It had been a little over a year since the eventful vacation the Watterson family had spent together in Elmore National Park. It sparked newfound discoveries within the family, including new adventures and hardships, but in true Watterson fashion, the family had endured it together, leaving no one behind. The summer season had once again kicked off, with children from Elmore Junior High jubilantly running down the steps to reunite with their parents to kick off the summer holidays once again...Gumball Watterson was also amongst the parents waiting, except he was in his pajamas and the fur on top of his head was frizzled, earning strange glares from parents surrounding him.
A familiar rainbow llama soon approached the blue feline, a slight chuckle emanating from him as he placed a hand on the shoulder of the cat.
"Geez Gumball! Did the night shift really affect you that much that you forgot to get dressed this morning?"
Gumball soon turned to face the rainbow figure next to him, the sun beating down on his fur seemed to make him even more lethargic from its warm embrace and presence.
"Oh...Hey Tobias...*yawn* You here to pick up the kids as well?"
Tobias soon gave a confused expression.
"It also seems your hearing is a little delayed too huh? I asked you about why you're in a t-shirt and Pajama boxers dude! The night shift must have really done a number on you! I guess Masami really has been overworking you guys in the accounting department."
Gumball soon rubbed his eyes to regain a bit of consciousness as to what was being said of him.
"Oh yeah...sorry about that Tobias, I arrived home late last night and barely had any time to gain sleep...I guess wasn't expecting the alarm to be waking me up at 3:00PM so quickly, heh..."
Tobias soon provided a sympathetic look for the feline.
"No worries dude! We know how much work and effort you guys have been doing in accounting, you guys keep the company afloat, and help in the allocation of our wages...to be forgiven for showing up in the current state you're in is pretty much a no brainer. The rainbow factory is nothing without you guys!"
Gumball turned and gave a slight smirk, the purple outlines underneath his eyes were more prominent, the signs of mental overexertion were apparent.
"Than-*yawn* thanks a lot Tobias, that's truly kind of you dude!"
Tobias smiled.
"Don't mention it dude! Oh! Another thing...there's a cruise to the Hawaiian islands that almost everyone in Elmore is taking, do you think we'll see you guys there?!"
Gumball slightly became alarmed by the question.
"Oh! Uh...I hadn't really booked any tickets for us to go on a cruise this summer...Tristan and Penelope were really looking forward to spending time with their cousins Anastasia and Vlad at our parents place, Mom and Dad wanted to return the favor from staying at our place last summer."
"Well your brother Darwin was going to be heading to the mall later today, there's a sweepstakes draw that they're holding for the last few tickets, it's only 5 bucks to enter, so it would be a great opportunity for you guys to get the final reservations for your family on that cruise!"
Gumball stood and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Thanks Tobias, I'll be sure to look into it with Darwin."
The rainbow llama then saw his two kids coming down the steps to greet him.
"Don't forget dude! This is going to be an awesome cruise!"
The pink llama waved as he departed from the conversation, as Gumball returned the wave.
He then saw a group of four kids he instantly recognized as Tristan, Penelope, Anastasia, and Vlad.
"Hey kids! Last day of school is officially done and summer vacation is in session!"
The kids gave a cheer before noticing what he had been wearing.
"Uh...Dad? Why are you in pajamas?"
Tristan asked while slightly turning his head to the side in curiosity.
Gumball knelt down to the blue kitten and ruffled his fur a bit before picking him up in his arms.
"Another tough shift little man, but no worries, once I drive you guys back Grandma and Grandpa's, I'll be right as rain!"
Gumball then received a hug from Tristan as he put him back down on the ground.
Each of the kids filed into the backseat, while Tristan got into the passenger seat next to his father.
"Woah little man! You know how your mother feels about you being at the front ever since she found out about our little driving lesson last summer!"
Tristan then grabbed his father's arm with both paws.
"Oh please Dad! It's a much better view up at the front and I get to see the whole town! Plus it's only a short drive, I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind!"
Gumball contemplated his son's plea, his expression reminding him of how he used to guilt trip Nicole into making him stay home from school pretending he was ill.
"Oh...oh okay, but you cannot tell your mother I let you do this okay! She might even be waiting outside and kill me if she finds out...and that's not including what Grandma Nicole would do...*Shiver*".
