A/N
I am going to warn you. This chapter is kind of sad. Sorry about that, but I wanted to add this chapter at some point of the story. Review!
Time passed and the day of the final performance for Romeo and Juliet was quickly approaching. Zim and Gaz grew very close over that time, only seeing each other when they could sneak away from the judging eye of Dib and the others. Either late at night, early in the morning before the alarm went off, or quick visits during skool, they always made it a point to see one another at least once a day. Dib was completely oblivious to his sister's first love, only believing they saw each other during play rehearsals. He could have never guessed where she really was the times she left the house.
On one particular rehearsal, Gaz grew excited but nervous. The body of students that were to perform Romeo and Juliet pretty much had the play down. The only part that the teacher began focusing on was the balcony scene. They had rehearsed it over and over, but they only faked kissing. Each time, the teacher grew more excited to try the real thing. Gaz felt awkward to kiss her brother's enemy right in front of him, so she waited until the perfect opportunity arrived.
The only time in the history of Dib's skool career, he was absent. He had gotten sick and refused to stay home, but their dad forced him to.
"You'll have to tell me what I miss today in rehearsal, okay?" He coughed.
Gaz had simply nodded.
She would tell him the basic details, though not anything big like her kissing Zim. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the teacher clapping.
"Okay guys, let's begin!" Mr. Elliot yelled.
Gaz stood and walked over to the stage, Zim right by her side.
"As you know, the day of the performance is quickly nearing. We have all of our lines memorized, we have our costumes ready, and you are all doing a wonderful job on your acting, but there is one more scene I would like to focus on before the date comes."
Gaz thought it as he said it aloud, "The balcony scene."
"Now I know we have been rehearsing this one a lot, but I would really like to do the real thing today. Are you guys ready?"
Zim and Gaz nodded.
"Okay, the nurse is absent so can we have someone grab a script and fill in for Dib?"
Gaz's eyes widened.
Oh, shoot! She had forgotten that Dib would be the one to come on the stage right after their kiss. She could almost feel the awkwardness rising as she stepped onto the stage and climbed the balcony steps. They finally had a realistic balcony and she had to admit, it didn't look too bad. She could almost imagine a real Romeo and Juliet sharing a night together.
Zim positioned himself to the sides of the stage, right behind the curtains. Gaz stepped back into the shadows, waiting for her turn to step out and begin her lines.
"Okay and action!" Mr. Elliot hollered.
Zim stepped out of the shadows and Gaz immediately began staring. He was dressed as Romeo and he looked very handsome. The costume consisted of a blue shirt with black sleeves, covered by a black vest. The sleeves of the shirt had white stripes going down it, contrasting perfectly with his black dress pants. She smiled at the memory of how hard it was to get him to change out of his Irken uniform. He began his lines and she watched in awe as he crossed the stage gracefully, awaiting his love. She stepped out onto the balcony and gazed at the audience as if unaware of 'Romeo's' presence.
"Ay me!" She began.
"She speaks! Oh speak again bright angel…!"
It was hard for her to avoid eye contact with him, but she had to remain in character. When she was to finally realize it was him, she quickly stepped to the edge and reached her hand over the railing. Zim climbed the fence covered in fake flowers which rested against the balcony. He took in the image of Gaz. She wore a royal-like crimson dress with golden chains looped around her neck. He grasped her hand and she smiled while running her free hand across his face. So many times they had touched before, but still it felt like magic, as if they were just meeting once again. He purred and gazed thoughtfully into her eyes.
"Henceforth I will never be Romeo." Zim declared.
In the play, Juliet asks Romeo to stop being himself so that they may be together without any judgment or criticism. Gaz tried to imagine asking Zim to change everything about himself, stop being Zim and drop everything for her, but she couldn't imagine asking that of him. I would be just as bad as my family, she thought.
Zim climbed a step higher, gazing into her eyes and leaning forward. She looked down at her Romeo and leaned closer also. The students in the audience found themselves inching closer as the distance between the two began disappearing. Mr. Elliot held his clasped hands tightly, a tear shining in his eye.
Their lips lightly brushed against each other, similar to their first kiss, and Zim wrapped a claw around and behind her neck, pulling her closer. She felt her eyes roll back and give into the feeling. She secretly grasped his hand that still held onto the balcony railing. He held it tightly and did not let it go once. It was not called for in the play, but she couldn't resist being as close to Zim as she could get. When they pulled back, applause filled the room, Mr. Elliot broke down into a fit of happy tears, but Gaz and Zim remained lost in each other's eyes.
"So how did rehearsal go?"
That was the first thing that came out of Dib's mouth the second Gaz found him in his room in bed. She rested his books and homework on the floor and took a seat at his desk.
"Normal. Nothing really interesting happened." She lied.
"Oh, okay. Did you have fun?"
She nodded in fear that speaking would bring a blush to her face.
"That's good. Hey, are you okay?"
She shook her head sheepishly.
"Yeah, why?"
"I don't know you just seem different. Are you sure nothing happened today?"
"I'm sure. Well, I have to go do homework."
Dib watched in confusion as his sister quickly left the room and closed her door.
"I wonder what that was all about?"
