DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING from The Amazing World of Gumball, including characters, places, or any other references that may appear in this story. Not a thing.

Chapter 37

Evening

The front door opened and Richard, having finished his tenth bag of popcorn that day, looked from the TV and saw his three children walk in.

"Hey, Kids!" said Richard jovially. "How was school?"

"Well, Gumball forgot me on our science report and then made up for it by giving a speech in front of the whole school and then won himself a pie and an MP3 player for Rachel, a girl who I really like," Darwin said happily. "Oh, and he also typed an entire essay in five minutes without any prior preparation."

Richard stared for a few seconds, then said, "Hmm! That's sounds like a good day. What about you, Anais? How were your classes?"

"Meh, most of it was child's play — no pun intended," she responded. "But there were some interesting bits. The Pep Fest, for one, was a blast, not to mention surprising since Gumball gave that speech. I must say," she smiled, "his rhetoric was mildly impressive. But besides that, science class is going great for me. I'm currently studying something called the Heisenberg Particle Distortionation-inator with our new science teacher: a guy named Dr. D of D.E. Incorporated. He wouldn't give us his name or the title of his organization because he said it would be copyright infringement — for whatever reason," Anais added on a curious shrug.

Richard blinked. "Uh . . . What was that you're studying? The Heisenberg what?"

"The Heisenberg Particle Distortionination-inator," Anais repeated.

"The Heisenberg Possible Disproportionination-alotter?" asked Darwin.

"No, the Heisenberg Particle Distortionination-inator," Anais said again in irritation.

"The Heisenberg Plottable Dispropopulation-incinerator?" Richard blurted out, his head starting to hurt.

Anais gritted her teeth. "GRRRRR! NO! Listen to me! I'll say it slowly! The Heisenberg-Particle-Distortion-ination-iNATOR!"

Five whole seconds passed. Richard stared at Anais with his mouth open, Darwin's eye twitched involuntarily, and Gumball, having heard enough about a horribly-named invention that would undoubtedly fail with the touch of a button, reached for the TV remote and flipped past a channel about food and onto the colorful intro of a show that caught Anais, Darwin, and Richard's attention immediately.

"OOH!" Richard said excitedly. "It's the show about the ponies!"

Anais and Darwin both hesitated. The former asked cautiously, "A Pony's Tail?"

"What?" asked Richard in bewilderment. "No, no, no! Not that cheap, third-rate movie. This is the fourth generation. The modern masterpiece that tells stories about cute, multicolored rocking horses!"

Anais and Darwin burst into eager squeals. "Make room!" they shouted, jumping onto both their father's sides and becoming instantly absorbed in a delightful story with beautiful animation, likable characters, and songs you'd actually want to hear (at least until the later seasons).

"OOH!" said Darwin. "It's the one where the princess and her dragon go back in time! Which is odd because this episode won't premiere until 2015!"

"OOH!" Anais replied. "Already there's an unexplained paradox! Good thing this isn't a fanfiction or everyone would totally rip on it in the comment section!"

Gumball smirked at the excitement from his siblings and father, then walked off to the kitchen.

"Hey, Gumball," Anais said, getting him to stop and look back. "Don't you want to watch with us?"

"I'd love to, sis, but I want to see if Mom needs help with dinner. You guys just relax, okay?"

Nicole, who had been searching through the kitchen cabinets, heard this and turned in time to see her son walk in.

"Hey, Mom," he greeted. "How was your day?"

"Oh, fine," she said, pulling an apron on over her head. "The office was busy, as usual, but nothing out of the ordinary." Smiling, she added, "I trust your day went all right? Did Penny like the flowers?"

"Oh, boy, did she," Gumball answered happily. "Thanks again, Mom."

"No problem, sweetie," she said, tying her apron tight. With an overwhelming amount of curiosity, she blushed and asked in a hushed voice, "Did she kiss you?"

Gumball's face took on a light red. "Not on the lips," he muttered.

Nicole crossed the kitchen quickly and threw her arms around her son, picking him right off the ground. "That's wonderful, Gumball! A few more good deeds like that and you two will be going steady!"

Gumball chuckled. "Yeah. Maybe. Anyway, Mom," he added, "before anything else happens, I was wondering. Can I help you with dinner?"

Nicole's jubilation calmed itself as she looked at her son curiously. "Dinner?"

"Yeah. You know, the evening meal?"

Nicole couldn't help but chuckle ash she placed him back down. "Gumball, you get kissed by a girl and the thing you want to talk about is dinner?"

"Well . . . I want to help you," said Gumball, blushing. "Is that okay?"

Nicole smiled gently. "Of course. I'd love your help."

After Gumball fitted on a spare apron, Nicole asked, "Can you go into more detail as we cook, though? About you and Penny, I mean."

