Okay by chapter 11 you should know that I don't own Invader Zim okay?I'm glad to see so many people like this fic. And I challenge you out there to try and write your own DATR as well. With nearly a literal third of the global population on lock down, now's a perfect time to try. Boredom can be a bitch. (Especially when you have stuff to do because you'd been working yourself to death at another job and you want your rare leisure time to feel that way...) Rant aside, enough of this A/N, on with the fic.

Dib perked up in surprised. So Tak does feel about me the same as I do about her... He mused in his mind. Her lips on his felt rather good So this is what all those idiots went on about since the sixth grade... Not knowing what he was supposed to do he raised his hand her shoulder when Tak pulled away. "Sorry" Tak said as she broke the kiss and looked away. "I don't know what came over me, but I just had to do that. Had to get it out of my system or something I just don't know... Sorry if you feel violated or something... I know unwarranted physical attention like that is rather taboo..."

"Don't be." Dib said as he looked at Tak, face growing redder with embarrassment. "I...I... liked that."

"You did?" Tak said in surprise.

"Yeah..." Dib said. "I guess I don't need to fear saying it, but I think I've been getting a crush on you. Nice to know you feel the same."

"Yeah. It's scary when you don't know..." Tak blushed.

"Lovebirds, get to your homeroom!" Mrs. Dewey said.

"Yes." Dib and Tak said as they headed out the library in separate directions. "See you in English class." they waved.

Gretchen looked up from the astronomy shelves with a sigh. So he's not going to feel for me what I do for him. What does Tak have that I don't? I mean I'm pretty, caring and smart! She looked down on the book about the Eagle Head galaxy and sighed. If she was honest with herself, while not completely dismissive of the paranormal, she could just never be as into it as Dib is, or even a fraction of his passion for it. It was all just something she had learned more about to get his attention. Maybe Tak is like some really famous investigator with her own show or something? Nah, I'd have been hassled by the producer by now. Gretchen thought as she placed the book on the table to check out.

"So, trying to court that pointy haired kid?" Mrs. Dewey said.

"Maybe..." Gretchen sighed.

"Ah I remember being young and in love too. It's misleading. You'll fall in love with your high school sweetheart, give up yourself to follow him wherever he goes, knowing full well you hate this city but he didn't earn that masters in economics for nothing and he won a good lottery to go play on Wall Street. He will then lose it all after promising you never had to work again and he ends up as a middle management paper pusher in a city where rent is sky rocketing so you have to work as well and all you can get is a dumb librarian job at one of the city's Hi-Skools..." Mrs. Dewey said bitterly as she checked out the book for Gretchen.

"Excuse me?" Gretchen asked, looking at the librarian rather concerned.

"You heard me." Mrs. Dewey said. "I was trying to warn you with my story. I did what you are thinking of doing."

"I've had a crush on him since the 5th grade..." Gretchen said.

"Get out while you still can." Mrs. Dewey said. "You're one of the smart ones and was lucky enough to get hit with a gorgeous stick when your braces were finally moved. You have a powerful card and a useful card. Don't throw them away for a childhood crush."

"And which is which?" Gretchen said, rather annoyed people focused more on her looks.

"You know damn well. Beauty will get you further than brains." Mrs. Dewey said. "Or you'll wake up and find yourself in a lousy job while he fucks up with his dreams in his 20s and when you're 35 he'll be forced to work on stuff his father does crushing his soul and it will be taken out on you."

"You ever think of couple's therapy?" Gretchen asked. If she was drawing on her own personal experience to warn her about being true to yourself then it sounded bad. "Or if your husband is such a dud, why not divorce him?"

"In too deep. We've borrowed and fanagled ourselves into a situation where we can't go to therapy, too expensive and not like either of insurances cover it, and we're both to stubborn to file the paperwork, the deed must be started by the other one, so divorce isn't going to happen. I frankly don't want half the debts as I can't afford a lawyer who will get me a good treatment. Although with big hair's father's empire, you get a good lawyer when it falls apart, you'd never have to work again." Mrs. Dewey said.

"That's a horrible reason to marry someone. And I am not thinking that far ahead anyway." Gretchen said blushing.

"Sure you're not..." Mrs. Dewey said. "Just remember I see more than you think I do as the librarian here."

"Sure..." Gretchen said as she walked away. But Tak's voice rang in her head. Back to the night where those aliens knocked them out to the next morning. The tone, accent and infliction were unique. She hadn't heard many others talk like that but maybe a sassy British girl from London but had spent some time in California as well. But it just sounded too similar to that other alien. What if Tak is that alien we saw there? And she's kissing Dib? What could she want? Maybe she wants in his father's labs? I'm sure Professor Membrane has some big connections... and an invading alien could use that... She sighed as she headed into chemistry class.