A few hours later, Gaz finished putting her clothes on and looked herself over in the mirror. She was about to meet Zim at his house to take a walk through the park at night. After satisfied with her appearance, she started down the steps. She snuck past the kitchen to avoid Dib, but he still saw her.
"Where are you going?"
She backtracked and put on an emotionless expression.
"I'm going to go hang out with a few friends. I'll be back later."
"Wait? Friends? Really?"
She eyed him curiously as he grew more excited with each word.
"That's great, Gaz! I was wondering why you seemed different, but I guess this is why."
She tried to walk away but he stopped her again.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Dad is going to be home tonight."
Her face fell immediately.
"He is?"
"I think so. At least he said he would."
"Oh." What her father said and what he actually did were two different things. Basically, whenever he said he was going to be home, he usually never came.
"Well, have fun!"
She walked out and slammed the door.
"He was that happy because he thinks I have friends? I wish I knew he would be that happy to know I am leaving to see Zim."
She glared at the sidewalk, thinking of her father.
"Why can't he just be a dad for once?" She asked no one. She looked up at the darkening sky. "He can't step away from his precious science for a second to remember he still has a family. All he cares about is his stupid career."
"I am sure he cares about you too, Gaz."
She jumped at the voice and was shocked to see that she had all ready arrived at Zim's base. He stood in his yard with a leash looped around his hand, Gir rolling on the ground and becoming entangled in it.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were there." She walked up to him.
"Your parental unit is never home you say?" He asked, casually draping an arm around her.
"Let's just say I am lucky if I get to see him once a year, even then that is very rare."
"I see."
"I just wish he would come home more often and…"
Zim glanced at her solemnly.
"…And realize how much he really has?"
She blinked back the tears, but nodded. Stupid fatigue, she thought bitterly as she rubbed at her tired eyes.
Realize how much he really has…
Her key crept into the hole and she gave it a gentle twist. It was past nine o'clock which was the time Dib returned home from his Bigfoot hunting, ("Dork.") and she did not enjoy the thought of being attacked with questions. Where was she? Who was she with? Why was she late?
She opened the door to find darkness. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. Dib always left on at least one night when he came home. She began walking up the stairs but heard a noise from behind.
"Daughter?"
Oh, great. She turned to wait for the floating monitor, though it never came. Instead, her father walked out of the kitchen.
"Dad?"
"I thought I heard someone come in. Your brother just called to say he may be out later than usual. He claims he saw something in the forest. My poor insane son…"
She remained silent at the random conversation.
"So Dib tells me that you are in a play?"
She blinked in confusion.
"I told you this a few months ago, Dad. Remember, I got the main part? I showed you the results and everything."
He scratched his head.
"You got the main part? That's wonderful!"
He wasn't even hearing her. It was almost like she did not exist.
"Whatever." She climbed a step higher.
"Where are you going?"
"Bed."
"But I haven't seen you in months, daughter. Don't you want to talk?"
She balled her fists and faced the man standing before her known as her father. But that was the thing. He was such a stranger in her and Dib's life that she never felt any real connection. She could never feel her dad's love for her. And above all, she could never recall a time he had told her he loved her.
"Of course I want to talk, 'dad'. But you won't listen. And it isn't my fault that you haven't been home in months. You never come home."
"Gaz—"
She faked surprise.
"Oh, so you do remember my name? I was beginning to think you had forgotten."
He remained silent, so she continued.
"Oh and by the way, just to update you, Dib got a part in the play, too. You would know this if you paid a speck of attention to us. He is the nurse. And he gets made fun of every single day for it. But even though he gets mocked and picked on, he still continues. He still shows up for rehearsals and manages to cheer me on too."
She walked down the stairs until she was in directly in front of him.
"He is the one telling me how great of a job I am doing. He is the one telling me how proud he is. And he is the one telling me that he loves me and will always be there for me. So why can't you?" Tears threatened to spill, but she did not care. Let her father see her cry. Maybe he will finally realize how much he has hurt her. Realize how much he really has… "Why can't you be there for me, cheering me on or telling me how much you love me? Why can't you just be my dad?"
She sniffled and looked up miserably at him.
"Why can't you realize how much you really have?"
"Daughter… I…"
He raised a hand to comfort her, but she moved out of the way when she heard what he had called her again.
"Forget it. Just forget it. Act like this never happened. You can return to your stupid science and I will return to having my brother be the only one there for me."
She stomped up the stairs, but turned one last time.
"I never realized how much he was there for me until now. At least you helped me figure that out. I just hope it isn't too late to apologize to him and let him know how much I appreciate him. He is going to be the only one there for me, after all. And how do you know he really didn't see something in the forest? What if he isn't as insane as you and everyone else claim? Did you ever stop to think of how all those little comments affect him?"
He stared at her, not knowing how to reply.
"Maybe you should remember your children actually have feelings."
The professor leaned his head against the wall and began crying silently as his daughter fell apart upstairs alone in her room. Behind them, Dib stood in the doorway, camera slipping out of his hand and the memory chip full of evidence falling out.
A/N
Ouch! Poor Gaz! I even felt bad for her just typing it. I know she kind of blew up on her dad, but this is just how I imagine her feeling about her dad's constant absence. Let me know if it was overdone at all or out of character. Next chapter up soon!
