Arco II
"I . . . I can explain," Dib said, allowing his childhood instincts to take over.
"Go ahead, start explaining," Membrane said calmly. Dib tried to think of a way out of this situation.
"Would you believe I was in the bathroom," Dib said meekly.
"For three hours?!" Membrane said, allowing his voice to become sterner. Dib decided to use a different tactic, silence, but the funny thing was his dad was using the same plan. It didn't matter, however, for the father's stance portrayed his message loud and clear. The two remained in a stiff silence until it was broken by the Professor's words.
"You leave me with no choice but to ground you."
"What?!" Dib said with more shock than anger. He had never really been punished let alone grounded before.
"Yes, for one week," his father reiterated. Dib didn't know what to say. He liked it better when his dad didn't pay attention to him as much but then again he did want his dad's attention, just not in a negative way. His father stood up, more disappointed than anything, and walked out of his son's room. He sighed, not knowing if it was right to punish Dib for a behavior that he had allowed for so long, but what was he supposed to do? Dib threw off his boots and trenchcoat making sure they made a loud noise. He stocked over to his bed and sat down. Being that he had never been grounded before he didn't know how to act. Usually, he would come in unnoticed as always and slip off to sleep. Now he was wondering if this was all a dream.
"There's only one week left of summer vacation," he gripped aloud, startling himself. 'Finally, I have friends, and he decides to care' he thought sorely. The idea of being locked up in his room, like so many summers before being he had no real reason to go out and play or have fun, caused him to whimper. Deciding it was probably a good time to go to sleep the pale boy rolled over into his bed and went into a dreamless sleep. The next day came with the sounds of beeps and clicks as Gaz walked down the hall playing her Game Slave2. She reached the bottom of the stairs and walked into the kitchen only to be greeted by a note on the table. Picking it up she read:
Dear Dib and Gaz,
I've gone to work. Remember to brush your teeth and take out the trash. And Dib stays inside. We'll talk later. Membrane
Usually, their dad would have a prerecorded message for them. However, there were no hovering screens at the moment. Then from the sheet of paper another piece fell. She picked it up and looked it over. There wasn't any writing on it, but oddly enough she folded it and stuck it in her pocket. Considering her father's words she assumed Dib had been caught, but her thoughts were interrupted by the telephone.
"Who would call in the morning," she said walking into the living room where she picked up the receiver.
"Hello," she answered.
"Hi Gaz," Red's voice broke in over the other end.
"Figures. I bet you want to talk to Dib, right," Gaz said, with annoyance.
"Yes, please," Red said ignoring Gaz's tone, quite used to it.
"Wait," Gaz said setting down the phone and walking up the stairs. She banged on her brother's bedroom door until she heard an annoyed groan come from inside.
"Wake up. There's someone special on the phone for you," the gothic girl yelled. The game skilled one backed away from the door as the handle wiggled slightly. It opened the door to reveal a very tired shell of her brother.
"Come on," she said as she watched him stumble out of his room. He nearly knocked down everything in the hall and almost would have gone sailing headlong down the stairs if it wasn't for the banister.
"Who is it?" he finally asked as they reached the living room.
"It's your girlfriend," Gaz shouted making sure that it was audible. Dib glared at her, which turned out to be more of a goofy stare, due to his sleepy state, causing her to smirk.
"Hello," Dib said into the mouthpiece groggily.
"Hi, Dib, I'm sorry to call you so early. How did things work out with your dad?" Red inquired.
"Not too good. Actually, I'm grounded," Dib said quietly into the phone.
"Oh . . . maybe I shouldn't then."
"Shouldn't what?" Dib asked with curiosity giving him a new source of energy.
"No. If I do, you'll want to see it and I don't want to get you into more trouble," Red said showing signs that she wished she hadn't said anything.
"See, see what? Tell me, tell me."
"I can't."
"Please."
"No."
"Pleeeeeease?" Dib pleaded.
"Now you're getting annoying. Oh fine."
"Yay! What is it?"
"Well, when you left, me and Chris heard something. At first, we thought it might have been an animal or something, but then we saw it run by the fence."
"Keep going."
"It was weird. It looked like a person, but in a strange way, it wasn't. We didn't get a good view, however, it did drop a book of some kind."
"Wow! I'll be right over...oh yeah," Dib sank down as he realized that he couldn't go investigate.
"I told you," Red stated.
"Why don't you talk to dad when he comes home?" Gaz suggested startling the boy.
"I guess I could. I mean what else am I going to do," Dib decided.
"Hope it works out for you, I guess I'll see you later," Red said almost in disappoint.
"Yeah see ya."
With that, both callers hung up. Dib turned to look at his sister who was now sitting on the couch playing her GS2.
"That'll be five dollars," she said not looking up from the screen.
"For what."
