I am floating in the vacuum of space. I feel as though I am a NASA spaceman, exploring the wide, empty, meaningless space. Weightlessly gliding through the stars, bouncing asteroid to asteroid. But something is wrong. Very wrong. The vastness of space is becoming less vast. Its more condense, I can feel myself close in, until I'm in a box. "Dib". That voice. "Dib". Its familiar, I can't put my figure on it. "Son". There are two people. I really can't put the familiarity of it though. "DIB WE ARE HERE!" CLAP! CLAP!
"wha- ". I pop up and am immediately get jerked down by my tight seatbelt. "Son, were here". I stare straight forward at the dashboard. I let my eyes adjust, though that's kinda hard when you're basically blind. I rub my eyes and turn to the sound of my dad's voice. He's talking to someone so I must wait. Ow. What was that. "Hey, idiot. You need your glasses. I got em'". I can feel something land on my head. Once I locate my glasses and put them on and take the time for my eyes to adjust. Were here.
The Scholastic Institute for gifted children. This place was really hard to get into. I had to take a test, send a bajillion essays and then I had to take a personality quiz. Gretchen and I managed to get in together. I hope we get the same house. I don't really know who else is here besides her. But lord in the sky if my name isn't Diberyllium Joseph Alexander Membrane, PLEASE LET ME GET INTO HER HOUSE! I don't know how to deal with other people. I mean I do, I can compose myself, I just don't want to. I guess you could say that I'm a little scared to. I don't really relate to people y'know. By relate, I mean I feel like no one likes me. I'm strange I get it. I was a weird kid and I got a little too involved with other people. That's fine or whatever. I just. I just don't know how to-. "Diberyllium! Son, are you coming. We have to go get your schedule" Huh. Oh dad. "Sure". "Hey, Son. Are you ok? You look upset". "No, I fine, I'm- I'm just nervous".
We open the doors of the car and face the old timey building. As we approach the brown brick dusty building, I try to keep my sick stomach settled. I have the same feeling of that tightness and claustrophobic feeling all over again. As we enter the obviously new glass door and into the crowed foyer.
The inside of the building really doesn't match the outside. Like the outside is my Abuelo and the inside is my dad. Well that isn't really a good simile for it but that's what came to mind. There is a large table in the middle of the crowded room with a small line and a small sign that says, 'NEW STUDENTS' in bad handwriting. I look around to keep myself from freaking out a little more then I currently am. I think about certain things. I think about Mom and how much I miss her. I think about my Abuelo and Abuela and how they just moved to America and how I won't be there to help them learn more English. But I mostly think about ZIM. It's been maybe two years. He still went to school and stuff. I just got too busy. I continue to try to stop him. Well I guess I try. As I've gotten older I've had more responsibilities dumped on me. It's like I must be perfect nowadays, because if I'm not I get stressed out and then Dad yells at me and calls me a failure. Well he sorta does, its more subliminal. I feel like I'm a failure. So maybe me thinking that Dad thinks I'm a failure is me manifesting my self-loathing and doubt into him. I mean, I mean I just want him to be happy and I guess I had to stop worrying about ZIM to do that. That and it could be my utter hatred of myself and it's my way of slowly killing myself. Who knows I don't get a whole lot of sleep because I stay up to think about stuff like this. "Excuse me. Can I get your name and area of study?". I turn to face the voice and…when did we get to the front of the line. "Uh, my name is Diberyllium Membrane, and I'm studying the Investigation of paranormal studies". The old lady smiles at me. "Maybe I'll have you in my class. I'm the paranormal anomalies and conspiracies professor. You are actually one of the first kids to say that they were studying this". Great. Stay cool Dib. You got this. I force out a fake chuckle. "oh really?". "Yep. I can see why. The Scholastic Institutes Paranormal program is one of the hardest. But majority of people who joins the program just want the title and don't complete research". Who would do that? Paranormal science is a science course. "But you aren't like that, are you Mr. Membrane?". She gives me a long hard look. Oh god what am I supposed to say. Dib. Be. Cool. I take a deep exhale. And give her direct eye contact. "Of course, not ma'am". She gives me a smile. "Ok. Good. I'm holding you to it. Now House assignments. You are in House 32. Do you want to know the names of your roommates?". "Yes please." "Alright. As you are aware each house has 8 people in it split into 4 bedrooms. You were a loud to choose a perfered student when you filled out your living packet. You gave us a young lady by the name of Gretchen Glen who is studying Journalism and communtications. Is this correct?". I nod down at the woman. "Your house is specifically only filled with East Skool #2 students due to them filing their paperwork late for whatever reason. Which should be fine for you, because this means you have already been studying with them for majority of your life. You should also know that you only have 7 students in your house because one roommate requested not to have a room partner. As for your other roommates, you also will be sharing a house with; Penny Noriega who is studying Musical and vocal theatre, Brian Mace who is studying Buisness. As for the last three." She pulls her glasses down her nose and looks at me through the top. "I legally am obligated to tell you that they are Irken." I feel my body drop. Crap. "TAK who is studying Human Psychology." Wait when did TAK come back to earth. She sat right behind me. Was I really detached from reality. Jesus Krispy Kreme. "TENN who is studying sociology and human anatomy." I don't know her. When did SHE come to earth? HOW AM I SO NOT IN THE LOOP ABOUT THIS? Ok. Make a mental note of this for your journal. "And lastly ZIM- "UGH "who is studying computer science". I look down. As if I didn't overthink my past too much in the first place. This just got a whole lot harder. "You need to know anything else?". I nod my head no. "Great! Here is your key. Your house advisor is Mr. Horvitz who teaches most of our theatre classes. HAVE A NICE DAY! NEXT!" I grab the keys, a map and my wig that was just snatched off my head and Dad, Gaz and I head back out to our overparked vehicle to search for my new 'house'.
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