Come, Come

"Zim," she said to him after everyone else had left for lunch. "You skipped class yesterday."

Zim shrugged as he went up to Miss Olegario's desk, wondering why she hadn't brought it up in class earlier that day. "Zim had some business to attend to," Zim told her.

"Business that couldn't wait till after skool?" she asked him.

"Yes," he responded.

"Hmmm..." she averted her chocolate brown eyes to her desk as she brought out a few papers. "So I suppose you've stayed in here for a recap on yesterday?"

"Actually, no," he dragged a chair over in front of her desk and sat down. "I need to ask you something, about the Dib."

"Depending on what it is, is whether I'll answer it," she warned him. Zim never would understand the secrecy thing that these Humans had about the silliest matters, but since he had already argued about it once to one of the teachers, he decided to let it drop for the time being.

"He's missed skool for the past two days," he told her. She nodded, as if she already knew, which Zim remembered she would because she marked him absent for two days in her class. He cleared his throat. "Because of Membrane-"

"How did you find out about that Zim?" she questioned him.

"Don't interrupt Zim!" Zim exclaimed. She gave him a warning look, which Zim promptly ignored. "I know because he told me."

"He told you?" she rose a thin eyebrow.

"Yes, when I asked," Zim replied. "Yesterday when I saw him in the city."

"What were you doing out there?"

"Nothing important," he waved it off. "But he was very... upset."

"It was his father Zim," she said, as if that would explain it to him.

"His father who never appreciated what intelligence his son had!" Zim pressed. He paused, "Though you didn't hear that from me."

"Of course," she nodded. "But still, Zim, it was family who had died. If one of your parents died, wouldn't you be upset?"

"Neither of them will malfunction while I still need them," he responded, remembering the repairs he had to do on them after they believed that he needed to spend some quality time with them.

"You can not be sure of that," Miss Olegario said. "But if they did, wouldn't you be upset?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't cry about it," Zim frowned.

Miss Olegario cocked her head, thinking. Zim fidgeted in his seat. He was sure that he had not said anything incriminating him of being an alien. He had thought this to be a bad idea, but tomorrow was the weekend and he would be able to focus completely on his plans.

"People are different when it comes to family," she finally said. "And with no parents left, it will be hard on Dib and Gaz."

"Why? They were fine enough before, independent."

"It really isn't my place to say anything else," she pushed a pile of papers in front of Zim. "This is the homework you missed."

"But why?" Zim pushed.

"If you wish to know, you'll have to ask Dib," Miss Olegario stood up. "If he wants you to know, he will tell you. Now Zim, it is my lunch as well. Have a good Christmas break."

He left the room, thinking. So what? Should I have asked him whether he was okay? Nonsense, I am Zim!

-

"Like I would go and ask Dib,"muttered Zim as he pulled off his goggles. His health teacher must have been as crazy as Dib to think that he would go and ask his worst enemy why. He was Zim! He wasn't going to stoop down and ask the Dib what was wrong with him! He was going to use this period of time to his advantage!

"Done!" he rose his newest device for world domination above his head.

"Is that an apple for me master?" Gir jumped onto Zim's back, hugging his neck which was still sore from Dib choking him.

"Gir!" he coughed.

"Thanks 'ee much!" his robot squeaked as he reached up for his finished masterpiece.

"No Gir!" he tried to pull him off, but that only brought the device down to Gir's level.

"This can go in a sammich!" Gir happily ate it, and also bit down on Zim's hand.

"Gir! Release your master- ouch! GIR! GIR! You ate my plan!"

"We should bake more often a pie lord!" Gir ran off to rattle with metal.

"Gah!" Zim glared at his hand as if that would fix everything. He was about to take a break and now he would have to just continue to work. He leaned over his counter and reached for his first ingredient.

"Ach!" he threw it at the wall. "I need more blue paint!"

-

The local hardware store was closed, so Zim headed to the mall, sure to find a store that sold paint there. He was walking to one of the entrances when he felt a splash of water hit him in the back of his head.

"It burns!" he shrieked, running away from the fountain. He hid behind a tree and looked over to see who had done it.

Sitting at the edge of the fountain was the Dib's sister, one hand skimming over the water.

"You!" he narrowed his eyes at her. She looked over at him and sighed.

"The name's Gaz," she went back to her water activity. Zim fumed, she couldn't think that he was as stupid as to not know her name!

