First days of highschool are rough, any teenager could attest to that. Dib's experience was no exception. Unlike his middle school years, he was more reserved with his supernatural and paranormal interests, and all but given up on trying to prove to his classmates that Zim was an evil Irken trying to take over the planet. It made his life easier, after all. It was the first day of junior year, so Dib woke early. He pulled on a bland blue shirt and some jeans. He debated not wearing his usual coat, but ended up wearing it anyways.

"I look odd without it," he commented to himself.

He went to go brush his hair, but struggled with the part that stuck up. Mainly all of it. It was shaped like a scythe and refused to cooperate no matter what he did.

"Stupid hair," he mumbled as he tried to brush it down.

He gave up and went to eat breakfast. His father, Professor Membrane, was making the usual; eggs and bacon with a biscuit or two. He always insisted on eating with them when he was here, and it always had to be healthy. Gaz was at the table, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone. She was less outwardly aggressive now than during middle school, but not by much. She glanced up at him, but said nothing.

"Good morning, son. I hope you are ready for your first day. It's very important."

"Thanks, Dad," Dib said and sat down.

They ate in relative silence, save for the small talk about classes and whatnot. Soon it was time for them to leave. The two walked to school together.

Gaz sneered at him, "Oh man...are you still wearing the coat? After all these years?"

"What? I think I look cool in it," Dib replied, and his sister snorted.

"Yeah, if cool means biggest dork."

Dib rolled his eyes, "Sure, Gaz. Things are different now."

"Whatever," she sighed, "are you still going after Zim?"

"Why wouldn't I? He's still a threat. I'm just done trying to make everyone see him for what he really is."

She rolled her eyes, "He's not very smart, you know."

"Yeah, but stupidity can be as dangerous as intelligence. There have been too many close calls for me to risk giving up."

Gaz sighed as they approached the high school. "Alright, Dib. Just don't make a fool of us here."

She then walked past him and towards a group of kids like her. Dib wasn't too good with making friends, most of the kids still avoided him like in middle school. He didn't mind, though. He just wanted to graduate and get his degree. Then he'd be outta there faster than you could say paranormal. He meandered around the playground until the bell rang. As he was walking in, someone shouldered him out of the way. Dib noticed who it was and glared.

It was obvious that Zim wasn't human. Pale, sickly green skin and three fingers instead of five as well as a lack of ears and nose. The Irken stuck his pointed, semi-segmented tongue out at Dib.

"Move out of my way, Dib-stick."

Over the years Zim had gotten a better grasp at human vernacular and was able to control his somewhat unpredictable outbursts, though they occasionally emerged due to Dib incessantly prodding at him.

"Oh, can it, space boy," Dib retorted before going to his locker.

He put his unneeded books in before taking his schedule out. He wasn't paying all that attention as he rounded a corner.

WHAM!

He collided with something else, that something being a someone. He shook his head and fixed his glasses before focusing on the one in front of him. It was a girl with dark brown hair pulled partially back. She had sharp facial features, and her eyes were a blueish tone. She quickly stood, her face pink from embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I should've been paying attention," she said.

Dib shook his head and stood. "Don't, I wasn't paying attention either."

She then glanced at a paper in her hands. "Can you tell me where this class is?"

Dib looked at her schedule for a moment before pointing forward, "It's down the hall that way on your right. Hey, it looks like you have homeroom with me. Are you a new student?"

"Yeah," she said, rubbing the back of her neck, "I just moved here from out of state."

"Oh? Where from?" Dib asked.

"Massachusetts," she replied before putting out her hand to shake, "I'm Eden."

Dib took her hand and shook it, "I'm Dib. Maybe we could talk during lunch?"

She smiled and nodded. "I'd like that. I'll see you then."

Eden then jogged off in the direction of her class. Dib just watched, a bit bewildered.

Did I just make a friend...? He thought to himself.

