Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Invader Zim.
Chapter 1
Dib cradled his head in his hand and sighed as he watched the rain fall. He had been anxious to get on the roof that night and listen for transmissions that night, but all that was lost now. He glanced over to his sister who was sitting on the couch playing her Game Slave 2. At least she had something to do; he'd already read all his magazines and had spoken to his fellow Swollen Eye members. His only consolation was knowing Zim wouldn't be out reigning havoc tonight due to this deluge. Dib stood up and wandered to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat, but was interrupted when a floating monitor with his father's image appeared. "Hey, Dad!"
"Son!" said Professor Membrane in overdramatic tones. "I wanted to tell you that I've agreed to let a foreign exchange student stay with us. Make sure you feed her. I'm expecting her to be here any minute!" With this the monitor flew away.
"Come on!" exclaimed Dib after his father was gone. "What does he want with a foreign exchange student?" He turned towards Gaz. "Huh? Huh?"
The purple haired girl hunched over her game and complained, "I'm trying to concentrate!"
Dib rolled his eyes and jumped when the doorbell rang. "Already?" He walked over to the door and opened it. On the other side was a teenage girl holding a suitcase standing under a wide umbrella. She had shoulder length blond hair and bangs that almost covered her eyes. She wore a T- shirt and some slacks. Her feet were covered with some brown leather boots and her shoulders were protected with a long, brown coat. All her cloths fit loosely over her slim, lank body. A knowing smile was spread across her face. "Are…are you the exchange student?"
The girl nodded. "Yes, my name is Jania. Is this the Membrane household?" She poked her head in and looked around.
Dib cocked an eyebrow at her. She was really creepy, but she seemed inoffensive. He shrugged and figured he was just paranoid. "Yeah. Please, come in. Would you like me to carry your bag?" He led her into the living room and motioned towards his sister. "This is my sister Gaz. I'm Dib. My father isn't home right now, so I'll show you to your room."
The girl grinned. "Thank you."
As they ascended the staircase Dib couldn't help looking behind his shoulder a couple times at the new arrival. Something told him that there was something not quite right. Perhaps it was the way she moved… her movements were so smooth and graceful. When she walked, her footsteps made no sound at all. He was glad when they reached the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. "Uh, here's your room. I'll go down and make some dinner… Come down when you're ready."
The girl looked down at him with her eerily perpetual smile. "Thank you, Dib. I'll be down in a moment." He handed the bag to her and she disappeared within the room. He shivered and went back downstairs, where Gaz was waiting for him. Her feet were surrounded by a surreal, ghostlike mist.
She looked up at him with her squinty eyes. "That girl is spooky…" She then walked away and sat back on the couch.
Dib walked into the kitchen and thought to himself. If Gaz thought this girl was spooky, then there must be something wrong with her. He made a fist in determination. "If there's a mystery behind Jania, then I'm the one to figure it out!" And having thus made his decision, he got out the things to make dinner.
About half an hour later dinner was ready. Gaz had abandoned her Game Slave to pour herself a drink and Dib got out some plates. A presence was suddenly felt in the room and the two siblings turned simultaneously. Standing at the door was Jania with a friendly smile on her face. "Can I help?" she asked in a good natured tone. She walked over with her long legs and began to set the silverware.
In a few minutes the group was eating. Jania looked around and asked after a moment, "So, do you know when your father is going to be home?"
Gaz merely shrugged so Dib answered. "No, he's usually not home for dinner. He's a pretty busy guy…"
"Right! Well then, I suppose it'll just be us three." She grinned widely and took another bite of her food.
Dib stared at her. She was friendly enough, and even buoyant, but there was still something about her that made his spine tingle. He reached into his trench coat and turned on a recorder…he was prepared. "Soooo…" he began, "my dad tells me you're a foreign exchange student. Tell me, what country are you from? You don't seem to have an accent."
Jania chewed for a bit and swallowed her food. "I'm from Canada!" As she said this she waved a tiny Canadian flag.
"Wait!" said Dib quickly. "You're a foreign exchange student from Canada? I didn't think they sent students here…" He looked at her with more suspicion now. "What part of Canada are you from?"
"I'm from the capitol." She nodded with approval at her answer and took a sip from her drink.
Dib crossed his arms and studied her. "That's kind of vague…"
Jania finally looked up so he might clearly see her eyes. Beneath a pair of dark, nearly brown, eyebrows were strange hazel eyes. Dib couldn't put his finger on what exactly was strange about them, but he knew they were. "How can I be vague?" she asked jovially, "There's only one Canadian capitol, after all. Say! How about after dinner we play a board game or something?" She clapped her hands together in a show of merriment.
"No!" shot Gaz as she violently munched on her meal.
Jania glanced at her in surprise. "Riiiiight. Well, maybe Dib and I can spend some quality time together. How about it, Dib?" She smiled at him, and he almost felt as if she were throwing up a challenge.
"Okay!"
After dinner Dib pulled out a chess board and set it up. Jania looked down and actually frowned. "What?" asked Dib, "Don't you know how to play chess?"
"Yes, but it's been a while. Here, I'll just refresh a bit…" She grabbed up the instructions and began to study it. "Oh! Okay! I think I can do this!"
"White or black?"
"Er…hard choice. I'll taaaaake….white!" She lifted a pawn and moved it forward.
"So, Jania, what do you like to do?" Dib inwardly smiled. He'd been thinking for a question that might stump this creepy girl if there was anything amiss. He moved his pawn.
