Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~Day 0~

'I see everything he sees. Hear what he hears. Feel what he feels. The pain of being like this almost unbearable. He never listens to me... Can he even hear me? I guess... he neglected me for so long my screams of common sense can't reach him... I'm useless aren't I? I don't care anymore. If he won't listen to me I won't guide him anymore. Just let me out! Out of this prison in his mind! It's painful to sit and watch. I want to act, move, dance. Something! It's torture watching him play "Dodj or Dahr" so many times and feeling the pain. Although I've noticed his resistance to pain increasing, I don't want to keep feeling it. When will my time come?

'Gumball Watterson... How is it that in a family with names like Anias, Nicole, Richard, and Darwin they name their son Gumball? Even if Richard has the IQ lower than a bag of corn, Nicole should have put her foot down at Gumball's birth, but hey she's somewhat of an enabler so... It's just that all of his pet fish got normal names, all of them Darwin of course. Goodness. I'd blame his name for his antics, but I know better. Even if his name was Steven he'd still be a lovable, destructive goof.

'Yea... I said lovable. I can't bring myself to hate the kid, even if he doesn't listen to me. He has this charisma that he can get so many people to like him. Tobias, the rainbow kid, is rich and seems somewhat popular and he still hangs with Gumball from time to time. Even Banana Joe, why does Elmore have so many weird names, is kinda the third to Gumball and Darwin's duo. Gumball's bullies can't even hate him. Tina sees him as a friend, typical Tsundere, and Jamie is tolerant of him. Carie, Teri, Penny, Masami; so many names ending with the e sound; Bobert, etc... The only ones I can say who definitively hate him are Ms./Mr. Simian; can't tell half the time; and Penny's dad.

'Is he annoying? Yes. Does he cause thousands of dollars in damages? Yes. Is he stupid? Yes and no; if put more effort into thinking before he acted there'd be less stupid craziness. But can you hate him? Not likely. If it wasn't for the bad things happening around him I would say he was a Gary Sue of his own life. Some important stuff just work for him. He still needs a conscience, but I'm sick of being it. I want a life of my own. Some day... I might get my wish.'

~Day 1~

Be-Beep be-beep be-beep...

The alarm has been going off for half an hour now. I don't mind the darkness I see, but I really don't want to look at the inside of Gumball's eyelids.

'Wake up lazy bones! Today's Sunday, you got one more day of doing jack,' I 'yell' in the back of my mind. I know this is futile, but hey, it keeps me sane... Not really. How can I be sane when I'm just apart of this guy's mind. Being an ignored conscience is brutal. No control, no choice, and no one to "talk" to is heck.

'SOMEONE WAKE THIS BLUE CAT UP!' I 'yell' once more.

Be-beep be-beep be-beep

"Hey. Gumball? It's time to get up," said a voice of innocence.

'Thank yooouu, Darwin!'

Darwin Raglin Caspian Ahab Poseidon Nicodemus Watterson III, the third orange pet fish of the family. Also, the only one to grow legs and develop, mentally, past 8 years old.

"Come on Gumball. It's 10:30. Get up."

Slowly Gumball yawns, sits up and begins to open his eyes.

'Finally! I can se... Oh my goodness the sun burns the eyes!'

Gumball closes his tight and rubs the sleep from them. "Mornin' Dude," he says as begins to get outta bed, "So what's planned for today?"

"Well," Darwin pulls a piece of paper from behind his back.

'Where did he keep that?'

"First, we sit and watch cartoons for 2 hours, then video games for 2 more..."

'Wow, sounds like an exciting and mentally stimulating day so far.'

"Then we go to the park to hang with Tobias, Banana Joe, and Bobert," Darwin finished with that innocent smile, like nothing is wrong in the world. By this time Gumball had gotten dressed in his signature outfit: light blue denim pants, white-ish tan long sleeved sweater and no shoes.

'What no shower? *inner sigh* So that makes it the 4th day without washing?' sarcastically 'So nice...'

"Well buddy, lets get started," I can feel Gumball smile lightly as he said this.

Darwin puts on his own signature clothes, socks and green shoes only.

'Nother day in da nude, Darwin?'

As they descend down the stairs Gumball smells something delicious coming from the kitchen. Nicole; Gumball's mother, who he resembles (only taller than him); is cooking a small breakfast for the family. Anias and Richard are already sitting at the table waiting. Both of them pink bunnies. Richard is big; in height and weight, reads at the 2nd grade level, and has a child-like innocence like Darwin. How did he get Nicole? Anias, I call her Ms. Einstein, the baby of the family at 4. She's about half Gumball's height and five times smarter. She's basically smart enough to have graduated from a university, but for some reason she goes to Elmore Junior high with Gumball and Darwin. I think it's the stigma of being a Watterson.

"Morning boys!" Richard greeting them with his warm, somewhat dimwitted smile as they enter the dining room.

"Morning Mr. Dad!" Darwin replying the same way.

"Good Morning," Replied Gumball with a yawn. "Morning Anias."

The small bunny in her slightly perky voice says, "Morning. What do you have planned for the day?"

'Oh, you know same old same old. Stimulating study sessions and homework,' I sarcastically think to myself.

"Oh, you know same old same old. Stimulating study sessions and homework," Gumball replied.

What? I 'asked' shocked.

"What?" Everyone else asked the same thing, looking flabbergasted.

'I know right he stole my sentence! Can he really hear me?'

"Sike!" he said laughing. Everyone actually sighed in relief, they must have thought the world was coming to an end. He continues, "Me and Darwin are just gonna due the usual."

His mom enters with the breakfast she made, "Sometimes I wish that you would actually do that, you know?" She places the dish on the table; scrambled eggs, slightly crispy bacon, and hash browns.

"Everything looks good, honey," says Richard who looked at the food as if he hadn't eaten yesterday.

"Thanks Richard," replied Nicole.

After everyone got their share Gumball was staring at the hashbrowns on his fork.

'You know this coulda been Idaho's cousin,' he thought salivating.

'Who thinks like that?' I yelled.

4 mind numbing hours later

Gumball and Darwin had finished gaming an hour early cause Nicole wanted them to get outta the house and play. So decided to play a quick game of "Dodj or Dahr" in the backyard. Now Gumball is walking to the park with a few scratches and what feels like a broken rib. How did he increase his pain threshold to the point of walking off broken bones.

"What are we gonna do at the park, dude?" Gumball finally asked.

"I don't know," Darwin replied with a look of questioning on his face. "Tobias just said to be at the park by 4 o'clock."

'I hope this isn't a prank or something,' thought Gumball knowing that Tobias pulls a couple of cheap tricks on Gumball and vice versa. They made it to the park, yet the fluffy rainbow headed kid nor the strip happy banana were anywhere in sight. As they entered Gumball sees a familiar small white robot walking towards the rock formation near the lake.

"Hey, there's Bobert," said Gumball, "Hey, Bobert, over here."

Bobert turned his head to see who called out to him. He looks in Gumball's direction and I guess used a zoom function as his eye did that unusual camera thing. He looks as happy as a robot kid could and motioned for Darwin and Gumball to approach.

"Friend Gumball. Friend Darwin. It is quite elating to see you," Bobert greeted as they got closer.

'I don't know why, but... I like the way this guy talks' I thought to myself.

'How come he talks like that?' thought Gumball. I already knew we differed in thoughts, but he doesn't hate the way Bobert talks. He just thinks it's different. Nothing wrong with that. Gumball's also "different."

"Hey Bobert," Darwin begins, "Do you know why Tobias wanted us to meet at the park?"

'I know why,' I thought out loud. Sometimes I really wish Gumball could hear me here in the back of his mind. 'Who usually meets here on Sunday and what do they do?'

"It is most likely to observe the cheerleaders as they practice their routine," informed Bobert, "They have scheduled to meet here every Sunday for the last six months."

"Oh," Darwin looked like he wasn't quite sure why Tobias would want to watch them. Isn't innocence precious? Gumball on the other hand... Well let me tell you what I feel his body doing (age appropriately). His heart is beating as fast as a jackhammer, his palms have gotten a bit clammy, and I feel a lovestruck smile on his face. If you don't know; Penny, the cute peanut with antlers, is a cheerleader. Gumball is helplessly in love with her, but to nervous to say this to her. He also doesn't know that she likes him the same way, but she doesn't appear nervous around him, not like he is around her anyway.

'Come on, Gumball. Just breath,' I instructed, not like he can hear me.

'I would totally hug Tobias if it wouldn't...' he stopped in mid thought. 'Wait a minute'

"Why are you here, Bobert?" he asked. "You don't seem like you would enjoy watching."

"He's hear to record everything," said a voice with a matter-of-fact tone. Gumball and Darwin looked around, but couldn't put a face to the voice. Then it spoke again, "Up here."

Gumball look and see Tobias looking down from the rock cliff. His rainbow face has this smug look on as if it's saying, "Nice idea, right? I thought of it before you could."

"Sup Tobias," greeted Gumball. "Where's Banana Joe?"

"He's up here looking for a good place for Bobert to catch everything," He replied. "Hurry and get up here or you'll miss everything."

Gumball didn't need to be told twice climbing up the slightly steep rock face. He was ignoring the sharp pain in his side from the hurt rib.

'Tsk... How can you not feel this pain in your side, dude,' I thought, 'you're not Supercat or anything.' Now I realized that I'm whining while the Gumball, the one who's in control is brushing it off like nothing. I would feel kinda sad, I guess, if it wasn't for Gumball's emotions overwriting mine.

As Gumball reaches the top, Tobias sets down some small snacks to enjoy while watching the show. Banana Joe directs Bobert to where he could sit to see everything. Darwin is holding out a fin to help Gumball up.

"How'd you beat me up here?" He asked winded from his impromptu workout.

Darwin pointed back to Bobert, "He used his extendo legs. If you didn't try and rush up the side, he woulda just carried us both." At this point Gumball's face heats up in embarrassment.

'Think before you leap, Gumball.' I'm starting to enjoy the thought of seeing the cheerleaders' practice. Maybe that's Gumball feelings 'permeating' me again. 'Well let's see what's happening, Gumball.'

Gumball strolls over to the edge and saw the cheerleaders warming up. He could see everyone. Masami, the rich cloud; Molly Collins, the friendly sauropod; Teri, the cute hypochondriac paper bear; Carmen, the cactus; and Leslie, the potted flower who's also the only boy on the squad. Gumball's eyes scanned over the scene until he saw a certain peanut with antlers. Penny Fitzgerald, a nice girl with kind eyes and sweet voice, was leading the squad through small drills.

Gumball couldn't take his eyes off her. Since I could only see what he could see I learned to observe everything through the periphery of his sight. Through Gumball's periphery, I noticed he was too close to the edge. I know he can take pain, but a fall from about three stories coupled with his hurt side and we're looking at hospitalization.

Nervously I try and 'say', 'Gumball... Slowly and safely... back away from th-...'

"GUMBALL!" Darwin calls out to him with concern in his voice. Gumball turns so abruptly that his foot slipped off the edge. At the same time small pieces of the cliff cracked off. Gumball's plummeting towards the ground with me in toe in the back of his mind. I 'scream' as Gumball shrieks. The ground closes in, bracing for impact Gumball closes his eyes. In the next moment excruciating pain shoots throughout and repeated blows follow suit, bringing more agonizing and consistent pain. The pressure from these blows lingers, pinning us under the remnants of the cliffside.

"Help me," I weakly 'think' aloud as I lose consciousness.

Chapter Text

~Day 1 continues~

Throughout the entire body pain is radiating as I begin to regain consciousness. Throbbing migraine from the blows disorientates me as I try to think. Thinking leads to intense anguish as I try to get my mental bearings. Suddenly a realization strikes me.

'Gumball? Why aren't we moving?' I think, fear encroaching on us. If I am conscious and Gumball isn't I should still be able to hear and see his dreams, but... No colorful array of chaos and emotion, a constant within his dreams, are here to be witnessed. No thoughts to fill the silence that is somehow loud in our head.

'Please be ok...' Sorrow has now appears alongside the fear. The sorrow is then accompanied be the sensation of tears welling up in his eyes. 'Thank goodness. He's alive... he's with me,' I think to myself. As relief comforts me as the wait for others to come and help get him out of the rubble continues. The unending wait has me wondering why no one has to help. I know for a fact Darwin saw him fall. So did Tobias, Banana Joe, and Bobert. They must know he's under these rocks.

'Come on, Gumball wake up,' I coax. 'Just open your eyes.' The memories of the sensation of Gumball opening his eyes accompanied the action of his eyes opening sluggishly. The sight was pitch black, devoid of any light.

'Great!' I weakly exclaim. At the same time Gumball grunted a word.

"Great..." his voice labors, pain within it.

'What?' confusion arose in my thoughts and again a grunt...

"What?" the question rasps out.

'How's that happening?'

"How's that happening?"

Confusion lined with fear permeated my thoughts as it questioned: 'Why was he repeating what I thought? It couldn't be... could it?' Remembering the feeling of Gumball making a fist I was shocked to feel Gumball's hand clenching into one.

"I... I-I have control?" I raspingly yell. Fear uncontrollably grasps my mind as a single question emerges… is Gumball... gone?

"No!" I grunt in sorrow. "You'll be alright, Gumball," desperation fills me. Gumball needs help and if no was coming... It's up to me to help him. Moving was second nature as I struggle to release our body from the rubble. The rocks and boulders are heavy, but my determination to get Gumball out gives me strength to match the heroes of legend. Pebble by pebble, stone by stone, all that impedes me is shoved and tossed aside as I trudge through the mountain of rubble atop us. Emerging from within the rubble, I bellow as though I have bested a god. A realization hits me; my first choice ever made with my freedom was to bring about our physical freedom. I wearily laugh at the irony as exhaustion caught up to me causing our eyes to shut and our body to slump over.

"We're out Gumball," I say, "We're out." my desire to get us home is accompanied anger as I open our eyes and look out at those that rose not one finger to help. Panic and confusion encircle me… The park was empty, not one soul around and the sky… Instead of the bright blue canvas that was littered with small clouds before, there is darkness as the sky is deep black with specks of light from distant stars.

'It's night?' my mind is spinning, 'Where did everyone go?' the remaining adrenaline subsides and pain takes its place. The intensity grew as I move, but I have to get help. I got up onto our feet and look over our body. There no visible cuts, yet I could feel the bruises setting in. Small scratches on our pads/palms. Gumball's clothes are dirty with one small rip at the knee of his jeans. I limp, or rather hobble, towards the entrance and exit of the park. Relief spreads throughout Gumball's body as I push onwards.

