CHAPTER ELEVEN

After recess was over, everyone returned to their projects. Zim began using his incredible (me: yeah, incredibly BAD) math skills to determine how much material he would need for his earth-sized greenhouse. He might have to ask the Tallest for some of the materials, but he was sure it would work. He was sure, that is, until Dib brought his planet-sized plan down to actual size.

"People will notice what you're building. You can't build it from space. This plan isn't even worth me trying to destroy."

"Dare you insult the INGENIOUS plans of ZIM?!" Zim squeaked

". . .ingenious? INGENIOUS?! You can't build a gigantic GREENHOUSE around the earth!!!" Dib fumed.

"Hmph. I will not fall for your tricks, Dib-scum. Pitiful earth-monkey!"

Dib mumbled something about 'exposing aliens' and 'foolish plans', and Sam giggled at them both.

No one in their group really talked after that, up until it was almost time for lunch. The only exception: Zim's occasional outbursts of randomness.

Since it was only a few more minutes until the lunch bell rang, Mrs. Bitters was going to make an important announcement.

"Since it's only a few more minutes until the lunch bell rings, I am going to make an important announcement." (me: wow. . .someone say deje vu!) "After you return from lunch, you will begin a new project. You and the group you are with right now will become a family. You will each be assigned a job and told which member of the family you will be. Go away now."

The bell rang, and everyone left.

Zim walked with Sam and Dib towards the cafeteria. Gaz met them before they waked in. Dib and Gaz walked off, letting Sam walk with Zim.

"Ugh, I already know what we're doing in Mrs. Bitters' class." Sam made an observation.

"How do you know?"

"At my old Skool, right before I moved, we did this. It was actually kinda fun, not to mention funny. See, sometimes all three group members would end up as kids, or all three as wives or husbands, and it was funny how they would explain it in their report. We're given a certain amount of money with each job, and we have to explain what all our life is like. It's really great, you'll understand it better when we actually do the project."

"If you and the Dib are my children, can I order you around?" Zim asked, thinking about using them to build his greenhouse."

Sam giggled a bit at the thought of Zim playing the part of a single mother in a frilly pink apron.

"Why did you move?" Zim asked, casually

"Why does it matter?"

"You asked me some questions, so now I'm asking you some questions."

"Well," she began "my parents are to busy for me, and they didn't want me home alone, so they told me to pick someone I wanted to live with. Since me and Dib are so close, I decided to move in. my sister moved in with her boyfriend across town, so I wasn't the only one my parents kicked out of the house."

"You have a sister?"

"yeah. Remember the girl in the limo? The one who gave me my parent's present? Well, that's my older sister, Desiree."

"Oh. So. . .do you miss your parents a lot?"

"Sometimes. Only when I think about them and home and what my life used to be like. So, my turn to ask a question. How did you meet GIR?"

"He was assigned to me. he is the most advanced SIR unit the Tallest had to offer." Zim tried to smile proudly, but his dislike for GIR was obvious.

"Do you miss Irk?" she asked him.

". . .yes. almost all the time. And I can't go back until my mission is complete."

"Oh." Sam was at a loss for words.

She didn't realize that he actually missed his home until that point, but now she understood why. He was light-years, possibly light-centuries, away from home on a mission that he absolutely had to complete. She began to feel sorry for him, but then got an idea.

"Maybe you could go back to Irk to visit!"

"Visit?"

"Yeah! Like a vacation! When you work really hard, you should always take a break so you don't get over-worked! I'm sure your Tallest wouldn't mind if you went back just to visit your home and friends!"

"Friends?" he questioned.

"Yeah, you do have friends back home, right?"

Zim shifted uncomfortably before answering "Invaders need no one. NO ONE!!!"

He stormed off, trying not to let her see his eyes. Something was wrong, terribly wrong with him. His eyes were watering and stinging a bit, and he felt like there was something in his throat. He tried hard not to. . .cry? was that it? Was the mighty Zim crying?!

Zim slowly walked back to class when it was time. After much consideration, he came to the conclusion that he was homesick. Perhaps it was the sudden flood of emotion that was caused by his homesickness that had made him cry. That, or perhaps an malfunction in his pak; he would have to check it later.

He sat down at the desk in his group, and spaced out until Mrs. Bitters stopped by with two containers filled with paper slips. He saw Dib reaching into the blue container and Sam into the pink one. They each pulled out one piece of paper, and when Mrs. Bitters approached him, he followed Dib's lead and reached into the blue one. He looked at his piece of paper and had only one question.

"What is an. . . 'exotic dancer'?"