Gumball laughed. "Sure. In fact, there's something about her I wanted to ask you anyway. But that can wait . . . for a while."

If Nicole was hearing correctly, she thought Gumball sounded a little awkward in this.

"So," said Gumball on a different note. "Baked macaroni with bread crumbs and bacon bits sound good?"

"Yes," said Nicole, slightly impressed. "You read my mind, actually. How'd you know?"

Gumball shrugged. "Lucky guess."

And together, mother and son both got busy with dinner. As they let the macaroni boil and soften, Gumball started to chop up leftover bacon while Nicole crumbled the bread.

Darwin, Anais, and Richard were still watching cartoons, and thus didn't hear the conversation taking place in the kitchen.

"I guess we can do that after dinner," said Nicole a few minutes after she and Gumball started talking. "You and the others have no homework and clean up should be quick and easy. Yeah . . ." she looked up in thought, smirking, "I think that'll be fun."

"Thanks, Mom."

After the macaroni, cheese, bacon, and bread were mixed and placed into the glass dish, Gumball carefully placed it into the oven and turned to his mother.

"Mom," he said. "One last thing."

"Yes?"

"It's . . . um . . .well, it's. . ."

Nicole stared. She could tell that whatever her son wanted to ask was baffling, perhaps troubling even.

"Gumball, honey," she said, kneeling down to his level and placing her hands on his shoulders. "It's okay. You can tell me."

Gumball stared at her for a while, as though mentally debating what he should do, then said, "Okay. Look . . . the truth is, Mom . . . Penny wasn't the only girl I talked to today."

Nicole raised an eyebrow. "Okay . . ."

"Mom . . . I want your opinion. You see . . . there's . . . this other girl. Her name's Carrie . . ."

The evening passed quickly and quietly over the little neighborhood, the fading sun casting its radiance over the many houses and treetops. The cars were returning home and parked either in their drives or on the curb, and Larry, humming a light tune, was riding his bicycle home after another steady day of work. Despite the countless jobs he held, most of which involved him being everywhere at once, the simple, lean, rock-headed man had a smile on his wide face and was looking forward to some much-needed relaxation at home — right before his night job at the school concession stand, that is. A plus in Larry's book, considering he'll get to watch the game between Elmore and Seymore.

Passing the Watterson household, Larry made sure to slow down as his bike's front tire dropped an inch from the bump in the sidewalk. As this happened, he gripped the bike's handle bars and felt the seat push firmly against his bottom like a soft kick, but otherwise kept his balance. Silently thanking Gumball once again for the heads-up from this morning, Larry continued on home with no unwanted surprises.

However, as he peddled past the Robinson house, he could've sworn he heard someone from inside moaning with intense pleasure.

An eyebrow raised, Larry listened closely,

"Oh, beautiful pie," came an old man, speaking in a loving, tender voice, "I'm going to take my sweet, sweet time with you."

Larry's eyes bulged and his face turned bright red.

"Keep riding along, Larry," he muttered. "This city has enough weirdos as is."

And so off he went, humming his tune and trying to ignore the creepy scenario now constructing itself inside his head.

While Gaylord Robinson happily helped himself to dessert before dinner (much to Margaret's irritation), the sounds of chewing could also be heard from inside the Watterson house, as could the aroma of cheese mixed with bacon.

"MMMmmmmmm," Richard moaned with delight as he helped himself to seconds. "Wonderful, Nicole. You've really outdid yourself."

"Thanks, dear," she replied while chewing. "But a lot of the credit goes to Gumball."

"Eh, it's just macaroni," Gumball shrugged, spiking another cheesy bite onto his fork. "I'm sure Anais could've come up with something better."

Anais, eating from her highchair, responded, "Thanks for the confidence, Gumball, but I'm more into science, not the culinary arts. And besides," she added with slight distain, "Mom won't let me use the stove or oven."

"You're only four-years-old, sweetie," Nicole reminded.

"Yeah, a four-year-old who does college-level calculus, and who helps with the bills, AND who files your tax returns," Anais retorted. "But . . . I have to agree that it's probably for the best I stay away from the stove and other such appliances, at least until I'm nine or ten. I'll just leave the cooking to those better suited for it. After all, someone's got to do the paperwork around here," she added smugly.

Gumball chuckled at his sister's wit. Nicole merely rolled her eyes and struggled not to grin. It was no secret that Anais was far more skilled than her when it came to the house's finances, but who was she to complain or feel jealous? Just meant one less job for her to worry about.

Once dinner was wrapped up, Darwin and Gumball entered the kitchen after volunteering to clean the dishes, or rather, Gumball volunteered and their mother requested that Darwin help out. Not that Darwin was complaining; the dishes were one chore he didn't mind, seeing as they involved water.