'There we go, pain resistance to the rescue,' I think. 'Now to look for someone to take us to the hospital.' As I walk down the sidewalk, no streetlight illuminating the way, both dread and, ironically, elation come over me. Not being constricted by a body I can't control is incredible. Being forced to move in a way I didn't like or want felt wrong, like I was in a mental prison; but now… I'm as free as can be. Confliction with my circumstance grips my thoughts. I am here to help Gumball make the right choices, safe decisions, or calculated risks. Being ignored cultivates a desire for my own life... my own body.

"Is this my chance?" a slight smile creeps onto my face. I slap myself with the strength of Hercules, "No! No! You can't think like that. Gumball is our responsibility and we can't abandon him."

'This wasn't about me. No one knows me. I can't forsake him for a life that isn't mine.' At that point I noticed someone ahead of me. They were under a working streetlight talking to someone out of view.

'Finally someone.'

Gathering new strength I begin to briskly walk towards the person. As I get closer I can here them talking.

"By the way, did you here about the accident in the park today?" a voice I don't recognize pipes up. I slow my approach and listen.

"Here about it? I was there, dude!" replies a voice I definitely knew.

'Rocky Robinson!' the sound of his voice first warms me with relief, but then the warmth grew hot with anger... 'He was there?'

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Gumball fall off that cliff,' He continued. "I thought he would be ok since he went through worse before."

"I guess that's true. I saw him and his friend jump off their school rooftop and land face first on the sidewalk," I cringe at the memory Rocky's friend brought up. Gumball and Darwin's detention escape is not pretty. "They got up and just limped off like it's something that happens all the time."

"Well," Rocky starts again, "it kinda is. But back to the park scene. Just after Gumball hit the ground a lot rocks and boulders from the cliff fell over him. He was trapped under them."

"Wow, I can't believed he survived that," the other guy replies.

'Wait... What?' my vision narrows and the sounds around me dullen as though I was under water, 'How do they know Gumball survived? We were buried under those rocks for hours!' Our face heats up with red-hot fury.

"I know right after me and his friends dug him out we called an ambulance to get him," Rocky say with a twinge of sadness in his voice. Replacing anger, a sense of confusion and panic fill me.

'What does he mean? Gumball's right here... He's lying, he's got to be...' I wouldn't believe what I was hearing. 'How could he have picked Gumball out of the rubble? We were still there. There's no way...' I drifted off into a nearby alley. I laid our, or should I say My, back against a wall. I was still listening to their conversation.

"I saw him as I left the hospital after my check up. He was being unloaded off the ambulance and rushed into the ER," Rocky's friend recounts. "He didn't look too bad though. Just a few bumps, bruises, and small scratches."

Beep beep...

"Is that the alarm clock?" I question with manic relief in my voice, "Right this is a dream. Gumball will wake up and I'll be back in his mind."

"Oh crap dude, it's almost midnight!" Rocky exclaims, "I gotta get back home! My ol' man is gonna have a fit if I'm not home soon."

"Well, you better hurry, man," his friend chuckles. "I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Yea, see ya," he says with hurried footsteps following behind. With the steps growing louder and getting closer I look up and peer through the opening of the alley in time for Rocky's figure to running past with a look of worry on his face. I worry as well, yet not for his well-being after being late to get home, but because if his words are true...

"Who am I? What am I?"

I lean against the wall losing strength in my legs until I am crumpled at the place where it meets the ground. Looking around, yet not looking anything my sight drifts and blurs as tears well up. I cannot focus on anything... I just lay in this gutter, scared of the my own existence. I know that there are many things in this world that can't be explained and that most of them happen around the Wattersons, but...

'What is gonna happen to me?' The question on constant in the back of my mind ever since I began to 'be'. This situation was never a possibility in my thoughts.

'We can't… I… I can't... stay here...'

Picking myself off the ground, I exit the alley. The working streetlight illumining a spot where I can only assume Rocky was standing with his friend, yet now no one was underneath. Scanning the street I notice the street sign, Broken Dreams Boulevard. Fitting since, for once, I'm all alone. Hobbling down the street not knowing where else to go. The physical pain fades, but emotionally I was in anguish, a type of anguish that I know of nothing on how to deal with.

'Here I am dealing with an existential crisis at about 6 hours old.' Sorrowfully I laugh trying to bring a smile to my face. I notice that my view has been blurred, I have been unknowingly crying. Wiping my eyes, I fall to my knees and take in the sensation. The fur on my face matted down as proof of my sorrow. The fur on the back of my hand resembles a cow-lick. Sorrow, tears, dread; a combination that I'm not used to. Gumball's happy go lucky disposition and lack of memories of him crying like this has not prepared me for this.

Realization hits me as these memories aren't mine, but his. Lifting my head and observing my surroundings, I see I have walked to a condemned apartment building at the end of the street. A part of Elmore that Gumball never went to nor heard of. The chill of the night air finally penetrated my thoughts and spine. An uncomfortable shudder creeps up my spine. Not sure of what else to do I rise to my feet and approach the condemned building.

A long low sounding squeak rings out as I force the front door open. A thick coat of dust covers everything from the broken stairs and reception desk to the columns and doorframes. The late 90's seems to live here as each room I pass is furnished with Pine shelves and dressers, what-used-to-be-white apartment kitchens with ivy trellis wallpaper, and big pear prints on the walls.

'The building looked as if no one took care of it for years. Might be why it was condemned.' Taking in everything as I roam about the first floor of the building, I found what I really need at this moment, an intact bed. Everything that I have experienced hits me alongside the exhaustion.

'Who am I? Why am I...? How do I live? I'm not... not...

The tears have stopped, well running dry. My eyes sting and burn at the newfound dryness.

'I'll deal with my situation tomorrow, too tired,'

Hobbling across the room, I ignore the rubble of rocks, drywall, and splintered wood poking the bottom of my feet. Upon reaching the bed I fall face first onto the musty mattress, shuttering my eyelids and drift off...

Chapter Text

Purple shadows shifting and turning all around me. It's all so familiar. The shadows converge in front of me like rushing water, they're mesmerizing.

'Beautiful,' is the one thought running through my mind.

The shadows pull themselves together leaving shining white walls from where they once were. The light from the walls overwhelms my eyes, I try and fail to turn away from the light that is now all around me. Familiarity and fear sweep over me as I peer at my surroundings through the small gap between my near shut eyelids. The shadows shift and begin to take form. These once formless amalgamations of shadows take the shape of three doors, each one a different color. The right one is orange, the middle is blue, and the left is pink.

'They look familiar,' I try to make sense of what is happening. The doors then open with blinding lights shining through. I shut my eyes while shielding my face as soon as they're hit by the light. The intensity seems to fade so I slowly open them and notice that my surroundings change to that of a hall, lined with red lockers and brown doors.

'Wait...' taking in the familiar scene I ask myself, 'Is this... Elmore Junior High?' I look around the hall and into the rooms, each one empty aside from a blackboard with a big desk to its side and a group of smaller desks opposite them.

'This is weird,' I wonderingly thought, 'but then again, how, exactly, is my situation normal?' Walking to the end of the hall where it turns a corner, I hear strange sounds. Slight rhythmic scraping and clunking steadily coming near. I slowly lean past the corner to see what could be making those noises. As I look and see someone in a hospital gown with a crutch moving down the hall. They were coming in my direction thankfully, as I did not want my first actual dream to have someone's butt hanging out and mooning me.

I now notice the person was getting closer and I can hear him calling out, "Hello... Is there anyone here?" His voice is unmistakable, it was mine. That had to mean that...

"Hey!" I yell as I rush from around the corner.

"Ahh!" he falls backwards from surprise. "Wh-Who are you?" he asks nervously as he looks up at me in confusion.

'Really dude?' I think to myself as I walk towards him. 'Wait...' I give myself a facepalm then look back at Gumball.

"Who do I look like to you?" I inquire as I reach with my hand out, offering to help him up.

"You kinda look like..." he strains as he gets up onto his feet, "Me?"

'Well... I guess I would. This IS my dream,' I think to myself.

"Yeah..." he continues, "You look like me, but you have these weird looking dots on your face."

"Eh?"

"Right under your eyes, dude," he points out. I look around in search of any reflective surface, but to no avail.

"Well, again, who are you?" he repeats his question. I turn back towards him and start wondering, 'Who am I? What am I now?'.

'Can I really tell him what I am? Especially since I have no clue?' I wonder.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway," I respond knowing that my response is lacking at best.

"Try me," is all he says.

'Well... It can't hurt, right? I mean it's not like he would remember this when I wake up. It's my dream after all,' I start debating with myself. 'On the other hand, though, would it show me how he might react? Can I predict whether he will accept me or shun me?'

"Hellloooo," he says, distortion running through his voice. I look at him with confusion. It seems that he noticed this, "What the... What?" The distortion becomes more clear and it branches from his voice as the lockers begin melting along the hall.

"What's going on?" I ask, distressing as my voice also distorts.

"I don't know," he responds. The ceiling crumbles away due to an invisible force. In its place is a starry night sky that begins swirling around. Then columns shoot from the floor one by one. Fear takes hold and I wish to run...

'I can't leave Gumball!' I yell mentally to myself. I turn around grabbing Gumball by his shoulder and tell him to run, but he's too afraid to move. As he opens his mouth to say something he's sent into the air atop a column that shoots up from under him. I fall backwards and scan the sky for any glimpse of Gumball..

"GUMBALL!" I yell as the floor crumbles under me. The ground gives out and I plummet into the void below.

"AAHHHH!" There's nothing to grab onto. I keep falling into darkness. Still screaming I close my eyes to not witness my fate. Suddenly...

~Day 2~

BAM!

"Gah!" Pain surges through my face as it slams into something. My eyes well up in pain. I open them and see a room not entirely unfamiliar. Pear prints along the wall and ivy trellis wallpaper in the adjacent kitchen reminds me of where I am. I seem to have fallen out of the musty bed.

"What a way to wake up in the morning," I say aloud, rubbing the pain in my forehead away. I notice that there is light entering the room from a broken window over the bed. There is now a lot of dust in the air, the result of my face plant on the floor.

"Ahh... AH... snikt," I sneeze from the dust and get up off the floor. Looking around I instantly feel hurt. Not physically, but depression creeps into my being.

'What should I do?' I ask myself. 'I have no friends, family, or anything. Just these ruined, copied clothes on my copied back.'

'Can't believe I'm brooding. Over something I had no control over.'

I felt my face for any bumps or sore spots. When I reached my forehead there was a slight sting. I got up on my feet and looked for the bathroom. There was a door across the way of the bed that was left ajar. It creaked as I slowly opened it, revealing a busted mid-sized bathroom.

The toilet, on the right wall, covered by dust and possibly ancient refuse, 'no thanks.' Straight across from the door was the shower/bathtub, which once might have been porcelain white, yet now it is caked with dust and dirt. The sink, to the left of the door, had a corner broken off which found its way behind the toilet.

'Okay... I can't make this work,' I think as I look over the room, 'but this is all I got.' I slowly walked to the sink avoiding broken glass and sink fragments. All while barefoot.

'How come Nicole couldn't afford shoes for everybody?' I think to myself. Standing in front of the sink I look into the mirror. All I see is dust. I take the edge of my sleeve and wipe the mirror as clean as I can get it to see MY face.

'Yeah... I'm a copy...' The face looking back at me was exactly like Gumball's, 'six whiskers, orange nose, pointy blue ears with a purple tint, and a couple of…'

'What the... what...' I look back at my ears and see that there's a faint purple/lavender tint within the fur on them.

'Cool. Not entirely a copy,' I think with a pensive fervor. I go back over my face to see if there is anything else. Immediately I spot two deep purple dots under each of my eyes. All were the size of a marker bottom.

'That actually looks nice,' I think, smiling to myself. The joy I feel from knowing that I'm not an exact copy fills my essence. I see tears of happiness well-up in my eyes, so I close them and try to calm down just a bit when…

'Wait… does that mean… was my dream… not only mine?'

A loud crash rings out from the hallway.

'What the!' I scream in my mind after I hear the clamoring. I sprint to the room door and slowly open it. Not seeing anything, but still curious, I leave the room and stand in the middle of the hall. Not seeing the source of the noise, I decide to stay as silent as possible in response, instead I close my eyes and listen. For a few seconds I can't hear anything, but my quiet breathing.

As I'm about to give up and head back to the room, I hear a low groan coming from down the hall to my left. I open my eyes and slowly stalk down the hall, continuing to be as quiet as possible with my back to the wall on the right. I got to the end of the hall as it turns to the right and keeping close to the wall I peek around the corner.

There it was, the thing that made that loud crashing noise. Sal Left Thumb, the fingerprint robber Gumball and Darwin unwittingly helped rob a convenience store, was lying on the ground unconscious. I look down at him then examine his surroundings to spy an open window 6 ft high on the wall, and I can't help but snicker.

'Really dude?' I taunt in my mind, 'Gumball jumped off the roof of a four-story school, landed face first and limped away. Pfft. Weakling. Well what can I expect of the guy who got knocked out after being hit with sausage?' I was about to walk away when I noticed his usual loot sack's goods spread across the floor. Stacks on stacks of money strewn all over the floor. I start debating on what I should do.

'Ok, there is a lot of money here,' I started, 'and I have nothing, but the clothes on my back. And I doubt he counted all of it.'

'On one hand I could take a little for myself before he wakes up and leave him here. If I do that I wouldn't be any better than Sal. Or I could do the right thing, get the cops and have him arrested. If I do that then Gumball will either get credit or I will be discovered as a "clone" of Gumball and sent somewhere for testing.'

'Hmmmm... Either take some money and be a common thief. Or report him and possibly be a test subject for the rest of my new life.'

This is my first real choice away from Gumball. As a conscience I can't condone stealing, but then again, I'm not a conscience anymore.

I look back at Sal and sigh as I make my decision...

Chapter Text

Before we continue I just want to say something. Don't you dare judge me for my decision. You will give your two cents and give me grief, but this isn't your life... It's mine. I have to live with my decisions now. Being a conscience meant I had to lead a weird blue cat down a morally correct road, but you what I failed.

I gave him advice and he couldn't or wouldn't listen. And I... I don't know which is worse. Now I have my chance to live and decide for myself. You wanna know the differences between me and him? 1) I know what is the "right" and "wrong" decisions. 2) I can learn from MY mistakes. 3) He has a family and friends who can support him and help him when he makes a bad decision. I DO NOT.