"I know what it is, little worm-baby," he scoffed at the purple haired one.

"But you never call me that. I think you forget," she did not smile at the obvious victory she obviously thought she obviously had. In fact, Zim recalled that he had not seen either of the siblings smile for a few days. Gaz was not as big a deal, considering she never smiled. Well, not as in happy, just as in torturing someone else.

"LIES!" he marched over to her. "Does it matter what I call you?"

"To me it does," she put the water in her hair.

"Eh, okay," Zim shrugged, he couldn't argue with that. He hated it when Dib called him an alien. She did not reply to that, and it left Zim there, standing awkwardly next to her.

"Soooo... watcha' doing?" he asked her.

He knew normally that she would never answer a question like that, but he had read that those experiencing depression after the death of a family member might talk a bit more then usual.

"Hiding from Dib," she responded.

Zim looked at her, then behind him, then around the fountain and over at the mall.

"I've seen better hiding places," he told her.

"I only go to the mall if a new game is out," she did not raise her eyes from the water. "He won't think of coming here."

"Why are you hiding?" he questioned.

"Why do you ask?" she glared at him.

"Because you owe Zim for the water!" he pointed at the fountain as it continued to shoot up in the air and come back down. Gaz rose an eyebrow, but did not argue.

"Dad's memorial service is this weekend," she said.

"And you don't want to go?" Zim cocked his head.

Gaz shook her head. "The funeral is as private as Dib could get it, he's why a lot of people don't even know Dad's dead yet. But some of the scientists will be there, and other people, and I don't want that."

"You'll feel crowded," Zim smirked.

"I'll feel alone," Gaz amended, before fixing her glare at Zim. "Though if you tell anyone about that, I'll make your neck wrap around your feet."

"Not a word," Zim promised quickly. He thought it over before continuing. "Alone? You?"

"I don't know them," she grumbled. "If I don't know them, they shouldn't be there."

"You don't know many people," Zim reminded her.

"I know a few," she muttered quietly.

"One which is the Dib," mentioned Zim. "And he'll be there."

"Dib doesn't count," she growled. They both stayed quiet for a while.

"But you know him," Zim repeated. Gaz did not respond to that, she just pulled her legs up on to the edge of the fountain where she was sitting. Zim frowned as she just seemed to ignore him. He was about to tell her off for doing so when she spoke.

"Zim, will you go to the funeral with me?" she asked him.

"Why?" Zim asked, surprised by the question.

"You knew Dad," she turned her face towards him. "You two got along."

"Yes," Zim mused. "A contrast from you and the Dib."

"You owe it to him to go," Gaz continued. "You were probably one of the only ones who knew what he was talking about when he talked about his beloved science."

"But why do you want me to go?" he asked nervously, bracing himself for any water to come his way.

Gaz stared at him blankly. "I don't. But this obviously isn't about me, or else I'd be the only one there. This is for Dad. Will you come?"

"And waste a day I could stay planning?" Zim tapped his foot, not really contemplating it.

"It's Christmas break."

He bit his bottom lip and did not answer.

"It's tomorrow Zim, you'd only have to be there for an hour."

Zim looked away from her, an obvious refusal.

Gaz groaned. "Look, how about I come over Sunday and help you with whatever? There's only so much I'll do, but I'll come."

That prospect interested Zim greatly. "For how long?" he asked her.

"Only as long as you stay at the funeral."

"Plus an extra hour," Zim bargained.

"Why would I do that?" Gaz cocked an eyebrow.

"It will take that long to get you the right equipment on before I let you touch anything."

"Fine," Gaz shrugged. "But one thing. Don't tell Dib you're coming."

"Only if you don't tell Dib anything about my base," Zim returned.

"Deal," she nodded.

"Deal," Zim grinned at her, a smile which she did not return. Zim did not bother anything about it and turned on his heel to leave.

"It's at 10 A.M." she called after him. "I'll come and get you at nine thirty."

"Fine earth monkey!" he called back. A few more moments more before he spoke again. "Gaz," he added off-handedly.

I hope this is better timing for you people out there. Who am I kidding, when is there ever time for depressing stuff? I think that this chapter is not as dark as the previous two, but that does not account for the rest of you.

Still, review if you liked, and if you didn't, you can still review, just please be constructive with your critisism.

Happy New Years!