As he scrubbed the plates and silverware, and his brother dried and stored them away, Darwin noticed just how calm and complacent Gumball was. The soft smile on his face, the way he hummed an unknown tune (and the fact that he was humming at all) — it felt both lively and centered. And for someone who managed to type an 800-word essay in under five minutes and present said essay to the whole school, seeing his brother look so meek and average was quite unexpected.

"Hey, uh, Gumball?" said Darwin, handing his brother the last plate.

Taking the dish, Gumball replied, "Yeah?"

"What's been up with you today?"

Gumball looked at him curiously as he wiped down the plate. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" Darwin repeated on a raised eyebrow. "I mean everything that's happened today. First Mom's broken plate, then saving Larry before he fell off his bike, then you telling me about the 'F' on our science report —"

"Darwin, I apologized for that," Gumball said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, and I'm not mad anymore. Really, Gumball, I forgive you. But now that you mention it, there's something about your essay that's still bugging me. How did you manage to write it so fast again?"

"Oh . . . well, uh, y-you know . . ." Gumball said, looking down to a fork he was making a strong effort to dry completely. "I told you already on the bus, Darwin. I had the theme for the essay in mind for quite a while and it was just a matter of having a reason to write it out quickly. The deal I made with Miss Simian was the proper motivation, so I made sure to finish it in record time."

"And practically destroying the keyboard you wrote the thing on," came a voice from behind. The two brothers turned and saw Anais standing in the entryway. She, too, was looking at Gumball with unmistaken curiosity. "Gumball, I just got off the phone with Bobert."

"Bobert?" repeated Darwin. "Why would he be calling?"

"He asked me if I would like to work with him on an algorithm he's been theorizing over." At this, she turned to Gumball. "Apparently someone suggested I'd make a good partner."

"Uh . . . sorry?" said Gumball, looking uneasy. "I just thought —"

"Relax, Gumball," said Anais with a chuckle, "I told Bobert I'd be glad help out. And thank you for recommending me," she finished with gratitude. "Theoretical algorithms are a big interest of mine."

"Oh. Uh, you're very welcome."

"But anyway," she continued, walking up to him, "about that essay you wrote. Bobert told me how you almost broke the keyboard, saying you were writing approximately four words per second."

"Oh . . .uh, did I?" Gumball said modestly, turning to look away from his siblings. "Why are you guys bringing this up? I thought I explained myself on the bus. In fact, I was just telling Darwin —"

"Gumball, that's 240 words per minute," Anais stressed. "If Bobert did his math right — and he usually does — I see no reason to suspect otherwise. What's got me stumped, however, is how on earth it could've happened."

Turning to look at his little sister, Gumball asked, "Well . . . w-what do you think happened?"

"To my logic, there are currently two possibilities: one, you were hit a with an inexplicable, temporary brain-boost that pushed your motor skills into God mode. Or two: you had that entire speech memorized down to the last period and you simply transferred it from brain to paper. So, Gumball?" Anais asked expectantly. "Care to explain?"

"I already told you two on the bus," he repeated. "I made a deal with Miss Simian to raise Darwin's grade, and that's why I worked so fast."

"But what about when you gave the speech?" asked Darwin, eyeing Gumball curiously, handing him another fork to dry. "What about then?"

"What about it?"

"You gave it without a script, Gumball," Anais explained. "You presented it with your hands free and kept the final draft in your pocket. It's hard enough to believe you worked as fast as you did to finish it, but you're also saying you managed to memorize it in just two hours?"

Gumball sighed and placed down the last piece of silverware. "It was difficult, I won't lie. But, as I said, I had the general idea planned out. I knew what I wanted to say to everyone, so all I had to do was keep myself calm and just talk. That was the real challenge I faced, not writing it out. Speaking of which, was there something about my speech you two didn't like?"

The two younger siblings shook their head.

"I thought it was good," said Darwin.

"Me as well," Anais agreed. "Perhaps a little cheesy in a couple spots, as you pointed out, but, all in all, pretty good. And again, smart move including the work cited page."

"Thanks," said Gumball, packing the silverware back into its drawer. Closing it, he folded the dish towel and said, "Well, all finished. Come on, guys. We better get ready. The game's not going to wait for us."

He walked out of the kitchen quickly, before Anais and Darwin could say another word on the subject of his essay.

They two siblings turned to one another.

"So. . .?" asked Darwin.

"Meh, I guess it was just a spurt of genius," Anais said with a shrug. "We all get them every now and then. I just never expected one from our big brother. But, then again, I guess everyone has their lucky day, and today's been pretty good for Gumball."

"Okay. Everyone ready?" asked Nicole from behind the steering wheel.

"Yep," said the husband and three kids.