I don't want to have these reminders coming from random people who think they know what is best. You've never been in my position. I didn't run away. I wasn't given up by my parents. I just began my existence. The people I "know" don't... even know... that I exist.

So remember that when you criticize or mock me. You've never been in my position and you never will.

~Day 2 Continues~

I have no one to turn to without fearing for my new life. Sal Left Thumb is unconscious on the floor right in front of me. I am in a condemned apartment from the 90s. Nothing to my name and there is a lot of money spread out on the floor of the hall.

I look at Sal then back at the money. I close my eyes.

'No excuses...' I think to myself, 'Make a choice'

At that I open them bend down and pick up one stack at my feet. I Seeing as all the bills were fifties I thumbed and counted each bill. This is a skill I developed in Gumball's head when he wouldn't read or count and just went.

As I finished I knew that each stack had at most $1000 dollars. That was more than what Nicole had at any given time. Without even realizing I did it, I had pocketed that one stack.

'Wha...' I stopped that reprimanding thought and replied, 'I have nothing and he's a thief with all this money. I might not deserve it, but what would I be able to do without it?'

At that slowly backed away from the scene, turned around, rounded the corner, and went back to the room I used earlier. Once I got back I closed the door and sat on the musty bed with my eyes closed. I had this chill in my spine that wouldn't go away. My first actual choice, that could have consequences, has me strung out. I started "debating" with myself, another thing that started in Gumball's mind, about what I just did.

'Well first time out and I can't do the right thing,' I think to myself.

In my mind I respond, 'What do you expect? I don't have any support system. And the fact remains that this was a better decision.'

'How is this better!?' I fire back. 'You just stole from a criminal! You could be counted as an accomplice.'

'Right,' I think sarcastically, 'Like anyone is gonna be able to link him to me, the boy with NO HISTORY!'

WHAP!

There was a sharp pain in my forehead and knuckles. Opening my eyes I see that I just double punched myself in the head. I guess that is a defense mechanism for my mind, so in wouldn't tear itself apart? Now I'm having questions about my own body.

I remove my fists from my head and look at them. I don't feel as stressed anymore. As a matter of fact, I feel calmer than ever. Since the time I woke up under those rocks in the park, I have been one stressed out ball of fur.

"Thank you," I say aloud to myself

'Well,' I think to myself, 'what's done is done. I'll deal with the consequences when I cross that bridge.'

"Graahh!" Someone just let out a pained shout. That nearly made me fall off the bed.

'Guess Sal finally woke up,' I thought to myself. I became nervous once again, hoping he didn't count the money before getting here. Being as quiet as possible I listen for Sal. I hear heavy footsteps coming down the hall. The pattern makes me believe that Sal is limping. The sound got louder and louder until it stopped right outside my door.

'Really?' I think, whacked out by stress, 'Right outside my door? Guess the universe just wants me hurt.'

"Heh. Those suckers ain't gonna find me here," I hear him, his voice as crass as ever. Although muffled by the door his breathing and speech seemed labored.

'He's still hurt from his fall,' I tell to myself. Knowing that he was in pain calms me. Not because I like the idea he's hurt, but it would give me a chance to overpower him if I'm found. Hoping I won't need to do that, I listen to see if he was moving, but as luck would have it I hear...

Bump..

It sounded as if something was resting against the door to the room.

'Really?' I exclaim in my head, 'Can't believe this. Here I am in a messed up and abandoned apartment, with a grand in my pocket; which I took from a criminal, and said criminal is resting against the door to the very room I'm hiding in. Karma? BUMP YOU!'

"This place seems like a nice spot to lay low in,' I heard Sal say from the other side of the door. "Nobody lives around here and, from the looks of the traffic on the way here, nobody comes through here very often."

'Again karma... Bump you.'

I begin looking around to see what I could do to get out of this situation before I'm found. I slowly got up and look at the window above the bed. It was slightly open and seemed wide enough to get my head through. Looking back at the door I know that there were only a few choices; Try and stay quiet in this room and hope he doesn't open the door, open the door myself and try to run before he gets a chance to rob me, or climb up and out through the window and sneak away.

'Well,' I steady myself, 'let's hope my upper arm strength is good.'

I slowly step up on the bed, glad that after all these years it doesn't squeak, and reach up to the window. My arms can't reach, just a couple of inches too short. I know I have to jump for it, but that will make some noise that Sal might hear. I steel my nerves and leap...

"uhhn..."

'Crap!' I yelp in my head as I let that grunt slip.

"Wazzat?" Seems that Sal caught it. As I struggle to pull my body up to the window I can hear him fumbling around on the other side of the door.

Clic-clic-click

I hear the knob of the door rattle as he begin to turn it. Now with fear filling me I find new strength and pull myself up squeezing my head through the opening when...

BAM!

The door sounds like it's thrown open, but luckily for me I fall face first in some dirt under the window. Outside of the apartment building now I see small wooded area behind it. As I hear Sal rummage through the room I pick myself and ran into the woods. I keep running hoping I won't be caught. I look back to see if I was being followed and trip on a root of a tree. I instinctively roll to the side and look back. I don't see the building anymore and can't hear any leaves being crushed except those underneath me. I pick myself up and look around, seems that I've made it to the end of the wooded area. Exiting the woods I find a sidewalk that I remember.

'OH WOW!' I heave, 'This is near the strip mall. Wait... what are the odds..?'

HONK!

A car whizzing by blows its horn at me and I fall on butt. I look up and see I was so close to stepping off the sidewalk.

'Can't get caught up in my thoughts.' I get back up on my feet and dust myself off when I realize that my clothes are even dirtier than after the boulder accident.

"Well," I begin, "can't keep these." I follow the road to the strip mall, all the while no one recognizes me as Gumball. When I arrive I look for a clothing store to replace the stuff I was wearing. Finding one store that Gumball never enters and nervously go in myself.

The first thing I notice is the smell, a heavy aroma; that reminds me of Granny Jojo's house; hits me like a freighter.

"Whoa... Didn't expect that." I say aloud without thinking. Coughing a bit I shake my head and try getting used to to the smell. I look up and noticed a clock saying it was 10:34.

'Guess I "should" be in school. Oh well.' I look about the store for anything for me. I found frilly blouses, plaid pants, and bowler hats. I was in a shop for the elderly.

'Guess there's nothing for me,' I think as I leave. I see store across the way that had mannequins wearing clothes aiming for young adults and teens. Its name is "Quest" 'Couldn't hurt to check it out."

As I enter I hear some music playing. As I listen to it I pay attention to what feels like a hook:

♪♫~Up on Melancholy Hill~
~There's a plastic tree~
~Are you here with me?~
~Just looking out on the day of another dream~♫♪

I continue to listen to the song until its end, feeling as though Gumball has never heard that song or group before, but I like it. I feel a little better and get to looking around for some stuff. Most of the clothes are high up on the walls, but they have shoes displayed just about everywhere.

'Ok,' I begin pondering, 'I can now get shoes... Nah. It would be kinda weird now that I'm used to going barefoot.' I pass the shoes and look at the t-shirts displayed.

"Can I help you?" asks someone with a little I-wish-wasn't-here-right-now tone. I turn towards her and see young raccoon teenager about 3 inches taller than me. Her fur was light gray with a black streak going across here eyes. She is wearing a lightly faded purple collared shirt, with name tag that said 'Myra', and black work trousers. She sports two rivet piercings in her right ear and is sucking on a sucker.

I don't notice that I am staring at her until she snaps in my face and says, "Earth to kitty."

"OH, uhh... sorry," I say as I look at my feet in embarrassment. I can feel my face burning from underneath it now.

She sighs and asks, "Shouldn't you be in school right now?"

I look back at with a stone face and reply, "Shouldn't you?"

"Touché, Kitten," she says, a slight smirk cropping up on her face. "So," she continues, "whatcha looking for?"

Looking around at the clothes then back at what I'm wearing I reply, "Well... I want something in the same style of what my current outfit used to be."

'Myra' chuckles a little as she looks at the tears and rips in my clothes, "Did you get in a fight with a dirty blender?"

"Nah," I answer, "a pile of rocks."

She puts one hand over her eyes and shakes her head, all the while smirking.

'Guess I made a little bit of her day,' I think. She takes her hand down and goes and looks at a couple of shirts til she takes down a forest green long sleeve undershirt, a plain lavender t-shirt, and a purposely faded pair of gray jeans.

She came back she handing me the clothes and says, "Here try these on. The the dressing rooms are over by the counter. By the way you wanna keep the clothes you got on?"

I look back at the clothes I'm already wearing. "No."

"Well, I'll get small bag for those and take them to the Salvation Army... or the dumpster out back," is all she says leading me to the dressing room. She has me enter and leaves to get the bag.

I lock the door and begin taking off the rags that were once clothes. As I stand there I realize that the underwear I am wearing, another copy from Gumball, is an absolute mess.

'Oh my g...' I gag at the thought of me wearing them for all this time. Then something soft hits my head and falls to the ground. It's a pack of boxer-briefs.

"From how your clothes looked I... I'm guessing you might need those," 'Myra' loudly says with a chuckle.

"Thanks..." I say as my face once again warm.

'Really?' I sigh, 'she must like to making me feel embarrassed. She doesn't even know me though.'

I change my underwear and put on the clothes given to me. I look at myself in the mirror.

'I feel different from him,' My thoughts go freely as I look at the person in the mirror, 'like I'm separating from him more and more.'

At that moment I notice another song playing;

♪♫~Put to rest~

~What you thought of me~

~While I clean this slate~

~With the hands~

~Of uncertainty~

~So let mercy come~

~And wash away~

~What I've done~

~I'll face myself~

~To cross out what I've become~♫♪

I am lost in the music when hear banging on the door.

"You done in there, Kitten?" I hear 'Myra' asking.

"Yea..." was all I say as I pick up the clothes I changed out of. I see a plastic store bag being pushed under the door.

"Use this for those rags you wore," 'Myra' says. I hear her steps as she walked away from the door. I take the money from the pants I wore and place my clothes in the bag.

'Why was she being nice to me,' I begin thinking as I pocket the money, 'I know I don't look like I can even pay for this, so why even humor me?'

I exit the dressing room and walk up to the counter. 'Myra' was behind it tapping on the register.

"Looks like the store just lost about $70.34..." she says softly not knowing I can hear her.

"Don't tell me you think I can't pay," I said startling her.

Looking at me with that 'really?' face that seemed so natural on her face. "You saying you can?" she asks as if she 'know' I can't.

"Let me have three more of the same outfit, that black backpack on the wall behind you, and..." I say looking around til I saw... "those black desert goggles on the stand and I'll pay."

With a questioning look she rings them up and says, "If you can pay for this I'll give my employee discount. It'll be $143.12, with the discount"

Without taking out all the money took out three fifties and smugly said, "Will this cover it?" giving them to 'Myra'. She looks dumbstruck then embarrassed as she takes the money and swiped them with a marker.

'Oh I hope they aren't fake,'  realizing what the marker was for, 'Do you know how much grief it caused me even pocketing that money?'

"Wow," she begin, "I can tell you, I wasn't expecting you to be a high-roller, Kitten."

"I know," I reply, "that blender did a number on my clothes, eh?"

We both laugh as she gives me my change. I place the change in a separate pocket and start packing the other clothes into the backpack. When i'm done she gives me the goggles.

"Well, thanks for the business, Kitten," she says to me as I was about to leave the store.

"Thanks for the help, Myra," I reply as I left. The time on the clock above the door said it was 11:21.

I walk further into the strip and look around finding an ol' school theater playing old movies for $5. This one is playing a film titled Casablanca and Its next play time was at 12:05 I decide to take a look at the movie and go up to the ticket vendor. I ask for a ticket when I saw who was the vendor was, and no it wasn't Larry. The muffin lady from the cosmetic testing and the temp agency.

"You sure you want to see this movie, kid?" she asks, "It's not an "action-packed" movie, you know?"

'Why the air quotes?' I ask in my head for no reason at all.

"I can guess," I say in response to her questions, "it was made in the 40's, right? Anyway, I think I should broaden my horizons."

"Well ok, kid," she says raising an eyebrow, "it'll be $5 exact." I take the $5 from my change and pay for my ticket. I go in and give my ticket to the ghost attendant in the front. As I pass him by I look about the theater. The bright yet faded red carpet feels nice on my pads. The black peeling paint has an unnerving, yet inviting feel. I get to the doorway for the room playing the film and and pull it open and head through. There are a total of 7 people, not counting me. Most are elderly, but there is one other kid Gumball's age up near the front. I walked down the aisle to where he sits and quietly ask, "Can I sit there?" motioning to the seat to his right near the middle of the room.

He looks up at me then the seat then back at me. He was a dog kid with mahogany colored fur with a white ring around his left eye. He is wearing dark tank-top, black jean shorts and red sneakers. He moves his legs in to let me by.

"Thanks," I say quietly as I scoot by and sat down. The film begins just as I sit down. Not long into the film it introduces the protagonist, Rick Blaine.

'Rick, eh?' I ponder, 'Nice name.' And I sat there next to the kid and continued to watch the film.

Chapter Text

Awake through the entire film of Casablanca, as its play like feel has me intrigued, I understand why kids Gumball's age and younger won't "like" it. As evidence the dog kid to my left is fast asleep, snoring softly as the credits begin to role.

'If he was just gonna sleep through the movie,' I begin to think, 'why waste the money?' Looking around I notice the elderly patrons have gotten up and left.

'They move quick for octogenarians,' I joke. Getting up and about to leave I realize the other kid is still sleeping. Since he's slouched in his seat it will be hard to get by him, unless I take the long way around. Against what my "better judgment" I poke the side of his head to stir him from his sleep.

"Dude?" I say softly as I continue to poke him. He doesn't even acknowledge the poking and prodding so I put my hand on his shoulder and gently jostle him.

'Still out,' I sigh as I think of one the best ways to wake people without causing a commotion, more than half the time; annoying them while they try to sleep. That is how Gumball would wake Darwin or Anais.

I don't want to be a jerk, but I also don't want to leave this guy here and let him get in trouble with the ushers. He seems bent on sleeping in this place though. Stopping for a moment I look about for anyone else. No elderly people and the usher has yet to come clean up. I look back at the dog kid, took a deep breath and prepare for any backlash I am about to receive. I crouch down and, while slightly biting the tip of my upper lip, pinch his floppy right ear. Hard.

