If Only It Were True
By: Kari T.
Chapter 8
The next day at skool, wasn't any better, especially for Zim. During recess, Jessica and the other girls went up to him. "What was your problem yesterday?" sneered Jessica.
"Yeah, we're just mindin' our business, and you have the nerve to tell us to shut up," commented another girl, "What's up with that!? Huh?"
Bernadette saw what was happening, she got up and walked over to where Zim and the girls were. "Bernadette, where you going?" Dib asked, not seeing what was going on. He got up and followed.
"Leave him alone." Bernadette said, as strong as she could, not very strong.
"You stay out of this," said Jessica with big attitude.
Bernadette frowned, she glanced at Dib as if saying, "Do something."
"So what's up Zim?" Jessica continued, "You like Bernadette?"
Zim's skin went from green to pink in a matter of seconds. Dib saw this, "Just leave him alone," Dib said.
"You too, go away!" Jessica said harshly, she turned to Zim, "I bet he does like Bernadette. You like her." Jessica signaled her girl gang to follow her, they finally left. Zim was not pink, but now a deep red. Bernadette was silent, and Dib didn't know what to do. Dib whispered to Zim, "You gotta tell her the truth." Zim shook his head "No" violently.
"I-- I'm sorry Zim, that they did that..." Bernadette said in a quiet voice, "It was mean."
"It's not your fault," Zim said, his voice barely audible. Zim and Bernadette stood, staring at each other for a few moments. Zim staring with a loving look, and Bernadette seemed to be searching Zim's face for something.
"Zim." She said as if she just realized something, she looked at Dib, then back at Zim, "I- I'm sorry but... I don't feel the same way," she said her voice shaking. A feeling of relief suddenly struck Dib. Dib did not have to worry about Bernadette and Zim anymore.
"Bernadette, what if-" Zim was interrupted by the skool bell, warning the children they had two minutes to class.
"Zim, I love Dib." Dib could tell Bernadette was hurting inside when she said that. Bernadette let out a big sigh, "Not you." She looked at Zim, who seemed to be hurting even more, "Zim, I'm-" she stopped, Dib didn't realize why, until it hit him. Zim had pulled Bernadette's face to his, and was kissing her. Bernadette pulled away, she screamed, "ZIM!" she didn't know what else to say, she was in total shock. She wiped her mouth, "You shouldn't have done that," she said turning and heading for class.
Dib looked at Zim, "That-" he looked at Bernadette, "Let's just go to class."
Bernadette was silent during class, she kept looking at Dib as if saying, "I'm sorry." But it wasn't her fault, this Dib knew. It was hard to focus on the pointless lesson Ms. Bitters talked about during those long hours. Finally, lunch.
Dib took his usual seat next to Bernadette, she sat there picking at her food as if she had no appetite. She looked at Dib and gave him a weak smile. She looked backed down at her lunch tray, "I'm really sorry--"
"You can not control Zim's actions."
"I guess, but I don't know... O shouldn't have talked to him like that- It was mean," She said, guilt obvious in her voice. She twisted a strand of hair around her finger, "I could have let those girls pick on him- No! That would be mean too," her forehead wrinkled with frustration. "If everyone would be nice to each other then--"
"Then life would be perfect? Let's face it, nothing's perfect, you've said so yourself, and yet.... you try to be."
Bernadette let out a sigh, "I just try to be nice. I try to make others' lives better... But I'm just ruining yours and Zim's."
"No. Bernadette, I don't know what I'd do without you, I'm sure Zim feels the same way. You've done no wrong. My life would never be the same without you."
"I find that hard to believe."
"You have to believe me, you're the only one that does."
Bernadette smiled, "You're something else Dib... I'll never meet anyone else like you. "
Their lunch was then eaten in silence, neither one wanted to bring up the subject of Zim, though they would have to sooner or later.
By: Kari T.
Chapter 8
The next day at skool, wasn't any better, especially for Zim. During recess, Jessica and the other girls went up to him. "What was your problem yesterday?" sneered Jessica.
"Yeah, we're just mindin' our business, and you have the nerve to tell us to shut up," commented another girl, "What's up with that!? Huh?"
Bernadette saw what was happening, she got up and walked over to where Zim and the girls were. "Bernadette, where you going?" Dib asked, not seeing what was going on. He got up and followed.
"Leave him alone." Bernadette said, as strong as she could, not very strong.
"You stay out of this," said Jessica with big attitude.
Bernadette frowned, she glanced at Dib as if saying, "Do something."
"So what's up Zim?" Jessica continued, "You like Bernadette?"
Zim's skin went from green to pink in a matter of seconds. Dib saw this, "Just leave him alone," Dib said.
"You too, go away!" Jessica said harshly, she turned to Zim, "I bet he does like Bernadette. You like her." Jessica signaled her girl gang to follow her, they finally left. Zim was not pink, but now a deep red. Bernadette was silent, and Dib didn't know what to do. Dib whispered to Zim, "You gotta tell her the truth." Zim shook his head "No" violently.
"I-- I'm sorry Zim, that they did that..." Bernadette said in a quiet voice, "It was mean."
"It's not your fault," Zim said, his voice barely audible. Zim and Bernadette stood, staring at each other for a few moments. Zim staring with a loving look, and Bernadette seemed to be searching Zim's face for something.
"Zim." She said as if she just realized something, she looked at Dib, then back at Zim, "I- I'm sorry but... I don't feel the same way," she said her voice shaking. A feeling of relief suddenly struck Dib. Dib did not have to worry about Bernadette and Zim anymore.
"Bernadette, what if-" Zim was interrupted by the skool bell, warning the children they had two minutes to class.
"Zim, I love Dib." Dib could tell Bernadette was hurting inside when she said that. Bernadette let out a big sigh, "Not you." She looked at Zim, who seemed to be hurting even more, "Zim, I'm-" she stopped, Dib didn't realize why, until it hit him. Zim had pulled Bernadette's face to his, and was kissing her. Bernadette pulled away, she screamed, "ZIM!" she didn't know what else to say, she was in total shock. She wiped her mouth, "You shouldn't have done that," she said turning and heading for class.
Dib looked at Zim, "That-" he looked at Bernadette, "Let's just go to class."
Bernadette was silent during class, she kept looking at Dib as if saying, "I'm sorry." But it wasn't her fault, this Dib knew. It was hard to focus on the pointless lesson Ms. Bitters talked about during those long hours. Finally, lunch.
Dib took his usual seat next to Bernadette, she sat there picking at her food as if she had no appetite. She looked at Dib and gave him a weak smile. She looked backed down at her lunch tray, "I'm really sorry--"
"You can not control Zim's actions."
"I guess, but I don't know... O shouldn't have talked to him like that- It was mean," She said, guilt obvious in her voice. She twisted a strand of hair around her finger, "I could have let those girls pick on him- No! That would be mean too," her forehead wrinkled with frustration. "If everyone would be nice to each other then--"
"Then life would be perfect? Let's face it, nothing's perfect, you've said so yourself, and yet.... you try to be."
Bernadette let out a sigh, "I just try to be nice. I try to make others' lives better... But I'm just ruining yours and Zim's."
"No. Bernadette, I don't know what I'd do without you, I'm sure Zim feels the same way. You've done no wrong. My life would never be the same without you."
"I find that hard to believe."
"You have to believe me, you're the only one that does."
Bernadette smiled, "You're something else Dib... I'll never meet anyone else like you. "
Their lunch was then eaten in silence, neither one wanted to bring up the subject of Zim, though they would have to sooner or later.