Gumball compared the number written on the paper to the houses he walked past. All the houses looked very normal, much like his house but there was a house of questionable intent coming up. "2067," He read from a house. "2076, 2086," He said nearing the creepy house. Crows swirled above it, dark clouds plagued the sides and all the windows were smashed. The front yard was a grave yard and the front door was broken off. "2096," He read from the menacing house and looked back down at his paper. He looked over one more house, it was pleasant and mundane, "Oh, there it is, 2017." He quickly walked towards it and knocked on the door. There was no response initially and Gumball checked the house one more time. He went to knock one more time when the door flung open with a very surprised Carrie.

"You actually came and on time no less?" She remarked.

"Hey, I arrive on time when I want to," Gumball defended himself.

"Well… I didn't expect you to come, so come in I guess," Carrie whisked herself back inside. Gumball stepped through the door, her home was very similar to his, aside from a hallway leading to the living room and it constantly smelled like old people. A picture frame hung high in the living room of a grim looking woman, her eyes squint, her nose long, she looked like a witch. Gumball stood in the living room, alone, and trying to take in as much of her house as he could the most ghostly thing was a rocking chair that never seemed to stop rocking. Which, wasn't all that scary, there was very little evidence of a ghost living here at all.

Carrie entered the room with a tray of lemonade and an apron on. Gumball looked at her with a puzzled expression. "You cook?" He asked.

"Not well…" She said lowly. "I thought this would service as drinks, is there something else you want?"

"No, this is great." Gumball smiled and took a glass. "So… Where's your family?"

"That's Grandma over there," Carrie pointed to the rocking chair. "And… That's it, she's the only one here, I love her with all my heart, and you can leave now, right?" She asked with anticipation.

"Why are you so worried about people meeting your family?" He asked and walked to the rocking chair that never ceased. "Hi,"

"Scram runt," A cricked voice came from the rocking chair and a woman who resembled the one in the painting appeared.

"I'm Gumball," He introduced.

"Good for you, now leave me alone."

"Jesus, does grouchiness run in the family?" He said turning back to Carrie.

"I guess so, since we're the only Booregards I know of." She shrugged. "Satisfied?"

"I don't think she'll sign my slip…"

"I can forge her hand writing pretty well, come on, let's go into the kitchen." She bobbed her head towards the kitchen and flew back to it. Gumball shortly followed and stood in awe of the mess that was Carrie's kitchen. Food was splattered across every wall, things were burned, nothing short of a tornado could cause this type of damage. Carrie floated at the counter with a pen cap in her mouth quickly filled in the blanks. Gumball didn't want to admit it, but the way she floated so peacefully among the chaos, with her small black apron on and frazzled hair covering her one eye, he could swear she looked cute.

"There you go," Carrie said handing the slip back to him. "Now, since I have no time to meet your parents—"

"Sure your do, it's the weekend, what else are you going to do?"

"Look at this kitchen Gumball, I have to clean before…" She trailed off. "I can't leave, please just go."

"Carrie, I don't know if you know, but we're teenagers, we excel at doing what we're not supposed to."

"No, you do Gumball, you're excellent at being your own person, I don't, and I have to stay here." She said defiantly and Gumball was silent for a time; he looked around the floor gathering thoughts.

"Back in class… What you said about me, did you mean it or was it all for the grade?"

"What?" She asked with a nonexistent eyebrow raised.

"Everything you said about me… No one has ever spoken of me so highly, and if it was just for the project, that's fine, but I felt like maybe there was more to it."

"I…" Carrie paused, choosing her next words carefully. "It was just for this project." She said refusing to look Gumball in the eye.

"Oh…" He said dropping his shoulders. "Well, then you are one hell of a story teller," He added with a fake smile. "I'll go home now, get out of your hair; do many people tell you that your hair style is cute?"

"No?" Carrie answered not expecting the question.

"They should, it looks good." Gumball said and left the house. When she heard the door close, Carrie starred at the door for a time, just watching where he had been.

"Please don't go," She said with a slight sob to her departed house guest.

Gumball walked home as the sun set on Elmore, angrily grumbling to himself. "Of course it was just for the project, you got your hopes up, like what? What were you expecting? that Carrie saw you as a friend? Why would she? Not like you're very special… Wait…" He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "Why did I get my hopes up? I don't like Carrie… I think I don't like Carrie… No, I just want to understand her, that's all," He reassured himself and kept walking. "She just doesn't like you, you were stupid and thought there was more there, but there wasn't, you can't be mad at her—"Gumball smacked his head against something. He looked up to see a brick wall in the middle of the sidewalk with a concerned look on its face. "What the hell is your problem?" He furiously asked.

