Bang Bang! Bang!
The sound of Gumball fists mindlessly pounding against a punching bag filled the shed, the feline completely oblivious to his surroundings as his mind raced with fear and worry, painful memories echoing around his head.
Why don't you just shut the hell up and go back in your stupid shell like you belong and just leave me the hell alone!
Stay away from me! I don't want anything to do with you anymore you...you arrogant, selfish, egotistical jerk! As far as I'm concerned, we're over!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His punches grew more aggressive as he began to grow angry. Angry at himself, for how he had acted. What was he thinking!? How he could have said such a thing to her!?
I DON'T CARE! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHATEVER STUPID THING YOU WANT ME TO DO TO CALM DOWN! IT WON'T WORK! SO JUST SHUT YOUR TRAP AND LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU IRRITATING, USELESS PET!
I was only trying to help but if that's how you're gonna act then you're on your own!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
He began to punch faster and harder, beginning to pant, his eyes narrowing as his expression grew angrier. Darwin is his best friend! His brother! What on earth was wrong with him!? How could he ever say something so cruel to him!? So hurtful!?
As Gumball continued to pound his punching bag the shed door quietly opened, and Nicole poked her head inside the doorway. The older feline frowned as she saw how worked up he seemed to be.
Leave her...AGHHHHH...leave her alone!"G-Gumball...!? A-a-are you okay!?
"You need to...to...r-run...
STAY. AWAY. FROM MY SISTER!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
His punches grew ever more aggressive, the younger feline beginning to emit a low growl, teeth visible as he gritted them. How could he lose control like that? How could he have let something so dangerous happen!? He could have gotten everyone killed!
Nicole cautiously opened the shed door further and stepped inside, speaking softly. "Gumball...? Take it easy sweetheart, we don't want you getting too worked up..."
Gumball? G...Gumball? W-What are you doing?! I-I-It's me, Anais! Your s-sister!
G-G-Gumball, p-please! Y-Y-You'd never hurt me! I-I-I know you wouldn't!
GUMBALL PLEASE!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The feline began to pant harder, his breathing quick and sharp as he let loose on the punching bag, harder and harder, his fits almost a blur they were moving so fast. He almost hurt her! His own sister was almost killed by him! How could have let himself get so worked up!? How could he have done something so stupid!?
His mother walked over and held his paw, squeezing it as she began to speak more sternly, beginning to get concerned. "Gumball, calm down!"
You didn't mean it. You got pushed over the edge. That's not your fault. None of this is
It's okay, it's okay, I forgive you. Whatever that was, it wasn't you. I know the real you would never hurt me, ever.
Hey, hey, it's okay, I'm not mad at you.
We heard about what happened today. We're sorry we pushed you too far.
No. I'm the one who should be sorry... I didn't mean anything I did; I never meant to say such awful things. I was just so... angry. I had no idea what I was doing or what came over me. I lost control and...I never meant to hurt you guys
We know, Gumball. You wouldn't do such awful things to us. You were just... not yourself, and we forgive you.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The punching bag began to struggle under the force of the kitten's punches, his eyes slowly flickering with a yellow-orangey glow as he threatened to lose control at any moment/ How could they forgive him so easily after what he did to them? After what he said? Didn't they know dangerous he was? Weren't they scared he could snap again at any moment and hurt them? Kill them!?
"GUMBALL, STOP!" Nicole cried out horrified, moving to pull him away and calm him down before it was too late.
!
Gumball's fist suddenly crashed into the punching bag so hard it went straight through to the other side. He stopped, turning to look at his terrified mother as he continued to paint.
"...Sorry..." He eventually apologized as he removed his arm from the now-destroyed punching bag.
"It's okay...I'm just glad I snapped you out of whatever that was in time."
"...yeah, thanks. Got a little carried away there."
"You don't say..." The older feline chuckled, rolling her eyes.
The kitten looked down, his anger now turned to guilt.
His mother studied him, his expression softening as she crouched down, placing her paw on his shoulder. "Look, are you okay sweetheart? It's not like you to get so worked up like that."
He hesitated, nervously biting his lip as he tried to avoid eye contact. "...yeah...I'm fine." He unconvincingly assured her.
"Come on honey, I can tell something is bothering you..."
"It's nothing. I'm fine, honestly."
