I obviously don't own Invader Zim, just this story and some fan-made characters! No harsh critics please, I am sensitive. Thank you!
Also, I'm sorry by not including official characters in this episode... Don't kill me guys!
Well, excepting of one... (Read the last bit and you'll know what I mean XD)
Test Stage VII
Once again, it was raining. Instead of going outside to get wet and dirty like savage creatures, the children stayed indoors, as the dreadful school rules had stated. And even though all of them were obedient, maybe too much, most of the students had been stuck to the windows, sighing sadly.
Luckily, since she was a hermit by nature, Den wasn't so affected about that. She was reading a book, sitting comfortably in the hallway between a pair of vending machines.
"I hate the rain"
She turned abruptly, to see what she somehow expected. Zal was standing next to her, and leaning against one of the devices with a soda can.
"Do you?" she added.
Den shrugged.
"I don't mind... Where's Kiki, by the way? You didn't... pull her into a pool full of leeches... right?"
"Whaa? Leeches? Who do you think I am? The devil?"
"I wouldn't know, you already fooled me before, so you could be anything"
"You have a point, little paranoid, but anyway, I just asked her to go for some freetzdoomps"
"Oh, all- WHAT? What the heck is that?"
"Some kind of snack"
"Are you kidding? There isn't any eatable thing with that name!"
Zal grinned.
"Exactly"
"Oh, you... While it's easier to just tell her how unbearable she is"
"At least I have a friend"
"Yeah, sure! Come on, that's not a friend! That's a lapdog!"
"So? What would be the difference?"
"...do you really know what friendship is?"
"Of course... I think"
Den rolled her eyes and approached a little.
"Just for that reason I was considering a proposal" she muttered, as Zal finally looked at her, with a rather surprised expression. It was obvious that those words had awakened her curiosity. She actually came closer to not miss a detail.
"Proposal? What kind of proposal?"
"Your family wants you to have friends. Right?"
"Right"
"Well, my family regards my interest towards paranormal stuff as unhealthy and they would like to see me more focused in making friends"
"And this involves me how?"
"You need friends and I need friends too"
"So?"
"We both need the same thing"
"So?"
Den twitched. Something seemed to break inside her, causing a crack around the spine zone.
"FRIENDS, Zal. Shouldn't WE become FRIENDS?"
Everything silenced for a moment. Zal stared longly at the brunette, who was still inevitably twitching, and once she got to process the sentence, she nearly burst out laughing, but reached to contain herself at the last minute.
"Me... and you?"
Den just nodded.
"Friends? Seriously?"
"I'm not getting this, what's so funny?"
"It's okay if you want to ruin your image but I would like to keep being the cute one who everyone loves. And face it, how will everyone love me if they see me with a freak?"
"SHUT UP! I'M NOT A FREAK!"
"Yes, you are! Who else would be observing a ridiculous book with a swimming giraffe with so much fascination?"
"W-whaa? GIRAFFE? IT'S NESSIE, IGNORANT FOOL!"
"Well, HOW was I supposed to know the giraffe's name?"
"GAAAH! IT'S NOT A GIRAFFE!"
"Whatever, it still makes you a FREAK!"
"At least I'm not a SPOILED JERK!"
"AH! RETRACT! RETRACT NOW!"
"MAKE ME!"
Shortly afterwards, a morbid and needlessly gory fight had begun. Well, actually, it was morbid and needlessly gory in the eyes of the fighters, because everyone else just saw a pair of hysterical little girls slapping and kicking each other incessantly. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, their teacher arrived quickly. And then they were taken to the classroom, that was still empty. The empty classroom of doom... The most recognizable sign of a possibly endless scolding.
"All right, ladies..." sighed the woman, already unable to hide how irritated she was, mainly because, again, Den was involved "Could anyone tell me what happened out there?"
Den was experiencing a frantic need of shouting, shouting about how false and truly horrible was Zal, how deadly sick she was of being called a freak when she was just unique, how much she knew that Zal had been wanting to provoke her since the very beginning, how much she was asking for it...
But then she remembered Doctor Holzbauer's clever words. It was absolutely pointless to raise her voice, that only would have made her seem more insane. It was better to talk calmly. However, before she could even breath to then speak, Zal interrupted her.
"She started everything, teacher! And just because she disapproves my friendship with her little cousin!" she whined.
The brunette startled abruptly. What the hell had she just said?
"Den, Den, Den... We all know everyone loves Zal and no one notices you, but that's not a reason to hurt her"
"What? WHAT? For the demonic cow's sake, that's the most stupid reason I ever heard! Who do you think I am? Huh? Besides, she was the one who began to act harshly in the first place!"
"ENOUGH! I have heard enough, little psychopath, if you're not going to be nice with others then I'm not going to be nice with you, and if I ever see you attacking anyone else, I will call the asylum!"
Den silenced immediately. That word. Just that word. The very idea of being wrapped in a straitjacket, to then be taken away and later confined in any eerie room full of genuine psychopaths, made her shiver.
