Chapter 7: " Schoool issues "

Zim tapped his foot impatiently and took in a sharp inhale through his nostrils. He breathed out slowly and re-opened his eyes. He stared directly into Skoodge's which expressed his anxiety and absolute fear. However, despite the undignified expression, Skoodge stood his ground and was beginning to be more resolved. This was to be dealt with accordingly, knowing Zim couldn't handle the time to manage both Skoodge and his plans, needless to say that they were illegal plans.

" You did...what...exactly?" Zim asked, glowering.

" Zim...I still need to think about my future. I know you wanted those guide coders today, but I still need to think about my status." Skoodge said defensively.

" Skoodge. If you're planning on helping me, then I expect you to do as I say."

" Zim, you are not my priority. I am." Skoodge confided, standing taller. Zim's antennae twitched. He kept his glare directed at his eyes until face faltered slightly. Zim sighed and raised his head, and kept his back straight. He took a slow step forward, and Skoodge in sequence, took one back.

" You can't make me choose my mind, Zim. You do whatever you feel you need to; I will help you but I need to keep up my status, or else people will get suspicious." Skoodge said shakily, under his trembling tongue.

" Skoodge, there is no time for you to choose when you listen and when you don't." Zim said, with disappointment. " It's either you do as I say, when I say, or you don't..." He paused and raised his chin. "...I highly recommended the first option..." Zim said, approaching him casually, and squared his shoulders.

" But you didn't listen."

" You hurt me! You hurt me and this is off!" Skoodge cried, trying to keep a stern voice, but resulted in wavering with fear. He continued to step backwards until he was stopped abruptly by the outface of the wall. This brought a heaviness in his gut and his nerves spiked.

" One must take necessary precautions, Skoodge." He began, placing his arms behind his back. Skoodge didn't say anything else. He was already beginning to sweat.

" Which comes first, Skoodge? Your status..." Zim said, as he stopped, nearly a few inches in front of him. His face was leaning to the side, trying to avoid eye contact, while flattened against the wall. "...Or me?" Zim asked, reaching for the base of his PAK device, extending out the intended weapon.

Zim lazily opened his eyes and the feelings of the physical world re-entered his conscious body and reminded him of his illness. He groaned and closed his eyes once more, remembering also he was at "Schoool." He furrowed his eyes as the small headache pulsed through his brain, and the upset squeedly spooch that churned and writhed in sickness. Zim groaned again and opened his eyes as he lifted his head from the desk. His habit of falling asleep was probably on virtue of his body's reaction to the sickness; therefore garnering energy in his dormant state to tend to his illness. However he wished his PAK device and immune system would do it more efficiently.

The other kids at the table exchanged furtive glances, as Zim woke back up. Some of them even looked annoyed that he fell asleep in the first place. He watched as they all drew, pencils scraping against the papers from the hands of amateurs. The ability to take the likeness of anything onto paper or parchment was crucial when learning engineering. It was a given that Zim had learned a long years back, and perfected this skill to create his own devices and mechanics when needed. It failed to impress him that the humans only did it for fun, and for self-expression, as the teacher called it. What good came out of anything if it was completed just for expressing oneself?

" Zim..." His name was called, however it brought irritation when uttered. Zim glanced up at Ms. Zoe, his art teacher, who was at the side of the elongated table, hovering over him. " Are you feeling alright?" She asked, concerned.

" No." Zim said, wanting to make this a snide remark, however his voice cracked and faltered under his sore throat. The teacher leaned forward, and lowered her head to match his level.

" Hey. I'll take you to the nurse." She said, even letting out a smile. Zim slightly flinched at this, and remembered how she was one of the only teacher's who didn't immediately react with disgust over his green skin; so naively believing that he was telling the truth about his far-fetched condition...Not that the other teachers, didn't believe him, concerning this race, believing in aliens was a rash idea, though it didn't fail to make them hate him. Ms. Zoe was different; she treated him like any other student...It didn't mean it was a good thing. A moment later she stood taller and walked to her desk, and finally he realized what she said she was going to do. The words brought a queasiness that only added to the effect of his sickness. Zim let out a quick breath to try and release the retrieved feeling.

" No. I'm fine, I'm not going anywhere." Zim said, raspy.

" Zim, were you able to do any work? Ms. Zoe asked, not hearing his quietly pronounced statement from before. Zim furrowed his eyes.