"No bathroom breaks needed? No homework accidentally or intentionally forgotten?" she asked, eyeing the children strictly.

"Nope," they replied.

A smile popped into life onto Nicole's face. "Okay, then. Let's go cheer on our team. Go Mustangs!"

"GO MUSTANGS!" the others cheered as Nicole started up the car and drove off down the street, the sky overhead nearly black as the neighborhood was cast into silhouetted shapes against a shaded blue.

When the Wattersons arrived, the school parking lot was packed. In the distance, the football field was lit with tall, hot lights and the stands were full of people. At this distance, the spectators looked like little dots, giving the impression that the seats were vibrating with excitement.

"Hmm…," said Nicole, as she and Richard looked left and right. "Where can we park?"

"Oh, I hope it won't be like that one time at the parking ramp," said Richard worriedly. "I couldn't feel my legs for a week after that.

"Mom," Gumball called from the backseat. "Drive down to the end and take a left. There's only one parking spot remaining."

"Really?" Nicole stretched her neck and tried to gaze over the cars, trucks, and vans surrounding her. "How can you tell?"

"I caught a glimpse of it as we entered."

Sure enough, when Nicole turned the corner, there it was: a clear, empty parking spot that seemed to shine with moonlight, beckoning the Wattersons to come forth and claim it.

Anais stared out her window with a dry, annoyed look. "Had to be the farthest away from the field, didn't it?"

"Sorry, Sis," said Gumball. "Sometimes beggars just can't be choosers, even in the best of plans."

"Oh, well," said Darwin optimistically. "We could always use the exercise."

"Exercise?" Richard exclaimed. "Isn't the point of football to watch other people exercise and feel the thrill without the exhaustion of doing it yourself?"

"It's just a short walk, Richard," Nicole said calmly, opening her car door. "We'll get there in plenty of time."

It was as Anais had said, however, as everyone saw when they exited the car. They had parked on the very edge of the backmost row away from the field. Rows of vehicles lined the path towards the crowed stands; from this distance, all that could be heard was the faint chatter of numerous voices, all emitting with anticipation for the upcoming sport.

The voices grew louder with each step taken, and as the Wattersons made it off the school parking lot and onto the green grass, they felt a vibrant beat of energy that seemed to be pulsing from the field ahead.

After buying four bags of popcorn — one large for Gumball, Darwin, and Anais to share, a small one for Nicole, and two extra-large for Richard — the family grabbed a front row spot right at the edge of the end zone for Elmore. Looking around on their side of the stands, they saw people waving horse dolls, signs with large M's, and fans of all ages either dressed in Mustang jerseys or wearing the respected colors of red and yellow.

A couple of the signs read:

FULL HORSE POWER!

STAMP ON SEYMORE!

GRILL THE GRIZZLIES!

MUSTANGS ARE A MUST-WIN!

Across the field, separated by the numbers and yard lines, the supporters from Seymore were seated. In opposition to the Elmore side, this vast collection of people were dressed in brown and white, waving signs with S's, and were showing off their team's mascot: a savage looking grizzly bear.

Down the row where he and his family were, Gumball saw Penny, Teri, Molly, and Carmen seated on a small bench, talking amongst each other with their pompoms at the ready.

It was at this moment, as he was looking over, that Teri noticed him, who then tapped Penny's shoulder and pointed his way.

Penny's face lit upon seeing him and waved her pompom while showing her sweet smile. Bashfully, he waved back.

"Hi, Gumball," came a soft voice from behind.

To his sides, he heard his brother, sister, mother, and father gasp in surprise, but Gumball only smiled and turned.

"Hey, Carrie," he greeted. "You doing all right?"

She nodded, floated through Gumball and hovered over the grass, then said. "I can still taste the chocolate mint cake."

Gumball chuckled. "Well, that's good."

"Oh, hello," said Nicole, smiling at the ghost girl. "Are you a friend of Gumball's?"

Before Carrie could answer, Darwin spoke up, "Yeah. She's in our class. She and Gumball have known each for a long time."

"Yeah," said Gumball, smiling at the memory. "Since elementary school."

"I'm Carrie," she said, waving to Nicole and Richard .

"Hey. . .," said Richard with a mouthful of popcorn, some of the kernels falling to the ground. Swallowing, he continued, "I know you. You're that ghost girl who sometimes comes around asking if Gumball's around." Looking up curiously, he added, "Strangely, it's always when Gumball isn't around."

These words caused Carrie to blush and rub her arm awkwardly. Nicole, Darwin, and Anais raised their eyebrows in her direction. Gumball, meanwhile, just smiled at her.

"Carrie?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you and Penny have a good talk?"

A few heavy seconds passed in which Gumball and Carrie stared at one another. Eventually, Carrie gave him a soft, understanding look, and nodded.

