Gumball banged his head on his locker. Repeatedly.
"Gumball?" Darwin scratched his head, "What are you doing? You'll give yourself brain damage!"
"Ugh!" Gumball gave one final bang! before turning to face his brother, "Not only do I not remember anything from the movie, but when I woke up in the theater, Penny was gone! At first, I thought she just needed fresh air or something, but she didn't come back! I tried to call her, and I searched the theater, I even visited her house! I don't know what happened to her!"
"She didn't get another ride?"
Gumball rubbed his forehead, "I don't know! Ugh! I feel so guilty!"
"Gumball?"
Gumball spun around, "Penny!?"
There was Penny. Her orange glow was closer to red, especially on her cheeks and nose, with red rimming her eyes. She was bundled up in her blue coat, but this time, she also had a hood over her head, casting a shadow over her eyes.
"PENNY! I'm sorry I lost you in the thea-!"
"It's fine! I uh...left early..." she coughed.
"What? We could've taken you home! Are you ok?"
"I..." she coughed again, pressing her mouth into her sleeve, "I'm fine..."
"B-but..."
Penny pressed her lips into Gumball's, silencing him.
Gumball pushed her away, "Penny, please don't scare me like that!"
"I'm sorry...I just..." she took a shaky breath, "I'll...see you later, ok?"
And just like that, she turned and left, leaving a speechless Gumball behind.
"Uh...Gumball?" Darwin poked Gumball's cheek, "You ok?"
"W-who me? Nono! I'mperfectlyfine can-you-not-see-how-fine-I-am? I'm great!"
There was a moment of silence.
Darwin crossed his arms, "You're not ok, are you."
Gumball sighed, "She made me worry! And did you see how sick she looked?"
"She probably just came down with something. No big deal."
Gumball cast his eyes around as students bustled about, getting ready for morning classes. The hallways of Elmore High were always busy it seemed.
"She wasn't glowing."
Darwin's eyes widened, "What?"
"Her glow was dim." Gumball stuck his cold hands in his pockets, "Her glow hasn't been that dim since she first broke out of her shell."
"Maybe it's just uh..." Darwin twiddled his fins, "uh..."
"Darwin..." Gumball twisted the combination on his locker, "Do you think she's mad at me about something?"
"She didn't seem mad. She did kiss you."
"Hm, Good point." Gumball licked his lips, wishing Penny would come back, "What should I do, then?"
"Try talking to her about it. That worked before."
"Hmmm...you know what? You're right!" Gumball grabbed a notebook from his locker before slamming it shut, "I'll speak to her as soon as I can!"
Darwin nodded in approval before the warning bell sounded, "I gotta go! Good luck, Gumball!"
Gumball sat in his desk waiting for the stupid clock to hurry up and let him out of this death hole. It also didn't help that Penny was right next to him, and she was only getting worse. She was more red in color, and her glow was getting dimmer. She also occasionally gave a very bad-sounding cough that put Gumball's nerves on edge.
Gumball tore a scrap from his notebook and scribbled a quick message, Are you ok? he folded the note and passed it to Penny. Back at their junior high, they could've just spoken to each other, but they were in high school now, where teachers actually gave a crap about students acting out of line. Plus, they were in the front of the room.
Gumball watched Penny unfold the note and squinted at the letters. Gumball had forgotten how bad his handwriting was. When Penny read the note, she glanced at Gumball, then she scribbled a note of her own. She carefully passed the note to Gumball's desk. Gumball got his fingers in a knot trying to unfold it;
I'm alright. I appreciate your concern, but you don't need to worry. 3
Gumball frowned. Not because he didn't like the note, but because he knew that she in fact, wasn't alright. He would get information soon, but he supposed that would need to wait. It wouldn't help to just keep pressing the issue.
He couldn't focus in class, of course...so he just watched and waited...and waited...and...waited...
Ring!
Finally! Gumball slung his bag over his shoulder and watched as everyone else left the classroom...except for Penny. She burst into another coughing fit.
Gumball lay a careful hand on her shoulder, "Penny, I really don't think you're ok. Can you please tell me what's wrong?"
Penny shakily exhaled, "Come here, Gumball." she headed down the hallway, Gumball curiously following close behind. When she was sure no one else was nearby, she stepped into the light of the sun.
"Ok...please don't freak out..." Penny grabbed the hem of her hood and threw it back.
Gumball's jaw dropped. Penny was translucent! The sunlight shone right through her, leaving her with a very thin shadow. Gumball could see the window behind her. The only thing that seemed clear was Penny's eyes.
Gumball covered his mouth with both hands, "Um...what happened?"
Penny sighed. Gumball was afraid she would shape-shift, but she never did. Instead, a few transparent tears slid down her cheeks.
"Penny? You're not gonna shape-shift?"
"I don't have the energy..." Penny took a shaky breath, "Ugh..." she replaced the hood over her head, "To be honest, I feel horrible..."
"What happened?" Gumball asked, taking one of her hands as if afraid they would break, "Why are you like this?"
"I'm just kind of sick. Dad yelled at me when he saw how frail I was. He said I needed help, but I just..." she shook, then she fell over, and Gumball just barely caught her. She wasn't even heavy.
"Penny! We need to get you to the hospital!"
"It won't work..." Penny whimpered, "They can't help..."
"Sure they can!" Gumball tried to calm her, "You'd come back alright!"
"No..." Penny tried to breathe, "I can't...I can't..."
"Breathe, Penny! Breathe!" Gumball stroked her back, "Just breathe..."
After Penny caught her breath, she shakily got to her feet and looked Gumball right in the eyes, "I can't! They'll lock me up! I'll never see you or anyone else again! You saw how everyone reacted to my shape-shifting!"
"But you're sick! You can't even shape-shift!" Gumball stroked her cheek, fragile as glass.
"But-but they..."
"Penny." Gumball rose an eyebrow, "Are you scared?"
Penny gazed down at the floor, "They'd never help me...I'm a monster..."
Gumball's heart hurt at the words. All these years, and she still believed that lie. Penny's nature as a shape-shifting fairy was pretty well known at this point. She had no control over her forms, though. She changed based on her emotions. Unfortunately, her emotions could be pretty explosive, especially since she broke out of her shell.
"Penny...who says you're a monster?"
"Everyone..." Penny gripped Gumball's left shoulder with her left hand, "everyone except...you..."
"Well then, they're big fat liars! Or they're sorely mistaken! You've never been a monster! You never will be a monster! Plain and simple!"
Penny stood up straight so she could look at gumball again, "Thanks..."
"Why won't you believe me?"
Ring!
"I have to go..." Penny pushed Gumball away and headed down the hallway, "I'll talk to you after school, ok?"
"Penny, don't..." but he couldn't find the words before she disappeared around the corner.