" I said I'm fine!" He snapped, to the best of his ability. She looked up, startled from her desktop. There were a few moments of silence, and the other students were staring at him. He could almost feel eyes embedding into the back of his head.

" You don't sound fine to me, Zim."

" I'm not going anywhere." He confided. After another awkward few moments, Ms. Zoe chuckled and shook her head, trying to understand what exactly this student was having problems with.

" You...want to stay in class?" She asked, removing the pen she had in her hand on her desk. Zim was about to answer this and then stopped before he uttered any words, receiving second thoughts about this conditions. He had mixed feelings of this. If he left, he could leave school and forget about going to the Nurse. If he stayed...there actually wouldn't be any positive sides for him if he stayed here.

" No..." He confirmed.

" Zim...What..." Ms. Zoe chuckled again. "...Do you want to go to the Nurse and tell her about you're sick?"

" I already said I was fine! Are you deaf?" He snapped. Ms. Zoe's face blanched of all expression, and her eyes widened. Then the next second she frowned and wrinkled her brow.

" Do not yell at me, Zim!" She said.

" Who are you to tell me what to do? Ms. Zoe?" He stood. Her mouth went ajar for the longest moments, and her expressions flickered. Until it was settled into a deathly sneer, she had been clenching her fists. Zim didn't know that he would find out very quickly.

• • •

Dib walked down the bare hallways, and enjoyed the loneliness while it lasted. There were a few times where a student or teacher would past by, teachers with a smile or a blank expression (depending if he knew them or not), students with a frown. He didn't care what people thought of him anymore, he stopped trying to make friends when he moved on to middle school, and was still followed by the invisible aura that made him so unlikeable to others. It was something that he knew was just inevitable. So he wouldn't waste his energy trying to change something that he couldn't. Dib entered the cafeteria and was making his way down the lunch aisle, when he already started hearing the muttering of the other kids' in the lunchroom. They were whispering, exchanging glances and giggling. Dib just shook his head at their gossiping and like every day of his life, neglected the deriding talk around him.

There's Dib. The little freak. Oh look, there's an alien! Oh wait, that's just Dib. He got beat up from Zim! The loser!

However, despite his intention to ignore the words that came out of their mouth, the act of acknowledging them in the first place lead his mind to elaborate their words and annoy him even more. Dib continued to get his lunch and he made his way down to the table where Gaz was.

" They're uptight today." Gaz said nonchalantly, as if this were to be an important notice. She referred to the kids around them. Dib wished he could just take in their childish insults with passiveness, however their whispering only lead to him feeling more depressed and angry.

" Yeah..." Dib replied lowly. He drank from his milk carton, grimaced and extended his arm out to see the side labels. To be expected; expired last week. Dib let out an aggravated sigh and placed the carton back onto his tray and placed his elbow against the table, leaning his chin upon his palm.

" Someone tried to insult me for being an acid drinker." Gaz remarked, just as apathetic as the last one. Dib only shrugged.

" Kids these days don't have brains to think with." He replied, and made his sister chuckle.

" That's why school was invented. Oh, I'm sorry. Schoool." She stated. Though after their exchange of short chuckles and jokes, they remained silent, as Gaz continued playing on her Gameboy, leaving Dib to his own devices. With nothing to do, He stared blankly in front of him, daydreaming. He remained like this for a while, though he was soon interrupted with a startling flick on his cheek. Dib felt the slight moisture and remains that was left from the speckle that hit him, and realized that it was a pea that was launched upon his face.

He groaned. The other kids were giggling around him and he saw another boy with an entire tray of peas, and a spoon. For a reason, he wasn't giggling maniacally like the other kids. Dib then realized the unfamiliarity of his face and figured that he was a new kid. It wasn't unexpected of the children that didn't like Dib to enlist the new kids in their little groupies and posse, then try to enforce their behaviors onto them. It happened every time, to be honest. And the kids wouldn't even have the morals to question their reasoning, but happily created a facade of hatred because their friends wanted it. It was the reputation that they cared about, and not the character, Dib knew.

The kid had a small smile, finding a bit of amusement from it, though it soon disappeared when the kid he assaulted furrowed his eyebrows at this. Dib only shook his head, and the negativity he felt from this, as well as the wrinkled, green conditioned vegetables on his tray reminded him of Zim. His eyes then searched around the lunchroom where he then spotted the little fiend a few benches a way in his same row, which in turn...he had been staring at him.