I'm prepared for yelping, an attack, or biting, but when his eyes open... The next few actions go so fast that my mind gives me a play by play.

[First, I pinch his ear while not using my claws. Secondly, his eyes shoot open looking as if they were about to shoot out of his head and within a split-second he is on his feet, he plants himself in a sturdy stance, and shifting his weight his upper body twists as he shoots a mahogany fist towards my face. As though I time moves slowly, I can see the slight movement of the fur as the fist cut through the air, I notice the motion of this guy's tank-top was also slowed down, I instinctively feel myself sway back with his fist following my path.]

My slide my right foot back as I lean back trying to avoid the blow. My arms rising to protect my face is not enough as his punch connects with my left forearm and, coupled with my right leg catching an arm rest, throws me back. Everything went back to its usual pace as I fall onto the seats behind and my back smacking another arm rest and I roll onto the floor in pain.

"Whoa! Dude!" I yell in pain as I look up at a now enraged dog boy.

"You think it's ok to pinch people while they sleep!" he spits out with a slight Hispanic accent. His eyes burn with rage as he cracks his knuckles. His face containing a scowl that almost scares me as much as Nicole's scares Gumball.

I put my hands in front of me and cough out, "Wait-a-minute!"

'My goodness! Don't hit me anymore, man!'

"I was just trying to to wake you," I start, "the film's over and everyone else is gone." He look around and notices the room is empty, save for us and the seats. His face softens, but keeps the scowl.

"Next time," he begins as he looks back at me, "don't go hurting people who are sleeping."

"Noted, dude," I reply rubbing my hurt back, feeling bristling pain in my arm. He movs towards me and offers me a hand. I take it and as I stand up I noticed he's only half an inch taller than me. His eyes, while not holding his anger anymore, had an "I'm Bored" feel to them.

We made are way to the aisle and began to leave the theater. On the way out I noticed an old clock saying it was 1:52 P.M. At that time I realized that I had no idea how Gumball was.

'School should be letting out in a short while,' I remind to myself, 'I should see if anyone knows about Gumball's condition'.  I feel crappy for not even thinking about that until now.

"Hey," I hear behind me. Turing to see who it was, I saw the dog kid looking down the strip and then back at me. His face much softer than earlier, somewhat kind. "Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked.

I decided to tell him a half truth. "I'm not in school yet. Haven't registered."

"Really?" he said with a raised eyebrow, "I coulda sworn that I've seen you walking down the hall with an orange fish here and there."

Doing my best not to react to his statement I ask him, "Where do you go to school?"

"Elmore Junior High," he answers. "And before you ask me, I was suspended for a week for fighting.

"Stupid, bomb-headed jerk," he mutters under his breath.

'Oh...' I thought, 'That guy was the main bully in detention after Gumball and Darwin tried to cheat on a math test. He had a short fuse.' I slapped my forehead for the pun I unintentionally thought.

"You ok, man?" he asked.

"Yeeaaa..." I replied, feeling awkward about the movement I made. "Sorry about what happened in there... uh..."

"Eddy is my name," he said seeing I didn't know his name. "You?"

I hadn't thought about what I should call myself. I tried to think of names right then.

'Winston? Too old fashioned. Matsuo? Too weird. Atticus? Too Greek...ish? Jiminy? What am I, a puppet? Got it!'

"My names Richard, but you can call me Rick," I said after I thought of Rick Blaine from the Casablanca film.

"Rick... Alright," he says with a look on his face as though he is looking through me. "Well if you end up goin to EJH or walking down this strip during my suspension then I'll see you around." As he says that he walks away up the strip before... "OH!" he exclaims turning back towards me rubbing his shoulder, "And sorry for throwing that straight towards you and hurting your arm."

"No worries," I reply as the mention of it makes me concious of the heat radiating from welt forming on my arm, "it was my fault in the first place."

He nods, turns back, and goes on his way. I watch him walk around a corner and out of eyesight. I know how to get to school from here, but I don't know what I would do if I learn something bad about what happened yesterday. I calm myself down and reminded myself that Gumball survived being flattened, beaten, pummeled, and burned.

'Being buried by rocks would just be another day,' I think to myself, exhaling my nervousness, I waed down the strip until I find the road. I walk the sidewalk further in to town looking around as I go. I find myself going past Gumball's neighborhood and I stop in front of the Watterson house. I saw that Nicole's car is gone, as she is most likely either at work or the hospital watching over Gumball. Looking around some more I cross the walk way and up to the porch and peeked through the window.

The sight is not much different from normal.  Richard Watterson, the laziest person in Elmore; since the summer '83, is sitting on the couch with his head thrown back. He had probably fallen asleep watching T.V.  Usually one will tell someone like this to get a job, but if he does... Well... I know the universe will collapse on itself.

'Yea...' I think as I stare at him, 'stay unemployed. It's for the best.'  Seeing as no one else is home I back away from the window and step off the porch. As I walk down the walk way I reach into a small compartment of my backpack and pulled out the goggles and put them on.

''Won't fully disguise me,' I think to myself, 'but as long as no one paid close attention they won't see me as Gumball..... probably...' The goggles fit snugly on my eyes and the straps don't feel uncomfortable around my head. They are clear with minor distortion around the edge of the lenses.

I walk to the right and go on down the sidewalk past the Robinson's house. As I walk I began to think of a way to sneak into the school.

'Obviously I can't just walk in as if I am Gumball,' I plot with myself, 'if something had happened to him then that would be strange.

'But really, do you think that sneaking in would be productive?' I reply, 'If you get caught, what would you do? Your fears could become reality.

'The thing is simple. I will keep outta sight from everyone and hide in an empty class room if needed.

'It might be better to go to the hospital instead of the school, if you're just checking on Gumball.

'That might have been a good idea if it wasn't for the fact that the hospital has cameras and an ever-present nurse see who comes and goes. I try to go there I might get caught. I sound like Gumball and, apart from the purple dots under my eyes and purple fur on my ears, I look just like him. It would be better to go to school since there are no cameras or monitoring system while kids are in class. I mean Rocky is nice and all, but aware of his surroundings he's not.'

As I debate with myself the school came into view.

'Here I go.'  I walk to the front and up the steps to the doors; one pink, one blue, one orange.

'Just like my dream last night,' I mind running through the dream from last night.

'And everyday Gumball enters in the morning,' I remind myself. I push the pink one open and head inside, keeping close to the wall and lockers. When I pass a classroom I keep my head down and crouch so no one could see me through the small windows in the doors. As I stalk through the halls, like an idiot bandit, I notice the clocks saying it was 2:23.

'They get out in around 15 minutes,' I remind myself, ' but it should be an easy in and out.'  My heart beating faster as I become more and more nervous. I need to get to Ms. Simian's class, to find out about Gumball's condition.

'Hopefully Darwin's here and said something about what happened to Gumball.' I think. As I round a corner towards Ms. Simian's classroom I see Rocky standing on a ladder doing maintenance on a PA system next to a set of period bells. He is right across from Ms. Simian's door. I swallow the lump that is forming in my throat and press on. As I got closer to the classroom I hear Rocky humming as he works on the system.

Seeing as how he is actually absorbed in his task I knew he won't just turn to look. Taking this chance and I quickly, but quietly, make my way to the door of Ms. Simian's class. When I reach the door I turn to see if Rocky has moved. He hasn't, so put my ear to the door and listen.

"...mber that tomorrow is club day," I hear a high-pitched and slight screechy voice say, "so class will get out a 45 minutes earlier."

Ms. Simian, a 300,000 year old baboon, is not Gumball's favorite

"Ms. Kreuger."

"Yes, Ms. Simian," I hear a girl's voice, it sounding as if it was annoyed. Carrie Krueger, the emo ghost friend of Gumball's and always talks about how she can't feel anything but pain.

'One day, if I make myself known, I'll call her on that,' I make a mental note.

"I would like for you to take Gumball the assignments we worked on today," says Ms. Simian.

"What? Why can't Darwin do it?" responds Carrie, "I mean, He lives with him."

"Yea," I hear Darwin chime in.

"Well," started Ms. Simian, "take this into account; Darwin Watterson, not too long ago, was a "pet" fish in the Watterson house. He grew legs and began speaking, which is an amazing feat; but he still has the attention span of an infant apple. So, can you understand why I can't entirely trust him with giving Gumball his assignments?"

I hear a defeated sigh then, "Yeah..." from who I assume to be Carrie. What follows is a painfully awkward silence.

"I feel awkward," says Darwin.

'So do I, Darwin,' I think in agreement.

"Besides," continued Ms. Simian, "you wouldn't be going out of your way. You live closer to the hospital than anyone else."

After that I heard the bell ringing for school to be over then...

"AHH!"

BAM!

I turn to see that Rocky has fallen off the ladder and knocking himself out. I get up to see if he was ok when I hear the door being opened. I don't know how, but before the door fully opens I am already rounding the corner and bolting for the school's front doors. I am almost there when I saw a tall cloud man come out of another classroom in front of me.

'OH COME ON!' I yell in my mind. He hasn't seen me yet, but I can hear a minor stampede; buried under Tina's stomps; coming from down the hall. I frantically search for an area to hide when...

'THE LOCKERROOM!' I mentally yell again. I turn and sprint down an adjacent hallway towards the school showers. When I get there I basically slam into the doors, 'fear will make you do stupid things,' and fell. I quickly pick myself up and run into the boy's locker room.

Thankfully, nobody usually stays behind after school unless they have detention. I look to see if I can get out the windows, but they don't open wide enough for me to squeeze through. I know, now, that I have to find a place to hide just in case someone comes in. The only places to hide in were one trash tin and a hamper filled with 'used' towels.

'Ok, Universe,' I frantically chastise, ' I'm getting real tired of your crap.' I chose the trash tin to hide in since it was big enough to hide my entire body and isn't full of "trash" trash, just some used paper towels and crumpled stationary.

'Who takes stationery to the locker room?' I ask myself as I go ahead and sit in the corner close to the tin tin. I will hide here when I hear someone coming. After what feels like hours of hiding in the the locker room, just waiting, until I can believe it will be alright for me to leave. As my feet begin to tingle painfully, having already fallen asleep, I stand up and walk around the room to get the feeling back.

'Ok,' I gather myself, 'I have waited long enough.' I having gotten tired of staying in this room, I go to the door and turn the handle gently. As I slowly open it and peek through the opening I don't see anyone or hear any footsteps. I enter the hall and gently close the door behind me. I stalk down the hall towards the front of the building, the clocks notifying me that it is 3:04. I reach the entrance without any incident and waltz right out.

grrr...

I hear a slow growl once I am a block away from the school. Then I feel a slight uneasiness in my stomach. I am finally feeling my first hunger pang.

"Right," I sigh, "I haven't eaten since Gumball's breakfast yesterday." I know that I needed to eat something, but couldn't risk going to any restaurant for fear of running into one of Gumball's friends. I decide that I'll go the supermarket, since there's so many aisles I can slip away if anyone notices me.

'Besides,' I reassure myself, 'not a lot of people do they're grocery shopping on Mondays here.' The Supermarket was right across from the strip mall so I just went back the way I came, avoiding the Watterson's neighborhood. My feet hurt a bit from all the walking today so I knew that afterwards I would have to find some place to rest. I had arrived at the supermarket and thought about what I might need as I was there. I got a cart and made a mental list of supplies; toothbrush and toothpaste, bath soap, a pack of bottled water, and food that didn't need to be cooked or put in a fridge.

Knowing I can't carry all the supplies I need I went to the aisle where they sale bags. There's backpacks, computer bags, suitcases, but I need something that would be able to hold my supplies and mobile enough if I have to go through certain areas; wooded or desert like. I end up choosing a medium crimson and grey gym bag and put it on the small area at the bottom of my cart.

Going to the produce aisle I am glad to see that I am right to come here. I don't see anyone I recognize from Gumball's life except the lizard lady who slapped him with a fish. Since they don't have a lengthy interaction with each other she doesn't really register me. I get a cheap toothbrush and toothpaste, a twelve pack of bottled water, and some bath soap. All I need is to find some food that didn't need to be cooked, but can last. I end up in the international section of the food aisles and notice that there are a bunch of dried foods. I get some dried fruits such as; banana chips, apples, cranberries and and raisins; also dried meats; chorizo, lountza, and a variety of jerky.

Feeling like this haul is sufficient I take the cart to the check out counter.

"Oh no," a slightly pinched voice says worriedly as I approach the checkout area.

'Really?' I bewilderedly think to myself; as I know that voice belongs to, 'I didn't see him at the clothing store, the old fasioned movie theater, or anywhere else, but the moment I feel like everything is going fine at the supermarket he turns up.'

I lift my head to see the guy working check; Laurence "Larry" Needlemeyer.

"Watterson," he says acknowledging me, but not in a kind way.

For the list of people who hate Gumball let me put him on it also. The entire Watterson family had done something to him, directly or indirectly, that causes him pain or causes him to be fired from one of his many jobs he had; their fault he has so many jobs to begin with.

"Larry," I say feeling the awkwardness rise, "let me just get these, pay and I'll be out of your not there hair."

He sighs. "Fine, let's just hope you can pay for them," is all he says before he rang up everything. "The total is $297.83." The look on his face says it all: "He can't pay for this."

I go into my pocket and pulled out six bills, "Here," I give him the money. With quiet surprise he uses a marker and marked each bill. Seeing that they weren't fake he goes ahead and gives me my change, $2.17. I organize all my supplies into the gym bag and I'm on my way out when I stop.

"You know," I say as I turn to face Larry. I can feel my face drop a little as I continue, "I'm sorry, Larry."

"For what?" he asks kinda thrown off by my statement and look.

"Everything the Watterson family put you through," I answer, "whether it be making you lose your job...s or getting in the way of your marriage proposals to your girlfriend.

"We don't mean to cause any harm," now feeling heat radiating from my face in embarrassment, "we just seem to be dysfunctional and unruly, but we usually try to do the right thing. It just doesn't work out for us. And for that I'm sorry."

I look away and just walk out the store. I don't know what made me say that or why I felt like I needed to apologize, but it feels like I just had to.

I'm walking down Broken Dreams Boulevard once again. Entering the apartment building at the end and going into the room I used previously. Sal's nowhere to be found. I just sit on the musty bed, take off the backpack and gym bag, and reflect on today. I won't leave this room at all for the rest of the day. I sit here and eat enough jerky to calm my hunger. I don't know how long I've been sitting here, but after a while I lay back and close my eyes. I'm not sleepy or tired I just want to think. I don't know when, but while I'm thinking I find I've fallen asleep.

