet, kind, caring, and Maj always wanted to be near him. She didn't understand what it was and, rather stupidly, repressed it rather than exploring it and understanding it fully. She wouldn't have admitted it then, but she became even closer to him than she had from the start.
A bell rang and the crowd of students dispersed. Maj twitched her feet, trying to get the feeling back in them.
"C'mon, let's help her up, Dib," Gaz said.
The two helped her up and walked with her back to the building. By the time they reached Gaz's classroom, Maj had enough feeling in her legs to walk with Dib's help. They slowly made their way down the hallway to their classroom.
Dib felt Maj's tenseness and knew she had most of her weight on her own legs. "You can lean on me more if you want, I'm not gonna let go." he promised.
Maj gave a grunt and continued to shuffle along, but she did lean a little bit more on Dib. When they reached the classroom, the students stood out in the hallway.
"What's going on?" Dib asked, still helping Maj.
"The door is locked," someone said.
Maj let go of Dib and stood on her own. She peered through the window on the door and recoiled quickly. She felt sick and started to sweat.
"Are you okay?" Dib asked.
"Aye, I'll be okay, I just thought I saw something that I shouldnae have."
"Like what?"
"My great grandda," Maj said looking horrified, " he was killed in a horrific battle long ago. I heard so many stories about him, and I was sure I had his personality in me. A warrior, that's who he was. One of the greatest. His grandfather fought along side William Wallace when Scotland was freed. That broadsword he carried on his back was passed down from generations. It's supposedly in m'grandmum's hands. She wants to give it to the next great warrior of the family. She keeps it in her house above th' fireplace."
"You're sure it was him?!" Dib asked excitedly in a hushed voice.
Maj nodded and whispered, " I'd recognize that old, tattered, orange and fire red kilt anywhere."
Ms. Bitters approached the doorway and growled a "Move." and she unlocked the door.
The students filed into the classroom behind Ms.Bitters, Maj and Dib walking in last, talking in hushed voices.
"Sit down!" Ms.Bitters ordered.
The students obeyed and Ms.Bitters started back on her pointless lecture she had previously been giving. As she droned on, Maj gave glances in Dib's directon peridoically, observing his behavior. He seemed to be a little jumpy. He kept looking around the room for a sight of Maj's greatgrandfather. She sat at her desk quietly, unknowingly to anyone that she was sketching pictures of Dib. She had many pictures of him, piled on her desk. They sat stacked as she tore out pages from her notebook, sketching the many different models of himself he gave her, without even knowing. When the final bell rang, Maj stuffed her mutiple sketches into her notebook and stood up. She looked around and picked up her backpack.
On her way home, she sang songs of her heritage. They were upbeat and seemed cheerful even if the lyrics were a little sad. One of her favorites that she sang twice was In Aimsir Bhaint an Fheir a story about a young man that has to leave his home in Ireland for Scotland and how he might not return, but he'll be home in time to cut hay. It didn't make too much sense to Maj, but then again she was young.
She continued on her way, stopping only to observe the scenery. She had only gotten a little way down the road when Dib came running up to her. Maj stopped to let him catch up.
"I was wondering if you'd be all right getting home," he panted, " and if you were feeling any better."
"Thanks to you, aye." she replied, observing the wonderful smile he tried to hide, " but you're welcome to walk with me if you'd like. I know that's what you were asking."
Dib stood silently for a moment, a little confused at how she had known that.
"You can learn a lot about a person in just a few hours," she said noticing his expression.
He just looked blankly at her and then grinned a very wolfish grin. Maj crossed her eyes and stuck out her toungue and Dib laughed.
"They say the Ayrish are crazy," she said warningly.
"I don't believe it, although you are pretty strange," he answered. Maj gave him an odd look and he quickly added, "Strange in a good way."
The swift tatooing of Maj's heart subsided. He didn't know her secret, it was still safe. She started walking again and asked, " So don't you have some homework to do?"
"You don't want me to walk with you?"
"Nae, it's not that, I was just wonderin'," she said, a little sidetracked, " I don't want you t' not do it just 'cuz of me."
"I don't it's okay," Dib said.
Maj stopped a moment and pulled to the grass on the left side of the sidewalk they had been travelling on. She picked up a large hawk feather and grinned. It's brown and black stripes shone in the afternoon sunlight and Maj handed it to Dib.
"A gift of Nature," she whispered to him, " take good care of it, you only get good whole ones like this one rarely."
Dib accepted it with silent gratitude and smile spreading across his face. They continued to walk.
The farther they went, the less crowded and jammed the houses became. Dib pointed out his house as they walked by. Maj smiled and continued on. When they arrived at a dirt and gravel road Maj said, " And so I must take the road less traveled. With this we part."
They stood awkwardly for a moment until Maj spread her arms open for a hug. Dib gleeful embraced her and Maj hugged tightly. She didn't want to let go, but she knew she must.
"So until tomorrow," she whispered, still clinging to him, her eyes shut.
"Until tomorrow," he agreed, giving a squeeze.
They stood locked in each others embrace for a minute or two when Maj finally made the move that Dib couldn't bring himself to. She let go and smiled sweetly.
"I'll come by your house an' we can go spy on Zim," she said, " Farewell, Dib and may peace be unto you!" and with that she waced and ran off down the dirt road, not looking back. She knew if she had, then she would've wept with sorrow.
Chapter Two
When Maj got home she ran inside and flopped down on her bed. Her coyote dog they had found when they got to America, named Karma, came in and whined. She knew he had been outside already because Aedus was home. He wagged his tail and Maj gave him a pat on the head.