Dib only turned his head away, knowing that this should be expected from such a being like Zim; one so bizarre and peculiar. He remembered the event taking place where he insulted his pride and completely ridiculed him. Then he remembered the childish emotions that came in result of this insults. Dib smiled. Everything about Zim was so amusing; his immaturity, his extreme egotistical nature and short temper that molded into only one possible form that in no case possible could be accounted to be taken seriously or important.

Not to mention his incapability of any rational ideas for conquering earth. All that time spent, was to work with something that wouldn't even function properly. Not only was it embarrassing, but down-right disappointing. Zim could at least try, especially with his extreme sense of hauteur and self-proclaimed greatness, to be a challenging foe, not some bumbling idiot that had a swollen head...literally.

Dib looked back at Zim again and took note to the bruises that were still splotching his head. He then remembered to the small bruises that occupied his own face, and felt for them. He'd forgotten about them mainly because no one seemed to notice. He would look in the mirror occasionally and remember them, however with things at hand, they would disappear from memory. They were present, however they didn't hurt until he touched them. The swells, which weren't too bad, disappeared after the usage of the ice packages and pain meds. Dib wondered temporarily why Zim's were still present. Then again, being whacked on the face with a plastic bottle could do some damage. And considering Zim could have a different tissue anatomy, his flesh was probably weaker. Or whatever. It didn't matter.

" So what happened the day you went to Zim's house to return the blueprints?" Gaz asked, turning off her Gameboy. Dib glanced at her actions as she set the small device into her backpack, and soon copied his bored output pose, chin on palm, elbow placed upon the table with apathy. He reasoned that her Gameboy had died and so she resulted to conversation. Though also questioned why she had the sudden interests she had about him. Usually Gaz would never, ever talk to him. He only accompanied her recent questions and statements with usual conversation mainly because he felt obligated to, not entirely obliged. If anything they were awkward...but...that wasn't necessarily a bad thing she was opening up in a sort of way. Dib just needed to learn to get used to it. So in turn, he shrugged and sighed.

" I just...walked over, threw it at his face...and then we had a bit of an argument."

" An argument? About what?" She scoffed. " The quality you returned the blue prints in?"

" No, argument is the wrong word, sorry...More like just a brawl of insults and snide remarks." Dib said casually, taking another glance to whom he was addressing.

" Huh...that makes more sense...I can't think of any sort of official debate that could be made mature between you two." Gaz said. He only huffed, however felt a build on of the steam. Her remarks weren't necessarily insulting, but they were becoming unnecessary and annoying.

" What about the water? You didn't have it when you came back." She asked, looking around the cafeteria as she spoke.

" I didn't use it...Well, I sort of did, as an example."

" What does that mean?"

" Showed he was no threat. So I dumped it and left, indicating that I didn't need it in the first place." Gaz looked around a while longer before she clicked her tongue and put down her head against the table.

" Kind of a waste..." She commented, tapping her fingers. After a few moments, she sighed. "...so is that why Zim's staring at us? Cuz you guys had some sort of...old-lady bickering contest?" She asked. This time Dib didn't intend to look, as he already had a fill for today of seeing ugly. He only sighed to this, let the affect of the annoying remark settle, and reposition.

" Yeah...that's why." Dib replied, blinking slowly. Though his attention was caught by the kids in the tables in front of him, out of the corner of his eyes as he saw them lean their heads in. They were giggling still, but this time they were pointing in another direction. Dib followed their trace of eye sight and they were gossiping about Zim. Another likely event to happen, however, the new kid was setting another pea on his spoon, under the peer pressure. And with Zim's occupied eyes still staring at Dib's face, for whatever trivial, justifiable reason he had, he was unaware of what was about to happen. Dib watched with interest, and he saw the new kid prepare his spoon for a launch, setting his finger at the tip to gain the potential energy.

When he flung, he couldn't help but glance back at Zim, who was actually looking down at his food plate. The pea hit him in the side of his forehead, and he flinched, letting out a small ack! Leaving a splat against his face with the moisture, and soon with the small steam reaction. Zim gritted his teeth, and immediately wiped his head. His glove coated hand had picked up the smudge remainders of the vegetable and when he was able to identify what it was that hit him, an angry, resentful face was shot up to Dib.

