Chapter 42: Ready For The Day
The school, throughout the entire morning thus far, has been filled with Ivan's constant heavy groaning.
"Why do we still gotta go to school? I thought our exams are over." he complained.
"No idea, honestly. Prom is this Saturday and our graduation is next week. But with all our classes done now, I don't really see a reason to be at school anymore." Dante replied.
It's still early in the morning, yet Ivan and Dante were spending it in the school gym to shoot some hoops. Dante took a 3-point shot and the ball hit the edge of the basket, bouncing away as if in disappointment.
"I'm surprised you're calm about it though. Normally by now you'd be whining over wanting to catch up on sleep or whatever." Ivan said as he took his turn taking the 3-point shot. The ball went into the basket cleanly.
"Well, obviously, I didn't come to school because I wanted to get destroyed in basketball by you." Dante said as he caught the ball that was bouncing back from Ivan's throw. "I made a deal with Jamie to just sit around here during lunch later."
"Swooing the lady I see." Ivan smirked.
"At least I'm doing something with my lady. Tell me, Ivan, when was the last time you even hung out with Teri?" Dante retorted.
"Touchè."
"You really need to grow a pair, dude. Have you even asked her out yet?"
"No, not yet." Ivan looked down as if contemplating his feelings.
The school bell rang, signalling the students to get to class.
"Bell. C'mon, let's pack up and go."
"Alright."
However, stopped in their tracks, the intercom played on the speaker, Endo's British voice clearly spoken through it.
"Can Ivan Rika please come to the principal's office, please. Thank you."
"Well, shit." Ivan cussed.
"I don't think you've done anything wrong recently. What could it be for?" Dante asked.
"No idea. One way to find out."
"I'll pack up. You shouldn't keep 'Watterson' waiting." Dante said, using his fingers to signal a quote-enquote when saying Endo's name.
Ivan snickered, seeing as it was their inside joke. Neither of them were comfortable calling him "Mr. Watterson" since they've always reffered to him as "Endo".
He walked out of the gym and in a few minutes, he was already at the principal's office. He knocked on the door and a voice was heard from the other side.
"Come in."
Ivan opened the door and sheer panic rose from inside of him. Endo was sitting on his chair as usual, but at the side of the office was the leopard that was his teacher, Mr. Baxwell.
"Please have a seat, Ivan."
Ivan reluctantly sat down on the chair in front of Endo. His reactions only made Endo laugh.
"Don't worry, you're not in any trouble."
"Wait, I'm not?" Ivan asked.
"Nah, I just wanna see the look on your face is all."
"Seriously, Endo. Sometimes I wonder how you could be the principal." Mr. Baxwell said with a passive-aggressive tone.
"Ahh, 'Watterson'." Endo corrected.
Mr. Baxwell sighed. "Watterson."
"That's better. You don't see me calling you by your first name during school hours, do you, Baxwell?"
Ivan was still confused as to what's going on. Over the period of time Endo became principal, he's gotten particularly close to Mr. Baxwell as if they've known each other since forever ago. Even so, Ivan, his own student, doesn't even know Baxwell's first name.
"Now to more important matters." Endo said, now looking serious and professional. "As you know, Baxwell here is in charge of organizing your prom. And.."
"We're looking for a DJ and we thought you'd be our best choice."
Ivan was shocked and still confused.
"Hold up, hold up." Ivan said, raising his hands. "Why do I have to be the DJ? It's my prom, why not have one of the juniors be the DJ?"
"Cuz I thought the school's old DJ should have one last stand." Endo said.
"And don't worry, we do have a backup from the juniors in case you're thinking of spending some time with your date, whoever that may be."
Ivan gave an annoyed look at Mr. Baxwell and back to Endo.
"I don't have a choice, do I?"
"Not really." Endo replied.
"Fine. I'll do it."
"Great, now you can head over to class-"
"Speaking of class though.." Ivan said, stopping Endo. "why do we still gotta come to school? Exams are over and what's left is prom and graduation. Don't most schools put exams after prom?"
"Yeah, but I thought I'd wanna cheat the system so that you seniors get to ease up during prom. Don't wanna go have a party when you got exams stuck in your head now, do you?" Endo explained.
"True, but what do we do in school now?"
"Whatever you want." Mr. Baxwell replied. "As long as you stay in class."
