Never Could Have Been Worse

Chaotic Orchid Angel

Rated: R

Disclaimer: I asked Jhonen to marry me and he said no. Then I asked for the rights for Invader Zim and he went JTHM on me. I barely made it out alive. I also tried to buy Dance Dance Revolution but Konami would not let me have it as well… Bastards.

Chapter Two

Dib frowned in annoyance as the stomping above him continued. Ever since Gaz bought Dance Dance Revolution for GS2, she wouldn't quit playing. She would play at all hours of the night. It had become an obsession with her. Beat the Game. It made perfect sense. It was a game, and all games were made to be beaten, no matter what the cost. At least that was the dogma Gaz followed.

Still, it got very annoying, especially when he was studying the new surveillance feed from the cameras he had placed in Zim's house.

"Damnit Gaz, I'm trying to work down here! Could you stomp a little lighter?" he yelled up to her room.

His response was an increase in the music and even louder stomping.

"She's such a brat sometimes," he muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, in her room, Gaz tried to max herself out on DDR. She had just mastered the heavy mode and was now trying to master double pads. Heavy mode was a challenge in itself, but a beginner on double pads was suicide. Especially when she was dancing to Paranoia 290 Survivor.

She felt ready to collapse. Sweat poured off her body in what felt like gallons. Her legs had long gone from cramping to numbness. She was thirsty and she could barely breathe. While her body was screaming for her to stop, her mind would not give up. She would beat this game! She could prove her worth in something damnit! She slipped on the pad and missed another step. The music stopped and the screen flashed in big bold letters, FAILED. She tried to start another game and her body collapsed on the floor, exhausted. Her breath came out in quick pants. She looked at the clock and smiled. 9:48 p.m. This was the longest she had ever lasted so far. She had played DDR for five hours straight. Her smile grew wider but then she winced in pain. Her head was killing her! She tried to stand up to get some water but her legs refused to move. She tried again and toppled over on her back. Darkness clouded her vision and she was silent.

When she woke, she was lying in her bed, still wearing her work out clothes. The clock beside her said 12:04 a.m. Dib was sitting beside her.

'Hey, you're awake," he said softly.

"What happened?" she asked groggily. Dib gave her a crooked smile. "You passed out after playing DDR. No wonder, you played for five hours without drinking water or eating anything since lunch. You were dehydrated. I put you on an emergency saline drip just to re-hydrate you. Gee Gaz, I've seen some pretty stupid things in my life, but I've never seen someone nearly kill themselves while playing Dance Dance Revolution," he finished dryly.

"Bite me Dib. At least I use my time doing something productive," she said.

"Oh yeah, dancing like a manic in front of multi-colored arrows to annoying music is really a productive way to spend your time."

"Yes actually, it is."

"…"

"Now, if you're done lecturing me on the hazards of DDR, I'm going to take a shower and go back to bed." She swung her legs out of bed and made her way to the bathroom.

"I was just making sure you were okay, no need to get testy about it!" he yelled. The sound of water running was his only response.

Gaz returned to her room feeling refreshed and… hungry. She went downstairs to the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator.

"Dib drank the last soda! He will pay!" she growled and made a sandwich.

She sat in the dark kitchen, eating in peace and quiet, allowing her eyes to wander along the familiar sights. She caught gaze of a family picture taken years ago. She was only five years old, standing with her father and brother. The picture was quite amusing to any other person. She had a huge pink bow in her hair and a frown on her face, while Dib stood beside her, gazing at the sky with skepticism all over his face. Their father stood behind them, holding a bubbling test tube with a brilliant smile on his face.

She sighed as she looked at the photograph. Things were so much simpler then. Her father was home more often, Dib wasn't as crazy and she… she didn't feel the self-loathing she felt now. She didn't feel isolated from the world. She felt something warm and wet touch her hand and she realized she was crying. She cursed herself for being weak and tried to stop the tears from falling, a futile attempt.

She pushed the rest of her sandwich away, her appetite the last thing on her mind, and buried her face in her arms. She fell asleep at the table, her physical and mental exhaustion catching up with her one last time.