Chapter 1: Major Problem
It was a normal Friday afternoon. Skool was still in session, but it would be ending soon.
Zim Vannamelon and his best friend, Dib Membrane, sat boredly in their classroom, watching the clock as their teacher, Ms. Bitters, literally talked about nothing. Just a few more seconds and they would be free.
Suddenly, the clock stopped at the last second, causing the two boys to gasp silently in horror. They stared at the clock, daring the second hand to move. After a great time of anticipation, the second hand finally move to the last second, the bell ringing loud and clear, freeing the students for the weekend.
Zim sighed as he stood up, waiting by the door for his best friend. As the students began filing out, Ms. Bitters made her announcement.
"Remember class, tonight is Parent Teacher Night again." She called. "Each and every one of you will be required to bring your parents to the cafeteria once again tonight."
Zim's eyes widened at this.
Oh no! Not ANOTHER Parent Teacher Night! He still had shudders about the LAST Parent Teacher Night, with his roboparents.
But now, he didn't have roboparents. Now, he had an actual real mother. How was he supposed to explain that?!
"I never agreed to this!" He decided to try and challenge the teacher.
"Yes you did." Ms. Bitters told him.
"No, you lie! YOU LIE!"
"Oh no." Zim heard Dib groan as Ms. Bitters snickered and went to her desk.
The teacher opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a disk. She put the disk in a DVD player as the class screen lowered itself on the chalkboard.
As the video played, Zim stared dumbfounded as he watched himself absentmindedly speak to Ms. Bitters while writing down the Vannamelon Mottos.
"Zim, are you bringing your parents to Parent Teacher Night again?" Ms. Bitters asked in the video.
"Yeah, sure, no problem!" Zim answered cheerfully, still reciting the family mottos.
"Why would you tape that?" Zim asked his teacher as the video ended.
"Zim, have you forgotten that this happened last time?" Dib frowned as he approached the duo.
"No, I haven't." Zim sighed. "I can't believe this happened again! What's wrong with me and being so absent-minded on Parent Teacher Night days?!"
"I don't know, bud." Dib shrugged.
"You will be here tonight, Zim." Ms. Bitters hissed. "You AND your parents. Despite what happened last time."
"Yes ma'am." Zim sighed in defeat.
Zim sighed as he and Dib left the classroom, going out the front doors of the skool. Dib shook his head as he followed.
"Zim, have you ever considered that it might be best to actually pay attention in class for once?" Dib asked the Irken as they walked out the front doors.
"I suppose you're right." Zim sighed. "But it's already done with. I have no choice now. Oh Dib, what I'm a supposed to do?"
"Now, I know you're not worried about what Ms. Bitters is going to say about you, as you and I are both pretty good students." Dib frowned.
"Of course that's not what I'm worried about!" Zim flailed. "What I'm worried about is how I'm supposed to explain about having a new mother!"
"Yeah, I see your point." Dib agreed.
Suddenly, Dib felt himself being pulled by the back of his trenchcoat.
"Come on, Dib!" Gaz hissed as she pulled her brother yet again. "We have to get home so that we can get ready for Parent Teacher Night!"
"Actually Gaz," Dib started as he wiggled out of his sister's grip. "I think I'm gonna go home with Zim today, he's got a problem that I should be helping with. Don't worry, I'll be back before it's time to leave."
"Pssh, whatever." Gaz rolled her eyes. "But don't expect me to cover for you when dad asks where you are."
"I'm not really worried about that." Dib shook his head.
Gaz shrugged, pulling out her Gameslave and walking home alone. Dib sighed and turned back to Zim, smiling sympathetically, Zim smiled back with gratitude.
"Thanks for helping me out with this." The Irken said to the human.
"Of course, I mean, that's what friends are for." Dib shrugged.
"Heh, yeah."
BEEP! BEEP BEEP!
"ZIM!"
Zim rolled his eyes with a smile as he turned his head to the direction of the voice that called to him. Down by the curb, waiting in the Cadillac, was his human mother.
"There she is." Zim chuckled. "There's Christine. Come on, Dib."
"Alright, I'm coming." Dib nodded as he followed his friend to the car.
As the two approached the car, Christine waited patiently for them, silently wondering why Dib wasn't following his sister home.
"Hi mom." Zim greeted as he opened the passenger door. "Can Dib ride home with us?"
"I don't see why not," Christine shrugged. "Come on in, Dib."
"Thanks Miss Vannamelon." Dib smiled as he got in the back.
"Thank goodness." Zim sighed as he closed the passenger door and they drove away from the skool. "We need to talk."
"Uh oh, that's not a very good sign." Christine frowned. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine mom." Zim nodded as they drove away. "It's just that… well… it's…"
"It's Parent Teacher Night today, Miss Vannamelon." Dib answered for his friend.
"Yeah."
"Oh, how lovely." Christine smiled. "I'll get to meet your teacher tonight."
"No mom, you don't understand, this is a bad thing." Zim shook his head.
"Huh?" Christine raised an eyebrow. "And why would that be? Surely you're a good student, right?"
"Oh, he's a great student, Miss Vannamelon, you should see his grades." Dib snickered. "All straight As."
"The problem isn't with my performance, mom. It's that this isn't the first time I had to attend Parent Teacher Night."
"Oh, it's not?" Christine blinked.
"No, it's not." Zim shook his head. "My last Parent Teacher Night was a few months ago, before you adopted me. And I had my roboparents with me that time."
"And so now you're worried about how you're to explain having a new mother." Christine nodded. "I understand now."
"Exactly!"
"Well, surely we can figure something out." Christine frowned as they pulled into the driveway. "I mean, it's not common for a child to be adopted when they already have parents, but it has been done."
"What do you mean?" Zim frowned as they exited the vehicle and walked up to the house.
"Well, children are often put up for adoption or are put into foster care because their parents were bad people." Christine explained. "Whether they were abusive or fugitive criminals, or just plain unable to care for their child."
"THAT'S IT!" Dib suddenly shouted.
"Jumping chili beans, Dib, don't scream like that! Nearly gave me a heart attack!" Zim sighed, trying to calm his racing heart. "Now… what's it?"
"I have an idea that will fix all of this." Dib answered. "Come on, I'll explain inside."