Me and Dib joined Gaz at our usual table in the cafeteria near the back. I was just handing over the paranormal magazines when I noticed the new girl holding her lunch tray searching for a place too sit. I felt all too sympathetic towards her, I remembered when that was me. Hey, she was even getting the same shunning glances from our peers. I turned to Dib and Gaz.

"What do you say to letting the new girl sit with us?"

Gaz shrugged, "If she can help you with stopping Dib from rambling to be about everything, go ahead."

"Hey, I do not ramble! Well, sometimes, but that's not the point!" he looked over at Lydia, "I guess, but why?"

"Well, remember when I was the new kid, you invited me to sit with you."

"Because he caught you talking to Zim." Gaz pointed out, never looking up from her game screen.

"That's not true either, Gaz." Dib muttered, "Sure, why not."

I smiled and got to my feet. As I approached her, I noticed that she was whispering out of the corner of her mouth, but I couldn't catch what she was saying, and I was positive that there was no one there that she was talking to. I ignored this, Dib spoke to himself all the time and let's be honest, it wasn't the strangest thing I'd seen that year.

"Um, hi." I started, making her spin around and blush as she nearly spilt her food, "Sorry! Um, me and my friends over there were wondering if you wanted to join us."

Her eyed brightened, "Yeah, thanks, that'd be great." Her voice was cheerful and had a hint of a laughter to it.

"Jackpot, babes!"

I turned back to face her, I was positive that I'd heard a second voice oddly near by. It was lower and a bit growlish, but I definitely heard something. She smiled nervously.

"Pardon, sorry?" I asked.

"Hmmm? Oh, I didn't say anything." She insisted.

I could tell that she was lying. Her eyes were unnaturally wide and her pale skin was flushing. But because I didn't want to make her feel anymore awkward on her first day I chose to let it go, nodding and leading her over to the table. I introduced myself along with Dib and Gaz. Gaz nodded in acknowledgment and Dib stood up to shake her hand. Lydia introduced herself and explained that her and her family had recently moved out here from the countryside. As we ate, I wondered how long exactly it was going to be before Dib started asking –

"So the countryside, did you happen to come by any crop circles or anything out of the ordinary? Aliens, stuff like that?"

I smacked my palm to my forehead, "Give her a chance to finish her food first!" I joked.

However, Lydia smiled, "Well, not crop circles, but the area I'm from was quite famous for its ghost legends. Some days it felt like my house was crawling with spirits." She had a dazed look in her eye as if she was remembering something, "But no aliens, do you get those around here then?"

"Oh you have no idea…" I smirked.

Dib sighed and eyed Lydia sceptically, "Please tell me you've noticed the green kid in out class?"

"Well yeah, but I didn't like to stare, plus… it's not the strangest thing I've seen." She shrugged, "So he's an alien?"

Dib's eyes practically bulged out of his head, "YES! His name's Zim and he's from a planet called Irk and he's here trying to invade Earth!"

Dib was off, barely taking a breath and not pausing for a moment. Oh great, she was getting scared, I could tell. I smiled apologetically during his rant. It took a while before he was reeled off every piece of information he knew about Zim. All the while, I noticed that Lydia kept glancing to her side at something that I couldn't see. I chewed my lip in suspicion. However, we were all snapped back to the present by a large tray filled with food smacking Dib full in the face sending him thrown backwards onto the floor. Zim jumped out of nowhere and pointed accusingly at Dib.

"Spreading your lies filthy earth-scum?" he cried, then noticed Lydia staring at him, "Uh, I mean, spreading your lies fellow filthy earth-scum?"

"That was a bit harsh Zim!" I snapped, rushing to help Dib to his feet and I gave my briefest of introductions, "Zim, Lydia, Lydia, Zim."

Lydia smiled and held out a hand to shake Zim's, "Nice to meet a visitor from another planet." She said cheerfully.

"Well it's nice to finally get a proper greeting worthy of an invader such as – WAIT!" he snatched his hand away and darted his eyes anxiously at his mistake, "I mean… I AM NORMAL!"

I rolled my eyes, "As normal as your going to be…"

He glared at me, to which I gave one of my signature grins. Dib brushed himself off and grabbed his water bottle, splashing the contents over Zims front. There was a pause and then the horrible smell of burning skin and the sound of sizzling beneath his clothes. He screamed in agony and ran from the room.

"Victory for Earth!" Dib cried after Zim.

All the while, Lydia was muttering something out of the corner of her mouth. Who was she talking to? I couldn't make out a word. She noticed me glancing at her and chuckled nervously.

"So, aliens, paranormal investigations… is it always like this here?"

I sighed and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "You get used to it. I've gotta say, you're pretty accepting of this, normally people just ignore it or something like that."

Lydia smiled, "Like I said, it's not the strangest thing I've seen or heard, plus where I'm from, things like this, you get used to it."

I could have sworn I heard a chuckle behind my ear, I turned, but there was nothing there. I knew that Dib had heard it too because he had tilted his head to look over my shoulder. Lydia cleared her throat and starting asking about our research, was she trying to distract us?

Lydia continued to sit with us throughout the rest of lunch and I had to admit, her knowledge on the paranormal was very impressive, however ghosts seemed to be her real speciality. She asked me questions too, about why position in this little saga that kept running everyday of out lives. I explained to her about me not choosing a side and how Dib and Zim had teamed up to save me. in honesty, I went a little over the top about Zim and Dib working together, but I wanted her to think it was fun being in the middle, I didn't want to scare her off after all.

But I still couldn't shake the feeling that although she was talking to us, occasionally there were times where it felt as though she was talking to someone else, and it was starting to get to me. It wasn't that she was irritating me or anything, but my curiosity was almost eating me alive. However, I held back, it was her first day and singling her out for something that was maybe my own imagination wasn't going to make her feel welcome. I'd give her a week or so and if she was still doing it, then maybe ask her. God that was going to kill me inside! Maybe mum was right, maybe I am spending too much time with Dib and Zim, I've been infected by their paranoia!