Author's Note:
Wow. I just noticed the previous chapter had the largest amount of words in a chapter for this story yet! :D I feel so accomplished! It does turn out that I have more words in my song chapters than the original one, in this chapter I plan to make that statement eat its... dust! I declare that by the end of this chapter it has the most words in a non-song chapter so far! So sit back, relax and enjoy! :)
Oh and this chapter is for you Dibbers or Skoodgey(?) fans. :P
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Dib's Narration
I awoke with a gasp. Never had I had a dream about Zim and I before or even after his death. Never. The weirdest part was that I dreamed of our first Fourth of July remotely together. Actually in a way it's not as strange as I first thought, ever since En came along I had to think more and more of him every day. So not as shocking now that I thought it through.
I yawned and jumped out of the comfort of my bed, then headed downstairs for a mid-morning snack since it was at least 3:30.
Much to my surprise I had a surprise visitor downstairs.
"Skoodge!" I cried out in surprise, my back pinned against the wall.
"Dib!" the intruder shot up from his hunched position over the fridge and bumped his head on the freezer handle, he rubbed it, "Sorry dude, aliens got to eat too. Didn't think you would mind."
"Yeah, I mean I don't mind but first, you scared the living lights out of me. Second, you busted into my house and stole which could be viewed as a crime. That's it." I placed a hand over my heart as I walked sleepily over to him, showing off a smirk.
Skoodge seemed to calm down at this, "Heh. You wouldn't do that to me and you know it. So, shouldn't you be, I don't know, sleeping?"
I laughed, "I should, shouldn't I? I haven't slept properly since-" I stopped and blinked, "Anyways, I should be asking you the same thing."
"You said 'should' at least a good five times in that sentence." Skoodge shook his head, "You know I don't sleep."
"Try three times. And yeah, I know." I nodded and pushed him aside from the fridge, "Stop stealing though. I've got your back, just ask."
Skoodge rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry."
"No problem. Just don't drink Gaz's soda." I waved a finger in a 'no' way.
"I thought that Gaz didn't live her-"
I cut him off with a sharp sigh and quick interruption, "She doesn't. But I give her a pack every time she asks."
"Aw, that's nice." Skoodge blurted, he then slapped a pale hand over his mouth, "Of course it's nice she's you sister... man I can be so stupid sometimes."
I chuckled, "Don't worry everybody has those times."
"Yeah, Zim more than usual." Skoodge snorted.
I gave him a glare at that, "Just, not yet, Skoodge."
He seemed to understand what I was saying when he backed out of my way as I opened the fridge searching for something decent to quench my thirst.
"Sorry, again." he apologized, "It's getting late so, I'm going to go. GIR's probably messing with En about now."
"Oh yeah, En, how's she doing?" I asked, involuntarily.
"Good I guess. She was really worried when you turned mad on her." Skoodge admitted.
"So she was? How worried?" the words kept on spilling out as I grabbed a carton of milk, seeing it was my only choice.
"Like I said, really worried, she was crying and everything." Skoodge whispered as if it were a secret.
"Crying? Wow, didn't know I could do that. Normally when I leave people they do the complete opposite and celebrate." here I took a sip at the milk, wiping the white stuff away from my lips after I was done.
Skoodge let out a large laugh at this, "Your sarcasm is stellar."
"I'm guessing that was sarcasm in itself." I pointed at him with my index finger, the rest of my fingers wrapped around the exterior of the milk carton.
"You should be the king." Skoodge said over his shoulder as he slid out a window.
"You know you didn't have to do all that, right? You could have just took the front door!" I called after him, rushing towards the open window.
"Yeah, I know. It was more dramatic, and a better exit. Now if you excuse me, I have a deranged robot to calm down."
"Have fun with that. Good luck,... you'll need it." I waved him off and he scampered away under the lighted streets.
Satisfied I closed the window, locked it, and headed back into the kitchen for something to eat. My eyes rested on a shiny package with green lettering. What better than cookies to wash down some cold milk? With my tongue poking out hungrily in the corner of my mouth, I removed my prize from the counter and unwrapped it. I was welcomed with the overwhelming smell of fresh-baked cookies, even though the delicacies were more than likely made at least a month ago. I took out a single cookie and bit down on it, allowing the sugary treat to excite my veins. After cookie number three I finally noticed the shape of the cookies, spaceships. Actually to be even more descriptive, they looked like voot cruisers. Zim's ship. I dropped the snack on the counter in shock, could this night get any more coincidental?