Chapter Text

"AAAHHHHHHHH!"

The moment I close my eyes I find myself falling from the sky. I look around and see the town of Elmore far under me and closing in fast. I'm in free fall and I don't know how to not smash my face into the pavement.

"OH COME ON, UNIVERSE!" I scream out after I catch my breath. "WHY AM I GOING THROUGH THIS!?" I look at the ground and notice that I am gonna hit the ground any second now. I close my eyes, turn over with my back now facing the ground, and embrace my fate.

'Please...' I plead as I accept it, 'just don't hurt too much.' I feel something going along the length of my body. I open my eyes too see a broom that I instinctively and tightly grab hold of. I then see that my descent is slowing before coming to a complete stop inches from the ground.

"What the..." I exhale raggedly, my nerves still tense, "Why am I now I'm levitating upside-down a foot from the ground?"

"Hehe... You rhymed," I hear my voice say, but it didn't come from my mouth. I look to see where that voice came from and see another me riding atop another flying broom. Leveling myself on to the top of the broom I am holding onto I notice he doesn't have the purple fur on his ears or the dots under his eyes. Instead he has solid blue fur all over his head, hands, and feet. He was wearing a some faded grey denim jeans and tan-ish long-sleeved shirt.

"G-Gumball?" I ask not sure what to think.

"Yeah..." he says before looking at me with a puzzled face, "Wait a minute. You're the me from my dream from yesterday!"

Don't know why, but I am kinda annoyed by that statement, "I'm not, quote "another you" unquote. I'm me and you are you. And before you get confused, my name's Rick."

"OH! You're named after my dad," he beamed and I felt even worse.

"Yea... no, I'm named after Rick Blaine from Casablanca," I tell him. He looks at me, but seeing as his eyes seem to unfocus I know he's either not looking at me but istead into space and thinking about something.

"Casa... blanket?" he asks me, confusion lacing his voice.

'Right... kinda forgot he wasn't "cultured,"' I remind myself shaking, my head.

"Let's just..." start looking down at the broom I'm riding, "get going, I guess. Aren't these brooms from Hector's mom's broom closet?"

"Yeah," Gumball responds, "I sometimes dream of flying on them again. Without having to calm Hector down."

'I remember that afterwords Nicole had to buy you another computer since you destroyed it to avoid enraging Hector again.'

"Right... well," I say as I stand and balance on the broom, "since this is a dream, thank goodness, I might as well have some fun."

"That's the point," Gumball replied, "but why do you keep appearing in my dreams?"

"Me appearing in your dreams?" I ask, "I thought this was my dream!"

'Wait...' I ponder to myself, 'Are our dreams connected?'

The wind picks up, ruffling my fur with cold air which feels nice, but a bad feeling about it bubbles up. I look around and noticed a giant Masami in the sky. Being a cloud girl it's not strange for them to control weather, but why was she in either of our dreams. The cloud girl seemed like she was sighing, which caused the wind to pick up.

"Do you usually dream of a giant Masami, Gumball?" I ask, "I could have sworn you liked Penny." I feel a smirk crop up on my face as I say that and look at Gumball. His face? Priceless; embarrassment mixed with a little anger showing on it.

"DUDE!" he shouts. I just laugh and fly off riding the broom like a skateboard. Knowing this is a dream makes it easier, though I believe i've inherited Gumball's good sense of balance. With a quick glance behind me I see Gumball in pursuit, his mood lightening a bit as he is now enjoying this dream once more.

For what seems like hours we we race all through Dreamverse Elmore and having a blast. We never got tired and keep hanging out all this time. We stop at the top of the mountain near town and look out over Dreamverse Elmore.

"Why do you think we have the same dream?" he asks after a while, probably contemplating over our possible connection. I think I know why, me once being his conscience, but don't want him to worry or freak out after telling him so...

"I don't know," I say podering if our previous connection still exists somehow, "kindred spirits?"

"Eh?" he looks dumbstruck.

"Never mind."

'I can't use higher vocabulary around him, can I?' I laugh to myself. Then I hear something muffled encircling us, but while I don't initially know what it is, it sounds familiar.

Be-beep be-beep be-beep

The sound's faint.

"What is that?" I ask aloud, Looking around for its source.

Be-beep be-beep be-beep

It was steadily getting louder.

'Where is it coming from?' I thought to myself as I wondered why it sounded so familiar. During this it seems like Gumball was racking his brain for an answer until...

"OH!"

"Whaaa!!" I nearly fall off the broom his shout startling me.

"It's my alarm clock," he says with that innocent "I forgot" face. He begins to fade away when he motions towards me and says, "I guess me and you are waking up."

I look down and notice that I am also fading away. This might be how we wake up when it's gradual.

"I guess..." he starts, "I'll see you tomorrow night, Rick,"

"Yea... maybe" I reply as he fades away completely and the world around dims and darkness overtakes me...

~Day 3~

I feel the sunlight on my face as I stir from my sleep. I crack my eyes and look up at the off-white ceiling thinking about what I dreamt.

'Guess we might have a remaining connection after all,' I reminisce, 'And if he could hear his alarm then he must have went back home yesterday.'

I sit up, yawn and stretch, feeling some joints pop doing so. I try to rub my eyes and realize I haven't taken the goggles from off of them. Moving the goggles to my forehead I rub the sleep from my eyes and get off the bed. I go into my new gym bag and take out a bag of banana chips.

"Sorry Joe," I say quietly and open it to have my first breakfast. Of course it tastes just like bananas, but its texture is different yet crisp; like a banana flavored cracker. I enjoy it for the most part, but sadness creeps into my being as I remember the breakfast that Nicole would make for her family now and again.

'One day,' I wonder, 'I might be able to get that again, but for now... deal with it.'

I eat half the bag and decide to take care of a little of my hygiene. I open the toothbrush package, take out the toothpaste and a bottle of water. Knowing that the likelihood of the plumbing still working in this apartment was slim, I'm glad I bought the water in bulk. Going into the bathroom I check to see if the sink would work, with no such luck.

I put a little of the toothpaste onto my toothbrush and brush my teeth thoroughly. Using a little water from the bottle I clean the bristles and rinse out my mouth. I look back at the bottle, I have used about 1/6 of the water in it.

'Ok...' I start calculating, 'if brush my teeth twice a day, mornings and nights, a bottle of water will last for three days. How many do I have again?' I go into the room and count 11 bottles, excluding the one I just opened.

'So just over a month's worth of teeth brushing, eh?' I rationalize with myself, 'I should put some aside for drinking now that I think about it.'  I get my black backpack and take out all one set of clothes out: one long sleeve green undershirt, one lavender t-shirt, a pair of faded gray pants, and a pair of boxer-briefs. I place the half full bag of banana chips from breakfast in a side pocket and the bottle of body wash in the side pocket while putting everything else into the gym bag.

I begin thinking, 'I need to go look for a place I can go to wash regularly.' I put my backpack on and leave. The sky is overcast so I can't see the sun, but it has to be around 7 since that's the time Gumball's alarm would to go off on a school day. I don't see much traffic on Broken Dreams Boulevard, yet that makes sense as not a lot of people live or work here. Once I get to a main road, however, traffic goes from almost nonexistent to "try-and-cross-the-street-Stupid" causing me to waste a lot of time in alleyways making sure no one sees my face.

'It's too early in the morning to deal with this crap,' I groan as I wait for the traffic to thin out. About an hour of squatting in an alley later with my legs beginning to cramp, traffic lightens up enough for me to cross the streets. Looking around the town for a place that I can use leads me to one of those franchise gyms.

"Fitness Track?" I say aloud to myself, "Well, lets see when it opens." The sign on the front says it opens at 10:30.

'Crap.' I look about seeing that there isn't a lot of people around. I go to the alley on the side of this gym and look at its windows and side door to see if anything is open or unlocked. The side door isn't, but to my luck there was one slightly opened window eight feet from the ground. I look for and found a dumpster I could use as a booster. It takes me a short while to move it under the window as I don't have a lot of physical strength, another trait I inherited from Gumball. Once I get it under the window I climb up on it and open the window wide enough for me to slip through. I luck out and see it is just above the lockers of a locker room on the inside.

'So, now you're helping me universe?' I chastise the world, 'bout time.' I enter and stand atop of the lockers, crouching to not bump my head on the ceiling above me. I move to the side of the lockers that has a small pocket between it and the wall and climb down carefully. Looking through the locker room and it's section with toilets I realize from the lack of urinals that it is the ladies locker room.

'Just when I thought you weren't messing with me anymore,' shaking my head as I inwardly express my disappointment in the universe once again. I take comfort in the fact that it doesn't open for a couple of more hours. Using the little time I look around of a towel to use, finding it on a mid-sized rack near the rooms entrance.

'It's good that they were in the room,' I sigh, 'did not want to get caught on any cameras in the building.' I take off my backpack and pull out my change of clothes; setting them on a bench, and stripped into my furry birthday suit. Placing the newly used clothes into the backpack I take out the body wash and go into the shower area and turn on a nozzle close to its entrance. Adjusting the water to just above lukewarm I get under the stream. I wash myself thoroughly using only half a palm full of the soap and rinse.

I begin to think about my next steps, 'I know that I will run out of money if I don't find a way to make more, but how can I do that? They will see me as Gumball and either call his parents or a truant officer and have me go to the school.

'Knowing how this town is with something crazy happening around the Wattersons, that situation could be thrown way out of proportion. I can't sit on the side of the street like that one hobo since the same outcome as me looking for a job can come about. I could try gambling, but I might lose more money than I have and that can make me go into debt.'

"Gah... living is a blessing AND a curse," I sigh in frustration. I turn the knob to cut off the water and go dry off with the towel. After getting dressed and putting my goggles back on I place the towel in a hamper near the locker room's entrance. I pack the body wash into the backpack's side pocket, put the backpack on and go over to the pocket between the lockers. Thinking back to when Gumball and Darwin had detention, I climb up in the same way as they did when they were in the vents.

Clonk...

"augh..." I groan out as I bump the top of my head on the ceiling. I crawl onto the top of the lockers, couching again, as I rub the spot that hurts. I move to the open window and look to see if anyone is in the alley. Seeing that the coast is clear I squeeze through feet first and touch down on the lid of the dumpster. I climb off of it and make my way down the alley, not wanting anyone to notice me. The sky's overcast lets up quite a bit with small rays of sunshine coming through openings between the clouds.

As I go on I look down another alley as I walk past and notice someone. My curiosity leading me towards a "death flag," I back up and look back down the adjacent alley again. The person is leaning against a wall looking into the sky while sucking on a sucker. She is wearing a solid orange shirt with a crimson skirt and no shoes on. Her fur light gray with a black streak crossing her eyes. I know who it is right away when I see two rivet piercings in her right ear.

"Myra?" I say aloud causing her jump being startled. She looks in my direction and, with a surprised look on her face, I can tell she wasn't expecting anyone who knows her to be in this alley.

"No need to be scared," say with a raised eyebrow walking up to her.

"Who said I was scared," she says, her face reddening with embarrassment.

"Ahhh," I say mockingly, "Someone's embarrassed." I snicker a bit and look back up at her.

"Well," she says finally looking at my face trying to place a name, "if it isn't money bags Kitten." I don't know why, but I like that nickname.

She looks back up to the sky then begins to pat her thighs rhythmically and begins saying something.

"Standing outta the way each and everyday, I just try and make my stand.

Take my hand and I'll show you the path that I take as I make my plan.

Don't you understand, that I got to... dang it!"

"Are you reciting poetry?" I ask.

"Well, yes and no," she say, "trying to freestyle rap."

"Rap? Wouldn't it be better to start without the beat?" I ask not entirely knowing how one starts.

"It depends on the person, I guess," she answers. She then looks my way with a knowing smirk and says, "Why don't you try?"

"uhh..."

"What? Are you chicken, Kitten," she said as started flapping her elbows, "Bawk braawwk."

"Fine. Ju-Just stop doing that, please," I groan giving into peer pressure.

'Am I a pushover?' I ask myself.

I look down at the ground. I close my eyes and take a deep breath and a flow of words come as my mind visualizes me running down a road:

"heavy burdens on my back,

racing down the track.

Feeling a smack,

it brings me to Life,

showing me worry, stress, and strife

So pass a knife

to cut on through,

better yet a sword,

and on my word,

that until this sprint's end,

I will not bend.

I will not break.

Time's mine to take.

I cannot shake,

this fear of the finish line, but I cannot quake.

My boots are fullest,

with each stomp it hits,

harder than bullets.

Harder than Bills?

Jump on em, ground em

turn em all to steel.

They cannot hit,

They always miss.

With a Matrix dodge, give the last a kiss.

This my race, my track,

my life, my knack.

I grip my wheel, my weird baton.

My track's this tower I babble on [Babylon] 

Call me 'Daedalus with my fallen son'

Went too high, crashed too low,

guide the way, paved that road.

Light a fire, give a throw,

Molotov cracks, embers will grow.

Won't cool down, can't let it go."

I hear nothing, but the traffic of the town and slight wind blowing past my ear. I open my eyes and look up at Myra, who is nodding her head.

"I think that's pretty good," she says with a smile. I feel a little bit of the anxiety I had leave me causing me to sigh in relief.

"Thanks," I say back, "it was my first time doing that for anybody."

"Do you listen to a lot of music?" she asks me.

"Not really," I told her. Gumball never really stayed still long enough and just listened to music. He felt like it was a waste of time.

"Well," she begins, "How would you like to accompany me to some music stores?"

"I'm ok with that," I tell her, "but shouldn't you be in school or something."

"Shouldn't you?" she shot back slightly annoyed at me.

"I'm not enrolled," I respond with a slight wave of my hand.

'At least it's not lie,' I thought to myself.

"Well," she said as she grabbed my hand tightly, "I'm skipping." She then ran down the alley pulling me along for the ride.

Chapter Text

Myra's dragging me up and down Elmore, from music shop to music shop. I learning and hearing just about everything, from classical to country or hip-hop to punk rock. I find club songs repetitive and stupid, but necessary for finding the gems within the genre. We're spending hours listening to music and Myra's take on what some songs mean in their lyrics.

Myra's favorite genres seem to be Rock and Electronic, but she also finds hip-hop nice enough to try it out. Personally, I somewhat gravitate to Hip-Hop and Punk Rock. Although I'm forced against my will to accompany her, I'm enjoying this time. Stress from thinking about the goings on with me, which would have been eating away at me, are put at ease as Myra provides an outlet for relaxation.