"For not telling dad that you used the telephone," she taunted, "and for the sodas."
"I'm going back to bed," the half asleep boy stated, heading back to the stairs. Late that evening the Professor returned home to the sound of the television bellowing and the smell of reheated pizza from the night before. He guided his sight down to the couch where he saw Gaz lying with her head down on the armrest asleep. He smiled to himself and walked over to the television, shutting it off. Then he grabbed a blanket from the hall closest and covered his daughter up. Suddenly a small cough came from upstairs causing Membrane to look up. The cough came again, this time even more muffled than the first. He headed up the steps quietly listening as the coughing grew louder. The closer he approached the top the more the noise became a clash between choking, coughs, quivering breaths, and sniffs, the unmistakable sound of crying. He reached the upstairs hall and neared his son's bedroom. He could now hear some mumbling as if the child was talking to himself. The scientist also knew now that the crying belonged to Dib. Not quite sure what to do, Membrane stood outside the door and listened to the boy's sorrow-filled ranting.
"I don't understand . . . it's not like I was doing drugs or something. I...I've been going outside for years, never cared then. Why now? Why me? *sniff* I Hate Everything!...nothing goes right, Nothing. Oh well who cares anyway, its just Dib, no one important..." the boy finished softly. Membrane was shocked by his son's short monologue. Then he heard a click as the light under Dib's door went out.
"I better check the locks," he could hear the pale boy say as footsteps approached the door. Membrane backed away not really wanting to confront Dib at this moment. To his relief, the young paranormal investigator didn't see him in the darkness of the house. The father watched his son walk down the hallway before slowly following.
"It's nine thirty and he's still not home," Dib muttered as he walked down the steps. He didn't notice his dad's presence from the top of the stairs but instead continued into the living room were he saw Gaz resting on the couch. Debating over the fact of whether or not to wake his sleeping sibling, he checked to find the front door unlocked. After a turn of the lock, Dib went to Gaz's side and tapped her lightly.
"What," she growled, rolling over to face the couch's backrest.
"Maybe you should go to bed," he suggested. Gaz rolled back to face her brother and opened one eye in an annoyed fashion.
"Fine . . . where'd this blanket come from?"
"What, this?" Dib said, pulling the sheet off.
"Yeah, that did you. . ."
"No."
"Well then you turned off the TV, right," Gaz said sitting up and yawning.
"No, I didn't do that either," Dib said sensing that they were not alone, "Did you go outside earlier?"
"Nah ah, I locked the door remember."
"Yes, but it was unlocked." Both siblings pondered the situation drawing their own different conclusions until a noise startled them. They froze for a few moments, before turning to the staircase where a tall figure began to descend.
"What the...!" Gaz shouted, grabbing the closest object to her as a weapon; which happened to be the pizza plate.
"A ghost? Wow! Wait a minute. It could just be some guy in our house. Ahhhh!" Dib exclaimed. Their sudden outburst had surprised the Professor, causing him to start yelling as well.
"It's just me!" He exclaimed trying to acquire the two screaming children's attention. Recognizing their father's voice Dib and Gaz calmed down and quieted their voices.
"When did you get home?" Dib asked as he watched his dad switch on a light. Membrane gave his son an awkward look causing Dib to became a little nervous, being that he wasn't sure what he had done to deserve such an odd glance.
"Dib, I think you and I need to talk," the scientist directed to the boy before turning to Gaz, "It's about time that you get ready for bed, so go ahead, upstairs." Gaz shrugged and headed up the stairs only looking back once to see her father and brother sit on opposite sides of the couch. Both father and son sat in silence for a while until the Professor shattered it.
"Why? Why did you go out last night?" he asked turning his full attention to the boy.
'Great, the one time I don't want his attentiveness and he's all ears' Dib thought as his eyes moved to the floor. He didn't really want to answer, and lying was out of the question at this point.
"I went out," the paranormal-obsessed boy simply put, trying to avoid why.
"Went where?"
"To Chris' house, well his tree house."
"I'm guessing you weren't alone then."
"No."
"What were you doing?"
"Just stuff," Dib answered knowing full well that it was a stupid response.
"Stuff, mmm. What kind of stuff?" Dib grew silent for a while in thought. He just wanted to go out and be with his friends, his only friends he might add, not to mention do what he loved.
"Well?"
"I was just looking at stars and reading with my friends, my only friends. I didn't tell you about it because I thought you wouldn't have let me go," Dib raved as he now stood up, "No, you wouldn't have let me go because I was out looking for my para-science. That's all, that's all that happened. I just wanted to go out with my friends," Dib claimed, turning away.
"Who said I wouldn't have let you go?" the Professor stated calmly. Dib froze in his stormy mood and partially revolved in his father's direction. Membrane caught the expression on his son's face; which was a clash between anger, shock, and intrigue.