English class found Dib, Tak and Gretchen in the same classroom. Dib was already there, sitting in his seat, with a dazed look on his face. Gretchen looked slightly away as she took her seat behind his. Tak came in and she saw Dib's face light up. That should be me! Gretchen thought as she tightened her fists.

"Hello class." Mrs. Ganoe said as she came into the room. "I hope you all did the reading. You'll find yourself not getting a lot because I doubt many of you regularly went to Sunday School."

"What would going to something lame like that have to do with the story?" One of their classmates said raising his hand.

"If you had bothered to even read the literature like I told you to, you'd know why." Mrs. Ganoe said. "So can you tell me about what Paradise Lost is about?"

"Ummmmmmm... there was a paradise and it got lost..." The boy said trying to cover up for his obvious lack on knowledge on the subject.

"Remind me to never assign you a book report on some of the other famous British works. Which I don't get why you wouldn't read them." Mrs. Ganoe sighed.

"I don't get it either." Tak said to Dib reading the titles in their textbook.

"These kids won't read a full headline let alone the whole article." Dib sighed.

Gretchen ground her teeth in frustration before her dentist father's voice came up in her mind. "You don't want to do that. You had those things on for too long to mess your teeth up like that."

As the teacher went over the allegorical references to the story and how even though it was an essentially a Bible fanfiction, the meaning was buried deeper than Pilgrim's Progress both written in the same time frame. I have got to get to him alone. If Tak is what I think she is, then all she is going to do is use him! She then looked down at her chemistry book and came up with an idea. The bell rang and Gretchen perked up. "Hey Dib, you're good at science aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah I guess so." Dib said.

"I've got to head out. My next class is on the other side of the school. See you at lunch." Tak said.

"See you." Dib said with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Well I can have your full attention now. And we have the same route to go so I'll just get started." Gretchen sighed, holding back a feeling of nausea at what she had seen.

"What do you need?" Dib asked as they walked down the hall.

"Well I need help on my chemistry-" Gretchen started to say when she just swallowed her pride "Not that."

"Then what is it?" He asked concerned.

"I'm going to be honest, I think Tak is one of those aliens that knocked us out the other night." Gretchen said.

"Yeah and?" Dib asked.

"And I think she's trying to use you to get to -wait you don't seem concerned about that?" Gretchen asked. "What if she gives you something or lays eggs in your stomach?"

"It's not like the movies, alien biology." Dib said.

"Oh yeah, isn't all of that theoretical anyway?" Gretchen sighed. "It could be exactly like that movie and you'll be laying on a lunch table while some weird offspring jumps out your gut. That and I think you are too starved for affection that you will fall head over heels for the first girl that pays attention and talks on your level."

"Are you jealous?" Dib asked. "I don't know how many times I've told you but I only see you as a friend. Now if you need help on your homework, I'll be glad to because we're friends." He said trying to put emphasis on the friends part.

"You were the one who said you didn't want to get romantically involved with anyone because we were just in Hi-Skool!" Gretchen said starting to sob.

"This is getting childish. So maybe I did kind of violate what I said, but I like you as a friend and friend alone and I don't want to spoil that nor will I get involved in a romantic relationship where I don't feel the same. It would be dishonest to you and me." Dib said rolling his eyes.

"See you later." Gretchen said as she turned into her class, holding back tears.

"That went well..." Dib said rolling his eyes.

Tak sat in her class thinking on what had just happened. How she finally was overcome with her emotions that she had just kissed Dib and that she actually liked it. And that he had felt the same way. You're here on a redemption duty. You're not here to get involved with the natives Tak... A voice like Red's said in her head. We need this information you're gathering as a Skool student to determine if this is worth our time. You can easily be demoted or reencoded to a cleaning drone for the rest of your life... "No, that's not going to happen!" Tak said loudly.

"I'm sorry Miss Mann...?" The teacher asked.

"Sorry..." Tak said as she buried her face in her book. Maybe I should talk to Tenn about this. She seems to know a lot about human romance and maybe have an idea why I'm overcome with it. The humans here are finishing adolescence and entering breeding age so maybe they give off a pheromone or something like that that Irkens are senestive to. Tak looked down at the textbook and sighed. As the words just appeared as a dull wall of text. The others would not take too kindly to Tak having serious feelings for a human. Tenn might not care that much, as she seemed to develop an affinity for the library. "Maybe I can talk Tenn into going rouge with me and Dib and just I don't know. Miyuki this is frustrating." She said as she looked like the rest of the students who could hardly pay attention in history class.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I know this was mainly relationship drama but good stories build up tension. Hopefully I will be able to update more often as the month ends, I will be able to get more time to do things I actually want to. But anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review! Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm