Faint light shone into the siblings' room as soon as the sun rises. "HURRY! WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!" shouted Darwin as he is trying to wake Gumball up. Darwin slapped him, nudged him, poked him and jumping on top of him, but none of it works.
Honk!
"The bus has arrived!" shouted Nicole from downstairs before she goes to work in her uniform with the rainbow factory pinned on it.
"Darn! Should I leave him?" Darwin thought. "But, this is the first day of school..."
"Com'on Darwin, we're late," Lexy said, bustling her way down the stairs.
Darwin decided to leave him in his cosy bed and darted out of the house. Lexy and Darwin have boarded the bus. Anais was studying in college as he grades excel beyond normal expectation while her siblings still studying in Elmore Senior High.
Five minutes have passed since the bus left, Nicole had gone to work while Gumball just woke up. He glanced at the digital clock and noticed the time, seven fifty-five; five more minutes before school begin.
He sprung out the bed, hastened to get dressed and brushed his teeth in a rapid speed. Afterwards, he left the house where Richard was sitting on his favourite sofa watching the television. Gumball greeted him before leaving. There's no way he could make it, he thought.
Without a second thought, he got in a sprinting posture. Bum lifted high with his legs and arms in the perfect position. Lunging forward as he sprint relentlessly without stopping, dodging and jumping over everything in his way. Just as the school bell rang, he was catching his breath in front of the school just right after the bus arrived.
"Did you rush to school?" Colin asked with Penny, Darwin, and Lexy around him as they came out from the bus. They looked at him, pitied that he didn't catch the bus.
"Yes, I did…. On second thought, it's exhausting," Gumball gasped, catching some air while breathing heavily.
As he felt a bit better, they entered the school together. Carrie glanced at him, averted her eyes instantly and blushed unknowingly.
Gumball, Lexy and Jason are studying in the same classroom while their friends were in the different classroom.
"Okay class, I will be teaching you about the fundamental of sociology," said Mr. Green, their lecturer, who wears a pair of glasses and looks like he's in his mid-twenty.
Everyone shouted inside their heart in disbelief, "No!" implying that it would be boring from the beginning to the end of the period. Gumball gazed out of the window from his seat; third row counting vertically. He stared at blank space without thinking anything, boredom established in his mind. He turned away from the window, looking at Jason. "Psst! Psst!" He hissed silently, trying to avoid catching Mr. Green's attention.
Jason was sitting in the same row as Gumball, only two tables away. Gumball uttered at him few more times until he caught his attention. "What?" Jason raised his eyebrows for response.
"Any? Pal," Gumball signalled, communicating with their own sign language.
"False alarm?" Jason responded, thinking of escaping the boredom-ness of Mr. Green lectures.
Gumball shook in disagreement. "Remember what happened last time?" He whispered/
They recalled the incident. Jason flicked a small piece of rubber and accidentally hit the alarm bell outside of the class. Everyone was driven to chaos as they tried to run out of the school only to realise that there is no fire. Gumball, Jason, Lexy and Colin were the only left sitting in the classroom. Gumball and Jason were given detention even though Gumball only gave suggestion where Jason acted.
"Oh…. Then?" Jason replied.
"How about we sneak out of the class by going to the bathroom? 20 minutes left before recess-"
Mr. Green's cell phone rang. He stopped his lecture and pulled it out. The ringing stopped; Mr. Green received a message from the principal as he viewed it. He slides his cell phone back into his pocket, "Okay, everyone!" He silenced the classroom. "Principal Harlow would like a volunteer for a foreign student exchange program from this class." He said.
Gumball lifted his right hand without hesitation. Only then he noticed that it was too late to retrieve his hand, as he thought it was something fun.
"Gumball Watterson. So, you want to volunteer? Well, come with me to the principal's office. No retreating from the decision that you have made. Face it like a man!" the bell rang right after Mr. Green finished his words.
Mr. Green left the classroom. "Gumball… really?" Lexy doubted.
"I thought it was something fun and a possible getaway from school…," Gumball responded hectically.
"You do know that you are going abroad?" said Jason.
"Perhaps?" Lexy and Jason sighed.
"I should take my leave. Principle Harlow might be waiting," said Gumball, abruptly leaving the classroom.
"He does not know what he is doing, isn't he?" Jason muttered.
"Like usual… The same old Gumball we know," Lexy agreed to what Jason said.
Gumball walked out of the class and to Principal Harlow's office. When he arrived, he saw a grey shaded girl outside the door's window. He turned the knot and entered only to notice it was actually Carrie with a more feminine look, curved body, long, slightly curvy hair like usual, some covered one of her eyes.
"Hey...," Gumball greeted.
Carrie greeted back. "Okay, Carrie Krueger and Gumball Watterson. Am I right?" said Principle Harlow. "Both of you will be going to London apparently. The time of your departure will be at afternoon 12 o'clock on Saturday. Any questions?"
"Erm...for how long we will be staying over there?" Gumball questioned.
"About 3 to 5 months. That's the very least you both could, anymore?"
