The silence within the living room of the Membrane residence was broken from the front door of the house shutting with a slam, as Dib and Gaz entered their home from the usual day at Skool. Dib dumped his book-bag on the hardwood floor which created quite the loud 'thud' on connection with the boards. Gaz immediately separated from Dib and found her way to the couch where she had left her Game Slave 2 sitting earlier that morning, before they had departed. Despite the two of them having just gotten home the living room along with the rest of the house was dead quiet.
Dib progressed over to the kitchen and opened the fridge in search of something potable that could quench his thirst. He grabbed an ice cold can of Poop brand Soda off the fridge door before closing with his foot, turning to leave with the Soda in hand. Downing it in just seconds, Dib finished the icy beverage and flung it into the kitchen trash with a burp of satisfaction.
Gaz was already so into her game she hadn't noticed her brother walk past her back to the front door, until it's hinges creaked from it being opened. The pink hared girl briefly turned her attention to him and the door, opening an eye in curiosity. Even to her it wasn't normal for him to do something like this; usually he'd just stay home after a day of Skool.
She quickly forgot about it and went back into her own little world when he exited the house, pulling the door closed on the way out. He stuck to the sidewalk and began walking down the same path he and Gaz used to get home from Skool, occasionally glancing up at the sky. Other then a sun blocked by clouds and occasional bird chirp it was like any other day.
After crossing an intersection he didn't follow the exact path as before, but instead took different routes at some streets. He had passed through a neighborhood he'd never been in before with two story houses on each side of the street. Judging from the look the children and adults were giving him, it seemed even though he didn't know these people, they'd heard of him.
Into about an hour or so of walking Dib pulled out his phone and tapped the screen to bring it out of sleep, once more glancing up at the sky. He took a gander at the time on the locked screen, while continuing his stroll at the same casual pace. 5:07 Pm.
Once he found what he was looking for he drew the unlock pattern and placed more attention on where he was headed. Within around 5 minutes after passing through the neighborhood, he found his way into the active downtown streets. The amount of hustle and bustle in this region of the city was one surrounding he wasn't used to seeing all that much of.
He glanced down at his phones GPS app, to make sure he was going the right way. After all ending up lost in the downtown region of the city wouldn't be entertaining for any fourteen year old, or any adult either. It didn't take him very long to cross through the city and finally find his way into yet another neighborhood.
This neighborhood had a different feel to him compared to his own and any other he had been to, which was many. Every house was a two story, and seemed more furbished externally then Dib was used to seeing. He paused and checked the app one last time before pressing the power button and returning the phone to his pocket.
He had definitely found his way into the middle-high class neighborhood he'd set out to find. The only thing left now was an address. His pace of walking slowed down somewhat while he began scanning the front of the homes and their mailboxes, sticking to the sidewalk as he had done the whole time on the way there.
Just when he'd thought he hadn't found the address he was looking for, a larger then normal house with a giant weenie on it came into view. In his focus on the building, Dib began crossing to the other side of the street without looking either way, leading him to nearly get hit by a passing car in the process. He was fortune the person driving was paying the attention he wasn't, and managed to stop with just feet between him and the vehicle.
The person inside the car was noticeably upset they had almost committed vehicular manslaughter, angrily swinging their fist and yelling muffled things at him. After the moment sub-sided and his legs would listen to him again, Dib quickly continued across to the sidewalk.
Thankfully nobody he knew was around to see that, or he would probably never hear the end of it.
In a few seconds time he had reached the driveway of the house, slowing back into a paced walk. His heart was still racing from the near accident prior, and from the distance he had traveled on foot without really taking much time to rest.
On the way up the driveway he mostly tried to catch his breath, and fix his coat in an attempt to be neat. Dib approached the golden barred front door and with a heavy sigh, pressed the DW shaped doorbell button a single time.
After waiting patiently for around ten seconds he raised his hand to press the button again, but paused when he heard the door unlock from the other side. Dib turned to face it as it opened to be greeted by a large, well dressed man with a weenie corp hat that resembled a crown with a weenie spinning in the center.
"H-hello there little boy. How can I H-help you today?" The guy had an unusual wide smile, almost as if it was painfully forced.