" Oh great." Dib sighed.

" I knew that was going to happen." Gaz chuckled, seemingly she had been watching all along and making the same deductions as well. Zim squeezed his hands and the glare intensified. Dib was yet again reminded about how easily ticked off Zim could become when he saw the solemnity of his expression. Dib watched him as well, on the inside felt a bit of a blood rush, thinking about what Zim might plan to do, however on the outside, he remained to look apathetic. And to exert the lie that Dib had flicked the pea at him, he grinned. The one that he knew Zim hated. Surprisingly enough, he only stood and left the food he didn't touch, and stormed out of the lunchroom, slamming his hands against the doors and forced his way out.

" What a wuss." Gaz said, and put her head back down, almost as if she was disappointed. Though Dib had a feeling that Zim's actions were foreboding, that he would plan to exact his vengeance in some way. And it brought an unwanted queasiness again.

• • •

Zim was tapping his fingers against his biceps, his arms folded. He waited considerably in patience in the Main office, for Principal Downing to finish some conference so that he would be lectured by her again. The clerk at the desk was typing rapidly, even for her old age, she had great coordination. There were times Zim would find himself staring at the wrinkles and seemingly impossible looseness of her skin, that contrasted the dark grey hair with only a few white highlights. She had a considerable shade difference in skin tone than the other students or teachers at the school, which was weird because from what he knew she was the only one of her race here. She was probably the school clerk, and from what he saw on her name tag, she was known as Mary Durham.

Zim found the irony in that name rather quickly, considering how his idiotic robot was rather obsessed with it.

" Okay. Are you...Zim?" She asked, typing a little more before she glanced at him from her computer screen. He considered the pause she had before he realized unlike the humans, he had no surname. That would have to change soon.

" Yes." He answered.

"...Okay, normally the teachers are supposed to give you a pass before you leave the classroom. Next time can you get one from your teacher? I'd be easier to enter you in that way." She remarked, clicking her mouse a few times. Zim didn't know what it was that a Clerk did, however it seemed tedious for all of these little occupations for the humans to have. Principal, assistant principal, office clerk, administrator, student services clerk—It was all unnecessary! Why they couldn't just have one person do multiple tasks was beyond him.

" Alright." He replied, nonchalantly.

Zim found it rather interesting, which in turn he hated to find interest in anything human-related, that the human species had many different races and ethnicity that was surely uncountable. And in turn of that, had many diverse languages, and those languages could be accompanied by dialects. Though the reason he found himself staring at her was because of the likeness of her age. He found it disgusting, however curious that the humans lived for such a short time, became so decrepit and weak, but yet were the strongest species on this planet.

Zim glanced around the room and sighed silently to himself. At that moment, the door to the principal's office opened and abundant amount of people left the room, chattering with one another and some of them even so abrupt as to stare as they passed by, then start another conversation about that weird lookin' kid that was sittin' in the sofa! Zim growled under his breath at this when he heard that exact line leave one of their lips. He'd been here for well over a year, he wasn't that much of a phenomenon anymore. The Principal approached him, separate from the group and placed her hands on her hips.

" Zim, school's almost over. You have about a minute left, so we'll just have to do this meeting tomorrow, okay?" She said. Zim shook his head slightly again and stood from the seat.

" Fine." He said before he left the small office room. Zim placed his hand at the push door bar, and the mechanism unlatched as he made his way out the room.

" Oh and Zim..." The Principal called. He turned back. " Tomorrow...during lunch? Try to keep the food on your plate. Those custodians work hard for you not to be hungry." She said, with a demeaning smile. " And we've had our fill of food fights for the week," He only nodded and left. Zim knew that she was referring to the event earlier today, casting almost his entire tray At Dib when lunch ended. He was sent immediately for detention, they both were, but it was worth it. He entered the small, glassy vestibule in the front of the building and left through the school's front entrance. This day had been rather annoying, filled with time-wasting walks to the nurse and principal's office, only to be told what he already knew, then be assaulted by Dib, with his disgusting, insolent pea that he found so amusing to—

Zim stopped in his tracks. It was raining outside. He remained untouched underneath the entry canopy of the school, which stretched a few good meters before it stopped, structurally sound underneath the black painted brick pillars. However, it didn't fail to annoy him even more that he would have to find some way to walk through this bullshit. Zim clenched his fists and looked around him as everyone was so casually able to enter the showers of horror without consequence; he could even be able to consider that intrepid if not for the obvious reasons why it wasn't.