Harlow waited, before he told them where they'll be exchanged to and the accommodation they're staying during the program.
"A house has been provided for you by the Milestone High School, free of charge. Every daily necessaries you needed has been provided without having to pay for electricity or water bill or anything. Except if you know how to cook, then everything should be free," Harlow noted.
"Okay…," Gumball uttered.
"That's all I have to inform you guys. Well, go back and tell your parents about this. I will be very happy if they agree to let you two to partake in this program. You may return to your class," Harlow bade with warm smile as he watches the two left his office.
Gumball and Carrie left the office, glancing at other intimately.
"Why would you want to volunteer yourself?" Carrie wondered.
"I have no idea…. Probably trying to get away from this misery place," Gumball replied.
"School is fun, to be honest. Don't take it seriously and it would be interesting."
"This is Elmore. Everything here is interesting to begin with," Gumball asserted.
"Yeah...that might be true. Anyway, see you later," Carrie agreed. The two bade each other as Carrie returned to her classroom.
Gumball make his way to the toilet and just as he entered. He felt like his forearm is burning.
"Argh! What in the world— it hurts!" Gumball cried, it felt like hot boiling water poured onto his it. The burning sensation stayed for a brief moment before dismissed. Gumball is breathing heavily while trying to make up his thoughts. He left the toilet moments later after washing his face before returning to his classroom.
The recess bell rang. Gumball, Lexy and Jason went to the canteen to join Darwin and the others. The three held a tray filled with a sandwich, a small box of milk and a plate of salad as they found Colin sitting by himself. They joined him and begin digging into their breakfast.
"So, I heard that you took part in the student exchange program. Where are you been exchanged to?" Colin asked.
"London," Gumball replied in monotone.
"When?" Lexy continued.
"This Saturday 12 o'clock in the afternoon."
"For how long you're leaving?" Jason asked.
"Few months,"
While Gumball was about to take a spoon on his tray to consume the salad, Lexy noticed there's a scar on his above his forearm. She then questioned about it. Gumball told her that he did not know how he got the scar.
Gumball felt the scar with his other hand, surprised that it is fresh. Gumball recalled the burning sensation he had in the toilet before returning to his classroom, however, he did not mention the event to them.
"Strange… since when did you obtain a scar?" Jason uttered.
"Hey Darwin," Lexy called as she saw him, walking towards their direction with his food.
Darwin joined them at the table. Chattering and laughter feel their atmosphere. The bell rang again as recess ended. They all went to their own classroom and continued study. Gumball spent his whole time looking at the scar. Suddenly, another strip appeared instantly, startled him as he tries to hide the feeling. It's much more like a tattoo now rather than a scar the more he observed at it.
"Gum…ball…," an indistinct voice stammered beside his ear.
He turned, looking around for the people who call his name but couldn't tell who actually called him. He then focused on the lecture, unwanted to know about the scar or tattoo at the back of his right forearm
After school ended, everyone went home – do the things they liked for the most.
"Okay, Gumball. By my calculation, you should be able to fly with this soda jetpack for roughly 'bout five minutes," Lexy said.
Gumball, Lexy, and Darwin continued their misadventure. They were on a cliff, testing out their personally designed soda jetpack.
"Are you sure? I still remember what happened last time and it ended in the most unfashionable way," Gumball asked, feeling uncertainty.
"Yes I am. Don't worry. This cliff isn't as high as you thought after all," Lexy replied. The cliff was actually approximately 100 meters from the bottom. If they were to slip, they would die instantly or break a limb of two if the trees delay them from falling at a rapid speed.
Lexy signalled at Darwin as he pushed him down. Gumball panicked, his face turned pale as he wasn't ready to be push down the cliff, yet. He yelled in terror. Lexy shouted to him, telling him to open the cap of the soda. He pulled the string which was supposed to pull the cap off but it failed. "IT'S USELESS!" He shouted back.
He tries to open the both the cap simultaneously with his hands and he managed just before he hits the ground. He soda pushed off like burning jet fuel.
"It works!" Lexy and Darwin were in relieve.
Gumball performed a 360-degree loop, leaving a trail of soda as if like the gases used in aerobatic. He spun above his siblings then circling a portion of the forest under the mountain. A spectacular view indeed but worst thing always comes after it. Lexy wondered how he's going to get down safely. "Gumball! Come back! The soda is running out," Lexy yelled.
"Huh," Gumball turned and looked the volume of the liquid, almost finished. He quickly rushed to the cliff. At the very last distance and he thought he was going to make it, the bottle drained out only a few meters away the cliff, causing him to fall rapidly from the sky. His siblings immediately rushed down, hoping they make it in time to catch him.
Before a few meters from hitting the ground, he felt the sharp pain again on his forearm; a finishing touch of line burned onto the scar.
Gumball was too afraid, ignoring the pain and hoped that he would still be alive after reaching the ground. The strips emitted a faint light. He caught a glimpse of it and it glows even brighter and something unexpected happened...
