Dlbn: Hey, everyone! Sorry about the long haitus, but there's a reason for it!

Nbld: My subscription for Microsoft Office 365 ran out the other day and I no longer have access to Word and other Office programs. Posting is a huge process that I don't really have time for with a two year old.

Dlbn: So until I can find a way to pay for another year and/or the full thing from a store (I don't think they even make the full thing anymore) it's going to be hard to update, so I probably won't. I'm working off Google Docs now with no idea of if it's going to work.

Nbld: Obviously, if you're reading this, it has worked. Anyway, let's hop into the Review Corner! Thank you to Zim'sMostLoyalServant and Invader Johnny for reviewing! Candy for you both!

Zim'sMostLoyalServant: He's just being a typical air-headed teenager. At least he's not eating Tide Pods...Happy new year to you, too!

Invader Johnny: I love Dib. Just he's got his head up his butt a bit here. Maybe he'll come around eventually. But considering how he was bullied for the paranormal and all that growing up, getting a girlfriend and being semi-popular is a big deal to him, so in a way, I GUESS I get it. A tiny bit. Okay, not at all. Bad Dib.

Disclaimer:I own Lahna and anything else non-canon. All Invader ZIm canon characters, things, places, etc. belong to the god himself, Jhonen C. Vasquez.

000

It took a few days for things to feel like things were going back to normal. As normal as could be for Dib being absent from the group. Their science teacher had attempted to pair Zim and Dib up for their term project, mistakenly thinking they were still best friends, but whining from Dee once she found out and threats from Zim that he wouldn't work on the project at all and gladly retake the class in senior year made that issue drop. After that, teachers made every attempt to keep the feuding students apart. He was so used to Dib being there at his side that loneliness had begun to sink into Zim's heart, but he let it go every night with a bottle of booze and some working out in his labs' fitness rooms. Lahna had taken to joining him only to make sure he didn't push himself too hard. Zim sat with Lahna and their friends that they shared a gym class with-Gretchen, Todd, and Screamy-as they waited for the Principal to bring in the permanent new gym coach. They had had a substitute for the past week that hadn't done much other than having them play dodgeball and run laps.

"I wonder what our coach is gonna be like." Gretchen commented.

"Maybe it's a woman this time!" Screamy shouted.

"Inside voice, Screamy…" Todd complained quietly.

They were such opposites it was pathetic.

"Whoever they are, they have to be better than that sub." Zim complained. "I mean, come on, even I got winded with that laps and dodgeball combination."

That was saying a lot since he loved to spar, had quite the experience with fighting, and ran from the cops a lot as a teen. And that was all before he joined the military and went through training.

"That's saying something." Lahna commented, picking at her nails. "As long as we can do something else this week, I'll be happy. What were you guys doing before this whole Coach Walrus fiasco?"

"We just finished up with tennis." Gretchen stated. "I liked tennis. It was outside and you had to move around, but it was nice and easy. I think there's another spring unit coming up."

"I think softball is next, but I could be wrong."

"I'd love to swing a bat."

"Straight into Dib's head…" Todd muttered.

Zim snickered. "Couldn't argue with that."

Or Caleb's head. But Zim preferred to use his fist with that annoyance. He wasn't certain who he hated more at the moment; Dib or Caleb.

"No one could." Gretchen sighed, casting a glance at Dib and his friends lounging around and laughing on the other side of the class. "That used to be us…"

"Minus the flexing idiot." Zim stated.

"If this was Disney, he'd be Gaston."

"That would make Jess Belle." Todd answered. "Don't insult Belle."

"Yeah, she's too smart to be Jessica." Gretchen nodded.

A few people nearby giggled, but none of them interacted with the unpopular click. Most of them were either seniors or underclassmen, anyway. They didn't care how the two biggest groups in the Juniors grade were all falling apart at the seams.

The doors to the gym opened and the Principal, a tall, thin, balding man with blue eyes and thin wire glasses, walked in. With him was a man only a little shorter than he was. He was dressed in jeans and a descent t-shirt with sneakers. He ran a hand through his dark, dirty blonde hair as he looked around at the students. Zim cocked an eyebrow. He had a very familiar face. Eh, he probably saw him at work.