'The universe may like messing with me,' I comfort to myself as Myra brings me to a small and out-of-the-way shop, 'but it also allowed me to meet this person. It might care just a bit.'

We enter the latest shop, which caters more towards Rock and Hip-Hop music. The ambiance is comfortable as there's very little people here and one of Daft's songs playing over the speakers in the corners. Looking around I find a sample station, a small console where you can listen to small parts of a track. I put on the headphones connected to it and choose a song called "Loud Pipes." Unexpectedly, it's Electronic genre with a slight Rock feel to it. As I listen I look over the store and notice a clock saying it was 11:54 a.m.

'Wow,' I calculate in my head, 'we've gone around town for 4 hours.' Then I begin wondering why Myra's skipping school. I look around for her and see her up at the counter talking with the clerk, some guy with a CD for a head.

'Evolution's weird.'

I take off the headphones and walk up to the counter. As I get closer I start to pay attention to their conversation.

"...'s their new album be out?" I hear Myra ask the clerk.

"It should be out in a week from Thursday," says the clerk, who now notices me coming, "Sup, little man?"

"Hey," is all I say as I am still not used to talking to new people. The clerk notices and just smirks and nods understandingly.

"No need to be nervous, little man," he say before looking back at Myra, "You making kids skip wit' ya?"

'I guess this guy knows Myra's skipping school' I note as I watch them, 'must happen a lot.'

"Come on, Phil," says Myra feigning dejection, "Do you really think I would do something like that." The clerk just chuckles. "The kid's... uh... well I call him Kitten."

Phil just raises an eyebrow and looks over at me with a side-eye.

"My name's Rick," I inform him.

"Really?" Myra says surprised, "I like Kitten better."

"Yeah Yeah," clerk says to Myra then he turns to me, "So, Rick, anything not yours in that backpack?"

I look up at him a little scared that he would accuse me of stealing. He then chuckles and said, "Just messin' wit' ya, kid. I had my eyes on you since ya came in, I know you didn't try and get a five finger discount. The look on yo' face was priceless, though. Ya looking for your first CD?"

Still feeling nervous, I swallow and say, "I haven't listened to a lot of music, so not sure what I would get. I also don't have a CD player."

"Well that can be corrected," pipes Myra, "Do you have one behind the counter, Phil?"

"Let me see," he says before disappearing below the counter. I can hear the clattering as he fumbles around. As I'm about to say something when he pops up with a portable in his hand.

"Just ya luck!" he exclaims, "We still have one of the newer ones. Now, I would usually sell it for $70, but I'll cut it to 40 plus the price of the CD choose."

"Wow, you just keep getting good deals, huh?" remarks Myra as elbows me gently.

'You gave me the other discount yesterday,' I go back through the racks to find my first CD. Not sure what to get since Gumball never really listened to music so I don't recognize many of the names. I look through the CDs when I found someone interesting.

"I-I guess I'll take this one," I tell to Phil as I go back up to the counter with the CD. I hand him the CD and he look at it with a raised eyebrow and nods approvingly.

"Deltron 3030, eh?" he says contemplating, "Not a bad choice. Kinda thought ya woulda picked up one of da "Lil" or "A$AP" artists"

"Wha..?" I not able to comprehend, "Why are there so many them?"

"No one really knows," Phil says, "Probably a trend to peel some listeners who aren't paying attention.  Or maybe it's a group thing, I don't know."  He clatters away on the cash register, "Ya total's $49.57. Oh! Nearly forgot to throw in the headphones, no earbuds though." He then turns and pulled a box off the wall behind him.

"How much will that be?" says Myra.

"The price is now... uh... $65.94," he say. I got a little nervous since I needed the money I had to last for awhile. The peer pressure coming from Myra, however, was overwhelming and I caved. I reached into my pocket and pulled out two $50s.

"My change should be $34.06," I say unknowingly aloud.

"Correct, little man," He says, catching me off-guard as I didn't notice I said that out loud until now. He gave me my change and heat envelopes my face from embarrassment.

'Each time I talk with Myra I get embarrassed,' I berate myself, 'What am I getting myself into?'

"Well, we'll be seeing you, Phil," Myra says as I receive my new CD player and CD, "We gotta go now."

"Ight," he replies, "be careful out there. And remember, I'll have a copy of that album for ya next week."

"Ok." As we leave the store I notice that the time's now 12:13. Today's fun, but there's still this nagging feeling in the back of my mind.

"Myra?" I cough out, getting her attention.

"Yea?" She responds looking back at me. Anxiety fills my being as I feel her eyes on me that I lowered my head and stared at the ground.

"Why are you skipping school?" I asked. There was an awkward silence as she stopped in her tracks. I stopped, but didn't raise my head as I felt like I made a mistake bringing it up. "I-I'm sorry. It's none of my business. I just met you and I-I..."

She places her hand on my shoulder and say, "It's okay, Kitten."  I notice her hands grip is tight can feel tremors from it, but just as I do she lets go then walks away and continues from over her shoulder, "I just don't want to talk about it." Her voice calm, but sullen.

'Now I feel like a jerk,' I reprimand to myself. I look up to apologize when...

"AYO!" someone yells from a ways behind us. I turn to see a mahogany dog with a white circle walking up to us. Wearing a black denim shorts, red sneakers and a dark blue tank top I recognized him almost immediately. His face emotionless, as though not caring. He then greets us as got close enough, "Rick. Señorita Fleck."

"Eddy," I return awkwardly, feeling a different kind of awkwardness than earlier.

"Is this guy a friend of yours?" Myra asks looking between us with confusion showing on her face.

"More of an acquaintance, actually," he answers before I do, "I nearly punched him in the face the yesterday." Myra's jaw drops a little when she heard him say that. She looks at me as if she needing clarification.

"He was sleeping in that old theater near Quest's," I explain, "and I pinched his ear to wake him up"

"You couldn't just shake him awake?" she asked.

"Supposedly he tried," Eddy answers, "but I didn't even stir from it."

Myra looks somewhat speechless. She just put her hands up and said, "I'm done. Just... done. I'll see you later, Kitten. Gotta get ready for work anyway." She turned and walks off mumbling something about someone's instability and insanity, a name spills out, but I only catch, "Bry...."

"I thought your name was Rick," Eddy he questions as soon as she's out of sight.

'Is this guy okay?' I question, 'What's with the deadpan expression.'

"It.. it is," I says, "she just calls me Kitten. It's like a nickname she's given me."

"Oh," he says with an impassive look, "If you don't mind... I'll just call you Rick."

"Ok. I'd actually prefer if you do that." A stretch of uncomfortable silence comes between us as he seems to look through me before.... 

"Hey, you doin' anything right now?" he asks.  Just when I'm about to answer in the affirmative... "Nah, you ain't doin' nothin'. Come on they're showing another old film at the theater."

He then begins to walk down the road and, as I just stand there wondering what's going on, I watch him.  Before getting to far I hear him yell over his shoulder, "Come on! Catch up!"

'I know I don't have anything to do,' I question this scenario, 'but why is this going so fast?'  I find myself jogging to catch up to him.

"You okay, dude?" I ask him as I closed the distance.

"Yea, Why you ask?" he responds stone-faced.

"It's just... uh... you seem to act a little different from yesterday, you know? Emotionless and invasive."

"OH!" he exclaims, emotion finally showing as a slight smirk appears on his face. "Sorry, I was just hanging out with a friend of mine and he got me thinking about something wild and when I'm mulling over heavy ideas my poker face crops up... I sometimes forget that my poker face is off-putting. Sorry. Must have been awkward for you and Fleck."

"No no... it's ok," I tell him, "Fleck?"

"Yea," Eddy sighs, "reference to her last name.  I respect her, so a nickname, but we're not exactly friends.  Especially, since my friend and her have a strained relationship.

"Well my friend throws a lot of people off with his way of life," he says chuckling a bit.

'I guess his friend a jerk or just a little weird?' I question.

"You datin' her?" he asks with a glint of curiosity in his eyes, the suddenness nearly causes me to trip.

"No!" I deny nervously, "She's just someone else I met yesterday."

"Oh... did you confess to her or somethin'? right after meeting her?  That's pretty forward, but..." he sucks his teeth, "That was kinda one stifling atmosphere there, dude."

"No! No I-I just... probably said something I shouldn't have." I stammer out feeling bad about how I left things with Myra, something that is likely showing on my face.

"Oh... uh... sorry for bringing it up," he says not knowing what to do.

I just sigh, "So what's the film that's playing today?"

"I think it's called... uh... hmm," he looks like he was struggling on a test the what he's thinking, "AH! The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. About an era that most people would like to forget."

"Well," I begin, "my interest has been caught." We then proceed to the strip mall. When it comes into sight I ask, "Why do you go to that old school theater?"

"Because.... aburrido" he answers.

"What?"

"Bored. I'm bored"

"Oh... I don't know spanish," I inform him before, "Aber ein bisschen Deutsch."  I surprise not just him, but also myself. 

"Well, hang around me long enough and you'll probably know 3 languages soon," he jokes. I feel more comfortable around him. He doesn't seem like a bad guy or someone who'll start a fight. So I wonder why he did fight against the bomb headed jerk.

'Probably shouldn't ask, dont want to have the same thing that happen like when I asked Myra.'

We make to the theater and see the muffin lady in the booth again.

"You kids again? You must like old school films," she remarks, "5 bucks each. It starts in bout 8 minutes."

I reach into my pockets when Eddy waved me off, "I got it." He then proceeds to pay for both of us. We're given our tickets and head on in.

"You didn't have to pay for me, you know," I tell him.

"I know, but it's just my way of saying sorry," he utters as he rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment, "For punching you and that awkwardness earlier."

The time I see on the old clock say it's 12:39. We enter the viewing area and notice that we're the only ones here. We decide to sit near the back this time since the last time my neck felt kinda stiff afterwards. We sit down and talk a little bit more about our day before the lights dim signaling the show starting.

~2 hours later~

The film ends and I shudder at the horrid past of civilization.

"Well," Eddy pipes up awkwardly, breaking the silence we're sitting in, "That was somewhat depressing. Good movie, just depressing."

"I agree with you there," I exhale.

'Civilization must now earn back the faith I had in it.'

"Let's not talk about this film again," he said as he got up from his seat. I quietly agreed and got up as he got into the aisle. I was following behind him and looked at the clock as I left. It was 2:50. We got outside and I hear Eddy chuckle a bit.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

Eddy looks at me with a prominent smirk and said, "My friend," He motions to the store across from the theater. There was a guy squatting on the top of a bench with his back to us staring into the window of the store. He was wearing a black sweater vest hoodie, with the hood up, a white t-shirt under it, tan cargo pants that ended up tucked into black hiking boots.

'Well, he seems friendly,' I sarcastically mention in my head, yet, almost as if he is able to hear my thoughts, his head turns to the side to look at me with a side-eye. He hops off the bench and turns towards us, I see he's a teenaged fox person with deep rouge fur with a slightly unnerving smile on his face spread across his face. As he strolls over to us, I notice that he is likely only an inch taller than me, but has this overbearing and suffocating pressure coming from him.  As if feeling my anxiety rise, his smile grows bigger showing his sharp canines

"Well then little kitty cat," he says, his voice having a raspy choke in it, "Aren't you a weird one."

'I'm gonna die.'

Chapter Text

"Well then little kitty.  Aren't you a weird one." The raspy choking sound of his voice send a chill up my spine and cause my mind to fear that I may never see daylight again.

'I'm gonna die'

This guy look at me as if he's eying a hoagie after a long day. His canines sharp and ready to dine. I'm on the verge of tears when..

Slap!

"Gah!" I yelp as stinging pain shoots my back. I turn to see Eddy rubbing his palm while looking at me with the look that says, 'Don't be scared?'

I hear a light-hearted chuckle coming and turn back to the fox surprised by a different feel coming from him. His demeanor comes off as friendly, nonthreatening now. His eyes, warm and accepting. His smile, less menacing and more welcoming. It's as if he's a completely different person than the one I saw just now.

"Man," he professes with a mellow voice, the choke gone and the rasp lessened, but still there, "You looked like you were about to have an accident!"

'Did the slap to my back mess with my mind?'

Just standing here looking at him while rubbing my back, I feel somewhat awkward as He looks back at me as if he's waiting for something. His face then scrunches up with annoyance.

"Well," he exclaims, "introductions are a must when you meet someone new, right?"

"Uhh... I-I'm Rick," I manage to say through my embarrassment.

"Ok. Rick... I'm Bryce.  Bryce Willex, but please call me Ikol." He says with one of the most serious tones, yet his face is relaxed.

'Is he serious?'

"Uh... Can I ask why?" I ask him.

"Yea... You can," he responds and just looks at me, waiting. We all stand here, waiting. I'm waiting for him to tell me why, but I don't know what they're waiting for. For a good 30 seconds we have been standing here with only silence going back and forth. I then feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to Eddy.

"He's waiting for you to ask him why, you know?" he whispers into my ear.

"I... I... I already asked him why," I respond incredulously.

"Actually," Bryce counters, "you asked if you could ask me why."

Dumbfounded I stare at him with my jaw hanging as my mind stalls.

'He couldn't be that literal. Could he?'

"Why do you wanna be called Ikol?"  I humor him.

"Cause it's Loki backwards!" he state matter-of-fact-ly. More questions running through my mind, but I don't know how to continue with this discussion.

'I-I uh... wha...'

My mind feels like it's fracturing or I just received mental whiplash.

"Uh Bryce?" Eddy nudges Bryce, "I don't think Rick can keep up with your "nonsense" like you want him to." Bryce gets a crestfallen defeated look on his face as looks from Eddy to me. His head slumps forward and he sighs.

"Fine. You can just call me Bryce," he says sadly before he mumbles, "there goes my chance to have a weird nickname of my choice."

"Your last name's weird enough," chides Eddy smugly.

"Come on, man," Bryce whines, "You know I have a complex about that."

"No you don't," shoots Eddy, "you make fun of it yourself."

"Yea I know," Bryce nods, a smile returning to his face. The way he quickly changes his reactions and emotions throws me off. I am standing here bewilderedly listening to their conversation as it goes from Bryce's name, to "Alligators on a Train," to perfume smells, their theories why banana flavored anything doesn't taste like bananas, all within a 7 minute span.

'I thought Gumball and Darwin were the only "random" people in Elmore. I was wrong.'

