Disclaimer: Don't own Invader Zim.
Note: I guess you could say this is a sequel to Strong Emotions. Sortof. It's basically just different people's POV when Dib and Zim were having their glaring contest. Except it's all in third person. I despise writing in first person, if I ever write in first person you best look outside your window, pigs will probably be flying.
BTW, this whole thing got deleted as I was editing it when I pressed the back button on the computer screen by accident. It was originally much longer and WAY better. But I tried my best to rewrite it. That was the first time something like that happened to me. It really isn't a pleasant experience. Just wanted to tell all you readers out there that if it happens to you don't give up! Try again and don't let it get you down!
They were doing it again. They were glaring at each other like no tomorrow. But according to Dib, if he didn't attempt to stop Zim with his plans and fight him at every turn, then there'd be no one to stop him from taking over Earth and thus there really would be no tomorrow.
There. Was. No. Point.
How was glaring going to save the earth? She knew that this was his passion and he lived for paranormal stuff, but this was ridiculous! Oh sure, she'd love to stare at someone for 35 minutes everyday, not.
Didn't he think he was taking this obsession a little too far?
She never understood why her brother was so obsessed with the alien anyway. He wasn't all that interesting. He was a nuisance, an idiot, he could never succeed in taking over the planet no matter how pathetic it was.
How could Dib not see how incapable Zim was? Their whole rivalry was utterly stupid!
What did Dib see in Zim?
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It was so unfair. It just wasn't fair! Why? Why did Zim ignore him? What was so special about Dib that Zim would willingly gaze into his eyes every day at lunch but not even glance his way when he called out his name?
He was a loyal friend, Dib was mean. He called him buddy, Dib called him space boy. He waved at him, Dib made threatening gestures.
He deserved Zim's attention! Not Dib!
Just then Dib broke his eye contact with Zim.
Keef blinked, it took a second to realize what just happened.
He did it! He won!
A thought struck him. Maybe if he went to congratulate him, Zim would be so happy over his victory that he'd let him sit next to him! Keef giggled at the thought. He was going to sit next to Zim!
"Way to go Zim!"
The Irken froze. He didn't dare turn his head, knowing better than to make eye contact for if he did that would only encourage the worm-creature.
He gathered his tray of earthly meat and walked away quickly without looking back.
"Hey wait where you going?"
Zim disappeared out of the cafeteria doors.
Keef stood back watching them fall back in place.
Yes, Keef thought sadly staring at his luch tray, that's what Zim would do.
And so he sat there in his own thoughts, wishing Zim would look over at him. But he didn't.
What did Zim see in Dib?
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Freaks. She hated them. They were complete and total freaks and therefore deservcd to be hated and shunned. That's all they were and that's all they would ever be. She was lucky enough to be blessed with being popular. She got invited to parties, they didn't. She got compliments as she walked down the hall, they didn't. Her life was way, way better than their's could ever be. But if that was so, why did she find herself always staring at them?
Because, in truth,she was jealous. Jealous of what they had.
Everyday they'd glare at each other. They would look into each other's eyes without giving way. She would give anything to have someone look at her, to see herself reflected in the other's eyes. To recieve that much attention from another, to be the center of someone's whole world, to be their purpose for living.
The worst of it was they didn't even realize what they had! They didn't appriciate it!
Whether they knew it or not, and probably wouldn't care even if they did, they were noticed. Their rivalry had reached out to a point where no one could ignore it. Everyone saw them. Everyone knew them. They were Zim and Dib. Their names were always used in the same sentence.Never one without the other.
And that's the way it was in reality. They'd always have each other. They'd always being chasing the other. And her? She'd graduate and go on to college finally ridding herself of her wretched parents. She'd be alone with no one to talk to her, to understand. She was 99.9 sure she wouldn't keep in contact with her friends. The only reasons they were friends in the first place was because they were all popular and liked makeup. That was it. She'd be the chick with the purple hair that they'd once known back in skool. Easily forgotten.
And oh how she hated them posessing what she had wanted and craved all her life. Someone, anyone, to go through that much trouble just to get her to breath in their direction.
Whenever she missed skool it went unoticed. She missed just as many days as any other student would. But if Dib or Zim was missing from class for 5 seconds after the bell rang they would screech and demand to know where the other was. She would kill to have someone yell at her the next day for missing skool and having no one to glare at during lunch.