Tristan hugged his father before Gumball ensured he had his seatbelt on.
"Thanks Dad!"
Gumball smiled.
"No problem Tristan, I wouldn't be so concerned if it was just me, it's just that I have my existence on the line with my parenting from the higher ups."
Tristan laughed.
"Mom and Grandma Nicole are not THAT scary are they?"
*Flashbacks ensue of Gumball in his childhood being scolded by Penny and Nicole*
"Heh, yeah! Absolutely nothing to worry about little man, after all they've treated you splendidly haven't they?"
"Well...For the most part yeah! They've been awesome!"
Gumball had a mental sigh of relief.
"It's a good thing you haven't witnessed that side of them Tristan."
Gumball then initiated the key into the ignition and put the gear shift into drive as he pulled away from the school, and began driving through the quaint, yet bustling town of Elmore.
The town had pretty much remained the same since Gumball was a child, heck even when Gumball's parents were children. But that's what the signature of Elmore was, the tranquil yet wacky and weird town where everything and anything can happen.
Gumball soon pulled next to the old Watterson home, its blue exterior and design had not changed, along with the fact the old memories within the home were still present, along with the new ones still being made currently.
"Alright kids, I'll take care of putting away your backpacks, you guys go have fun in the backyard and inside!"
The kids quickly ran out of the car, as Gumball collected the backpacks from the back seat. The door of the house swung open as Gumball could hear voices and happy greetings inside echoing. He looked around the neighborhood, breathing in the fresh air of the crisp sunny summer day.
Mr. Robinson's house still stood, Gumball still remembers the day his favorite neighbor was relieved to see him go for college, but had now respected the blue feline as he reached adulthood.
Gumball waved to Mr. Robinson, as he was retrieving the newspaper from his front door step.
"Good day Mr. Robinson! Hope all is going well with you today!"
Mr. Robinson gave a slight smile.
"Well...besides the fact that Margaret makes my life a living nightmare, and I mean that in he most optimistic of terms, everything is going pretty swell Gumball Watterson!"
Gumball chuckled.
"Glad to hear that Mr. Robinson!"
Mr. Robinson turned once again before entering back into his home.
"Oh! One more thing Mr. Watterson!"
Gumball stopped to turn once again.
"Yes Mr. Robinson?"
"Tell Tristan and Penelope thank you. They did a fantastic job on the yard work, and it seems they took a few tips from their old man in helping the community."
Gumball smiled and shook the hand of Mr. Robinson.
"Thanks Mr. Robinson, I'll be sure to let them know!"
Gumball then turned away and made his way to the front doorstep of his former home, and turned the doorknob.
As he entered he saw his father and mother, with the four Watterson kids, along with Penny, Carrie, Darwin, and Judith and Patrick, who were also here to visit for the summer.
Penny quickly came over to greet Gumball with a hug.
"Thanks a million for picking up the kids sweetie, it gave us plenty of time to finish up some chores around the house!"
Gumball smiled as he held her in his arms.
"No problem Penny, there's never any trouble in helping those that matter to me most."
Penny blushed and soon noticed that her husband was still in his pajama attire.
"*Chuckle* Well, I guess you better get dressed for the day, as well as fix your fur from last night's grueling shift!"
Gumball peered into the mirror and noticed his unorganized appearance.
"Oh yeah...I forgot all about that..."
Penny smiled.
"I'll see you shortly, we're going to the mall in a few minutes and Darwin is going to ensure that our family gets a spot in the contest sweepstakes for the Hawaiian cruise!"
Gumball then transitioned to a surprised expression.
"Wait...you know about the cruise promotion too?"
Penny chuckled.
"Of course I do silly! The whole town has been talking about it! Imagine all of us on a beach in Honolulu! It would be a proper, relaxing vacation for all of us to enjoy in complete serenity!"
Gumball then contemplated the thought further in his mind, the kids playing in the Pacific Ocean, the adults on the beach in their chairs enjoying a nice beverage while hearing the waves crash against the shore.
"Yeah...yeah that would be the perfect vacation Penny! I'm going to get myself prepared for the day!"
