Invader Zim: Living With The Enemy

Home invader

Dib once again was coming home from Skool, walking slowly as he watched the birds and the people passing by. Gaz went gome earlier, but Dib preferred to observe the landscape and think along the way. And obviously he was thinking of Zim.

The alien didn't show up at Skool anymore and didn't even leave his house.

Should he worry? Zim could be up to some evil scheme, maybe worse than the last one... Or maybe he'd just given up? That was the first time he came close to actually destroying Earth, if that didn't work, what else would? Maybe Dib was worrying too much about a world that didn't give him any credit.

Even so, he couldn't stop thinking about it.

When Dib looked around again, he realized he was already in his yard.

Screw it. He decided that he would no longer worry, no matter what happened, he wouldn't let his obsession with Zim bother him. He was not going to become a chair again.

That day had everything to be great, so he put a smile on his face, walked to the door and opened it.

But as soon as he did, his smile faded.

"Hello, son! How was school?" His father greeted him. He was on the couch with a cup of tea in his hand, and sitting beside him... was Zim.

He was holding the small purple moose in his lap like a stuffed animal, and his robot/dog was running around the living room chasing a bug.

Clem and Gaz were both standing by the door, watching the scene. Clem looked confused, while Gaz just glanced at Dib and shrugged.

Dib couldn't answer. He wanted to scream, break something, kick the alien's butt so hard it would send him to Pluto, but he was paralyzed.

"Dad" he muttered, finally managing to form a word. "What is he doing here?"

"Oh, don't be so rude. You haven't seen each other in a while, so your friend decided to come visit. Isn't that right, Zim?

"Uhh... Yes! Certainly. I... well..." Zim looked at his hand and began to speak in an almost robotic tone, as if he was reciting something. "In the last few months I've been very sick and couldn't attend school, and because of that I missed my dear friend Dib so much that I decided to pay him a surprise visit. That's all.

An awkward silence made itself present.

"Aaand I'm leaving," Gaz announced, turning her back and going back to her room.

"And I'm, um... gonna make more pudding... In the garage" Clem said before throwing himself out the window.

Very helpful, Dib thought to himself. He took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"Daddy" He said in an innocent tone "Can we talk? In private?"

"I don't see what you have to tell me that you can't say in front of your friend" the scientist answered, but before he could finish the sentence, the boy had already pulled him into the kitchen.

"Are you serious?" Why did you let him in? What kind of joke is this?"

"I don't understand, why are you so hostile to this boy?"

"Zim is evil! He stole your business, sent you to Space Prison, replaced you with a clone and created a Florpus hole that nearly destroyed the whole planet!"

"I thought we agreed that this was just a hallucination. Everyone else did."

"He is an alien! We are not friends and will never be!"

"Dib." Professor Membrane began in a firm but calm tone. "Just listen, I'm doing this because I care about you."

Dib looked at him, and suddenly all the anger was gone, but replaced by confusion.

"You're doing this... For me?"

"You've never had many friends, and I know the kids at your school mock you because of your hobbies. You're a smart boy and I'm proud of you, but I don't want you to be alone. Zim is interested in science and wants to be your friend, so why don't you give him a chance?"

Dib blinked absorbing everything he just heard. His father never showed it that much, but he cared about him, and was doing it simply because he wanted him to have a friend. As horrible as Zim was, how could he say no?

"I..."

"Ehem." Before he could answer, they heard a sound coming from the kitchen entrance, and then both turned to see Zim standing there.

"Is there something wrong? Maybe I should come back later."

"Oh no, it's all right. We were just... playing rock, paper and scissors" Replied the scientist. "Son, why don't you show the guest room to your friend?"

"What?!" The boy exclaimed.

"His parents are on a work trip, so I suggested he stay at our house in the meantime."

"But... But..."

His father gave him a look that even behind the goggles he could understand what it said: "please, just try."

He sighed heavily.

"Right."

And so, unwillingly, Dib led the invader into the guest room.