"…paranormal investigation…"
Chapter 1
Dib cradled his head in his hand and sighed as he watched the rain fall. He had been anxious to get on the roof that night and listen for transmissions that night, but all that was lost now. He glanced over to his sister who was sitting on the couch playing her Game Slave 2. At least she had something to do; he'd already read all his magazines and had spoken to his fellow Swollen Eye members. His only consolation was knowing Zim wouldn't be out reigning havoc tonight due to this deluge. Dib stood up and wandered to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat, but was interrupted when a floating monitor with his father's image appeared. "Hey, Dad!"
"Son!" said Professor Membrane in overdramatic tones. "I wanted to tell you that I've agreed to let a foreign exchange student stay with us. Make sure you feed her. I'm expecting her to be here any minute!" With this the monitor flew away.
"Come on!" exclaimed Dib after his father was gone. "What does he want with a foreign exchange student?" He turned towards Gaz. "Huh? Huh?"
The purple haired girl hunched over her game and complained, "I'm trying to concentrate!"
Dib rolled his eyes and jumped when the doorbell rang. "Already?" He walked over to the door and opened it. On the other side was a teenage girl holding a suitcase standing under a wide umbrella. She had shoulder length blond hair and bangs that almost covered her eyes. She wore a T- shirt and some slacks. Her feet were covered with some brown leather boots and her shoulders were protected with a long, brown coat. All her cloths fit loosely over her slim, lank body. A knowing smile was spread across her face. "Are…are you the exchange student?"
The girl nodded. "Yes, my name is Jania. Is this the Membrane household?" She poked her head in and looked around.
Dib cocked an eyebrow at her. She was really creepy, but she seemed inoffensive. He shrugged and figured he was just paranoid. "Yeah. Please, come in. Would you like me to carry your bag?" He led her into the living room and motioned towards his sister. "This is my sister Gaz. I'm Dib. My father isn't home right now, so I'll show you to your room."
The girl grinned. "Thank you."
As they ascended the staircase Dib couldn't help looking behind his shoulder a couple times at the new arrival. Something told him that there was something not quite right. Perhaps it was the way she moved… her movements were so smooth and graceful. When she walked, her footsteps made no sound at all. He was glad when they reached the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. "Uh, here's your room. I'll go down and make some dinner… Come down when you're ready."
The girl looked down at him with her eerily perpetual smile. "Thank you, Dib. I'll be down in a moment." He handed the bag to her and she disappeared within the room. He shivered and went back downstairs, where Gaz was waiting for him. Her feet were surrounded by a surreal, ghostlike mist.
She looked up at him with her squinty eyes. "That girl is spooky…" She then walked away and sat back on the couch.
Dib walked into the kitchen and thought to himself. If Gaz thought this girl was spooky, then there must be something wrong with her. He made a fist in determination. "If there's a mystery behind Jania, then I'm the one to figure it out!" And having thus made his decision, he got out the things to make dinner.
About half an hour later dinner was ready. Gaz had abandoned her Game Slave to pour herself a drink and Dib got out some plates. A presence was suddenly felt in the room and the two siblings turned simultaneously. Standing at the door was Jania with a friendly smile on her face. "Can I help?" she asked in a good natured tone. She walked over with her long legs and began to set the silverware.
In a few minutes the group was eating. Jania looked around and asked after a moment, "So, do you know when your father is going to be home?"
Gaz merely shrugged so Dib answered. "No, he's usually not home for dinner. He's a pretty busy guy…"
"Right! Well then, I suppose it'll just be us three." She grinned widely and took another bite of her food.
Dib stared at her. She was friendly enough, and even buoyant, but there was still something about her that made his spine tingle. He reached into his trench coat and turned on a recorder…he was prepared. "Soooo…" he began, "my dad tells me you're a foreign exchange student. Tell me, what country are you from? You don't seem to have an accent."
Jania chewed for a bit and swallowed her food. "I'm from Canada!" As she said this she waved a tiny Canadian flag.
"Wait!" said Dib quickly. "You're a foreign exchange student from Canada? I didn't think they sent students here…" He looked at her with more suspicion now. "What part of Canada are you from?"
"I'm from the capitol." She nodded with approval at her answer and took a sip from her drink.
Dib crossed his arms and studied her. "That's kind of vague…"
Jania finally looked up so he might clearly see her eyes. Beneath a pair of dark, nearly brown, eyebrows were strange hazel eyes. Dib couldn't put his finger on what exactly was strange about them, but he knew they were. "How can I be vague?" she asked jovially, "There's only one Canadian capitol, after all. Say! How about after dinner we play a board game or something?" She clapped her hands together in a show of merriment.
"No!" shot Gaz as she violently munched on her meal.
Jania glanced at her in surprise. "Riiiiight. Well, maybe Dib and I can spend some quality time together. How about it, Dib?" She smiled at him, and he almost felt as if she were throwing up a challenge.
"Okay!"
After dinner Dib pulled out a chess board and set it up. Jania looked down and actually frowned. "What?" asked Dib, "Don't you know how to play chess?"
"Yes, but it's been a while. Here, I'll just refresh a bit…" She grabbed up the instructions and began to study it. "Oh! Okay! I think I can do this!"
"White or black?"
"Er…hard choice. I'll taaaaake….white!" She lifted a pawn and moved it forward.
"So, Jania, what do you like to do?" Dib inwardly smiled. He'd been thinking for a question that might stump this creepy girl if there was anything amiss. He moved his pawn.
"…paranormal investigation…"