"I'm sorry, Zal" added the teacher, returning to her disgustingly sweet one "I promise this won't happen again, and if it ever happens, there will be terrible consequences for Den! Trust me!"
"O-okay" replied Zal, simulating an anguished shyness "Can I leave already?"
"Sure, both can, that's all!"
"Thank you!"
After smiling kindly a fourth time, Zal stood up and walked away, along with Den, who still had a quite shocked glance, as the teacher stared at her closely, tilting her head in an attempt of reading the title in the cover of the book that she was still holding.
"Cryp... Crypto... Cryptozoology... Cryptozoology? I truly hope it's not one of those things with photographs of swimming giraffes in them, Den! I'm warning you!"
Some moments after, back in the hallways...
"You should know that your weak point is terribly exposed"
"Could you leave me alone, already? I think I had enough for now!"
"You are a very very very effusive person. You easily get swept up by your feelings, or rather by your temper..."
"It's not my fault, you know? I don't get mad so often... In fact, I am pretty calm, but sometimes there are nasty persons, persons like you, that make me lose control"
"Could it be because of your... frustration?"
"W-what? W-who told you about that? Huh? HUH?"
"Kiki did"
"Oh... Kiki..."
"She told me that you are sad and also very worried, since you are afraid of going crazy"
"Well, that... That's a bit personal... I shall say something similar in return"
"Huh?"
"You think that your parents don't appreciate you, don't you..."
Zal stopped.
"Why?"
"You seem to be very interested in making friends because that's what they would like. You want them to see what you can do, you want them to feel proud..."
"How... How... How the hell did you know that?"
"My father makes me feel like that sometimes"
"I see..."
"But I don't blame him, it wasn't his choice to have a freak as daughter..."
"All right, stop with that before I feel sorry for you"
"And speaking about that, my psychiatrist once told me that talking always works. Why don't you try talking with your family?"
"..."
"Zal?"
Zal was looking down, and embracing herself.
"They wouldn't listen... They... never listen to me..."
Den frowned slightly, but not by annoyance. Actually, it was simple stupefaction. Some moments ago she would have strangled her, but now... Seeing her like that was making her feel bad. Who knew, anyway? Maybe she was just... misunderstood. Maybe just as her.
"I would"
"Huh?"
"I would listen to you"
"W-what? Seriously?"
"As soon as you stop being so rude"
"Do you truly think it's that easy? What if I ask you to stop being so paranoid?"
"I'm not paranoid! Those scouts had it coming! How the hell was I supposed to know that those were Halloween costumes and they weren't martians? Besides I swear I had heard one say he disliked this planet!"
"And... I got lost, what are you trying to prove now?"
Den facepalmed, to then slip her hand all over her forehead.
"Okay, maybe I am a bit paranoid..."
"And your inferiority complex, don't forget your inferiority complex"
"All right, enough with that"
"I'm just being honest"
"For your information, you have flaws too. Lots. So you're in no position to bash others so openly"
Silence...
Den was expecting an even more cynical answer, but to her surprise, Zal smiled, in a rather nice way.
"Well... Then I guess we both have problems, right?" she said.
"Not feeling like agreeing with you but, what the hell, yes"
"Yet, it's absolutely inconceivable to establish any kind of friendship with you"
"HOLY SCOUT MARTIANS! Just tell me what's your point!"
"Okay, okay! Suspense breaker... What about forming an alliance?"
"Whaa? Alliance?"
"I help you to overcome your psychotic fear towards nonexistent aliens and you help me to become a better person. But nobody, and I repeat, NOBODY, must know about this"
"If you can..."
"Huh? Are you defying me?"
"I'm just saying" snickered Den, starting to walk away "Since I got to knock down like five psychiatrists..."
"Ooooh we'll see, Den! We'll see!"
"Yeah, sure... See you tomorrow, I guess"
And with that phrase, Den disappeared in the horizon, watched closely by Zal.
"She seems to be strong after all" she whispered to herself "Or at least on the inside... on the very very very deep inside"
Suddenly, something seemed to shake beneath a bunch of bushes. Zal turned quickly.
"Oh! It's okay! You don't have to hide anymore!"
With a joyful squeak, a small purple thing with moose horns popped up, to then float towards her, who was laughing tenderly.
"I'm sorry, fellow, I delayed more than what I supposed"
The little being just kept squeaking and rubbing against her face like a kitty.
"All right, all right! Good to know you forgave me! Now let's go home, before it starts raining again. Our almighty master is waiting..."
And so, Zal went away as well.
Meanwhile, in the school hallways, Kiki was turning everywhere with a cardboard bag between her hands.
"H-hello? Zal? I-I brought the freetzdoomps!"
THE FREAKIN' END
Well, rather "To be continued", how could I end this here? e.e;
Also...
Tasty, revelations are tasty OWO
Review if liked, helps my self-esteem! XD
And from now I'm going to take suggestions, so if anyone has anything in mind... GO NUTS! 8D
