I DO NOT OWN INVADER ZIM! Jenna belongs to me though :P

I don't seem to be making any progress with making new friends in my new home town. It is, after all, late August so come September hopefully I'll be able to make some friends in the skool I'm enrolled in. The kids in this city have grown up together so I'm going to be the outsider. I really don't want to be lonely in my Junior- year of high-school. Things better start looking up soon...

"Jenna!" yelled my mom from laundry room, "Can you make sure you fold all these clothes before I leave for London? I would really like to have my blue sweater. Please and thank you Jen."

"Sure, Mom." I replied. She's always so busy with work that she kind of blows in and out of the house, leaving a path of destruction and bad parenting in her wake. Both my parents are co-executives of their "Happy Go Lucky Toothpaste Company" so their form of work requires many out of state/country business trips, which makes me have to fend for myself 90% of the time. When they are here though, they are so busy that I have to clean up after them both. To be honest, I like it when they are gone, it's less work for me.

"I appreciate the help with the laundry Jenny-bear! I'm late for my meeting, goodbye!"

And just like that I was left alone for the rest of the day, seeing as my father was going to be in Japan for the next month.

After I finished putting all the clean clothes away, including my mother's blue sweater that I set on her suitcase, I put on a sweater of my own and gathered up some things from my art bag. I headed to a nearby park so I could sit listen to music outside while I doodle on my notepad. I figured sitting outside amongst the living would be more refreshing than becoming more introverted than I already am in the safe dwelling of home.

Once at the park, I sat at my new "favorite" bench. I came here a few times before and I noticed this spot has the best uninterrupted view on the duck pond, and better yet, the play structure was located behind me so I wouldn't have to see obnoxious young kids running around in front of me. I simply drowned out the sounds of yelling/crying children with my headphones turned on almost full blast. However, today I had a difficult time tuning one kid in particular. I had seen him around before but never bothered to say hello. He looked about my age, and probably even goes to the high-school I'm headed to in a few days. He was awkward looking, maybe six feet tall with round glasses and the most wild, jagged black hair. Whenever I saw him he was always looked like he was shouting, mostly to a purple haired girl who was always by his side, although she didn't seem to have any interest in what he had to say. She was busy playing a Game Slave. This time I took out my headphones to listen in on what the dark haired boy was shouting about.

"Gaz!" he yelled to the purple haired girl, "This will be the most perfect plan! I will use this tube that I connected to the water fountain as a hose to spray Zim with as he walks by us! Then when he's writhing in pain from the water burns, I'll capture him in this burlap sack and then I, Dib Membrane, will be renowned for my discovery of aliens on the nationally known television show, Mysterious Mysteries! All we have to do is wait and see if he accepted my invitation to meet us here..."

First impression of this Dib kid: Crazy.

"Ya, ya, Dib. Whatever." said the girl who he called Gaz. She didn't even look up from her game and was clearly uninterested in participating in whatever he had planned to do to the person he referred to as Zim. I, however, was extremely interested. He mentioned aliens, and burns from... water? I don't think I heard him right if he said burns from water. Whatever the case, I remained seated on my bench waiting for Dib's plan to take effect.

Just then, Dib ran behind a bush, holding onto his tube of water. He must have seen the Zim kid approaching. The only person in sight was a tall, green...? kid with slick black hair and big blue eyes. This had to be the kid Dib was waiting for, the kid he called Zim.

Zim spoke, "I am here, worm baby DIB! Zim is here! Show yourself or I will be forced to crush you like a bug. CRUSH YOU!"

It all happened within a 6 second time span, but Dib released his water spray onto Zim, and Zim started to burn! Actual smoke was rising from his skin. I didn't know what exactly was happening but by the sound of his screams, Dib obviously had inflicted pain upon him with the "water" that he sprayed him with. I dropped my stuff on the ground and ran over to his side.

"What did you do to him?" I asked Dib, anger in my voice.

"Nothing he didn't deserve!" Dib replied. "Just look at him, he's green! Are you blind? Anyone who has functioning brain cells could see his isn't human! He's an alien!" He paused for only a second to ask me, "Who are you?" in a normal voice.

"My name is Jenna Hope, I'm new here-" Dib cut me off before I could ask anymore questions.

"Nice to meet you, Jenna! My name is Dib, and that is my sister Gaz," he turned to point at the girl with purple hair.

"Hey." she said, not looking up from her Game Slave.

"That's great," I snapped, "but you are going around burning people?" I looked back at Zim to see him laying on the ground on his side, groaning in pain with open sores all over his skin. Green skin or not, I could recognize a wound when I saw one.

"It was WATER! I didn't 'burn' him so to speak... I just squirted water at him, but since he's an alien he-"

I interupted Dib's excuse by saying,

"I don't care what happened, but you're a real jerk for tormenting this kid." I heard Gaz laugh a little after I insulted her brother. I put my arm around Zim and let him rest his weight on my side. This was quite difficult since he was about 6 feet tall and maybe 120 pounds. He had a thin, lean body type, but I am 5'4", 110 pounds, and not strong enough to support all his body weight.

"Zim," I whispered to him so Dib couldn't hear, "Ignore this Dib kid and his giant head, I'll take you back to my place and bandage your burns, but you're going to have to walk a bit because I can't support all your weight."