"Uh hi, I'm here for someone who goes by the name of Tak?" Dib gave the question as politely as he could, despite being slightly creeped out. Which was funny in itself with him being so into the paranormal field; he'd seen some things.
"Tak! Someone's H-here to see you!" The man oddly stepped out of view, and Tak stepped in to his place seconds after. Despite how 'normal' it would seem to anyone else, Dib was keen on strange things, and this made him raise a brow.
"Aright, what do you wan?-" Tak began sternly, impatiently, with crossed arms, and an expression all the such to match her tone. That changed when she realized who was standing in front of her, however. "Oh. Hello again, Dib. What brings you all the way over to this part of the city?" She leaned on the wall beside her.
"Hey Tak, so I uh, got these tickets to a new movie." Dib pulled two reserve tickets from his coat pocket he'd gotten the day before. "I've uh, been waiting for a few months for it's release, and it finally premieres in theaters today." He tried his best to avoid sounding nervous.
"That seems great, but I notice you have more than one there." She looked at the paper in his hand, then at him before continuing. "What is it you plan on doing with that second one exactly?" Tak asked an obvious question on purpose being her usual artful self.
"That's uh, actually why I'm here... I didn't want to go on my own." He held out his arm towards her, offering one of the tickets. "So I was... kind of wondering if you'd maybe like to come with me?" Having never done this sort of thing before, Dib was basically rolling with life as it went by now.
"So it's like a date, than?" The corner of Tak's mouth raised as she started to chuckle. "Are you asking me out Dib?" She had an opportunity to mess with him, and simply had to take it.
"Uh?..." Dib found himself freezing up and incapable of really giving her an answer. But the look on his face said enough anyway. "Look, you don't have to laugh at me! It was just a question.." He was about to put his hand down, when she grabbed one of the tickets from him.
"It was but I don't remember saying no to you." Tak stepped out beside him and the house door just shut behind her on it's own. "What time do we need to be there?" She crossed her arms under her chest, and continued to look at him with curious eyes.
"Wait, really?" Frankly the last thing he was expecting was a yes from her. A firm 'no' and a shut door in the face sure, but definitely not a yes. "You're actually gonna go to the movies? With me?" The disbelief on his face was amusing, but she was polite enough not to laugh.
"I don't really see a reason why not. Now I get to watch..." She briefly uncrossed her arms, to have a look at the name of the film on the ticket. "...Attack Of The Squirrel Babies, and get to know one of my more... Interesting classmates."
Dib simply couldn't believe she actually said yes.
"Now, are we going or not?" Tak took a few steps past him and started walking back down the same path he'd used. It took him a moment to put the ticket back in his pocket, and get his barrings before following along. They descended onto the sidewalk from the driveway, silently walking along side one another.
Being ignored and outright avoided by all of his fellow classmates, led Dib to be inexperienced when interacting with others. Having another person this close who didn't act like he was a disease to run from, was a different experience to say the least. Something he had no idea how to handle either.
After a short while of walking together the sky began to darken as night slowly rolled in. Dib pulled his phone out again and glanced at it to check the time. 6:37. He looked up to see the sky dimming and the sun no where to be found, instead obstructed by tall buildings.
In minutes time they made it to the downtown district which was lit up by the street lights, buildings and cars. The two of them gradually found their way to the heart of the city the Central Plaza, while mostly taking in the scenery of the area. Only the establishments with the most popularity or activity were located there, as well as the movie theater.
As they turned around the corner from their destination both of them were greeted with a sight neither of them were expecting. Just a couple feet away in their disguises was Zim along with GIR who was on a leash carrying three boxes of what looked to be pizza, or something of the sort. Knowing Zim it could have been just about anything.
The warm smile Tak had quickly faded; she knew he was going to disturb them.
"Tak?! What are you doing here?!" Zim asked while pointed dramatically at the two of them. "And why are you with the Big-Headed Dib-monkeyyyy?!" He shrieked like he did whenever he spoke to pretty much anyone.
"Me and this 'Dib-monkey' are love-pigs." Tak responded, the stern, cruel tone of her voice from earlier making a very swift return. She swatted a hand at Zim harshly. "Now away with you." She softly hooked an arm around Dib's, hugging it as if trying to protect him from Zim.