The couple exchanged a quick kiss, as Gumball then transitioned towards the stairs he had done so many times as a kid towards the washroom.
Just before he entered the washroom, he stopped in the middle of the hallway, and looked to his right and saw the room he and his brother and sister had shared for so long.
The names of Gumball, Darwin, and Anais still remained on the door itself as the blue feline slowly crept towards it.
Opening the door, he saw that the room was vacant, except for the bunk bed and desk he and his brother Darwin had kept for their computer, watching Elmore Stream-it or updating their status and talking to their friends on Elmore-Plus...
Gumball, despite his appearance, sat in the middle of the carpet of the room with the sunshine beaming down, the memories and voices echoed around the room of when he was a kid. This was their home for so many years...and in all actuality it very much still is in his heart.
Suddenly a familiar presence soon entered the room and the figure sat next to him.
"Hey Gummypuss...reminiscing about the past are we?"
She placed a paw on his shoulder, and a nostalgic tear soon streamed down his face.
"Hey Mom...I guess I was...you-you kept everything pretty much the way we had left it when all of us had embarked for college..."
Nicole then started to observe the surroundings of the room, also reminiscing of how she had helped her blue kitten when he was sick in bed, or when she had misinterpreted that her son Darwin wanted to leave the family to return to the ocean with his own kind and promptly destroying a computer monitor...which embarrassingly turned out to be a quiet longing for a larger fishbowl for him to use.
"Yeah...I guess there was a part of us that couldn't let go of the past as well. Your father and I always used to joke about how we wanted to finally be done raising you kids...to be completely transparent and honest? There's a big part in us that misses those days, despite the innumerable amount of shenanigans and stressed you caused me in particular...I wouldn't have traded it for anything."
Gumball smiled, as tears started to form in the mother cat and her son's eyes, as they embraced in a warm and tight hug.
"Thank you Mom..."
"And thank you Gumball"
The silence and the sunlight both hitting their fur from the window provided a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere in the room.
"Well I guess you better get cleaned up and put on some proper clothes...let me guess...another tough shift at the factory?"
Gumball nodded.
"I figured as much...Masami is much like her father in Mr. Yoshida, both expect results in a timely manner, anything less is unacceptable."
Gumball then looked out towards the window.
"Yeah...say, I have a question?"
Nicole's ears perked up.
"Yes?"
"Were the phones ALWAYS ringing constantly in the sales department? Our offices are directly adjacent to yours when you were working there."
Nicole's eye twitched and an petered smile soon engulfed her face in abject horror.
"Well...There were times when I would have to answer multiple customer concerns in the run of a work day and shift...so absolutely, the human resources and sales department is always hectic...and quite annoyingly loud."
Gumball sensing that this brought back an unwelcome memory for his mother soon gave her a hug.
"I'm sorry for bringing that up Mom, I know how much you loathed those shifts as much as I do."
Nicole then placed a paw on her son's cheek.
"Awww you've grown into such a mature young man Gumball, I'm so proud of you, your siblings and your father. Life wouldn't be the same without you all!"
Gumball smiled once more, and then remembered something that he intended to give to his mother but hadn't found the opportunity.
"Oh! I almost forgot, here's your 5 dollars I borrowed to buy Tristan and the kids some ice cream yesterday, I hope I didn't tap too much into yours and Dad's meager retirement fund of tens of millions of dollars!"
This warranted a playful punch from Nicole on the arm.
"And you still retain that snarky, witty, and humorous attitude!"
Gumball chuckled.
"Well the opportunity WAS there!"
Nicole returned a slight high pitch chuckle back.
"I guess so...now please, go and get yourself cleaned up! You look like how you were back on weekends as a kid watching cartoons!"
With that Nicole gave a peck on her son's forehead, as he headed towards the washroom to change. He lifted his shirt to reveal the scar that was left by the mother bear from last summer, a lighter patch of blue fur had grown over the deep abrasion and cut, which almost appeared tattoo-esque.
He then retrieved a fresh pair of beige shorts and a polo t-shirt he had left last night when he had finished his shower.
He fixed his fur, and had looked like a brand new cat.
"Looking good Mr. Watterson...looking good indeed..."
He smiled and winked in the mirror while pointing towards himself in the mirror, and promptly exited the washroom.