I hummed quietly as I took another swig of the milk and settled it back down on the counter, studying the half-bitten cookie in my hand, "Well this is unexpected. Who would have thunk there were spaceship cookies... better yet voot cookies?"
Of course the only answer I got back was silence, since I was talking to a dessert.
I forced down the rest of the cookie and took another fresh one out, again I talked to my only, sugar-filled, audience, "Why do things keep doing this to me? Huh? Everything reminds me of Zim now these past days. Heck! Even Skoodge!"
When I didn't get a reasonable response I took my anger out on the treat and bit down on it, eating a huge chunk off.
"I mean, sure there's En's book but really," another bite, "-that shouldn't be causing me dreams should it?"
I then noticed I was talking to my food again and just swallowed the whole rest of the thing as if someone was watching me. I took a final drink from the milk carton, found it empty, and tossed it in the garbage. I cleared the counter of the cookie tray and after much internal struggle, carried it up with me upstairs to my room. I kicked open the door, feeling in a playful mood now that I had downed a lot of sugar for the night, and placed the tray at my bedside. Now hyper and finding the need to do a round of jumping jacks or run to the moon and back, I plunked down on my bed and thought of some possible sleep-inducing routines that could help me get the rest I needed for a school night.
About half an hour later I found that sleep was (pun intended) only a dream at that point. I spent the remainder of the night going through a mental list of things I could and couldn't tell En. I mean, I knew she wanted all the details. But I also knew that this was Zim's autobiography, and if people didn't give a care about him when he was alive, then what makes you think that people care when he's long gone and dead? It didn't make any sense, and it still as I write this, doesn't make sense to me now. I know some people who would read it, Skoodge, En, and I and if GIR was intelligent enough, maybe him, I'm not sure. Either way no-one would really care.
I sighed, 'stop thinking so negative, that's how Gaz got that way she is... er was.' Then I had to slap myself mentally and physically fo talking bad about my sister. It wasn't her fault, it was dad's fault. I guess, I wasn't and still aren't very good at the 'blame game'. But if anyone deserved the blame it was my father. But I probably shouldn't go into detail, this is a book dedicated to Zim after all.
Yeah, hi, this is En obviously. After reading that sentence when I was proof-reading this, I told Dib that if he wanted to he could go into detail. Sadly he declined, but keep reading, I never said he declined the other times I asked.
The next morning I woke up, a cookie in my hand and something pink in front of my face. Without my glasses I couldn't properly diagnose what exactly I was looking at. Confused and admit-tingly a little scared I snapped my hand out and reached for my glasses on my nightstand. When I felt the cool rims, I snatched them and hastily placed them on my face, it turned out the 'pink thing' was a post-it note. I grumbled to myself, something about being so naive, and peeled the sticky note off of my forehead, barely noticing the crumbled cookie in my hand until that moment.
I dusted the cookie crumbs onto my rumpled pajamas and read the note with curiosity, I did this for the both of us. Well the three of us if you count Skoodge... then there's FOUR if you count GIR-... BUT that's not the point! Just meet me at the base after you look at the time. I SWEAR I'll get you a new one.
En
I blinked then craned my neck to look at the time on my alarm clock. I can't believe I didn't get the clues on her note, ...I did this for the both of us... look at the TIME... I SWEAR I'll get you a NEW ONE... I smacked my palm against my head and screamed in surprise when I was met with the sign of my smashed alarm clock.
"EN!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, knowing the sensitivity of an Irken's sense of hearing she probably heard me.
I did, and was counting down anticipating it. It hurt and kept my antennae ringing for a while.
I dashed to my drawers, haphazardly pulling out an outfit and shoving it on not even caring if I had something on backwards or inside-out. I pulled on a trench coat and descended down the stairs only slightly closing the door as I grabbed my keys and took after the green house down the road.
By the time I reached the 'men's bathroom' door I was exhausted and almost forgot why I had come all this way. I banged on the door and she opened it an amused but sympathetic look on her face.
I grabbed the front of her dress, which I noticed she was in disguise than in her normal form, "Maybe you can tell me why I came all the way down here at sonic speeds just to pass out."
"The 'sonic speeds' I'm pretty sure humans can't accomplish without some type of vehicle." she looked to the ground laughing she then looked back up, "But the 'pass out' part, just by looking at you I can believe that. Come on inside."
I nodded and stumbled inside, slowly regaining my senses, at least enough to realize again why I did come here, "You! You destroyed my alarm clock! Why? And what time is it? It better not be after 8:00 or I'll tackle you, alien!"