"Speaking of which, you're gonna be late, Mr. Rika." Endo said, teasing Ivan by calling him by his last name.
And Ivan hated that so much. "Fine, I'm leaving." he said as he got up and quickly walked out the door.
"I worry about the kid." Baxwell said.
"He knows how to take care of his own. So he would know how to take care of himself as well." Endo said as he dusted his table a little. "By the way, don't you have a math class to be teaching right now?"
"Oh shoot, you're right." And just like that he dashed out the door, leaving Endo with a door left ajar. He got up from his seat and closed the door. "Didn't even ask if I was done. And he says I'm not professional."
(Lunch time)
Gumball and his friends sat at the cafeteria to have lunch together. At least, most of them.
"Don't really get why we have to come to school anymore if we're just gonna sit around doing nothing." Cato said.
"I thought I told you to bring a book." Amber said. "I said that something like this would happen. And as always.."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Just like every other time." Cato rolled his eyes at his girlfriend's self flattery.
"Yeah, class was so boring, even Dante and Jamie slipped out earlier." Gumball said.
"Where did they go anyway?" Darwin asked.
"Beats me."
"So what do we do after this? Rot for another couple hours in class?" asked the other ghost sitting next to the blue feline.
"Kira said seniors get to leave after lunch. The only reason we need to come is to fill attendance." Amber explained.
"Awesome. Half day all week." Gumball said. "So, where's everyone else?"
Gumball then looks around as to prove his point, some of his pals aren't around. The only few that were there were him, Darwin, Carrie, Cato, Amber and Lexy.
"We know Dante is somewhere with Jamie, Jake, Kelsey and Anna already bailed to the ice rink to ice skate some more, I don't know where's Ivan or Teri."
"Haven't seen CJ in forever too." Carrie pointed out.
"Welp, whatever they're doing, hope they stay outta trouble." Cato said, cleaning himself up as he was just finished with his lunch. He looked towards Gumball and Darwin. "Let's go, guys. We should get going."
"Where to?" asked Amber.
"The mall. We're gonna do...something..there." he answered. He looked back at Gumball and Darwin making a hurried look and they immediately got up and left.
Amber looked at Carrie. "You think they're doing what we think they're doing, right?"
"It's obvious." Carrie played around with her food a bit, a fist resting on her cheek. "Has Cato asked you to prom yet?"
"Yeah.
"What? When?"
"When Gumball came over the other day and you two had a little cuddling on the bed. It's not exactly a grand gesture, but I still accepted it." Amber casually said. "He never asked you, did he?"
"Probably slipped his mind."
"In due time." Amber took a sip of her drink and got up from her seat. "C'mon, let's go home."
Meanwhile at the school gym, Dante and Jamie were sitting around at the bleachers chatting together.
"..and then he just admits that he didn't ask Teri out. I mean, c'mon. Prom's right around the corner." Dante said.
Jamie stared off, half expecting what she was thinking is going to happen. "So what does that have to do with us?"
"I dunno. I feel like we should help him. I don't think he's going to do this on his own."
"How are we gonna do that?"
"Dante!!"
Ivan's voice boomed throughout the gym as he walked in. He spotted the couple and walked towards them.
"Dude, what the hell?"
"Endo and Baxwell said I have to be the DJ for prom."
"What? I thought seniors don't have to do anything for prom other than just have a good time?"
"Not for me I guess." Ivan said with a sneer.
"Maybe you can ask Teri to be there with you." Jamie said.
"Uhh...maybe-"
"Ivan!!"
This time it was Teri's voice that was heard loudly in the gym. She went through the doors and ran towards the trio.
"I heard you were the DJ for prom. So I got you this to help you out." She said as she took out a pair of new headphones and handed it over to Ivan. As always, she was quite shy about it... "Don't worry, I already made sure it's germ-free." ...and germaphobic.
"Oh, thanks, Teri." the black humanoid accepted the paper bear's gift. Dante from behind gave Ivan a bit of a shove towards Teri. He looked behind and Dante put on a look as if to say "Go and ask her".
"Teri?"
"Yeah?"
"Uhh..do you like..wanna be my date for the prom?"
Teri had to think for a moment and Jamie tried to hold out her laughter since she knows exactly what she's doing. Finally, she said "I would love to."