"She wants to talk with you later."

"Okay," Gumball replied evenly. "Will do."

"Gumball?" asked Anais. "What are you two talking about?"

"Oh, just something between us, Sis," said Gumball casually. "You don't have to worry."

"You sure about that?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Of course," Gumball answered, smirking. "Anais, just because I rely on you, doesn't mean I need you all the time."

The Mustangs stormed onto the field with strength and pride, ready to play and win. And their rivals, the Grizzlies, did so with the same vigor — savage roar and all. Cheer and support were met on all ends, filling the field and that little side of Elmore with noise. Larry, acting as the referee (and somehow the concession stand guy, the ticket vendor, AND the medical backup in case of emergencies), blew his whistle, signaling the start of the game.

From that point onward, the players began their barrage of tackles, passing, sprinting, and concussion-causing excitement, and the crowd was just eating it up.

Gumball, meanwhile, was enjoying more than just the game. His mother put on quite a funny (and slightly embarrassing) display whenever the Mustangs made progression. She WHOOPED, pumped her arms, hopped madly, and even spilt her bag of popcorn all over Richard as he and the kids watched with wide-eyed surprise at how the game seemed to feed Nicole like sugar. But nobody complained; she was enjoying herself, same as several other crazed fans.

Not long after the first quarter, Rachel, like Carrie, found the Wattersons and chose to sit beside Darwin, allowing the goldfish to spend some quality time with his girlfriend while the game went on.

Even Anais, who wasn't that into football, found a way to pass the time by talking to Bobert, who was sitting close by and also wasn't that interested in the game. They discussed theories, ideas, and an assortment of sophisticated speech that passed over Gumball's head of comprehension. But still, it was nice to see his little sister enjoy herself.

A cool, tingling sensation came to his right. Turning his head, he saw Carrie resting against him, her eyes closed, smiling peacefully. As much noise as the game was attracting, Gumball found the quiet girl more exceptional than the ongoing sport.

And yet. . .

He turned towards the cheerleaders. Penny's posture was no less energetic than it had been at the beginning. She waved her pompoms and chanted cheers along with the others. Frowning and without taking his eyes off his crush, Gumball placed his hand atop Carrie's and gave it a light squeeze.

He lost track of how long he stayed like this: Carrie's hand resting in his, his eyes on Penny's cheering, and his mind boggled with a question he had yet to discover the answer to.

After all this time, he still didn't have all the answers. . . .

By the game's midpoint, however, Gumball's focus readjusted itself. Nicole was still shouting her loud WHOOs!, Richard was on his fifth bag of popcorn, and Anais, Darwin, Rachel, and Bobert were all watching the game with their own reasons for doing so.

Gumball, meanwhile, began to watch the game with sharper perception. The score was 20 to 17, with Seymore in the league. Elmore had suffered an unfortunate setback when one of its players got the sack and the ball was intercepted in mid-throw, allowing the Grizzlies a rush to the end zone.

Larry, who was also commentating the game (somehow), sucked in a deep breath of trepidation. "OOOOH! The Mustangs are getting shaky in their gallop, for the Grizzlies have intercepted the half-line and made a rollercoaster for the home side. And in case my words are lost to the less sports savy, just image it however you wish; it's what people usually do when they listen to the commentator. Seriously, I'm not reading a script here, I'm just saying whatever comes off the top of my head. And now, back to the game! Let's see if the Mustangs can catch up."

But the game was not improving in Elmore's favor. The players were facing setbacks left and right. One caught the ball but was immediately tackled afterwards into the Seymore stands. Another, who was running with the ball, got picked up by a particularly large player, then carried across the field before being forced to stop just six yards from the goal line. And perhaps the most memorable and tragic play of all — just when Elmore had the ball back in play, seven opposing players swarmed and smothered him to the point where he lost consciousness.

"And the Grizzlies have ambushed one unlucky Mustang by jumping him like a pack of wolves. The ball has literally left the Earth's gravitational pull and I think the poor horse may be out for the count. Will he wake up in time to see his team pull off some kind of miracle? At this point, nobody knows." Larry then let out a deep breath. "Man, this commentating's a chore!" Realizing he just spoke his thoughts aloud into the microphone, he quickly resumed, "Uh, disregard that slipup, folks, and now we — wait, what's this? Someone from the Elmore side is shouting to the crowd!"

Indeed, someone was. Gumball had gotten to his feet and, to his family's and Carrie's surprise, was yelling in a voice they never would've expected from him.

"Come on, people!" he exclaimed. "What are you groaning for? It's only half time! Get the horseshoes out of your pants and tell your team to gallop!"

"Gumball, what are you doing?" asked Nicole, glancing around and, much to her awkwardness, saw that her son was attracting quite a lot of attention.