En raised a hand, "Let me explain, then maybe you'll double think ripping out my internal organs, okay?"
"I highly doubt that." I snarled.
"I destroyed your 'awaken-er' because I don't need you going to skool. It's horrible and the people there disregard you like... something they distaste. I've gone through it all before and I don't need you getting caught up in all that." En said simply.
I sighed, so it really was for the both of us, "Look En, I'm so used to it by now it doesn't even affect me anymore. I really don't mind. And plus if I want to get somewhere in life to show them who's who then I need to go to skool to get a good education that can lead me to a good job."
En thought about this for a moment, "Oh. So I guess I should let you go."
"That would help." I joked, raising a hopeful eyebrow.
"Too bad they're already releasing." En sighed.
"Exactly." then her words caught my throat, "WHAT?"
En pointed out at the window, "The bus just left."
"WHAT?" I screamed again, that time louder.
"I sai-"
"I know what you said! Quick! What time is it?" I asked frantically.
"7:43. Why?" En answered then questioned.
"Why? I need to get to skool! Are you coming or not? Skoodge! Where is he?" I called out then walked briskly to the door.
"Skoodge! En! Come on!" I gestured to her, her wig fell down a noticeable inch and a figure inched slowly from behind her.
I looked at them in anger, shock, and panic, "There's no time to just be standing there! We need to go now! Skoodge, tell her!"
Skoodge, not in his disguise, lowered his antennae, "Dib, she's right, what good is skool anymore? Do we really learn anything anymore? All skool is now to the humans are social hour and storybook reading! We're GOING BACK IN TIME, Dib, it's time to catch up."
I opened my mouth to object but lowered my hand from the door handle. I slowly closed the door and stood there staring at the ground. I couldn't even tell if I was breathing or not. Skoodge and En had good points, all I really went there for was to show everybody I was smarter than them, only for them to ignore me and mock me. The skool-work was simple and stuff I already acknowledged and knew more about. Don't even get me started on advisory, I mean really, you would of thought they saw us as three-year-olds. After possibly minutes, maybe an hour, and looked up causing the group of two in the distance to jump slightly.
"You're right." I laughed and smoothed back my scythe, "You both are just so right."
They backed away, probably expecting me to go on some crazy rage of insanity. I stepped towards them, "Don't worry, I think I'm sane."
They smiled and laughed Skoodge was the first to spill, "Knew you would finally see the light buddy."
"Plus, it's in the Bible not to want revenge!" En pointed out.
"Oh really? Give me the exact verse." I crossed my arms expectantly, I knew it by heart, ironically, it was Ro-
"Romans 12:19; Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD." she quoted perfectly then added, "New Living Translation copyright two-thousand-seven."
"Huh, you know your verses pretty good." I admitted.
"Thanks, it only takes 130 years!" En said, jokingly then laughed.
I laughed along with her and soon did Skoodge, finally picking up on her joke.
This is co-editor Skoodge here, I got the joke but I thought laughing would be rude, but when En and Dib started laughing I thought it was okay to. Just clarifying that.
"So now that you have my attention and my alarm clock then, what's the plan?" I asked, plopping down on the familiar pink couch.
"Interviews!" En chirped happily.
"Interviews? Oh, another word for more stories right?" I nodded and leaned back into the cushions.
"Yep, hold on." En took out her PAD and a stylus, then gave me a thumbs up, antennae twitching inattentively, "Ready. And... begin."
That reminded me of back in grade-skool when I used to take those reading tests where I would be timed on my reading speed and grammar. I almost always excelled in those because every year it was the same thing. Not only was it the same book but the book was for possible three-year-olds like the ones we were read to in advisory. Because of this I was meant to skip 5th grade and go on to 6th but by this time Zim was my number one priority and if I was in Midul Skool while he was still in Elimentry then there wouldn't be a way I could save my skool from his wrath. So I declined and just went through the whole experience, now that I think of it all my thinking basically produced from that Irken.
I returned my attention back to En and started, "Have I ever told you about Zim and I's very first Fourth of July?"
En shook her head with a short chortle, "Of course not."
"Well it goes like this...-" I then started my tale that she found so much interest in and kept going till the story was done. It felt good to tell her about that night, it would be a big factor in her book was all I could promise.
End Note:
So... drumroll please... 3,151 WHOO! I hope you enjoyed it, and expect more soon. Have a good day ya'll!