It's a calm summer afternoon. The afternoon sun, a lazy orange blob, dripped through the living room window, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. The usual chaotic energy of the Watterson household, however, was conspicuously absent today. Nicole was at work, Richard was buying some bagels at the bakery shop, and Darwin was at his swimming club. That left Gumball, sprawled on the right corner of the couch with his storybook, and Anais, lying on the other side of the couch with a thick book open in front of her.

Gumball, now a decidedly more mature 12-years-old, though still prone to the occasional bout of childishness, was relaxing himself with his storybook on his paws. He hummed softly, his brow furrowed in concentration. Anais, on the other hand, was immersed in her science book, again. Her nose was buried in the pages, and the tip of her tongue peeked out from the corner of her mouth, a clear sign that her brain was firing on all cylinders.

The quiet, however, was shattered by a sigh that came from Anais as she closed her book. Gumball glanced over Anais as she sat up, looked at him and announced, her voice carrying an air of finality.

Anais: "Gumball, I'm bored."

Gumball sighed, also flipping his storybook closed as he responded.

Gumball: "What do you want me to do about it, Anais? I'm not in the mood to act like a clown for you today."

Anais: "You should be..."

She muttered under her breath, but loud enough for her brother to hear. She then hesitated for a while before coming out an idea as she straightened herself on the couch, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous spark.

Anais: "Hey, I have a great idea! Let's play a game together!"

Gumball eyed her with suspicion. Anais's games were rarely... straightforward. They usually involved obscure rules, intellectual gymnastics, and a high probability of Gumball being thoroughly outmaneuvered. He then asked her cautiously.

Gumball: "What kind of game? It better not be complicated, okay?"

Anais declared, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.

Anais: "A trivia game! And don't worry, the rules are simple. I'll ask the questions, and you answer. Whoever wins gets all the respect and attention for the rest of the day."

Gumball: "And the loser?"

Anais: "Hmm... Then you'll have to dress like a clown for me to cheer me up for the rest of the afternoon!"

Gumball hesitated. Trivia? That was indeed Anais's forte! He was more of a 'try everything and maybe something will work' kind of guy. He really doesn't mind dressing like a clown if he loses, but the image of getting all the respect and attention if he wins was tempting. He then smirked at his sister.

Gumball: "Alright, little genius. I'm in! But don't expect me to go easy on you."

Anais's eyes widened with delight as she tapped her chin, her thoughts clearly racing through the vast database of her mind.

Anais: "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it."

Once they're settled on the couch, face-to-face each others, the game began with relatively easy questions.

Anais: "What is the capital of France?"

Anais asked, looking at Gumball expectantly before he answered without hesitation.

Gumball: "Paris!"

Anais's smile faltered slightly as she continued to ask her brother questions.

Anais: "Okay, what is the chemical symbol for gold?"

Gumball: "Au!"

Gumball immediately fired back, remembering a science lesson he had from months ago when he was still in the middle of the semester.

Anais's brows furrowed. She may have noticed Gumball's maturity recently but she was clearly not expecting him could also be so... knowledgeable. She started upping the ante, delving into complex mathematical equations, historical figures, and esoteric scientific facts. And surprisingly, Gumball, held his own, pulling out obscure tidbits of information that he'd seemingly absorbed through osmosis, or perhaps just through his sheer dumb luck.

He somehow identified correctly the year the Magna Carta was signed, defined the Pythagorean theorem, and even rattled off the first five elements on the periodic table. Those answers, even he himself, admittedly, was surprised. Since when did he become so wise like this? Maybe all the time he spent pretending to listen in class had actually paid off.

Anais, now growing increasingly frustrated. Her questions became more and more challenging, her voice tinged with a hint of desperation. She asked about the moons of Neptune, some archaic programming languages, and even some complex political questions. Gumball, against all odds, managed to answer a surprising number correctly, albeit sometimes with a touch of guesswork and an inexplicable intuition.

The whole living room was charged with tension, the ticking of the wall clock seeming to amplify with each passing questions. Gumball, for his part, was actually enjoying himself immensely. He was actually keeping up with Anais! He even managed to throw in a few sarcastic lines, albeit gentle ones.

Gumball: "Getting a bit flustered, Anais?"

He'd ask, a smirk playing on his lips. Anais would simply glare at him, before returning to her book of questions with a renewed determination. Finally, she posed her last ultimate question, a challenge she was certain would stump him.

Anais: "Alright. This is the last question! And let me reveal something to you first that even I don't know the answer of it, nor have I ever seen it in this book. So I bet that you'll just give up after a few seconds for sure! Have the guts?"

Gumball: "Ohhh... Is that so? Then bring it, sis! I'm ready!"

Anais: "If you insist... What is the name of the theoretical particle that carries the gravitational force?"