"Let's go, everyone! Your team needs you! Shout and cheer at the top of your lungs! MUSTANGS! MUSTANGS! MUSTANGS!"

A couple people started to cheer, but it was a far cry compared to the sounds of the team fumbling yet again to Seymore.

Carrie drifted down next to Gumball, and, much to her intense dislike of being the center of attention, she joined him in cheering.

"MUSTANGS! MUSTANGS! MUSTANGS!"

Richard, Anais, and Darwin joined right after. Then Rachel and Bobert. Then, after shrugging, "Oh, what the heck?" Nicole did as well.

Penny and the cheerleaders, who noticed Gumball's rooting, ran over and joined in the praise. Together, standing next to her beloved blue cat and ghostly friend, Penny waved her pompoms and, with as much spirit as she could, shouted, "MUST IS OUR CRY! MUST IS TO WIN! GO MUSTANGS! GALLOP! GALLOP! GALLOP TO VICTORY, VICTORY, VICTORY! GOOOOOOOOOOOO MUSTANGS!"

The whole crowd had joined in now, the whole game paused in wonder at the support the crowd from Elmore was bellowing.

"AND THE CROWD," Larry shouted into the microphone, "is on the verge of breaking the stands! They are adamant in whipping those Mustangs to give it their all! Just look at those cheerleaders pumping their hearts out!"

The players, who had begun to look dejected, stiffened in posture at the support they received.

"YOU HEAR 'EM!" cried the quarterback to his team. "LET'S GIVE 'EM A SHOW, BOYS!"

The team gave a simultaneous, aggressive nod and lined up again to face the opponents. They leaned over, ready to charge and exude all their horsepower into what their fans and city was ushering them to do.

And with that, the real game began.

The crowd was beside themselves with tears. Shouting and laughing, the fans jumped in celebration as their team ran together and leapt into hugs of excitement and victory.

Larry was losing his mind inside the commentator's booth.

"THE MUSTANGS HAVE WON IT! THE MUSTANGS PULLED IT OFF! ELMORE'S GOING TO THE QUARTERFINALS! THEY DID IT! WOOHOO!

There was so much noise in the air that Gumball couldn't distinguish anything through the happy euphoria. In his arms, Penny and Carrie were both hugging him, their heads nudging against his as they hopped with jubilation.

It was over fifteen minutes before the crowds finally grew quiet and the field cleared. Cars began to pull from the parking lot and the night's effect began to lay its strength upon the city of Elmore.

The Wattersons, tuckered out after so much cheering, were making their way to their car, until,

"Hey, Gumball!"

He turned. A little ways away, next to the emptying stands, Penny was standing with her pompoms in one hand, waving him over, the other cheerleaders gone. Carrie was floating beside her, looking in his direction.

"Uh, Mom?" he said. "I'll be just a second."

Nicole looked over at the kind peanut and the shy ghost. "Sure, sweetie," she said. "Go on."

Gumball rushed over to the two girls. "Hey, what's up?"

Penny and Carried looked at each other, then to Gumball.

"Uh . . . girls?"

"Gumball," said Penny steadily, stepping close to him. "Me and Carrie had a little talk at the end of the Pep Fest today . . . about you . . . and us. . . ."

"And?" he asked carefully, anxious to know what had transpired between the two girls.

Carrie sighed. "Me and Penny have both come to a decision."

Gumball raised an eyebrow. "What kind?"

Carrie hesitated, then said, "Look, Gumball. The fact is, me and Penny both like you. We really, really like you."

"And because of that," Penny said delicately, "me and her have both decided that we . . . that we should . . . take it easy. . . ."

There was a short pause. The world may have stopped moving.

Gumball's heart felt suddenly hollow. The spirit of the game fading, the night around him becoming suddenly darker than it already was.

"W-What?" he asked, breathless and startled.

"We think it's best if we just wait and see where everything goes," Carrie explained. "We want to see how we truly feel for you."

"So . . ." Gumball felt his throat tightening, "you two don't want me as a boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" repeated Penny. She laughed, which made Gumball cringe. "Gumball, we're both twelve."

"We've got a lot more to live for than just that," said Carrie honestly, before showing a friendly smirk. "Although . . . that doesn't mean we won't want to be your girlfriends in the future. When the time comes, I'd say either one of us would be honored."

Gumball's looked at her in wonder. "Really?"

Penny giggled. "Of course we would, Gumball. You're a wonderful boy."

"And, like I said, we both like you more than you can imagine," said Carrie.

"We need time, Gumball," Penny explained gently, taking his left hand with hers. "We both want to live our lives and have you part of them. After a little more time has passed, then we'll see where we stand in terms of feelings. But, if it makes you feel better," she smiled slyly, "you are well on your way to having a relationship."