At that moment, when Zim was at his peak for his tolerance level of the inconveniences of the world, Dib walked past him. Zim furrowed his eyes as he turned around, and began walking backwards. He began to move to the right and entered the rain. He was taunting him, the bastard. He even did so much as to raise his arms, and show with his fugly smirk that just screamed too bad for you, isn't it?

Zim only shook his head as Dib, feeling satisfied with his little demonstration, turned around and continued walking away. Shortly thereafter, the bell rang and after a considerable distance, Dib waited. Presumably waiting for his abominable little sister, Zim sighed and leaned against one of the pillars, viewing the little droplets of death as they were a mere arm length away from him.

The children flooded out the doors rather quickly, and for the longest minutes, it was loud and the air was filled with the chatter and noises of the students leaving the school. It was crowded and it was even loud enough to out sound the rain, though there were moments where thunder clapped, causing a slight flinch in everyone. Zim sighed, trying to think of a way back to his house. He wasn't too fond of the idea of having to call Gir, knowing that all he could do was pick him up with his...

Zim then remembered the accident they had, and realized that he would have to repair the damages done to Gir's body; not to mention the distrust and distance that emanated after that event. He groaned, having to cross out any option. For a while, he was trying to figure out any safe transportation home. Through that time thinking, he'd spent a good ten minutes there and the population of the people around died down. Zim had sat down beside the pillars and was lost within his thoughts. It was more quiet, however the rain only became stronger. The only benefit was that Dib was out of sight and Zim no longer felt the need to retch.

" Zim? What are you still doing here?" A voice asked. He turned and glanced up, looking at the owner of the voice. It was Ms. Zoe. Of course it was. Why wouldn't she come here at such a convenient time? Zim thought to himself with an inward groan.

" Waiting." He responded raggedly and looked back towards the distance.

" For what? Your parents?" She asked. Zim wondered and wanted rather badly for her to leave, however last time he expressed this as it was necessary, he was sent to the principal's office. It was really unpleasant, and judging now they were outside in the rain, doing so might lead to even more unpleasant places. He only scoffed at her remark, though his throat didn't allow it to be audible.

" For it to stop raining." He said. There were a few moments of silence, before he heard the sound of her jeans rustle. She knelt down beside him.

" You know, it's supposed to rain until 10:00 o'clock pm. You really plan to wait that long?" She asked. He could tell there was an amused smile on her face from the tone of her voice, and it irked him. Irked...what a stupid pun. He thought momentarily.

" If I have to." He sighed, and coughed. Zim still neglected to look at her, keeping his eyes at the rain before him. Still ticked about what happened before.

" Is this about your skin condition?" She asked. Zim only nodded. After wards, he was able to enjoy the peace, disregarding the rain, while he was sitting beside Ms. Zoe before she stood up again with a sigh leaving her nostrils.

" You're a good kid, Zim. You just need to learn to open up to people sometimes. I know must be hard with your skin condition...I can imagine the bullying."

Oh great. Here she goes...Dammit.

" I don't take personally to what happened earlier. It's been a while since you've last been here, and I know something must've happened that caused you to ditch school..."

Yeah? Keep guessing.

"...Here. Take my umbrella."

You can take your umbrella and stick it— Zim didn't finish the thought, and he looked up at her extended arm. She smiled lightly and she slipped it into his hands.

" I have a car. I don't mind getting wet. And besides. You need it more than I do." She said. Zim kept his eyes on the object she handed him for a while, before he glanced back up at her. He stood up slowly, and questioned the logic of her decision-making.

Ms. Zoe didn't expect a thank you, or any sign of gratitude. He was a very self-centered person, and he didn't seem to understand many things about the general generosity and benevolence many people have towards each other. She assumed it was this way because of his background, which she wasn't quick to judge him. After all, all types of people came from different settings and families. She only smiled, patted his shoulder, and continued strolling down the walk way. Zim stood there for a few moments, thinking about what just happened. Why it happened. And most of all...why he felt that feeling again. Though a few moments after wards, he shook his mind from it and walked home; cautiously, frightened, and nervously...but safely, nonetheless.