Dib had always been the loner in the class before Zim came. So why? Why did he choose Zim to chase? And what of Zim? Out of the many kids in the class, what prompted him to pick the outcast Dib?
What, she wondered, did they see in each other?
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Torque lifted the sandwich to his lips and took a bite. A big bite. Half a sandwich down, two more to go. He had to eat it all to "build up his strength" for football. His father was always telling him to eat more. The only times he ever spoke to him were to tell him to finish his plate or to ask him how practice went. Win, win, win, eat, eat, eat, run, run, run. It was a never ending cycle repeating itself over and over and over.
Torque couldn't remember the day that he'd snapped. But he did remember the facial expression of the kid he was pounding into the ground. He was angry, so angry at his father, his coach, everything. He was tired of being ignored and told what to do. He was ashamed of himself for not being brave enough to voice his opinions to his dad. He wanted control and authority, and so he got it by becoming the skool bully.
Across from him Zita sat staring at Zim and Dib. She looked up at him and blushed, turning her head down to look at her food. She was embarressed at being caught. He didn't blame her. He wouldn't want to be caught staring at those dweebs either. But, even so, he did it as much as she did.
Dib had been one of his favorite victims. The boy had no backbone whatsoever and was nowhere near physically fit. He was just asking to be thrown into the trash can with all his talk of aliens and ghosts and such nonsense! He had never heard someone say such ridiculous things in their whole lifetime than Dib had in one minute!
Then Zim came to skool. He couldn't remember how long it had been. Three weeks? Four? Math was never his best subject anyway. But sometime after Zim had arrived something changed. He had cornered Dib again. This time for his lunch money. He had forgotten to bring extra for another tray of food. His dad was forever nagging him to take extra for that exact purpose.
Torque gripped Dib's collar in his hand. Dib's back was against the wall, he had grabbed the hand on his collar and was desparately trying to get it to loosen its hold on him.
"Torque, please!" Dib cried. But it was of no use.
"Here's two choices for ya! One, you don't hand over the money and I pound you flat, or two, you hand over the money and I pound you flat anyway!"
"What kind of choices are those?"
"Muhahahaha! Stupid Dib-worm! I must say it's quite nice to have someone else beat you up saving me the work!"
Torque swiveled his head around to see the green weirdo standing not too far off from them.
"Shut up Zim!" Dib spat.
"Hey!" Torque felt anger rise in his chest at being ignored. "Quiet you little insect! I wouldn't be taking my eyes off me if I were you unless you want a black eye!"
"Yes, quiet insect!" Zim laughed.
"If anyone's the insect here it's you!" Dib yelled.
"I told you not to take your eyes off your attaker! You asked for it!"
Torque raised his fist.
"Wait, no!"
Amongst Zim's laughter he felt Dib's hand grow strong over their grip on his hand. The next thing he knew Dib had flipped him over his shoulder. He stared up into Dib's face unbelieving. He was just thrown by a...a weakling!
"You're gonna pay for that!" He picked himself off of the floor.
"Sorry Torque! I've got bigger things to take care of!"
Dib ran off chasing the screaming Zim.
The words hit him and sank in deep. Bigger things than him? So Zim was more important than getting beat up?
Over the weeks Dib had gotten more and more assertive until finally, Torque had to admit that he couldn't beat him anymore. Dib had grown actual muscles. He knew, Dib had punched him in the face with them. He never bothered him again after that.
His thoughts strayed here and there as he continued to watch Dib glare at Zim. Yes, he had found someone more important than him. A person who made him fight back, made him stronger.
Torque hated both of them with every fiber of his being; Dib for no longer being a pushover and Zim for making him that way.
He watched Zim pull out a mirror in reflect a ray into Dib's eye. He laughed.
"What're you laughing at Torque?" The Letter M asked.
"Oh uh, nothing."
M shrugged at went back to eating. That was close.
Torque looked back at the two losers. He made a promise right then and there he would find his rival too. A rival that would make him push himself to become stronger and faster. He'd find that someone that had what Dib saw in Zim.
Then, maybe then, he'd tell his dad he wanted to be a painter.
Now for some reviews. Gimme! (holds arms out)