Before the first rays of light struck the earth and the birds had risen to find a morning meal, the annoying sound of his phone ringing woke up Marshall Lee from his slumber. Great Glob, who the hell is it at this hour? He thinks bitterly as he rummages for his phone through a pile of skittles wrappers.
"Hello?" he says groggily into the receiver.
"How in the world do you expect me to help you if you don't open the door?!" an angry voice tells him.
"Gahh. I'm going!" He hangs up not even bothering for the person on the other end to reply. Still half asleep he searches for a clean pair of pants. Not caring for the tousle appearance he has on, he opens his bedroom door and makes his way to the front parlor, where someone is knocking on the front door. Waiting on the other side of the door is a beautiful woman in her mid 40's. Her jet black hair is pulled back in a tight, neat bun. Her pointy ears, adorned with big white pearls, stick out a bit. She has huge sunglasses and is carrying a black umbrella. But it was neither the ears nor the umbrella that makes her look so awkward against the rising morning. It is her outfit that makes her whole persona stand out like a sore thumb. She wears a dark purple pencil skirt and matching blazer with a blood red tie and red pumps. The dark purple makes her olive skin look much paler than intended and her make up looks exaggerated, almost as if she wanted martians to be able to tell that she is a woman. Marshall opens the door to let her in.
"Finally! Ugh, I thought that I was going to melt, had you only left me outside another minute." Heather Abadeer complains to her son.
"Oh wouldn't that have been a shame?" He replies to her, "Why do you insist on coming so early if you despise the sun?"
"Because, dear little Marshy, time is money and running a business is money, therefore, the more time I have the more money I am making." She laughs at her own joke.
Marshall rolls his eyes, "You make no sense" he says
"Once you take over the family business you will understand."
"I've already told you I am not going to take over." Marshall says as he closes the door.
"Oh that's right, you want to stick to your music and owning this dingy little place." She has begun to walk around the house, examining everything. "Doesn't anyone clean around here? It is filthy!" She wonders into the kitchen where Fionna is having breakfast by herself. The tall figure walking into the kitchen catches Fionna's eye. Likewise, the white ears Fionna wears catch Mrs. Abadeer's eye and makes her stop in her tracks.
"Who is this?" she asks with disgust in her tone of voice.
Fionna begins to answer when Marshall cuts her off, "She is no one, just an occupant that lives here." There is a monotonous tone in the way he answered that it hurt Fionna.
Mrs. Abadeer's voice changes to a playful, child-like tone, as she says slowly, "Hello, No One, my name is Heather Abadeer, pleased to make your acquaintance." She extends he hand for Fionna to shake it.
Fionna takes her hand and Heather pulls her out of her chair and into her embrace. "Such fine skin, feels so soft." She says holding Fionna's cheek and softly running here fingers along her collar bone. "I wondeer what it would look like smeared in red."
"Mother." Marshall says sternly, "Stop."
Heather lets go of Fionna, laughing as she says "I was only teasing No One, Marshy, why do you always have to ruin my fun?"
Mother? Scared Fionna thinks as she picks up her bowl and leaves it in the sink. She is trying to walk out unseen when Heather calls out to her.
"No One, wash your dish."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm more than sure you heard me, No One. Wash. Your. Dish." with each word Heather's voice turns sharper and mor commanding.
"Leave it, I will do it later." Marshall says.
"No!" his mother insists, "let her wash it, she was the one who dirtied it after all."
"If she does that, then she will be late to school. It's not a big deal, mother, I will do it later." Marshall and Heather stare at each other with hate in their eyes.
Fionna stands there awkwardly untill Marshall says to her "Didn't you hear me? I said you'll be late to school." She's slightly shocked at his harsh words. She can do nothingn but stand motionless and watch the staredown. "Leave." he commands, and she scurries out of the kitchen, grabs her keys, and immediately exits the Treehouse, upset with Mashall's rigid attitude.
"You've gotten soft Marshall, don't tell me that girl means something to you."
"No, she means nothing to me. She's just another person that lives here. Now can we please get down to business?"
"My pleasure" Heather Abadeer says with a sneer.
A disturbing sobbing noise attracts Gumball's attention. There shouln't be any students inside the building, for the bell had not rung yet. The sobbing came from the stairwell. As he gets closer, he finds that the crying belongs to a girl. Fionna. She sits on the very last step, her knees drawn up to her chest and her head buried between her knees. He sets his pink cofee cup down and takes a seat next to her. She takes no notice of him and continues to cry. He finally clears his throat and asks her "Are you ok?"
"No!" she replies, still crying.
"What's wrong?" he asks, genuinely concerned.
"Marshall's such a poopoohead." She lifts her head up from her knees and rests her face into Gumball's shoulder.
Chills run up and down Gumball's body at the unexpected hot breath on his neck. He puts an arm around Fionna's shoulder. "What happened?"
Quickly, she retold the events that had occurred that morning. "How could he be like that? I thought he loved me." She sobs more, staining Gumball's pink shirt.
"Fionna, some guys don't realize how precious something is untill they lose it. They choose to toss away all the good things in their lives without realizing how good they have it. Don't fret over the stupid things Marshall says, you are a beautiful young lady and any guy would be lucky to have you."
By this time, Fionna had stopped crying. Her eyes are red and her nose is stuffy. "You really think so?"
"Yes Fionna, I really think so." His eyes show sincerity.
"Oh, thank you Gumball." Fiona embraces Gumball in a tight hug, pressing her chest against his body. The bell rings and Fionna runs off to class, saying, "I'll see you in class" as she leaves.
Gumball stays seated on the stairs, his body still tingling with the feeling of Fionna's breath on his neck and her body against his. It seems as if he is going to be late for class once more.
(c) 2014 Cynthia Hernandez