The older feline looked at the broken, swinging punching bag, then back at her son. His ears were pinned against his head as he looked toward the ground, trembling lightly. She couldn't help but herself with she was his age. The poor thing now had to go through the exact same terrifying ordeal that she did...
She gently pulled him into a hug. "Oh, Gummpyouss...you're worried about hurting someone again, aren't you?"
He remained silent, merely looking up at her for a few seconds before quickly glancing away. The expression on his face was all she needed to confirm her suspicions, however.
"It's okay, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I went through the same thing. It's perfectly okay for you to be scared."
The younger feline looked up at her again. ".I'm not ashamed! It's just..." He sighed. "it's more than just that, okay?"
"Then what else is it sweetheart? I can't help if you won't talk to me."
He remained quiet, slowly looking away again.
"Gumball?"
"Look, just forget about it, okay? I'm fine, I just wanna go and take a nap..."
He went to walk away but she held onto his arm, stopping him.
"Gumball, please. I know what you're going through, I can help, I promise. Just talk to me."
"I..."
His mother looked at him pleadingly, slowly taking his other paw. "Please. I know you're scared, I know, but you have nothing to worry about. This shed is our dojo, our private sanctuary. As long as you're in here you can talk to me and vent about anything you want."
He slowly turned back to face her. "...A-Anything/"
"Anything. I promise, whatever we discuss in here will remain between us, and us only.."
His expression softened, as he finally began to give in. "You won't tell anyone? You promise?" He asked pleadingly.
"Not a soul, I swear. But only if you promise me something in return."
"...What's that?" He asked. the young kitten's eyebrow raised inquisitively.
"Promise me that as long as we're in here you'll be completely honest with me and that you won't keep anything from me. If something's wrong, or if something's upsetting you, I need to know as soon as possible, otherwise I can't help you."
He looked down biting his lip. Could he really promise her something like that? I mean, what if he needed to hide something from her, to protect her?
"...Please Gummypuss...? I'm really worried about you..." His mother pleaded to him with a little sniffle. He slowly looked up and saw her looking at him with genuine worry and concern. It looked like she was on the verge of tears she was so worried...
Gumball's ears fell as he let out a quiet sigh. "...okay, I promise..." He simply couldn't bring himself to say no to her, not when she was so genuinely concerned.
He was surprised when she suddenly hugged him. "Oh, thank you, sweetheart! I promise you won't regret it..."
He nodded. I sure hope so...
The two sat down opposite each other, legs crossed.
"So, what's wrong sweetheart...?"
"Well, it's just...you know I return to school tomorrow, right?"
The older feline nodded. "Of course. Is...that what you're worried about?"
"I...yeah..." He admitted with another sigh.
She looked at him sympathetically. "Oh, sweetheart...I know you're worried about losing control again, but as long as you have Darwin, Penny, and Carrie to help keep you out of trouble you have nothing to worry about. They'll look after you, I promise."
"I know but...what if something goes wrong. What if someone winds me up, o-o-or pushes me over the edge? I don't...I can't lose control like that again! I don't want to risk hurting anyone else I care about!" He cried, tears sliding down his face as he began to cry softly.
His mother silently moved to sit next to him, hugging him tightly as he began to cry into her shirt.
"It's okay, it's alright. You won't lose control like that again. Not if you stay calm and keep out of trouble."
"But...b-b-but how do I do that though? W-W-What do I do if I begin to get angry again?" He sniffed.
"Just try to take deep breaths and do whatever you can to de-escalate the situation. Apologize, change the topic, punch a wall or locker maybe. Hell, just walk away if you really need to. Whatever it takes to calm yourself down."
"You...you promise that'll work?" The kitten asked unsure.
"I know it will. Those are the same techniques I used when I was your age, and even to this day, and they work great. Just do those techniques and stay with your brother and friends and you'll be fine. Can you do that? For me?" Nicole assured him.
He thought for a moment, considering what she said. "...Okay...I'll try my best. I promise." He agreed, wiping his eyes.
"Thank you, sweetheart..." His mother smiled. "Do you feel better now?"
He hesitated before looking down, nervously twiddling his thumbs.
"...there's something else on your mind, isn't there?" The older feline asked with a raised eyebrow.
He nodded weakly. "...yeah..."
"Well?" She adjusted herself, returning to her previous sitting position, before smiling. "I'm all ears."
"I...well...it's just..." He stammered, struggling to come up with the right words.