"Awesome!"
"Wanna have lunch together? If you haven't had it yet at least."
"Uhh.." Ivan looked at Dante and Jamie where they nodded him, telling him to just follow her. "Sure. Let's go."
They who came in the gym screaming, left the gym talking together.
"That went well."
"Yeah." Jamie said quietly.
"So anyway.."
"Hm?"
"You wanna be my date?"
"Sure, where we eating this time?" she said jokingly. Dante gave him a childish yet sour look and Jamie laughed. "Of course, silly. I'll definitely go with you to the prom."
"Good. I thought you were being literal."
"What?!" she said as she continued laughing at the two-tail's gullible behaviour.
(Elmore Mall)
Cato, Gumball and Darwin were at the clothes store trying out various tuxedos.
"You need to have more than just black on your clothes nowadays, Cato." Gumball commented. "Your grey hoodie and black shirt is already too normal, it's starting to be an eyesore for you to wear more dark clothes."
"Way to crush the sentimental value of my clothes, airhead." Cato retorted annoyingly.
"Just sayin'."
"Alright, kids. Try these on." Richard handed a full set of tux to Gumball and a pair of pants and a bowtie to Darwin.
"Thanks, Mr. Dad." Darwin said as he went to the changing room. Gumball followed suit (Get it?).
"Thanks for coming along with us, Mr. Watterson."
"It's fine. I've already forseen the day my baby boys become men as they shop for tuxedos and bring their dates to the prom." Richard said with full drama posing and tears welling up in his eyes.
"I think they just brought you along to help picking out the tuxes and spending some time with their dad for awhile, but if you put it that way.." Cato mentioned.
"I've never seen who their dates are yet, though. Who are they?"
"Really? You never met Carrie?"
"Oh, I've met her. I mean Darwin's date."
"I-" Cato paused for a second to have that realization. Darwin never had a date as far as he knew. "I don't know actually. Maybe you'll have to ask him."
Cato started rummagging through more brighter colored tuxes. "Imma try this one out." he said as he went to the changing room. Richard followed him.
At the changing room, Gumball and Darwin just got out of their cubicle, finishing up fitting themselves into their suits.
"Lookin' good." Darwin commented. "You're gonna make Carrie fall for you harder than ever."
"You don't look too bad yourself." Gumball replied as he brushed off a bit of dust from his tux. "Hey, Darwin. Have you thought of who to bring to prom?"
"Not really." Darwin said easily.
"Are you sure? You haven't thought of it at all?"
"I'm just probably gonna be there and act like it's just like any other party." he shrugged.
"I guess you can do that."
"Ooh lookin' mighty fine there, guys."
They looked at the changing room entrance and found Cato and Richard, Cato being the one throwing the comment.
"These look perfect for you two." Richard added.
"Have we even checked how much these are?"
"Oh, it's only 300 dollars each set." Richard said calmly.
"WHAT?!" all three children exclaimed.
"Don't worry, we have this!" Richard took out a credit card from his pocket.
"Mom's credit card?" Darwin said.
"She's gonna be pissed when we get back." Gumball added.
"Don't worry, I already asked her permission. Now hurry and change back. Cato, you should try yours on."
After changing back to their normal attire, they gave the tuxes to Richard and walked out of the changing room.
"Maybe I can look around for some new clothes." Gumball said.
"What's wrong with yours?"
"Don't you think this sweater is getting old?" he gestured to his sweater that has probably been at least 6 years old.
"Probably, try looking around. I'll find you when Cato comes out with his tux."
Gumball looked around the store to find casual clothes that he would like, although he doesn't have a fashion taste whatsoever.
Then, he came across a red short-sleeved shirt with white long inner sleeves. "This looks cool. It could probably fit my giant head too."
He looked around the shirt until he heard a voice coming from his right. "Gumball?"
The voice was somewhat familliar but he couldn't remember. He thought it was a stranger who knew him. However...
"Yeah, what can I-"
And that's where I'm gonna have to leave it, yet another cliffhanger on the list. At this point, I feel almost sorry because I put in too much cliffhangers throughout my stories that pronably make you guys full of suspense but this chapter has been way too long and this looks like a good place for a cliffhanger. But anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think of it and I'll catch you guys in the next chapter.
Peace out!