Disclaimer: Invader Zim and all characters of the show are the property of Jhonen Vasquez, and Nickelodeon. My characters belong to well, me. *note* This is a sequel to a story called Thunderstorm, so read that one first then this one, or you will be confused.
Arco
"What are you doing?" Startled by the sudden question in the dark, Dib dropped some of the items in his arms. He turned around quickly to face his younger sister, Gaz, who was blocking the stairway.
"Don't do that," Dib whispered as he bent down to collect his fallen things.
"It's twelve at night, and you're wandering around. What are you doing?" Gaz asked again, noticing, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, that he was wearing his trenchcoat and boots, but still had on his pajamas.
"Nothing . . . I'm just going on the roof, what are you doing?" Dib asked quickly tucking the equipment he had in his coat. He really didn't want to say what he was doing and knew that his sister would probably go back to bed if he was just going to "look for paranormal garbage" as she called it.
"No, what are you really doing?" Gaz asked, this time with more assertiveness. This surprised him, but then again, Gaz always seemed to take him aback.
"I'm just going out for a while. Okay," Dib said becoming irritated by the questioning. Gaz smirked a little and allowed Dib to pass down the stairs of their newly made home. A lot changed over the past few months. However, certain things, such as her harassing her brother, stayed the same.
"You wouldn't happen to be meeting Red, would you?" Gaz asked, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. Dib didn't turn around. He just glared at the front door handle ahead of him. Gaz smiled to herself knowing she had struck a nerve. Dib and Red obviously liked one another but had decided to just remain friends. 'Yeah very close friends,' the gothic girl thought. The pale boy suddenly turned from the front door, nearly dropping the now visible telescope and quilt that it was wrapped in.
"I forgot something," he said running back up the stairs, littering them with magazines and books as he went. Gaz just looked on as he ran into his room making an awful amount of noise.
"Moron," she said as she carefully made her way down the cluttered stairs to acquire something to drink. She reached the fridge to notice that the two sodas that had been there for days were now gone.
"I can't believe . . . ," the girl mumbled as she grabbed the milk carton. She poured a glass and walked back out to the living room to see her brother balancing the two soft drinks in one hand, with books and magazines stuffed under his arms, and a blanketed telescope in the other hand.
"Give it to me now," Gaz demanded. Dib looked up at her with confusion and strain.
"What are you talking about . . . what do you want?" he asked.
"You know what I want," Gaz said coldly taking a step closer to the pale boy. Dib took a step back and stared at his little sister.
"No, I don't um . . . know," he said as he raised his arm to look at his digital watch, clumsily dropping everything in that arm, "Look, I got to go." He quickly scrambled his belongings together and hobbled right on out of the front door. "Oh no you don't," Gaz growled following him. However, she was shocked to see that he had disappeared. She looked down at her glass of milk and snorted.
"You will pay," she said before slamming the door behind her. Suddenly a black spike sprouted from the Membrane hedges. Attached to the pointed, black hair was a very relieved Dib.
"That was easier than I thought it would be," he said rising from his shrub hideaway picking twigs from his hair. The paranormal-obsessed boy then gathered up his items and headed down the sidewalk. What he failed to notice was that another figure was standing behind a parked car on the side of the street, watching his every move. The dark silhouetted creature took off in a separate direction from its trenchcoated subject. Meanwhile, Gaz had made it to her room where she drank up the glass of calcium and climbed into bed. She glanced out of her curtained windows to see an unbalanced figure walk along. Knowing that it was her brother, she shrugged it off, allowing him to live, for now, being that she was fairly tired. She placed the cup down on her bed stand and rested her head on the soft pillows of her bed. While in the midst of falling asleep a loud clang awoke the girl. She growled as the noise had come from inside the house. Assuming it was Dib, coming back for some other object of her desire, she hopped out of bed and walked to the closed bedroom door. The gothic girl opened the door and quietly stepped into the hall. She was surprised to see that it was her father, who had just come up from his basement lab, newly constructed. He had been spending more time at home now that he did most of his work in the new house to begin with. He had also, through the past couple of months, geared his attention towards space exploration.
"Gas what are you doing up?" he asked reaching the top of the stairs.
"I thought you were Dib," Gaz said, not completely aware that she had just ratted her brother out.
"What do you mean?" he asked giving his daughter a questionable look. Gaz, realizing her slip up, thought about her options. Even though it would be payback for what he had done, it would be more punishment than necessary. Professor Membrane still didn't agree with his son's obsession with the paranormal, even after that night. Dib was not at all interested in taking up 'real science'. They would constantly get into debates about what happened only so long ago and butt heads on Dib's running around chasing whatever fool thing was out there. It was odd that their dad all of a sudden started playing a more parental role, and it was Dib who was having the hardest time adjusting. At first, Gaz saw it as amusing that her brother was for once silenced and sent to his room, however, as time passed, she sort of felt sorry for her older sibling. It was bad enough that he was hounded at school for being different, now his dad was pressuring him on his summer break.
