Arm: Look, you all know we don't own Invader ZIM. Now, let me warn you all about this chapter. It's another one of our heaving thinking, barely any conversation chapters.
Leg: If you are confused as to what she is saying, this chapter is a whole lot like chapter 2. Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, we found our puppies!
Betraying the Rivalry: Chapter 5: Confused
Dib was up in his room, seeing which parts to his unfinished inventions he could use to help create the android he and Zim were going to build. He asked himself every few seconds what was making him do this. He was still confused as to how he and Zim suddenly started getting along. One day he and Zim were mortal enemies, the next they were friends, now don't tell me you wouldn't be lost as to how that happened too.
Dib tried not to dwell on it too much; he had to get some work done on a lot of his unfinished projects. He even threw some of his once very important studies, something he never did before. He believed that all projects were important, no matter how unimportant they seemed to become later on.
"Hey, Dib, can you do my homework for me? I'm on a very high level, and I don't think I'll finish the game in time to do my homework," Gaz said as she walked by Dib's room. She almost walked into a wall as she continued playing the game.
Dib wasn't really paying attention to Gaz as he worked, but he nodded his head distractedly. He usually did Gaz's homework anyway, so he would know what she had asked him to do in the morning. Dib decided that he should take a break, he had been dismantling things since the moment he got back home from Zim's. And that was over two hours ago.
Dib put down his wrench and stretched. Stargazing wasn't such a bad idea right now. It would help him think things out, and get his emotions somewhat understandable. He was so confused about what was going on between him and Zim, and the harder he tried not to think about it, the harder it was for him to get it to go away.
At his home base, Zim was wondering about the same thing. How did he and Dib start getting along? Zim knew that Dib just wasn't being nice to him because he was banished. If that were the case, Dib wouldn't have been so eager to help him get back at Red and Purple. Dib wouldn't want much to do with Zim, for that matter.
No, Zim knew that there had to be some other reason. Dib wouldn't help someone out of pity for them either, that was out of character. Dib didn't seem like the kind of person who would pretend to be someone's friend and then back stab them once they got the chance either. At least, Zim sure hoped he wasn't. That would be a major set back on his plans to get back at the Almighty Tallest.
Dib began to wonder why Zim suddenly didn't want to be his enemy any more. They were born rivals, it seemed, and becoming friends only seemed to be betraying their rivalry. What had caused the sudden change between them? Dib thought that it was because Zim was feeling…alone, for the first time, and he didn't want Zim to feel like that.
Dib sighed at that. He knew what it felt like to feel alone. Maybe that's why he gave up his rivalry with the alien. He didn't want someone other than himself to feel alone. But now he realized that he was never truly alone since Zim arrived on Earth. Zim was someone who at least tried to get to know a side of him. Unlike his own family.
That made Dib wonder if Zim had a family on Irk. If Zim didn't, then that meant the only person who ever cared enough about Zim to just be his friend was Jazz. Dib thought that no one should live without a family, to grow up not knowing someone loved you without thinking about having to love you, they just did. And having only one friend must have been pretty hard as well. But then again, he wouldn't truly know that because Zim was the first true friend he ever had, and so far it wasn't so bad, only having a friend.
Zim exited his lab, he needed to go outside and take a break himself. He looked up at the sky, the clouds starting to cover the stars. Stargazing was something he never seemed to have time for. On Irk it was his favorite thing to do besides being an Invader. It was possibly the only way he knew how to unwind and relax, and it made it easier for him to think.
Zim was just so confused. He still was lost as to how come he and Dib suddenly started getting along. Maybe it was because they both felt that they didn't need to be threatened by the other anymore. After all, Dib wouldn't do anything to him since he wasn't going to do anything to the Earth anymore. But if that was the case, then why didn't they just leave each other alone and decided to have nothing to do with one another?
Zim sighed. He would have hated that, if he and Dib were to completely ignore each other. He would be almost completely alone on Earth if Dib didn't pay attention to him at all. He said "almost" because Gir would always be there, but Gir could only provide so much for friendship. Maybe that's why he didn't mind it so much when he and Dib started getting along. He could finally have a friend, another friend.
Friends. Friends were the one thing Zim never seemed to have. Sure, he had a friend, and he always had the kind of friends that left you all along in your time of need. Jazz was really the only true friend he ever had, besides Dib. And that brought him to wondering if Dib was the type of guy who would leave him when he really needed Dib. Zim sure hoped he wasn't.
Dib was thinking the same thing, and he hoped that Zim wouldn't leave him when he needed him. Zim would be the first true friend Dib ever had. Dib, too, had had his share of so-called "friends." You know, the kind that used you to get what they wanted, and once they got it they left you high and dry. Dib wasn't sure if he would be able to handle someone like that, but he knew that Zim valued their friendship. Dib was glad that he finally found someone who would put up with his ideas on the paranormal, since Zim was the paranormal.
Then, there were those…other…emotions Dib had that he didn't want to admit he had. Dib stopped fighting the truth last night. He really liked Zim, but he had to know why. First of all he knew that Zim was a guy. Dib, up until this point, thought he was… He couldn't even bring himself to say it. He hated using those words with a passion. Whenever someone used them he would inwardly flinch. Dib just figured that you are the way you are and that you shouldn't have a term for it.
Though, he smiled cynically to himself, it would explain why he was never really interested in the girls of his class. But then again, he never really liked the guys either. He was only exposed to a short group of people anyway, and then Zim arrived, and he felt different about him. Of course, he began to rant on how Zim was an alien after that, squishing the feeling down in the process.
His feelings would always come back to haunt him, he learned after that. After chasing Zim for the first time, he had become obsessed with proving to the world that Zim was alien. Though Dib knew he was only using that as an excuse to find out more about Zim.
Zim wondered about his own feelings for Dib. On Irk, there was no real name for those kinds of emotions; you simply felt the way you felt. But it was knowing if you felt love for someone that he was confused with. And on Earth, love was even harder to understand because they seemed to have rules for it. On Irk, you were allowed to love anyone you wanted (mostly because there was only one gender on Irk), but on Earth, it seemed it had to be between a boy and a girl.
He did want to ask Dib about it, but he was afraid that Dib would think he was stupid. And what if Dib didn't understand it as well? Then that would make him feel worse. He didn't want Dib to feel stupid.
"Master, what are you doing?" Gir asked him. "It's getting late," Gir stated.
"I was just thinking, Gir," Zim answered as he looked over at Gir.
"About Dib?" Gir asked innocently.
Zim glanced at the android again. "No, of course not," Zim lied. Why did he lie? It's not like Gir would make fun of him if he told him the truth.
"Yes you were!" Gir said in an ultra happy voice. "I can tell 'cause you blushed!" Gir shouted in absolute glee. "Zim and Dib, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-" Gir began to sing, but stopped when he forgot most of the words.
"Gir! How dare you even say that about Dib and I? It's totally not true!" Zim said, appalled.
"Yes it is!" Gir stated. Zim began to chase the little android after that, and Gir just giggled the whole time.
Dib sighed as he turned out his light. He was never going to understand this whole mess. At least now he didn't have to chase Zim around to find out about him. He looked outside and saw someone chasing someone else around. The person doing the chasing yelled something, and the person sounded like Zim. But why would Zim be outside chasing anyone right now? Dib shook his head and deducted the chase being something out of his imagination.
Arm: All right, the whole thing about everyone being one gender on Irk, is what we believe. You don't have to agree with us, but it just seems that way to Leg and I.
Leg: Other than that, we hoped you enjoyed it! Bai bai!