Ironically

"It's kinda sad that Zim always needs to remind us he's normal," Sarah said.

Yeah, he must have been teased so bad for that skin condition at his old school," answered Jessica.

"Poor kid just wants to be treated right," Zita added sadly. "I mean, he's obviously pretty normal, so if he goes to so much trouble to prove something, why can't people just believe him?"

"Why are some kids mean to others for just being, y'know, different?"

Dib's mouth hung agape at what he was overhearing. Hardly able to believe his ears, he was about to protest—until he heard a comment from one bully that actually satisfied him.

"Well, it's not like he doesn't deserve it."

Commercial

The only time Dib hated sneaking into Zim's house was when the alien was watching TV. It seemed that every little thing about human culture baffled him. That would amuse Dib if not for the paranoid outbursts the Irken had about the things on Earth he misunderstood.

Well, Dib did of course find that hilarious. It made his day when he knew there was one more thing on Earth his enemy found threatening. Especially when he ignorantly mistook something for a threat.

But there were times when Zim got annoying about it…

"Who is this 'Cal Gone' and where does he take people?!"

Hide and Seek of Doom

The little green man jumped at the camera flash. That is, he certainly was not scared; it was just that an invader was trained to be on the alert—

"Uaaagh! There it was again! Dib! You disgusting Earth smell where are you?" Zim looked up and scanned the ceiling so rapidly that he became dizzy and fell down. It was there that he noticed his enemy under the couch.

"You found him, Master!" Gir cried out in glee. "But you didn't close your eyes and count so you're still 'it' yeee!"

"We're not playing hide-and-seek, Gir!" Zim sneered. "Now kindly show the human to the door."

Gir laid his head on the floor to be at eye level with the intruder. "It's over there!" He pointed spastically to the house's entrance. "Did you forget already, silly? It's the door I let you in through!"

Seething, Zim gritted his teeth and thought about how he could possibly keep his dignity by making his minion obey.

"All right, Gir," he feigned calmness. "I'll count to one hundred while you show Dib a suitable hiding place." He turned his back to the robot and human, and closed his eyes. "Preferably a hiding place underground. You know where the shovels are, Gir."

Zim began counting loudly in the rhythm one would use to command military troops to march, and Gir seized Dib's arm and started pulling him away.

"Hey—what—Quit it! Let go!" Dib tried to get away, but Gir shushed him and whispered, "I know a good hiding place underground."

Dib finally realized where he was being dragged to, and with a smile and a ready hand on his camera he followed his new favorite robot into Zim's base.

Disclaimer: I don't own Invader ZIM…or Calgon.