He seemed to understand, and miraculously trust me, as I picked him up with my arm around him. I guess any place was better than being burned in public. I guided him to the direction of my house. I looked back to give Dib a dirty look. He appeared dumb founded and confused that I was helping Zim.

Luckily my house was only a few blocks from the park. It would be an understatement to say I got Zim to my house without difficulty. He was gasping for air the entire walk to my home. I didn't ask him any questions so I could let him focus on walking, which was also a struggle for him. I think his skin was sizzling...

I opened my front door and immediately walked, or shall I say limped, with Zim over to one of my living room couches where I laid him down.

"Can I get anything for you? Band aids, maybe?" I asked the sizzling green guy on my sofa.

All I could understand from him was, "...Zim needs no help from disgusting worm babies..."

"Okay, band-aides then." I ran upstairs to my bathroom where I kept my bandages. The only ones I had were covered in hearts. I hope he didn't mind. But how could he be embarrassed but heart band-aides? He's already green. And did he say worm babies? Oh, nevermind.

I ran downstairs to find Zim completely asleep. Not only was it weird that he referred to himself in third person, but his burn marks appeared to be clearing up right before my eyes. I moved my face closer to a spot on his arm where a burn was, but only a hole was left in his shirt from where the water burned him, only there was no wound.

I didn't have time to back up before he started swatting at my face. I guess I woke him up when I touched his arm out of disbelief.

"Back beast of meat and hair! What do you think you're doing putting your FILTHY face so close to my beautiful skin?"

Woah. First of all, didn't I just save him? And second, he raised and lowered his voice, while shouting and grumbling out that sentence it took me a minute to comprehend what he has said.

"Who are you calling a filthy beast?" I question, extremely annoyed, "I just saved you from that Dib kid! In case you don't remember, he squirted something at you that he claims to be water and you were burned!"

"Ahh yes, I do recall you getting me out of that less than desirable situation. Water burns me! It's a side effect of my uhh skin condition."

"Is that why you're green?"

"Yes."

"How do you bathe? And how did your skin heal so fast?"

"THAT is NOT important. I thank you for your service to me human girl, but I should be headed back to my base- I mean home now." He sat up and started to walk… err almost march to my door to leave but I ran in front of it to stop him.

"You can't just leave, you were seriously wounded! Gasping for air, that isn't normal to recover so fast from something that serious."

Zim gave me an irritated look.

"Okay human pest, I see you want answers to questions I don't feel like answering. Zim is too busy to waste his time educating worm babies about my habits. I must be going now. Thank you again from saving me from my demise against the HORRIBLE Dib creature."

He spoke so strangely that I couldn't help but giggle. I almost forgot how mad I was a second ago from him avoiding my questions. But I looked at his face to see he was only growing more agitated with me.

"Why are you laughing? And you haven't even revealed your name to me, hair beast. Reveal it!"

"Um..." I giggled. I managed to say "My name is Jenna Hope, and..." I paused to get my laughter to quiet down a little. "And I just find you way too interesting. Won't you stay a bit longer?"

The anger in his face left, and where anger was, confusion came. "Jenna. Well... Jenna the human girl, why do you request I stay here with you?"

"Is that weird to you that I want you to stay?"

"Yes. Zim is never asked to... 'stay' at a human household. Much less by a female. I must say human girl Jenna, the very sight of you doesn't make me want to vomit all over myself. And for that I shall stay! FEEL HONORED!"

What did I just get myself into? And why did he keep calling me human? As if he isn't? "Well, thank you for saying my appearance doesn't make you want to barf, I guess."

"You're welcome! In fact, you are the least revolting girl I have laid my eyes upon. Your hair is so... fiery!"

I think he was referring to the fact I have auburn red hair and he confused it with the color of fire. None the less, he complimented me and I felt myself starting to blush. Embarrassing...

Zim didn't seem to notice however, and made himself confortable again on my sofa. He patted his hand on the spot next to him, which I suppose was his way of asking me to sit down beside him. I sat down, and he immediately bombarded me with questions: "Why did you save me from Dib? Why haven't I seen you around before? Are your eyes really that green? Why did you ask me to stay? Are you sure you're human? You seem too smart to really be one."

I rubbed my eyes before responding to gather my thoughts. "Well, uhhh, Zim I took you to my house because you were hurt by Dib's hand, and I wasn't going to just leave you there to suffer. And you haven't seen me around because I just moved here. I'm enrolled in the local high-skool. I asked you to stay because I will admit it's been a lonely summer with no friends and my parents are always gone. And, thank you. I am indeed human." I found Zim and his questions (and the way he asked them) to be extremely odd. I didn't feel like I was talking to a socially adept person, but there was something about those big blue eyes and that snarky smile he did from time to time. I couldn't help but find this kid to be worth getting to know.

"Very well, land beast. I-"

"Stop calling me a beast!" I interrupted, "Am I beastly looking to you?"

"Well no, but-"

"Then stop calling me a beast! Please.."

Zim gave me a strange look. Has anyone ever yelled at him before? "Very well Jenna. I shall not call you any more names with 'beast' in it.