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Ashta walked up to the door of Zim's base, hand outstretched and ready to open it. Suddenly, though, the door swung open so suddenly it was sheer miracle it was still on its hinges. (AN: That's the second time I've used that in a fanfiction! :D) Behind said door was a furious Gaz Membrane, and behind her was an equally angry Zim.

"Why the HELL weren't you at school?" Gaz snarled, flames in her (barely open) eyes.

Ashta opened her mouth to say something, but was immediately cut off by Gaz.

"I was stuck alone with short, green, and stupid over here, jumping through your little hoops and playing along with the circus act of our fake relationship!"

"YEAH!" Zim spoke, but then he suddenly realized what Gaz had just said. "How dare you call Zim short? I am much taller than I was when I first got here, and am as tall as a normal human worm-pig!"

Gaz snorted. "Yeah, but I'm used to referring to you as 'short, green and stupid.'"

"You mean you've used that phrase before?"

"Once or twice, yeah. But this isn't going to help us with the current problem." Gaz turned to once again face Ashta. "YOU have some explaining to do!"

"I went to the library, to study up a little more on human history, as I figured that I'd learn more doing that than going to school. You humans have a strangely bloody past, do you know that?" Ashta recited the excuse she'd practiced with ease. Gaz didn't seem satisfied, though.

"I don't care if you wanted learn or whatever, if we have to endure the torture of Skool, then so do you!"

"Yeah!" Zim added meekly. Gaz just glared at him, annoyed by his lack of anything to add to her argument.

"Fine, I'll go tomorrow. Geesh. Whatever. I'm going to watch TV now." Ashta pushed her way past Gaz and Zim, who were both still pissed.

"She'll pay." Gaz growled angrily.

"What are you planning on doing, Gaz-human?" Zim asked. Gaz glared at him.

"Nothing that involves you, so don't butt in. I'll think of some way to get back at her. But for now, I'm going home to play Vampire Piggies and take my anger out on Dib. Do me a favor and die while I'm gone, okay?" Gaz said, walking away from the open doorway and down the walk, towards her house.

!#$%^&*

When Gaz got home Dib was already there. So, naturally, she was bombarded with questions.

"Where were you? Are you okay? Why wasn't Ashta at Skool? Why-"

"Shut up before your head ends up in the oven." Gaz interrupted, annoyed by his questions. "I'm fine, Dib. Obviously I'm okay, or I wouldn't be here, listening to your deafeningly annoying voice. I was at Zim's, waiting for Ashta to come back so we could ask her the exact same question. She was at the library, actually learning. I don't blame her. Much. So just drop it."

Dib stared at Gaz. Only one thing that Gaz had said had actually stuck in his head. "You were over at Zim's? Alone?"

Gaz groaned. "Dear God, Dib! NOTHING happened! And no, we weren't 'alone'. Gir was being the annoyingly clingy little spazz he always is. There's no way we'd be able to get rid of him even if we wanted to!"

Dib raised an eyebrow. "Even if you wanted to?" he questioned.

'Shit!' Gaz thought angrily. "Yes, Dib, unlike most of this planet we're not in a relationship just for making out and stuff like that. Ever thought maybe we could actually have an intellectual* conversation? Because Heaven knows that can't happen with the rest of this rock!" Gaz countered quickly, making stuff up as she went along.

Dib looked a little deflated, as if he almost expected Gaz to tell him that she was repulsed by Zim and never had actually been in a relationship. "Oh." Then he sighed. "Gaz, tell me this, why are you two going out, then? I honestly can't think of anything you and him have in common!"

'Yeah, you and me both!' Gaz thought angrily. However, her mouth started talking, as if automatically it knew the answer. "Because he's different from everyone else, Dib. And I don't just mean that he's an alien. He actually has a readable IQ and common sense, two things most humans seem to be lacking these days. He's also kinda fun to be around once you get over the constant screaming and yelling." Gaz was surprised at what she had said, though she didn't show it. The first thing she thought was she had to leave before she slipped more crap like that. "Now, Dib, if you don't mind, I'm going to go to my room and think of ways to get Ashta back for sticking Zim and me alone at Skool. Bye." Gaz whipped herself around and headed up the staircase until she reached her room.

As she entered the eyes of her mechanical menaces followed her, the dolls and plushes ready to turn into deadly weapons of mass destruction if necessary. Gaz, however, paid them no attention. She had other things on her mind. Why had she said all those things about Zim? She didn't actually like him like that! Stupid Ashta, this was all her fault! If it weren't for that meddling Irken she wouldn't have to explain to Dib her non-existent relationship with Zim! Gaz furiously pulled out her Gameslave, hoping the sounds of flaming pigs being slaughtered would help calm her over-worked nerves.

Eventually, it did, and she was able to think straight. This was all just to annoy Dib, remember? To get back at him for being such an annoyance to her for so long. She didn't like Zim. She hated him, even. Nothing would change that. She hated change. She hated it even more than she hated Zim. It wasn't that she was afraid of change; she just didn't like things getting all screwy without her permission. Growling, Gaz grabbed the phone on her nightstand next to her bed. Despite the fact that she was supposed to be pissed at her, Gaz needed to call Ashta for something.

"Hello." Ashta's voice answered. In the background Gaz could hear Zim's protests.

"Do not answer the phone of ZIM! This is my base, thus I should answer the phone! Now give it to me!"

"IT'S NOT FOR YOU, ANYWAYS!" Ashta hollered at the temperamental Irken.

"Zim does not care! Gimme!"

"NO! Sorry about that, Gaz. What can I help you with?" Ashta asked over Zim's yelling.

"What I need help with involves the fog horn you're yelling over, actually." Gaz answered. She could almost feel Ashta's face curl into a grin.

"Really? What?"

"I want you to give him a swift kick in the shins and remind him that I still hate him."

"Will do!" Ashta said happily. Gaz smiled as she heard Zim's howl of pain and Ashta repeat her words.

Yeah, nothing was going to change is she had any say over it.

*The sad thing is, I didn't even spell intellectual right, and spell-check caught it for me. That just proves that I am not this.

I'm so sorry for not updating before, but I had MAJOR writer's block for this second half of this chapter. Gawd, I hate how I get writer's block every single damn chapter. Because then it feels like I'm just forcing this stuff. Anyways, I'm writing this on my laptop and I need to get off before it runs out of battery. Plus, Study Hall is over. Bye!

PS: If I make the characters act OOC, please tell me, I won't be offended! I want to make them as in-character as possible! :)