She paused, waiting for Gumball's inevitable struggle. Gumball scratched his chin, deliberately dragging out the moment. His little sister just said that even she doesn't know the answer, but again, surprisingly, he does. He had encountered a similar question on his latest final exam before summer break. But he wasn't going to give it to Anais that easily. He feigned a thoughtful expression, his eyes darting around the room as if he's searching for inspiration from the dust motes, which were illuminated by the sunlight outside.

Gumball drawled, before finally, slowly, and with a completely straight face, he said.

Gumball: "Hmm... that's a tricky one... Is it... Jerry?"

Anais stared at him, her mouth agape as she spoke, her voice was a mix of disbelief and exasperation.

Anais: "Jerry? There's no particle called Jerry! What's wrong with you? This isn't a question about the 'Tom and Jerry' cartoon show, Gumball!"

Gumball can't help but burst out laughing when he saw her shocking face, his body shaking with genuine amusement.

Gumball: "Ahahaha... I know! I'm sorry, I was just teasing you. I just wanted to see your face."

He then quickly calmed himself down, and with a casual shrug, he answered frankly.

Gumball: "By the way, if you want a genuine answer, it's called 'graviton'!"

Anais hurriedly turned to the answer pages of the questions in the book before she saw the answer to that question for the first time. And it surprisingly coincided with Gumball's answer! Anais then blinked at her brother, her jaw hung open in shock. The realization slowly dawned on her – Gumball had not only outsmarted her, but he had also played her. He had known the answer of this question all along and had deliberately chosen to tease with her.

When Anais regained her composure, a slow, almost grudging smile spread across her face as she conceded, her voice laced with a touch of admiration.

Anais: "Okay, Gumball. You got me. Fair and square."

She paused, her eyes glinting with a sudden understanding and a hint of amusement towards her brother.

Anais: "You know, for someone who pretends to be so clueless, you can be quite the schemer sometimes, Gumball."

Gumball, still grinning, leaned back on the couch, arms behind his head before he winked at her.

Gumball: "Well, maybe I'm just full of surprises, lil sis. And maybe, just maybe, I've finally learned a thing or two from you."

Anais, despite her initial frustration, couldn't help but smile at him. She had been outsmarted, yes, but it was a good lesson for her life. Sometimes, even the most chaotic of individuals can surprise you. And sometimes, there are people who seems very normal but can hold unexpected hidden depths from inside.

Gumball also let out a gentle smile back to her as he leaned closer to her and asked.

Gumball: "So are you still feeling bored, Anais?"

Anais: "Not anymore. Because that was crazy! And again, well done Gumball! I really didn't expect that you could be much smarter than I thought."

A mischievous glint formed on Gumball's face as he teased her, his paw patting her head.

Gumball: "Oh of course you didn't. Imagine how Mom, Dad, Darwin, or even my friends at school would react if I bragged to them that I'd actually outmaneuvered my genius sister here for once."

Anais giggles at her brother's patting before she let out a fake punch on his shoulders.

Anais: "Don't push it, you silly big brother!"

Gumball responded, still wanting to tease her some more.

Gumball: "And you also didn't expect the day that this silly big brother would outsmarted you just like that, huh?"

Anais don't know how to react to that but blushing in defeat. Gumball looked at her blushes as he continued to tease her.

Gumball: "Aww... Is my little bunny embarrassed right now?"

Anais blushed for a moment before she looked at her brother and let out a sigh of relief.

Anais: "Alright, You got me again. And since you have won fair and square, you can show this off to anyone you likes and get as much respect and attention as you want, it's fine..."

Gumball noticed his sister was being a bit upset as he felt a pang of guilt inside for teasing her a little bit too much. He then changed to his sympathy look as he spoke with a calm and gentle tone, his paw patting her shoulders.

Gumball: "Hey, you know what? Let's call off the deal for now."

Anais looked at him surprised as she replied.

Anais: "Wait, really? But you had outsmarted me like that, so you deserves your prizes..."

Gumball: *nods* "I know. But I can't bear seeing you upset and being left out just like that. Sure that Mom, Dad and Darwin might praised me and gave me more validation than ever, but... you also have come so far! Everyone in this world were all special in their own ways, including you, Annie! So don't worry, I'll make sure to mention you once I tell them about our fun today!"

Anais now gave him an admiring look as she responded.

Anais: "Really? Did you really mean that?"

Gumball nodded at his sister and gave her a look of determination.

Gumball: "Mhm! This family would never leave anyone behind. Trust us!"

Anais let out some emotional tears as she hugged Gumball tightly.

Anais: "Thanks Gumball! You're a great brother!"

Gumball also hugged her back as he let out a warm smile at her.

Gumball: "Anytime, sis."

As they both hugging each others for a while, the afternoon sun continued to stream through the window, bathing the living room in a warm glow. Their trivia game earlier have helped them built a new kind of energy – a quiet understanding between a brother and a sister, a realization that even in the most unexpected of circumstances, they could still find ways to surprise each others. And, perhaps, that was one of the most valuable lesson of all!

~ END OF STORY! ~