"I'm sorry, I'm a brick wall," The wall said.

"Huh, never mind, I'm just taking my anger out on you."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I don't need a brick wall to put my life in perspective!" Gumball shouted and ran around it. By the time he made it home, the sun had gone down and stars decorated the sky. Everything seemed to stop and silence filled the air. Gumball tiredly latched onto the door knob and pushed it in to reveal his family sitting on the couch and Masami talking in front of them. Confused, Gumball walked in front of the couch to see his family's faces. His mother and Anais wore tired eyes and the biggest fake smiles he'd ever seen them in, his father was asleep with painted eyelids and Darwin seemed to be writing something on a piece of paper. Gumball took a seat next to him and read off his shoulder.

"Darwin's Last Will and Testament," It read and Gumball rolled his eyes. He looked to Masami, chatting away, but he mainly tuned her out, which was easy while his mind still buzzed about Carrie. It only took ten minutes of her unrelenting words before Gumball climbed back off the couch and walked up stares. "I'm going to bed," He said as he past his Mom.

"Okay dear, make sure to brush your teeth," His mother said without flinching from her exaggerated smile. Gumball sighed to himself and flopped onto his bed, feeling deflated and simply wishing the tomorrow would come.

"She must be so alone…" He said into his pillow."No one should be alone," That sentence got him thinking, she pushed him away but maybe it wasn't her choice, perhaps there is more than to her than an emo ghost. Regardless of her situation, he knew what he must do. "Carrie Booregard, you shall be my friend once again, if my name is Gumball Watterson!" And he fell back into sleep.

"Shut up! I'm talking about me!" Masami's voice came from down stairs.

The sun didn't shine in the morning; thick clouds covered the sky, not a promising sign. Gumball stirred out of bed, more rested than usual, but he was by no means a morning person. He threw on some jeans and his hooded jacket before making his way downstairs, to find his entire family asleep on the couch. Masami was gone, but it was clear she continued talking long after Gumball went to sleep. He put a sticky note on his Dad's nose and quietly slipped out the door and headed for his junkyard shed. He walked without paying much attention to his steps, his mind was busy other places.

'Okay, something nice for Carrie… What does she like, uh… she like reading, and… eating, but she can't eat without a body, maybe I could give her my body again… No, I just got in shape; I'd really like to keep my form, what do friends do… Video games, laser tag those seem to be out of the question, maybe we… Just, hang out and talk.' That idea seemed to fit the situation the best, Carrie just needed someone to talk to. So he changed his course to Carrie's house and walked with a bit more purpose in his step.

Carrie's house looked just as it did when he was there yesterday, normal, the only difference being a car parked in the drive way that wasn't there last night. He cheerily walked to the door and went to knock when it the screen door flew open and swatted him on the nose. "Ow…" He said, his voice nasally.

"Gumball?" Carrie said from the doorway. "What the hell are you doing here," Her voice wasn't cruel or cold, just tired.

"I came to ask if you… I don't know, wanted to hang out or… Something?"

"I really can't right now Gumball, I have to go to the super market and pick up—"

"I'll come with you," He said without thinking.

"Why would you want to do that?" She asked dryly.

"Because I'm crazy," He shrugged.

"Well I'm glad we agree on something, okay you can come, but you have to help me find things,"

"Deal."

Carrie floated through the windshield of the car and her tail formed into pale legs while she waited for Gumball, who quickly strapped himself in next to.

"You have legs now?" He asked making little effort to discreetly observe her.

"Among other things, Ghost puberty is a hell of a thing… Is there some part of the project I missed?" She asked as the car pulled onto the street.

"No," He answered simply.

"Then why did you want to 'hang out'?"

"How could I stay away from your charming personality, pale skin and flat chest?" Carrie didn't respond and Gumball was horrified he'd upset her.

"I can hear Jealousy plotting your down fall with Penny as we speak." She replied with a small smile playing on her lips. "How is your love life fairing?"

"I…" Gumball began proudly but lost his train of thought. "I have no idea… Penny is—"

"A giant peanut," Carrie offered.

"She is indeed a giant peanut," Gumball laughed. "But I mean, cheer leader, popular, likes to text… I just don't connect with her anymore, it's not like I don't like her, I'm just, not as attracted to her as I used to be,"

"Well, color me surprised," She mused.

"Eh, you look good in white, I think I'll leave you as you are, how about you and the men?"

