Why Ztarlight Should Never Be In An SI
Chapter Five: Spying on the Membrane of My Block



"Wha... what..." Ztarligth stumbled for the words to say

"Dib was at my school today." Sugarbaby repeated.

"No he wasn't."

"What do you mean he wasn't?"

"He wasn't at your 'school', he was at your 'skool'. See?"

".................................shut up."

Ztarlight rolled her eyes. "Sure, whatever."

Sugarbaby glanced up at the clock. "Do you have to baby-sit Aida today?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well," Sugarbaby started, "If Zim is living in the neighborhood, and Dib was at my skool---"

"Good..."

"Shut it! ...Then it means Dib must live nearby."

Ztarlight nodded. "Good point... was he at your bus-stop?"

Sugarbaby shook her head. "He was late for class."

"I'm not surprised..." Ztarlight though for a minute. "But if he was living around here, where would he go?"

The two sisters were silent. Then they both looked up at the same time and shouted, "The abandoned house!!"

The abandoned house was actually a nice-looking house on an adjacent street - Courtland Avenue. It was about half-way up the hill, with a white finish and blue
stutters decorating the glass windows. Everyone said it was abandoned because no one had lived there for years, and the most recent owner just kinda
vanished into thin air! [I swear I'm not kidding either...] Due to lack of care, there were weeds everywhere, yet in spite of its poor attention quality, the old house
still retained its original charm and beauty.

Upon arriving, the girls found the rows and rows of weeds had vanished, and the lawn was freshly mowed. The yard was watering itself by an expensive-looking
sprinkling system, and a young girl was sitting underneath a large tree in the yard, eyes fouces feircly on the game screen in front of her.

She glanced up at the two strangers across the street from her and imediately went back to her game. As long as they didn't interupt her, they could stare at the
house for all eternity.

A squeal in the distance halted Ztarlight from thinking about the scene any further. "The BUS!" she cried and ran back down the hill. Around the corner, and to
the curb, where little Aida wesa just getting off the bus. Ztarlight scooped up the young first-grader in her arms.

"How was... 'school' today, Aida?"

"Good. I got homework," she replied.

Ztarlight smiled. "Alright then, we'll go insde and get it done, okay?"

Aida said nothing, but smiled her cute little smile and gripped Ztarlight's hand. As they walked across the street to Ztarlight's apartment, they stopped when an
all-too-familiar voice said, "Excuse me."

Ztarlight froze. (Oh, my Tallest, she *wasn't* kidding!) "...Yes...?" she turned around slowly, trying not to freak.

"This may sound like a weird question, but..." the black-haired boy hesitated, "you haven't seen any aliens around here recently, have you?"

Ztarlight smiled in spite of her fear. (Holy ****, it really *is* Dib!) "Uh... no, not recently," she replied nervously. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Dib paused to brush a fleck of dust off his trenchcoat, "You see, I'm currently in the pursuit of an alien, and have suspicion to believe that he's trying to
enslave the human race."

Ztalight nodded. "I see... well, it sounds great, but I have to tend to the little one here," she lightly patted Aida's hand, "so you'll have to tell me more later. I live..."
she turned around and pointed, "Over there, number one. I'm Karen."

"Hi. I'm Dib."

(Of course...) "Well, I'll catch you later."

"Yeah... bye."

Aida thought to herself quietly as she walked to her afternoon guardian's house. "Hey Karen," she asked, "Who was that person?"

"Oh, just someone I know..."