Then, as if he just remembering I exist, Eddy turns to me.

"Oh man, I'm sorry," he says with embarrassment on his face, "I had forgotten to include you in this."

"Yea, sorry dude," follows Bryce, "You know what? I'mma make it up to you. We're gonna get lunch, my treat. Where do you wanna go? Just nothing fancy."

"Cool..." that's all I say. We set off towards a burger place that apparently is good, but it's one of those out-of-the-way hole-in-the-wall places no one I know knew of. I can't believe how they pull me into their pace without me even interacting at length. I'm surprising myself by how easily I'm going along with them. Their randomness is not off-putting, but oddly feels familiar, like it resembles Gumball and Darwin, yet they give off a different feel than them. The similarities are undeniable, even with the differences between their actions.

"Hey," Bryce says turning to me while walking backwards, "I saw this Watterson kid, blue cat, at EJH who looks a lot like you. Are you guys related? Are you a Watterson?"

"No, I don't think so," I answer quickly, before correcting my meaning, "Or rather I don't know".  Bryce's eyes then flicker to cold and analytical before becoming warm again.

'Does he know something? Nah, there's no way. No one knows I exists so there shouldn't be any suspicion.'

No matter how I try to calm myself, the look from his eyes unnerved me and I am starting to feel cold, even after he turns around and continues his friendly way of talking.

We arrived at the burger place, Angus' Burgers, and head in.

"Tell Angus I'm back!" Bryce calls out to the near empty establishment. Eddy groans and shakes his head then makes his way to the counter.

"Do... Do you know Angus?" I ask Bryce who just shakes his head as he wraps his arm around shoulder and leads me to the counter.  We make our orders and head towards a booth to the side.

"Be right back," Eddy says letting sit first, "gotta use it." He then walks off towards the bathroom. Now it was just me and Bryce sitting in the booth and once Eddy disappears from sight Bryce's eyes change again, still warm, but with an inquisitive.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asks. His eyes looks at me like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve. I felt so nervous from his look that my voice was cracking when I replied.

"G-Go ahead..."

"Well," he started, "Why did you lie when I asked if you were related to the Wattersons?"

"I..."

"Look, before you answer, I can tell when you lie. Not from the normal tells that people tend to have, but from your eyes.  I can 'see' your feelings, something I think you might have just experienced with me. When you respond or talk about stuff,... your eyes... 'change...' When I asked about Watterson, your eye became fearful and it hasn't gone away, it's still there."

"I... don't... want people to know, I guess?" I say looking down at the table shame filling me.

"Why not? I mean, it's not like they're hated or anything."

"It's not that. Let me put it this way, the parents don't have that many siblings living in Elmore, or anywhere at all, so they can't have uh... nieces or nephews."

"So, what? You got put up for adoption?  Do you hate them for that or?..."

"N-No... I didn't exist until Sunday night."

"Ok... Now, I don't follow."

"That family has three kids, a small pink bunny girl, an adopted orange fish that used to be a pet, and the blue cat, all of whom you saw at school. They've been here for years. They're established... I've been here, but... I also, was never here. I know them.  They don't know me.  I wasn't alive at all until the accident Sunday."

"I know I said some weird things earlier, but this is weirder than anything I've said in years. Are you telling me that they have a spontaneous extension to their family?"

"Actually... That's basically it."

I look up to see him staring at me. His face calm and calculating, but softer than at the beginning of this conversation. "Well, they do have weird things happening to them almost every week."

"Why did you want to know?" I ask him. He seems to have anticipated this question. He closes his eyes as if thinking about the right way to answer.

"You met Eddy yesterday and when he asked you for your name he believed that you were lying to him.  However, when you told me your name... you told the truth. I wondered why that the answer you gave one day, which was a lie, is the truth the next day.  How could you believe your own lie so fast.

"Then when I noted the similarity between you and the Watterson kid you got scared. Why would you be scared by just hearing the name Watterson? They don't try to harm people, commit crimes, or anything with malice intended. That got me curious about you and if it's alright for Eddy to hang around you."

"Why do you care who Eddy hangs with?" I ask before inserting, "not to be disrespectful."

"I've known Eddy for two years. He is like a younger brother to me. He doesn't have many friends at school, mostly because he sees his classmates as superficial and stupid. And since I don't where I'll be next year, I wanted him to at least make one friend that can hang with him at and after school. I would like that they don't lead him astray."

"I'm not sure if I can be that friend, but don't want to go down the wrong path either," I tell him. He looks at me and smirks a bit. At that I feel a little better letting that out.

"Well maybe he'll be in good hands," Bryce says.

"Who'll be in good hands?" says Eddy as he comes back with our food and sits next to me.

"I hope you washed your hands," Bryce jokes.

"Nah, I just stuck my hands in the used toilet and swished them around," Eddy spits back with a smirk

I chuckle and take my portion.

'Bryce is smart. And a better listener than I expected. It feels better letting it out.'

For a good hour or so we were in that booth talking and debating things like the audience of "Daisy the Donkey" being older than anticipated or our favorite weather; Bryce believes sunny days are misleading, "It's like 'Oh! It's such a nice day nothing can hap...' hit by a car!"

I didn't want the day to end, but Eddy said he had to get home soon.

"Recuerda ser puntual was one of my mom's main sayings, so I gotta go. See you guys later."

"Yea, see ya," I responded.

"Peace, Perros," Bryce said. We saw him run off and when he was gone I look to Bryce.

"I guess I'll get going," I said not wanting to keep him from getting home late. As I walked away he called out to me.

"Hey! If you need anything I'll be in front of the theater at 3 everyday after tomorrow. Also, be careful tomorrow, it's gonna rain."

"Alright, thanks for the warning," I respond, but before I turn away I call out, "Hey Bryce?!"

"Yea bud," He looks at me me with a smirk.

"What did you mean by 'not knowing where you'll be next year?'"  His smirk lessens as he looks to the sky.

"Think about it like this," he answers looking back at me, "What happens to mistakes?"  Before I can respond waves me off and walks away.  As I mull over what he said, I notice that the time is 4:55.

'Not much I should be able to do after five. A 12-year-old kid out that late is just asking for trouble. But should get some batteries for the CD player'

After getting a big pack of batteries I walk back to Broken Dreams Boulevard. Upon reaching the apartment I stop and listen to the afternoon sound around here. It was quiet, no footsteps, no ticks of a clock, nothing but my breathing and what sounds like crickets. I enter and head to my small cove. I set up everything and listen to the CD I got today.

There is one song that I listen to over and over. So much so that I begin reciting it's hook:

~I wanna devise~
~a virus~
~To bring dire straits to your environment~
~Crush your corporations with a mild touch~
~Trash your whole computer system and revert you to papyrus~

~I wanna devise~
~a virus~
~to bring dire straits to your environment~
~crush your corporations with a mild touch~
~trash your whole computer system and revert you to papyrus~

~I wanna devise a virus~
~to bring dire straits to your environment~
~crush your corporations with a mild touch~
~trash your whole computer system and revert you to papyrus~

~I wanna devise a virus~
~to bring dire straits to your environment~
~crush your corporations with a mild touch~
~trash your whole computer system and revert you to papyrus ~

I listen to the CD for long enough to start feeling tired. Before I lay down for bed I close and lock the window in the room and brush my teeth, making not that the bottle is now 2/3rds full. I take off the goggles, backpack, pants and t-shirt. Finally, I lay down upon the bed and instantly fall asleep.

Chapter Text

I open my eyes and see that I'm laying in a dark hallway. I get up and look towards the end and notice that there was no light, but when I turn around I notice a light that randomly changing colors. I begin walking towards the light as I didn't like the feeling the hallway gave me, one of loneliness and depression. Walking along the hall I find myself humming. I remember where it's from as I begin reciting a song.

♫♪~I wanna devise a virus~
~to bring dire straits to your environment~
~crush your corporations with a mild touch~
~trash your whole computer system and revert you to papyrus~♪♫

As I sing the hook I see slight motion in the walls, ceiling, and floor. I stop and examine this phenomena and note that there were string-like white lights coursing through the walls. I softly touched the walls and the lights grew in brightness and flowed towards my fingers.

'This is like the plasma globes in the same aisle as lava lamps in stores'

I look around the hall and noticed the floor had the same thing as the lights flowed towards my feet. Seeing this was so exhilarating that the lonely and depressing feeling was gone. I as I stepped the light structures pulsed. That was when I saw some of the lights pulse off the walls. I then began stomping, hopping, and jumping; each time more and more the structures rose off the surfaces of the hall. The light strings then slowly wrapped around my body and lifted me up off the ground. There was no feeling of fear as I was lead towards the neon lights at the end of the hall.

As I got to the end of the hall I saw the world of this dream. It was like Elmore had entered the cyberspace. The building windows showing motion ads for TV or consumer products. The mode of transportation were floating panels that materialized from under people's feet. Everything had a neon color scheme to it and it was awesome.

'This place... I wanna see more of it'

Suddenly, I felt uneven as if was balancing on something. I look down and find myself on one the floating panels. With just a thought I could direct where it was headed, how high it goes, and its speed. I felt like an Arabian prince from stories and movies.

I was whooshing through the air, yes whooshing. I was able to see that everything had changed to meet the theme of cyberspace. I was enjoying this until I noticed something was missing from this dream.

'Is he not asleep?'

I now look down on Cyber Elmore, from my bird's eye view, searching for a familiar blue furred person. I could almost see everything from this panel, but still couldn't find him.

'Is he inside a building?'

I have the panel go lower as I come up on a street I know too well. I survey the street as the panel gets low enough and see the usual 1964 Lincoln Continental.

'You have good tastes in cars, Mr. Robinson.'

I turn my attention to the house next door. The house has the same usual design, but with neon colored. I step off the panel and walk up to the house. Reaching the front steps I feel unnerved, as if something's telling me to turn away.

'Why am I getting scared!? It's just a dream!'

With that thought I began up the stairs. The moment I touched the first step the entire house lit up red. I fell back and tripped when I saw the lights. As I picked myself up I heard a siren, which was steadily getting louder.

"Foreign existence detected" boomed a voice. I couldn't see where it was coming from.

"Possible virus infection! Apply Protection protocol!" Once it said that I saw something move through the sky towards my location. As it got closer I noticed what it was... Ocho.

'No. No. No! NO NO NO NO NO NO!'

I remember when that using-cheat-codes-in-real-life spider boy basically killed Gumball and Darwin twice. I did not want to feel that again, even if this was a dream. I booked at fast as I could out of that area. I ran for a good time before looking behind me to see if Ocho was still giving chase. To answer that question; Yes, THEY were.

There was an unimaginable number of Ocho's gaining on me. I felt like I could barely breath as I ran, as though something was blocking air flow. I looked around for a place to hide so I could lose them; but all possible alleyways were bricked up, all the doors were locked and I couldn't find a intersection for the life of me.

'This isn't a dream. It's a frickin nightmare.'

That's when it dawned on me. Most of Gumball's nightmares ended once the horrible thing either happens or is about to happen. I stopped in my tracks and turned towards the horde of Ocho's. They all floated above me and prepared to fire. I kept my eyes open as I waited for the blast. I felt like I was looking into the face of death.

'Please let this work.'

"Come on! GET IT OV---!"

CRAC-COOM!

~Day 4~

CRASH!

My eyes shoot open at that sound. I see that my face is smushed into the bed as I gain my groggy bearings.

'So that's why I could hardly breath?'

I get up and sit on the bed as I begin to fully wake up.

CRACK! CRASH!

I nearly leap out of my fur. Gainins some courage I get up and look then jump up to the heavily fogged window. I carefully to wipe the glass allowing me to notice that Bryce was half right when he said it was gonna rain; as it is violently storming outside.

CRA-COOM!

"Whoa!" I yelp in surprise, and as I look at the , "Looks like it's official, I'm staying inside." I got down from the window and got myself as cleaned as I could. I finished off the rest of the banana chips that was left over from yesterday's breakfast. Still in my boxers I left the room.

'Nowhere to go means that I don't really need to be dressed. Not like anyone is gonna come by anyway.'

Realizing that, I decide to have a better look around this apartment building.

'Pointless Adventure!'

Having already seen the ground floor and its rooms when Sal hid here, I make my way up the stairway. The stairs creake as I climb them, each one rickety and seeming like they might break if someone heavier tries to ascend them.

'Good thing I wasn't Richard's conscience.'

I got to the second floor and it seemed relatively the same as the ground floor, except the common squeak the floor made here and there. I looked through the rooms to see if anyone had left anything behind I could use. All I found was dust, spiders, a powdered-wig, and an ancient burrito.

'Wow... some people.'

There was one more floor and an attic area that was left, so I went up the stairs again. The third floor rooms looked a bit more accommodating. They were bigger, for a family with a high number of members. I thought about moving my stuff to one of these rooms, but remembered not to trust the floor boards.

'These things are squeakier than a rubber ducky being squeezed like a stress toy.'

Shaking my head I head up to the attic area. At the top of the stairs was a door that, I assume, leads to the attic. I open it and cough as a significant amount of dust flies out. I look about this huge room and see that it is coated in dust, but other than that... it is empty. There are five windows; three with a view of the wooded area behind this building and two showing the street in front. I walk to one of the back windows and look out over the woods.

The rain is pouring down so harshly that the trees and shrubbery shake violently, and that the scene even further is obstructed the rain and the gray fog that is accompanying it.  Remembering yesterday's meeting with Myra, I think up a poem.

♪♫"~Alone under the sky as the rain whizzes by~

~I let out a sigh of indifference.~

~Tears form in my eye, yet I find I can't cry,~

~as I look at this rare occurrence.~

~A life anew, there is no clue~

~Of what must I do, Of who must I be~

~Just my mind, thinking, questioning~

~"Why now I have seen?"~

~"Why now must I feel?"~

~"Is it truly real?"~

~Or has world set a joke?~

~Just to see where I go.~

~Hoping for no Dead End.~

~Cause then I'll fret and howl at this lessen so foul~

~To which I'll befowl~

~With not but a scowl~

~I'll curse the world that won't let me be~

~Yet I'll hope, I'll wish, I'll levie my scream!~

~For no prank so mean, of this a bitter dream...~"♫♪

After that I feel a speck of depression crop up at my outlook. I leave the attic and went back down to my room. I spend the rest of the day listening to the CD from yesterday and the storm as rages and calms. This night as I sleep... my dreams seems nonexistent.