"It's okay, take your time." She reassured him.
He took a deep breath before exhaling. "It's just...what if...what if no one likes me anymore? What if everyone at school hates me? I-I-I mean...after what I did...with what I could do to them now...they...they probably all think I'm just some...s-s-some uncontrollable beast! Some crazy lunatic who could snap at any moment! They'll all be terrified of me and avoid me like the plague!"
Tears began to stream down his face again as he looked down crying. "But I'm not though! I'm not a beast! I'm not a lunatic! I'm...I'm their f-friend, a-and I-I-I...I would never hurt them! Never! They have to know that!"
"Oh, no, no, sweetheart, come here..." His mother got up and crouched down next to him, the two hugging as he burst out sobbing into her shirt.
"I DON'T WANNA LOSE THEM MOM! I C-CAN'T LOSE ALL OF MY FRI-E-E-EEEEEENDS! I'VE K-KNOWN THEM ALL FOR S-S-SO LONG AND THEY...T-T-THEY M-MEAN SO MUCH TO ME-E-E-EEEEE! I D-DON'T WANNA LOSE THEM, PLE-E-E-EEAAAASSSSEEE! AHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA!"
The older feline began to gently stroke the back of his head, quietly hushing him. "Hey, hey, it's okay, it's alright. No one is going to hate you Gumball. No one could ever hate you."
"Y-yes, they will! I know they will! Nobody is going to want anything to do with me!"
"That's not true! What about Darwin, Anais, and Penny? They all still love you! So do me and your father!"
"I know that, but I'm still going to lose everyone else! I'm gonna be the loner without any friends!" The kitten sniffed
She lifted his head and gave him a reassuring smile. "Oh no, no, of course you aren't! I mean, sure, some of your friends probably will be a little scared and avoid you for a little while, and with what happened it's perfectly reasonable for them to be, but before you know it they'll soon come to realize that you're still the same Gumball they all know and love and that they have absolutely nothing to worry about."
He looked at her. Doubtful but hopeful. "You...y-y-you really think so?"
She gently placed her paw on his cheek. "I know so. It may take a few weeks, but as long as you make an effort to continue being the happy, funny, outgoing little kitten I know you still are then there's no doubt that they'll all realize it too."
"...just like Anais?" He asked, remembering how his sister had initially acted around him after the incident, and how he'd eventually managed to get her to calm down around him again.
"Exactly. Just a few weeks ago she was terrified of you and would jump whenever you so much as brushed against her, but look at her now! She's back to her old happy self, laughing and playing with you again just like she used to. And if you managed to convince her that you're okay, then what's stopping you from doing the same with all of your friends, hey?"
Gumball thought for a moment before a weak smile slowly snuck onto the young feline's face. "...yeah, y-y-you're right! If I just show them how awesome I still am there'll be no way they'll be able to resist hanging out with me again!"
"Awwww, that's the spirit!" The older feline chuckled and rubbed her son's head affectionately.
He suddenly leaned forward and hugged her tightly and closed his eyes as he rested his head against her chest. "Thanks Mom. I really needed this chat..."
She hugged him back, a large smile adorning her face. "Anytime sweetheart. I'm always here for you. We all are. Whether that be in person or in spirit, no matter what happens, we'll always be there looking out for you. Always. Never forget that Gummypuss."
"I won't, I promise." The young feline purred, nuzzling her gently before looking up with a smile. "...as long as you promise me you'll never forget that I love you."
"Awww, how could I ever forget something like that?"
"Well, people's memory does tend to get worse during their old age..." He smirked.
The older feline let out a mock gasp of insult and playfully punched the younger feline's arm as he began to giggle.
As she watched she simply shook her head and chuckled along with him, relieved to see him feeling better. "Alright, come on you, dinner should almost be ready."
"Ooh finally, I'm starving!" He grinned and followed her out of the shed.
As the two headed inside Gumball's smile faltered slightly. He felt a small pit in his stomach as the worry at the back of his head still tugged away.
He knew he would be okay. He had his techniques, and his siblings and girlfriend to help keep him calm, and he knew not to expect his friends to be cool around him, at least not immediately. So what was bothering him still? Why did he still feel like something was going to go wrong?
"Gumball?" He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by his mother standing in the doorway, holding the door open for him.
He shook his head. "Sorry, coming."