"And, if it comes down to it, Gumball" said Carrie, smiling deviously and taking his right hand, "you might have to get used to having two women in your life."

Gumball nearly fell over. "T-T-Two?"

"MMM-HMM," the two girls said, smiling coyly.

Gumball could feel himself sweating, his face growing hot.

"But, for the time being . . .," said Penny, gripping his hand.

". . . let's leave it at this," finished Carrie.

And, at the same time, the two girls stepped forward and both planted a kiss directly on Gumball's lips.

Overwhelming warmth and surprising chill hit Gumball. It felt as though summer and winter had both decided to dance together. The lovely brown of Penny's face, the transparent white of Carrie's hair — it was all Gumball could see, and all he felt was their lips.

When they pulled away and released his hands, it was like waking from a dream that ended too soon. Gumball stared at the two girls, breathless and happy beyond description.

"Good night, Gumball," they said together. And without another word, they walked away, leaving Gumball to stare after them with wide-eyes and a glowing face.

As they left, Penny looked to Carrie in curiosity. "Were you serious? You really won't mind Gumball having two girlfriends?"

Carrie smirked. "I'm game if you are."

Slightly surprised, Penny blushed, but then matched Carrie's cocky smile. "We'll just have to see, I guess. I'll use my time to see how I feel about that. If so, wonderful. If not, though . . . may the best girl win."

Carrie chuckled. "You're on."

Gumball didn't say a word as he walked to the car, his family waiting inside. When his senses finally returned, Gumball saw that mostly everyone, minus his Dad, who was driving, was watching him with sly faces.

"What?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"So, how was it?" Anais asked with a smirk.

"H-How was what?" asked Gumball timidly.

"Penny and Carrie," replied Darwin, nudging his brother playfully. "What did they want to talk about?"

"Oh, y-you know." Gumball smiled sheepishly. "Just happy we won."

Nicole chuckled and shook her head.

"What?" Gumball asked, trying hard not to blush or sound annoyed.

Nicole simply smiled. "You are a lucky man, Gumball. You be sure to take care of those two girls. Because if you don't, I'll ground you for life."

Gumball laughed nervously.

"I mean it," Nicole growled.

"Okay, got it!" he squeaked.

"Good," Nicole said sweetly.

The neighborhood was silent. All the windows were dark, leaving the moon, stars, and streetlamps to illuminate this little part of the world. The Robinsons had long since laid down to sleep, and thus didn't notice the headlights of their next-door neighbors pull up onto the curb.

The family of five walked in through the front door, seeing the wall clock read a few minutes until 10:00. This prompted them all to their nightly rituals before turning in for the day. Richard loosened his new tie and hung it up inside his and Nicole's room. Darwin and Anais brushed their teeth and headed off to their respective beds, and, downstairs, Nicole had halted her eldest child before he himself could head up to retire.

"Is . . . there something you need, Mom?" he asked curiously as she led him into the kitchen.

"Want a have cookie before bed?" she asked.

He looked surprised to hear this, as though he were expecting something else. "Um . . . yeah, sure."

Beaming, Nicole turned and pulled out two cookies from the jar. Turning, she handed Gumball his.

He reached out, but then stopped, seeing what the cookie rested upon.

"Mom?" he said in surprise. "Is that —"

"Yes. I decided to keep it," she replied, staring down at the saucer. "I think we'll leave it out for quick snacks. Better than just tossing it out, don't you think?"

Gumball eyed the broken china dish, how it was still cock-eyed. "I . . . yeah. I think that's a smart idea, Mom," he said with a grin.

And together, mother and son shared their quiet snack, looking out at the night sky through the back door. Once the last crumb was eaten, Nicole ran her plate under the running water, gave it a quick shake, then placed it back against the counter to be used for next time.

The two cats headed on up the stairs, their footsteps all that was heard in the dark house. In the hallway, Nicole let out a deep breath and looked down at her son. "It's been quite a day, hasn't it?"

Gumball chuckled. "Yeah, I'll say. So much happened."

"Yes, it did," Nicole agreed. "Hard to believe it's only been a day. Feels like it should've been longer."

Gumball smirked. "Well, if you want, we can do it all again tomorrow."

Nicole giggled. "Oh, don't be silly, sweetie."

"Why not?" Gumball said encouragingly. "You liked today, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did like it." She knelt down to his eye level. "I liked it because of you."

"Huh?"

"You were so good today, Gumball. You admitted what happened to my plate, you made your father happy, you were nice to your sister, and you helped your brother raise his grade and put that wrinkly old baboon in her place!" She paused, realizing she had lost her composure for a minute, to which Gumball raised an eyebrow. "Uh . . . ha-ha, sorry."