He walked into his class, recognizing a few kids from Ms. Bitters' class in middle school. Dib was one of the last to enter, so he sat down at a desk in the back. He pulled out a notebook to doodle in while the teacher did their first lecture. He knew this class was going to be boring, so he just halfway listened while doodling alien ships and planets. Class drawled on for an hour before the bell rang and kids got up to go to their next class. The flood of students was suffocating, but he managed to find his class. Eden was already there, with a seat next to her saved. He smiled a bit and sat down next to her.

"You made it. I thought I was gonna be trampled," he commented.

She laughed, "No kidding. I almost didn't make it in the crowd was so thick."

Dib was about to respond when a gloved hand slapped him on the forehead. Eden flinched at this. Dib turned and stuck his tongue out at the Irken. Zim just snickered and sat down in front of them.

"Wow, that was kinda rude," Eden said, trying not to stare at Zim.

Dib sighed, "He's an ass."

Zim turned and glared harshly at Dib before plopping into his seat. This class was much more reserved, the teacher deciding to play a game to start off. Dib, Eden, and Zim were paired off together, which the boys did not seem too pleased about. They were given a prompt question and they all had to answer it. It was about what superpower they would want. Zim decided to go first.

"Mind control to get people to do whatever I want."

"Control freak much?" Dib said under his breath, and Zim punched him in the arm.

"Well," Dib said, "I think I'd want the power of teleportation. It'd make getting where I want to go easier."

Eden thought on it before nodding, "Time travel and the manipulation of time. Imagine what you could do with it. Heal wounds by reversing time on them, slow time to prevent catastrophe."

"Wow that's...surprisingly optimistic," Dib said.

They then separated and the teacher began with the basics. Since it was a history class, they began with prehistoric times. She only taught for a bit before class was dismissed. Eden got her things together and looked to Dib.

"Where're you heading?" She asked.

"Study period," he said, "You?"

She sighed. "Online class."

They then walked to the library together. They separated, she went to the computers while he went to a table. He didn't have much to study today, so he got out his laptop to play a game. About a half-hour went by before the sound of a chair moving next to him startled Dib. Eden was sitting next to him with a book in hand. The cover was a bright orange with a symbol on it. He eyed it for a minute and she smiled.

"It's a modern sci-fi book about aliens that look like human teenagers trying to hide among Earth in the hopes that another nasty alien race won't find them. It's really good."

Dib nodded, "I'll take your word for it."

He wasn't much of a reader, in all honesty, aside from the occasional paranormal book. Dib went back to his game for a few moments before his curiosity got the better of him. He closed it before looking to her.

"Why did you move here?"

She looked up before putting a bookmark in, "It's a long story."

"We've got time," he commented.

Eden sighed, "Well, I just wanted to get away from some...family problems."

"Oh...tough family life?"

She nodded. "I live by myself on top of being held back because of different learning criteria here than where I'm from, so I'm trying to adjust. Being seventeen as a sophomore is gonna be really tough."

"Wow, that's...that's rough," Dib said.

"Yeah, it can be. But I'm managing," she replied, "I just need to make it through two more years and I'll be all set."

Dib nodded. "Right. Well, I'm rootin' for you."

A smile then appeared on her face, "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

The two then went back to what they were doing before, just enjoying one another's company. The bell rang about a half hour after, signaling for lunch time.

Let's see how gross the cafeteria food is, Dib thought, walking to lunch with Eden.

"I need to get my lunch box, I'll be right back," she said before going in another direction.

Dib got in line and got his tray. The food actually looked somewhat appetizing. He sat down at an empty table and waited for Eden. She showed up five minutes later, looking a bit frazzled. Her hair was messier than before and her clothes rumpled and wrinkly.

"You okay…?"

"Yeah, just...just tripped. I'm fine."

She then went silent as she sat down and ate her food. Dib frowned.

Something else happened, I'm sure. I won't pry if she doesn't want to say, he thought, I hope she's okay…

The rest of the day went on uneventfully. Classes were boring, he and Zim prodded at one another during English, and school let out. He walked with Gaz home, just ready to sleep. First days were always rough.