"I'm a sixteen year old ghost; I don't exactly have boys knocking down my door,"

"Yeah, they're all get caught in your needle laced screen door." Carrie laughed uneasily at that, she was keeping something from him, but prying probably wouldn't be the best idea. "Here we go… Alright, I need," She said pulling a list out of nowhere. "Seven bags of different chips, salsa, chocolate and cherry ice cream tubs, and—"

"Wait, wait, Carrie, why are you grocery shopping? You can't eat anything," Gumball asked. Carrie looked around the car nervously, opening and closing her mouth for lack of words.

"It's for the homeless?" She offered and Gumball simply stared at her, wordlessly asking, 'seriously?' "Just… Go with it, please?"

"Only because you said please…" Gumball faked anger. "What else do you need?"

"Uh… Fajita meat and tortillas, along with lettuce, onion, assorted peppers and so forth," She read the rest and caused the list vanish again.

"Wow, are you having a Mexican party tonight?"

"… Yes?"

"When did you become so bad at lying? Alright, let's go get your stuff." Gumball said and pushed his door open. "I wonder if Larry works here too…"

"It's Larry," Carrie said catching up to him. "He works everywhere,"

"Fair enough," He shrugged and found a shopping cart. "Alright, you get the junk food, I'll get the taco stuff,"

"Fajita," She corrected,

"Whatever, on your marks get set go!" He shouted and took off with the shopping cart, riding the back of it.

"Gumball the-!" Carrie began until Gumball crashed into an aisle.

"I'm okay!" He reported and sped off once again.

Twenty minutes later; a bruised Gumball stood at the checkout line, his eye swollen, his clothes dirty, he didn't look well. However, he had successfully acquired all Carrie's food under two minutes and had been waiting for eighteen. Carrie floated up to him with a side cart holding assortments of junk food and ice cream.

"I like what you've done with your face," She giggled to herself.

"Say what you will, but I won,"

"We weren't competing,"

"Doesn't matter, I won." Gumball restated. Carrie rolled her eyes and a wallet appeared in her hand.

"Damnit…" She cursed. "Gumball, I don't suppose you get an allowance… Do you?"

"No, why?"

"I'm a bit short on cash at the moment." Carrie admitted.

"Got you covered," He said pleasantly and removed a wallet from his back pocket and took out a fifty dollar bill.

"Dear God, where the hell do you work and can I sign up?" Her mouth gaped.

"Oh, I don't have an official job, I do things for people who don't know how, I fix cars, motor cycles, sometime I cook for people."

"You can cook?" She asked with a small smile.

"Did no one see my grade in Home Ec.?" His ego slightly deflated. "Yes, I can cook, and I'm pretty fantastic at it."

"And so humble,"

"I also work children's parties,"

"Doing what?" She asked, holding back a laugh. Gumball mumbled something she could understand and turned to pay Larry. "What was that?"

"I said I…canmakeballonanimals." He said quickly, receiving his change.

"One more time,"

"I, can make, balloon animals." He huffed out and Larry burst into laughter. "Screw you Larry, I bet I make more than you do in week!" That shut Larry up pretty quickly. Gumball followed Carrie back to her car and loaded everything in.

They took their seats in the car in silence, Gumball humming a happy tune. Carrie looked over to him for a second before returning her gaze to the road. "Thank you," She said reluctantly.

"Hey, you know me, I'm a great guy." Gumball put his hands behind his head. Suddenly the car dead stopped and Gumball's head smacked against the dashboard.

"Whoops," Carrie said with an evil grin.

"I feel as if you enjoyed that," He said from the floor.

"Me? Enjoy you in pain? You insult me," his nose dripping blood. "Oh shit!" Carrie gasped. "Dude you need to go the doctor or—"She was cut off by Gumball laughing, laughing to the point of tears.

"That was awesome!" He cheered wiping the blood away.

"You are one strange cat…" Carrie shook her head wearing a simple smile. It was almost noon when she shifted back into park at her little suburban house. Gumball hopped out and headed to help unload when Carrie blocked his way to the trunk.

"Carrie, I can't help you put groceries in the house if I can't get to the groceries."

"That's okay," She said nervously. "I think I can get it from here, I really appreciate the help, but you can go home now."

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked confused by her sudden mood change.

"No! God no, this was actually a lot of fun, but just… please let me do this by myself,"

"Alright, if you insist…" Gumball turned to walk away but stopped after a few steps. "For the record," He turned back to her. "I am very well aware that you are hiding something from me, and I fully intend to find out what it is." He called and kept walking.

"Wait, that's it?" Carrie called after him and he turned again. "You're not going to ask what it is?"

"You'll tell me on your terms, until then, I'll see you around." Gumball waved goodbye and kept walking. "Don't ever change your hair!" Was his final note.