The Watterson family soon filed into their respective vehicles, as they made their way to the Elmore expressway, en route to the Elmore Mall.
Parking was rather spacious and vacant for a Friday, as all the Watterson vehicles were able to find parking spaces next to one another, and in close proximity to the mall entrance.
Penny and Penelope went with Patrick and Judith to look at some summer clothes should they need some for a potential vacation, while the rest of the family went with Darwin inside the mall to reserve their position in the sweepstakes booth in the middle of the mall.
Tristan meanwhile, went with his father Gumball, as both were not fond of the monotonous and boring selection process of raffles. Both decided to walk around the mall instead, as they wanted to pass as much time as possible until the final draw of the lucky winner.
"So kiddo, where would you like to go?"
Tristan put on a contemplative expression, and soon his face lit up when he finally reached a decision.
"How about we check out the video store?"
Gumball smiled.
"Yeah, you're definitely your father's son."
Gumball then picked him up and put him on his shoulders as he carried him through the mall, along with the bustling sights, sounds, and smells of the food court that accompanied it.
The mall PA played music in the background that echoed through the rest of the mall as they walked.
(If "I still haven't found what I'm looking for by U2" is compatible with your device, please press play now)
Gumball had a slight smile on his face as he wandered around his childhood hangout spot, the memories of the dates with Penny at the Dinner diner flooded back to him.
Then, Gumball had an idea...
"Ladies and gentleman this is your captain speaking, welcome to Watterson airlines, we hope you enjoy your flight today. Our estimated time of arrival to the Elmore video store should be momentary, be sure to give a positive rating to us on our website, we always appreciate your feedback. We are now clear for take off!"
Soon Gumball was dodging people and the mass of crowd, mimicking and imitating airplane sounds, while Tristan was laughing uncontrollably while on his shoulders.
They soon reached the video store as Gumball set his son down on the floor.
"Well, that was an enjoyable flight wasn't it?"
Tristan chuckled.
"It really was! Can we do that again some time again!?"
Gumball pat him on his head.
"Ha ha, absolutely little man, now come on, lets go see what wonders the world of entertainment has to offer us today!"
Both blue felines entered the store, it's layout had not changed one iota since Gumball went here as a kid.
"Oh hello Watterson's! Good to see you again! Are you looking for anything in particular?"
Larry exclaimed as Gumball waved to him in response.
"Hey Larry! I think we're just browsing for now, but we'll let you know if we need your assistance!"
Tristan was in awe at the colorful covers of the various movies and games, each popping out to him in vivid fashion.
After careful browsing and consideration, Tristan decided on two games for his entertainment system, the Poly-station.
"Thank you again Watterson's! Hope to see you again soon!"
Larry waved, as Gumball and Tristan waved back, Tristan returning to his former position of on his father's shoulders.
"Thanks for the games Dad! I can't wait to play them!"
Gumball smiled as he looked up to see two big, shining eyes staring back into his.
"Don't mention it kiddo! It also gives me the opportunity to practice and test them out with you! I mean, you got to be able to beat me in a competitive match some day right?"
Tristan did a sarcastic laugh.
"Oh ha ha, very funny Dad, what about that one match-"
"I was holding back."
"Were not!"
"Was so little man, I could have used so many combos to end your existence, but only by my idle amusement and fatherly love, I let you win."
Tristan snickered.
"Yeah. Right. We'll see when we test these new games out."
Suddenly a faint microphone could be heard reverberating throughout the mall complex.
"They must be starting the draw! Hold on Tristan, we're going a bit faster than last time!"
Gumball soon reached the mall center, and a crowd began to form around the raffle stand, the rest of the Watterson family waving towards Gumball and Tristan down below.
Gumball and Tristan soon listened attentively to the draw, as it soon began.
"Welcome fellow Elmore residents and citizens! It is my pleasure to finally announce that we have a winner in the raffle for the Hawaiian cruise!"
The entire mall went quiet, as the Mayor retrieved an envelope from a raffle assistant, and slowly began to open its contents.
A pin could be heard dropping as everyone in the mall held their breath in anticipation and suspense.
"And the winner is...Darwin Watterson!"
*END OF CHAPTER*