"Neveeeerr! ZIM is superior!" He tossed GIR's leash onto the ground in frustration. "You shall submit and be ZIMS love-pig! ZIMS!" All of his yelling was drawing attention from employees of establishments on their side of the street, who had open front doors.
"You are interrupting our magical love-pig festivities." Tak hugged Dib's arm a little tighter to her which surprised him. "Be Gone!" For the first time, she too raised her voice which had enough strength behind it to actually startle Dib a little.
She proceeded to suddenly pull out a bottle of mustard from her PAK, quickly enough no onlookers could see the mechanical arm. Using her free hand she shook the bottle, popped the top open and sprayed Zim straight in the face with it. He hollered in agony as the yellow goop covered him and smoke visually began to arise from his body.
His shrill cries drew attention from nearby people on the other side of the street, and even more from places of business on their side. Zim quickly ran away while shrieking in pain and being followed by an ever so loyal, box carrying GIR. Despite all the things he wanted to ask or say in that moment, Dib couldn't really find the words for a question; he was still processing what weirdness just transpired.
Tak nonchalantly stepped away from him, and tossed the overflowing bottle into a nearby trash bin before mustard could get on her. Dib stood there as she came back over from dusting off her hands and grabbed ahold of his. The soft quiet tone of voice she had up to that point came back once Zim had left.
"Come on, we still have somewhere to be." She walked backwards while facing him, tugging at his arm to get him moving. The smile Tak had earlier quickly came back as well once he was her center of attention again.
"Hey, I'm gonna fall quit it!" He moved forward with her as she pulled him along, trying not to stumble on his on two feet. All the while she began to giggle at his clumsy long stepped display in an attempt to stay on his feet, and the pouty face he was making.
They were less than a minute away from their destination, and wasted enough time already. But she didn't care very much anymore, Dib's company was quickly becoming worth much more than the movie he'd taken her to see. Soon though, they had reached the front recipient booth for the theater, at which point she stopped pulling him.
Since it was time, she handed him her ticket as the two of them approached the booth together.
"Hello and welcome to the Central Plaza Movie Center." The man inside the booth asked with a dull robotic tone. "What will you be seeing tonight?"
"Hi, we have two tickets for Attack Of The Squirrel Babies?" Dib handed the recipient the tickets through the slot in the booth.
Once the tickets were handed in, they walked through the set of large double doors to the booths left. After looking around she went toward the back of the building where different rooms for the movies showing and starting at the current hour. She waited for Dib to get a small bag of popcorn and poop cola, before going in along with him.
They found themselves in the top row beyond most of the people when they got to their intended seats. Once seated it became apparent just how nice a view from so high up in the back was. They had arrived just as the trailers ended, and could settle in.
At around what Dib assumed to be an hour into the movie, and not seeing anything relating to the actual Mysterious Mysteries case, he got up from his seat. There was nothing relating to exploding baby Squirrels, peoples heads being eaten off in the dead of night, or anything really. A guy in a squirrel suit eating nuts wasn't what they came there to see.
It didn't take long for him and Tak both to reach the exact same conclusion; this movie was an awful live film. Or the people behind it had no idea what they were doing. A disappointed Dib exited the row and began walking down the steps near the ramp.
He left a small bit of popcorn and his empty cup there, not bothering to take the rest with him. Tak got up and followed almost immediately afterwards, not wanting to stay in the movie theater just about as much.
They stepped out into the main hallway and continued until they got back outside. He noticed the unimpressed expression on Tak's face as they exited through the double doors they had used to enter the builder prior.
"Well, that was just a let down." Dib rubbed the back of his head, feeling a little guilty. "Sorry for taking you all the way out here for nothing tonight."
"Don't be." Tak grabbed his other hand with both of hers. "I actually rather like the way things turned out tonight."
"But I wanted you to have a better time than..." He looked at her, finding himself getting lost in the violet eyes before him. "This..."
"Hey, it could have been worse." Tak entwined her fingers with his. "At least we got a laugh at Zim tonight, right?" She smiled at him for the third and final time, and like every other time it lit Dib's heart into a wild fire.
"Is there anything you'd like to do now then?"
"Hm, I don't know." She stepped a little closer to him, his hand still in hers. "But I could always use some company on the way back home though..."
End