"Students." The Principal spoke in a relatively quiet voice that was still firm and demanded their attention. "As you know, Coach Walrus is no longer with us."

A couple kids cheered and received a glare from the Principal and a laugh behind the hand from his companion.

"Your substitute, Mr. Harrison, is no longer with us, as we have a new, permanent replacement for Coach Walrus." The Principal went on. "This is Coach Haven."

Zim and Lahna shared a look.

"You will treat him with the same amount of dignity and respect that you treated Coach Walrus. I don't want any bad reports on his first day. Any of you that should not be near one another, please refrain from giving him trouble." That was pointedly directed at Zim and Dib's cliques with a glare from the Principal. "That is all. Coach, the floor is yours. Good luck." He pat him on the shoulder and left the gym.

"Alright, listen up." Coach stated. "You can just call me Ense; it's my first name."

Lahna's eyebrows rose almost off her head as she looked directly at her older brother. Zim's lips were pinched into a thin frown. Their brother?

"I'm not about all that formal garbage you get shoved down your throats." He went on. "I heard you're supposed to be starting baseball today?"

He got a few encouraging words from Torque and another member of the football team.

"I'm going to go easy on you because it's our first day together." Coach nodded at a storage locker on the other side of the gym. "Equipment is in there. Get into small groups, grab gloves and one ball each, and we'll go inside and practice throwing."

The kids wasted no time in doing what they were told. Zim slowly stood with Lahna.

"Let's let the Dib and his crew go get their stuff. We'll go after." Zim stated.

Gretchen fiddled with the hemline of her shirt. "We're sticking together, right? He didn't say how big or small the groups had to be, right?"

"No, he didn't. We're not splitting up." Zim stated. "If anyone wants to argue that, I'll gladly take the detention."

"I don't think you'll have to." Lahna gave the coach a small smile. "Dib's gang is gone and out the door. Let's go."

They followed the younger Haven sibling to grab equipment and go outside with everyone else. Their coach followed behind at a descent distance, arms folded over his chest as he looked around to better understand the dynamics of his students.

"I'm assuming you can all throw a ball, so I'm not going to go over technique." Coach announced. "I'm going to walk around and get to know you guys a little better. If I see somewhere your technique could improve, I'll let you know. This is just a warmup day. We'll worry about bats and teams and all that garbage later. Go ahead; have fun."

Zim dropped the ball into his gloves a few times. "Lahn." He greeted, tossing her the ball.

She caught it. "Screamy." A throw.

A catch.

"Todd!"

Todd squeaked and ducked, ball sailing over his head.

"I'm guessing you're Todd?" Coach asked. "The point is to catch the ball, kid, not hide from it."

"Yes, sir." Todd answered, nodding as he blushed and went to retrieve the ball.

"So…I take it there's something going on around here?" Coach asked. "Since he warned people to stay away from one another and looked right at your group, I figured I'd ask."

"See the kid over there with the glasses? Blue shirt, black hair in a scythe shape?" Zim asked, taking the ball after Gretchen threw it to him

"Yeah?"

Zim threw the ball to Lahna. "Used to be best friends."

"Used to be?"

"The people with him took him away." Lahna added. "He got with that blonde girl at his side and ditched us for them. Almost got into a brawl with Zim the other day."

There was brief a look of surprise on the coach's face, but Zim saw it even though he quickly hid it. He knew the name. Shocker.

"And that's…?"

"Me." Zim offered. "Zim Halen."

"A pleasure." Coach offered his hand, which Zim shook.

"Likewise."

"And the rest of you?"

"Lahna Evans."

"Gretchen Grey."

"Todd Lumbers…"

"They call me Screamy!"

"Gee, I couldn't imagine why…" Coach rattled his ear.

They laughed.

"Nice to meet you." Coach offered them a smile and pat Zim on the shoulder before going to join a group of kids Zim didn't know well.

"Nice guy." Gretchen commented.

"Yeah. That's a change compared to most of the coaches I've ever dealt with."

And the drill sergeants. Same thing, really.

"Same." Todd muttered, dropping the ball. "Oops."

"At least you caught it." Lahna shrugged.

Zim couldn't help but notice the Coach's eyes drift back to his group every so often, even as he was talking with other students. They knew one another; there was no doubt in the high schooler's mind.