"I might have been too hard on you about this, I did not make my ideas very clear," Membrane said causing Dib to turn completely around.
"You're still grounded, but not because you're into that paranormal material, but because you didn't tell me where you went and to be out at twelve at night is just indecent for a boy your age." Dib seemed to accept this as a halfway satisfactory reason, but he was still upset.
"I guess I'll go to bed then," Dib said, faking a yawn and walking over to the staircase. Dib momentarily thought how strange it was to have a sit-down conversation with his dad. In fact, as far as he could remember, this was the only sit-down talk they'd had in a while. He almost wished he could do it again, but over a different topic. The pale boy was tempted to turn around and sit back down but for some reason, he couldn't.
"Night, dad."
"Good night, son." As Dib made his way to bed another being laid awake in his. It was Zim, who had tried to fall to sleep thirty minutes ago but failed in his attempt. He has been living in peace on the Earth for a few months now, but the poor little alien hasn't felt too good about his situation. It was very difficult for him to abandon his past of being an Irken Invader, a soldier of one of the most powerful empires there ever was. Of course, he did not regret his decision to join the earthinoid's battle against the irken threat, but then it was because the Tallest had betrayed him, his whole planet betrayed him. This fact still haunted his dreams and plagued his mind day in and day out. Sometimes he could just shake it off but other times it would drive him nuts.
"Oh, what's the use, I might as well get up," Zim said aloud getting up from his resting position in his lab. He walked over to the elevator that was built to attach to the garbage can up in the house. He shot up the shoot and popped out of the trash bin to the sound of silence. Zim briefly wondered where his sir unit was but shrugged.
"Meow. Meow." Startled by the sudden noise Zim quickly reacted by getting into a defensive stance.
"Who's there," he ordered, eyes darting around the room. He was relieved when Max emerged from the shadows.
"Its just you, what are you doing ya little furball," Zim questioned narrowing his red eyes at the tiny cat.
"I was giving him something to eat," a voice from the kitchen door stated. Zim turned to see Juelia standing there.
"I really wish you wouldn't encourage that animal to come into the house."
"Oh please, he's harmless," Juelia insisted as she turned on the lights. Zim looked down at Red's cat and thought about how it could just get inside all the time without being noticed.
"Well what are you doing, I thought you went to sleep," Juelia asked walking up to him.
"I was, but I guess I'm just not tired."
"Well, Max it's probably time for you to go to your home," Juelia stated, motioning for the cat to follow. The sandy colored feline began to until he froze and perked his ears.
"What's wrong," Zim asked noticing Max's alertness. The little irken decided to sharpen his senses as well. To the three's surprise, a loud crash was heard from the other room. Juelia turned quickly and headed toward the door. Zim, too, rapidly made his way to the kitchen entrance surprised by what they found, being quite used to this. Gir had knocked over a side table sending a lamp to the floor.
"Gir, what are you doing," Zim barked.
"The lady, the lady pancakes she's in the window," Gir squealed happily. Zim shook his head while Juelia snickered.
"There's no lady in the window," Zim said pointing to the empty glass pane.
"What lady?" Gir asked genuinely confused.
"The lady in the window," Zim repeated with frustration.
"There's a lady in the window," Gir said with excitement. Zim slapped a hand over his forehead as Gir walked over to them.
"Sometimes I wonder Gir, sometimes I wonder."
"It's okay Zim. Remember he's advance," Juelia said making sure her voice was implying a joke. Zim smiled a bit and walked past the group to clean up the small mess. As Zim did this Max trotted into the living room and disappeared down the hall to the guest room.
"Bye-Bye kitty," Gir chirped as he jumped up and down.
"So, are you going to skool on Monday," Juelia asked making herself comfortable on the sofa.
"What other choice do I have, I have to still blend in. Are you sure you'll be okay in the base while I'm gone?"
"Yes, don't worry, if you left Gir by himself here, I'm sure I'll be all right." Zim nodded to her comment and stood with the shattered pieces of the lamp in his gloved hands.
"Computer, repair for Zim!" He shouted. With a blink of an eye, a robotic arm came down and fixed the broken lamp, good as new. Zim then placed the lighting fixture back in its rightful place on the side table.
"Welp, maybe I should try to get some sleep again," Zim yawned. Juelia yawned as well, which was actually odd for both of them for irkens didn't normally yawn when tired, but, of course, it was one of the habits they've seen from the humans and unknowingly picked up. Juelia decided to join Zim in going to bed. She had a separate area in the base underground now but used Zim's entrance through the couch to reach it. With that, both irkens dropped out of sight to go to rest for another day.
*~ Hope you enjoy this second chapter. The next chapter is probably going to more interesting, and funny not to mention embarrassing for Dib.