"I mean I thought you were Rib, the cat burglar that has been terrorizing the nation," Gaz lied. Membrane eyed her suspiciously but shrugged it off as young imagination.
"No, it's just me, now you should go back to bed and get some rest," he said, patting her on the head. With that, the girl did disembark on her journey back to bed. Before he decided to go to bed though, Membrane wanted to check on his son to make sure he was all right. He walked down to Dib's room and cracked the already slightly ajar door. Meanwhile, a few blocks down, Dib waited in the shadows of an old oak tree. He had rested his things against the trunk and kept an eye out for his partner in studies, and very close friend, Red. As he turned his head to look down a street the boy was startled by a light tap on the shoulder. He nearly jumped up the oak, before he turned to see Red standing there in her trenchcoat, tennis shoes, and red pj's. She was also carrying a few notebooks, magazines, and a bag of chips. Unlike Dib, however, she wrapped her blanket into a carrying case for her items.
"No reason to have a heart attack, it's just me," Red laughed at Dib's expression.
"Well, I brought my stuff, where should we go," Dib said calming down a little. Red thought for a moment before suggesting they go to Chris' tree house, since it wasn't that far away. Chris was Red's longtime friend, even before her dad died. Dib agreed, being he didn't want to stray too far from home, knowing his dad finished work in his lab around four. The only reason he was wearing his pajamas was in case of an emergency he could just quickly jump into his bed. As the two of them walked and talked about the happenings of that week, someone else crept along behind them. Dib, having the feeling he was being watched would whirl around every once in a while only to see nothing.
"What's wrong?" Red asked feeling a little uneasy herself.
"I'm not sure. Maybe I'm imaging it," he said continuing to walk. They reached Chris' house and snuck to the back.
"Chris, Chris," Red whispered as she tapped on her friend's bedroom window, which luckily was on the first floor. A light came on and a young boy with blond hair and green eyes appeared in the window. He smiled and opened it.
"Hey guys, whatcha need?" he asked looking at his late coming guests.
"Can we use the tree house?" Red asked.
"Sure, just wait a sec," Chris whispered as he closed the window. Within minutes, he was in the backyard with them holding a large quilt. He wasn't accepting company but being it was summer vacation and there was nothing else to do but hang with his friends he decided to join them.
"Okay, let's go." When all three had climbed the wooden structure, they set up their blankets and equipment.
"Who wants some chips," Red asked, tearing the bag open. Both boys stuck out their hands to receive a bundle of chips, then Red took out her own handful.
"I'm sorry, only have two sodas," Dib said setting down two cans.
"Don't worry about it. I'll share one with you if that's all right?" Red asked turning towards Dib.
"Sure as long as you don't backwash." Red gave him a playful scold. "I'm kidding. Lets set up the telescope now." Chris looked at them and rolled his eyes. Anyone who was half brain dead could tell they liked one another. Why they just wanted to remain just friends, was beyond him, but oh well. The three spent the next couple hours studying the stars, listening for strange radio signals, eating chips, telling stories, reading over magazines that were over several different topics such as UFO's, weather phenomenon, and Chris' favorite, comic books. None of them were worried about lack of sleep for it was summer, however, when Dib looked to his digital watch he nearly choked.
"I have to go home guys," Dib said grabbing his things.
"Why?" Red asked not knowing that his dad didn't know about this.
"Well, see I know we were planning this, but my dad doesn't really want me to be out looking for stuff, so . . . "
"So, you didn't tell him," Red finished nonchalantly.
"Right."
"Oh, good luck then. Isn't he home?" Red said.
"Don't remind me."
"Maybe he'll be cool about it or he won't notice. My dad does anyhow," Chris added in.
"Thanks, bye, Chris. See you later, Red," Dib said climbing down the steps of the tree house.
"Bye, Dib. Call me when you have time," Red called down.
"Okay," Dib said as he ran out of the backyard.
"Call me sweetheart," Chris mocked. Red, not liking the comment, beamed him over the head with a fairly large weather book.
Dib slunk into his house quietly listening for any signs of his dad. Hearing none, he crept up the stairs and to his room, being careful not to make a noise. He opened his door and tiptoed inside before closing it. With a mischievous smile, he laid his things down next to the door.
"Home free," he breathed.
"Home yes, free, I don't think so," a voice that was horribly familiar to the young boy spoke. Dib's posture sank as he turned around to see his father sitting on the edge of his bed.
~*Enjoy :-)