"Nah, it's okay," said Gumball with a chuckle. "It was fun making me her angry."

"Oh, I bet it was. But on top of that . . ." Nicole smiled gently. "Gumball, I didn't realize two girls were in love with you."

Gumball looked away bashfully. "I'm not sure if you could call it 'love', Mom."

"Sweetie," she said kindly, "I saw both those girls kiss you, the way they looked at you and smiled at you. Take it from a woman — I know when a girl is in love, and you mean the world to those two."

Gumball lowered his head. "After the game," he said softly, "they told me that they want to take it slow. Figure out what they want to do."

"And you three will get there someday," Nicole reassured, patting his shoulder. "Just be patient. Love takes time to grow after all."

Gumball sighed. "Not really sure if time's on my side, though . . ."

"Of course you have time," said Nicole, frowning. "Sweetie, you'll be just fine. Don't worry about what lies ahead. You're still young, so smile! You're kind, you're charming, and you have two girls to spend your life with."

"Uh . . . Mom?" asked Gumball, an eyebrow raised. "You do know what's weird about that sentence, don't you?"

"What?" she asked, amused. "Don't you want to be with both of them?"

Gumball opened his mouth, but no words came. His brain told him to say 'no', but a part of himself remained conflicted with this and was thus reduced to silence.

Nicole laughed at the bewildered look on her son's face. "Just don't worry, sweetie. All this will become easier when you're older. In the meantime . . ."

Nicole moved forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Just keep living your life."

Gumball closed his eyes and hugged her in return.

"You're a wonderful person, Gumball Watterson," said Nicole gently. "It can be a crazy world sometimes, and it can be hard, too. But, with you here, it's an amazing world. Keep on making it amazing, and remember," she pulled back and placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you, with all my heart. Whatever may happen, no matter how angry we may feel or how far apart we may get, that will never change. Don't ever forget that."

Gumball smiled and shed a single tear. "I love you, too, Mom. Don't forget that, either."

She nodded, then raised her son to his feet. Giving one last, final pat on his shoulder, Nicole turned and left for her bedroom, joining her husband for bed.

Taking a deep breath, Gumball turned the opposite way. When he reached Anais' room, he saw that she had left the door open. He peaked in and saw her lying in bed, her pink pajamas on while Daisy the Donkey was held snuggly under her arm. She was breathing gently and was quite still, but must've noticed him. She opened her eyes by a margin, and Gumball waved kindly at her.

She closed her eyes and smiled, and Gumball knew what it meant.

"I love you too," he whispered, before walking away.

He entered his bedroom and closed the door. The space was dark except for the light coming from the streetlamp outside, stretching from the window and lying across the carpet like a silvery shadow.

Darwin was already asleep in his fishbowl atop the dresser, long tired after shouting his support for the Mustangs.

Yawning, Gumball realized only then how tired he really was.

Quietly, he walked over to his desk and stared at his alarm, its green numbers showing 10:20. He slowly ran his hand over the desktop, feeling its smooth wood, his gaze moving to the window and the houses and trees that lay beyond the glass.

This one day had lasted longer, it felt, than all the other repeats the Loop had thrown Gumball's way. Not just because he had done much more than usual, but because of how it all turned out.

That was the first time he and his mom shared a snack before bed. That moment in the hallway also never happened before.

Growing ever more curious, he raised two fingers to his lips, thinking of Penny and Carrie, of how they had both kissed him . . . and how wonderful it felt. That, too, had never happened until today, and he wanted it to happen again. The idea, however, seemed too good to be true.

Could two girls really both be in love with one person? And if so, could he love them both in return?

There was still so much to think about, so much to prepare for, and he had no way of preparing for it except for all that he had learned these past few years.

He had made a life of this day. With so much sorrow, there was also joy to be had, and whether few or several, those moments had been the ones to live for, and they were worth whatever tear they demanded. And here, as he stood at the window, looking up at the full moon — the one and only detail that remained the same since Day One — he honestly, truly felt hopeful. Come what may, let it find its way without strife and with an open mind.

With one final silent laugh, Gumball shook his head.

"Well . . . best not keep the day waiting."

Taking off his sweater and pants, he slipped on his t-shirt and shorts and climbed up into his warm bunkbed.

Under the soft covers, he turned and faced the alarm. The sight of those green numbers began to blur. In his mind, he replayed the day and how it all went, remembering the steps, the similarities, the differences, the feelings it gave in compared to the others.

He thought of Darwin, Anais, his father, his mother, and of Penny and Carrie, of everyone who meant the world to him and who he shared the world with.

And as his mind closed down, Gumball, for the first time in his long life, smiled at acknowledging this fact:

"I get to live it all again."

If you wish, this story can end here.

Or, if you so desire, it may go on.

The final choice is yours.