Chapter Text

~Day 5~

Being awake for a while, I wonder why I haven't gotten out of this bed. I'm just laying here staring at the ceiling for too long.

'What is the point here?'

I've been thinking like this since yesterday, during that somewhat depressing day.  It's a good question however.

'I was a conscience that was able to gain awareness separate from Gumball and now I have my own body. I it would be a dream come true, but... I have nothing. Just a few set of clothes, a gym bag, backpack, and a toothbrush to my name. What's the point?'

No tear in my eyes, only fear in mind as I think about everything that is going on with me. Every time something happens with the Wattersons there is a lesson in it all. I was able to see it coming as I watch Gumball go through everything he had, but now I can't see the message of this situation.

I decide I need to get out of the bed and go around town to clear my mind. I brush my teeth, pack a set of clean clothes and my body wash into my backpack, get dressed in the clothes from the day before yesterday, and take a small bag of dried cranberries. As I leave the apartment building I look around to see if there is anyone, but as usual nobody's around.

The weather is much clearer than yesterday, but I see the remnants of the storm; puddles along the road and sidewalks along with some branches that were probably broken off from the wind. The sidewalks are damp under my feet and I can smell the moisture and humidity in the air. It gives me a weirdly warm feeling that I haven't experienced before, even while in Gumball's mind. I find my mind is blank as I stand here, no thoughts, no opinions, just empty. It's not like how Anais explained how it was to be dumb, to act without thinking. It is something new, but I shake myself out of my trance and walk.

I make my way to the Gym from the other day and sneak in the same way, but with less head injuries; sneaking in through a window of the ladies changing room and washing alone, change clothes and get out. As I leave I look at a clock to see what time it is. 9:23 is what it shows.

'I hope this doesn't become a habit 'cause I could get caught... That might be a good thing though.'

Not knowing what should I do.  I mindlessly head to the park.

'If people see me I could say that I was suspended from school.'

I feel weird at the fact that I will be so quick to lie, but I believe that it is necessary. As I make my way through the town, not scared of being seen anymore, I feel so far away that I don't notice that someone is calling out to someone.

"..mball," is all I hear the voice say, as I wasn't paying attention. I look up at the sky, now noticing how clear it is today, and stopp in my tracks. I stand there drowning out the noises around me. I wasn't looking at anything specific since my vision was losing focus. The edges of the clouds were blurring with the sky. I felt my mind empty itself as I stood there, ridding me of my insecurities and my fears. I could feel that my stress from earlier was going away...

SMACK!

BAM!

My face hits the concrete hard, yet my back is screaming in pain as well. Someone had slapped my back, causing me to fall on my face.

"AH!" I exclaim, "What the..."

"You think you can just ignore me, Gummypuss?" a gruff, yet soft voice says.

'No. Not her.'

I pick myself off the ground and look at my attacker. Having the traits of an ox, horns, large teeth and hooves; a lion, tail with a tuft of orange hair; and a frog, her skin coloring, greenish-white. Bright orange hair covering most of her head and slightly covers her eyes with the small, curved horns sticking out of the sides. Her stocky arms crossed in annoyance in her mint green t-shirt that blends in with her skin and her stocky leg is dark green pants.

"Crap, Jamie..." I mutter under my breath. She looks at me with a smug grin on her face and her arms crossed rebelliously.

"Whazzat, Gummypuss?" she says leaning in a little closer.

"I don't know why you're not in school and I don't care," I say to her as I back away from her rubbing the pain from my face, "Can you just leave me be?"

"Well I could," she answers as she takes slow yet threatening steps towards me, "but where's the fun in that?"

'COME ON!'

I turned around to walk away, but she stomps in front of me.  My heart begins beating faster, yet it doesn't feel like it's beating in fear, it's familiar how Gumball's did that day he fell from the cliff, but before he was up there.  When he.......

'Oh.... Oh.................. OH!!!!!!  I don't think I can process this right now!!' 

"Oh, I'm sorry," she says in false sincerity, "were you going somewhere?"

I know that she thinks I'm Gumball so I have to either act as if I am or make her seem stupid.

'I don't really want to act like him... Stupid it is.'

"Why are going around messing with random people on the street?" I ask her, "Do you like ruining the days of strangers."

"What?" she exclaimed, confusion on her face as she processes that, "What are you talking about Gumball? You think dying your fur and changing your clothes make you a different person?"

"One, the fur's natural. Two, don't talk about my clothes, they were a gift. Finally, who the heck names their child Gumball? Are they fixated on food or something?"

'Yeah. It is Richard we're talking about.'

"Uh huh," she says with an annoyed look on her face. I can tell that she was sure I was Gumball. Then from behind I hear someone call out...

"HEY! RICK!"

I turn and see a rouge colored fox kid coming our way. Bryce is wearing his black sweater vest hoodie up, covering a portion of his face. As he gets closer he notices Jamie nods to her as a greeting.

"Is he a new friend Rick?" he asks when he trots up beside me.

"No she's not," I replies. He blushes a bit and took his hoodie off and tosses it to her, over her head.

"Shouldn't she be wearing a shirt?" he says looking every which way from her flustered.

"She is," I tell him snickering, "it just happens to be close to her skin, in color."

"Oh..." At that he snatches back his hoodie. Jamie now sizing him up, yrt she seems slightly more confused and possibly intimidated since she didn't start anything.

'I felt the same... he still scares me a bit'

"Who are you?" Jamie asks, "And why'd you call him Rick? His name's Gumball."

Bryce looks at me with a poker face that I couldn't read. He then smirks which caused my heart to drop.

"Well," he begins as looks back at Jamie, "it all began few days ago. When the sky was cloudy and my neighbors, the Macaroons, were arguing among themselves about someone eating the last macaroon. Segue. My neighbors are actually CD people whose family name is Macaroons. Segue. Well I was eating breakfast that wasn't really good..."

"Can you skip to part of this story that has a point?" interruptes Jamie, looking as though she's about done being 'nice'.

"Oh... well... fine then," sighs Bryce, somewhat annoyed, "I met him later that day and he told me his name was Rick. Happy?"

'Ok... Bryce looks ticked'

Jamie's face doesn't show anything, but her eyes are colored with fear. Bryce's working his emotional magic. He doesn't show any anger in his face, but the slightly air of rage around him iss nothing to scoff at.

'Before we have someone get hurt...'

"Bryce," I say getting his attention, "why aren't you in school?"

"Huh?" He says, in confusion at me breaking the tension, "Oh! It was a teacher workday. Us students are free for today."

"You should know that Gummypuss," Jamie says annoyed at me. She might still think that I'm Gumball.

"Gummypuss? His that a type of acne?" Bryce asks horrified taking a step away from me.

SKREECH!

We all turn to see a station wagon drifting around a corner coming our way. Its front license plate read as "ODH 22."

'No...'

It comes to a screeching halt next to us and out pops a big pink bunny in a white shirt, light brown pants, and a gray clip-on tie, with a smaller bunny in his arms.

"Oh thank goodness!" he says as he runs to me, "I need you to look after Anais! No time to explain!" With that he shoves Anais into my arms and jumps back into car and speeds off. As he races off a gang of police cars shoot by with their sirens blaring. All of us stand here in silence as they chase Richard out of sight and the sirens quiets.

"Routine traffic stop?" I asks Anais as I stare at the point the cars disappeared from sight.

"Yep," she says, annoyance in her voice.

"Did he have his license?"

"Nope."

"Of course," I mumble under my breath as I shake my head at the scenario. I lowered Anais to the ground.

"Gumball," she say looking at my present company, "where's Darwin?"

"One, I'm not Gumball," I begin to explain, "Two, no idea. And before you ask how I know that guys habits; he's Richard Waterson. Kinda infamous cause of his antics and his family's."

Anais looks at me with a ponderance on her face, but doesn't know what to say or ask. I look to Jamie and Bryce, who are now leaning against a wall watching this scene play out.

'Did not plan for any of this. Can you help me out here, Bryce.'

As if reading my mind Bryce walks over and says, "Why don't we find this Gumball guy? That way we can straighten this out and stop the secrecy, Rick."

Jamie, now bored with us, walks off shaking her head.

'At least the one nuisance is gone.'

"You think that they'll accept this?" I ask him.

"If not, I could find a way to have you stay with me, instead of that apartment building you squat in."

"Wait! How did you...?"

"NINJA!" he interrupts with a huge grin on his face. Me and Anais just stare at him. I guess he felt embarrassed because his grin goes away and he pulls his hood further over his face.

"Well," Anais says slowly, breaking the awkward silence, "weird person aside, I think you're trustworthy. You don't feel like a bad guy, in fact you feel warm and friendly."

"Are you talking about me?" I ask, "cause if you are, I thank you, but you don't know me."

Anais just smiles at me and I can feel the brotherly protective feelings Gumball would get when he wants to genuinely help her.

Chapter Text

For two nights I've been having similar dreams. I go about my day normally, but each time I see my reflection I notice a hole in my head. It is dark inside and I can't see through it, but when I ask my friends and family about it they say that they don't see it. I don't know why I'm having these dreams, but thinking about it makes me feel as if I'm missing something... Something important that I take for granted.

"What could it be?" I ask aloud. Right now I'm in my dream bathroom looking at myself in the mirror. Through the hole in my head I can't see anything, but darkness. I poke my finger through it, no resistance.

"Why do I have this? It's scaring me," I say to myself. As I continue to look over myself...

Be-beep be-beep

I feel my dream self slipping away. I know I won't remember the dream when I wake up, like the last time, and that worries me.

"Why am I having this dream?"

Be-beep be-beep

"What am I trying to tell myself?"

Be-beep be-beep

"Wha..."

~Day 4~

A New Perspective

I sit up in my bed and open my eyes. I look around, as if searching for something, and get out of the bed. I drowned out all noise and walked to the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I look at my reflection in the mirror. I look at the familiar face look back at me.

"Did I expect something different?" I ask myself. Looking into my own eyes I see happiness and pride, but sense fear and loneliness. I try to think of why I feel this way, but end up having a slight migraine. I close my eyes to ease the pain. I calmly breath in and out. As the pain and pressure in my head was being relieved I heard something, possibly footsteps. I just tuned out every noise and calmed down my mind when...

BAM BAM BAM!

I jump at the sound of someone banging on the bathroom door.

"Wh-who's there?" My voice shaky as I question the door. From the other side I hear a familiar voice.

"It's me, Darwin. You ok Gumball?" asks with a concerned voice. I shake my head at the silliness of being scared.

'What's making me so jumpy'

"Yea, dude," I sigh back, "I'm good. Why'd you ask?"

"You just seemed out of it," I hear him say, "ignoring the alarm on the way out and the lost look on your face. You'd usually be more active on a no-school day."

"Oh...." is all I can say back. I look back at the mirror wondering why I am messed up. I just shake any thought out of my head and start the shower, just now realizing that I am the first one in the bathroom.

"Today's gonna be a wonderful day," I say softly.

'Not like that other day when all my good luck was gone.'

I quickly get washed and leave the bathroom in a towel. Mom rushes in after I get out, as she still had work today. I go through the newly washed laundry for clothes to wear. I get my usual grey trousers and tan sweater, both with that fresh washed smell that I never get used.

'I always find it weird. Why?'

"Hey, Darwin?" I call out. My orange fish brother is in the middle of cleaning out his bowl. He turns acknowledging me.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever felt like you were missing something, but didn't know what it was?"

"Well," he says as he goes back to cleaning out his bowl, "sometimes, but I usually find out what it is when we clean the room and find it under everything."

I look around the room, but other than some pants and toys, it was relatively clean. I have this feeling that whatever I am missing wasn't something you can usually touch. I just have no idea what it is or when I lost it.

After I get dressed I leave the room and walk down the hall. I pass Anais' when a thought pops into my head.

'Anais is usually rational and smart, but kinda a wet blanket sometimes. Maybe she can figure out what's going on with me.'

I turn and knock on her door.

"Yes?" Anais pipes from the other side of the door.

"It's me. I want to ask you something," I answer. The door opens to a room with jungle green walls that has a poster of a horse, a few dolls scattered about, a small table in the middle, and a toy chest at the far side of the room. Her bed was a twin and had a pink Daisy the Donkey bed set on it and a dress laid out for the day.

Anais is in her small robe and holding her Daisy the Donkey doll.

"What did want to ask?" she questions.

"I wanted to know what it is that I'm missing," I relay. The look on her face shows that she doesn't understand the question.

"What you're missing?"

"Yeah," I explain, "I've had this nagging feeling that I've lost something, but I don't know what it is. The only thing I know is that is not something I can touch or see."

"Hmm," she ponders, thinking about it and motioning me to come in and sit on her bed. She goes to her small dresser and gets a notepad from on top of it.

"Can you tell me when was it that you first realized that something was missing?" she asks like a professional psychiatrist.

"Well, I guess it was after I got back from the hospital. I was relieved that I was fine, but in the back of my mind I felt like a piece of me was missing."

Anais sits oatthe bottom of her bed jotting something down on her notepad. Seeing her like this reminds me of the time that I had the dream where Darwin kissed Penny.

'Wait. My dreams...'

"Almost right after the incident," I start up again, "I began having these dreams."

"What kind of dreams?" Anais asks as she continues to write.

"Well, the first one was me walking the halls of the school with a crutch. As I wandered around I ran into someone."

"And who was it?"

"It was me, but he had these purple dots under his eyes and purple fur on his ears. I was scared at first, but he seemed worried about me, like he didn't want to see me hurt. Before I could find out who he was the walls began melting and these pits and columns started to appear. He and I began running, but found ourselves at a dead-end where a column rose from under me. When it threw me into the air I woke up to dad pressing the button as I lifted my head from the bed.

"This wasn't the only dream I had with this other me. The very next night, in my dream, I was flying on one of the flying brooms that Hector's mom owns. As I flew I saw someone fall from the sky.. I went to save him, but I couldn't catch up. I then noticed that I had another broom strapped to my back. As I nose-dived took the broom off my back and threw it to him. It caught him just before he hit the ground. As I flew down to him I noticed that it was the other me, he called himself Rick."

"So," Anais starts, "Rick might be the representation of Dad's qualities in you."

"Uhh... he said that he wasn't named after Dad, but some guy from Casa Blanket."

"Casa Blanket?"

"I have no idea. Next thing I know, we're hanging out and flying all through Elmore. It was near the end of the dream that I asked why I keep dreaming about him. He said that he was dreaming about me. Then we heard the alarm going off and the world slowly faded until I woke up. So far, that was the last dream he appeared in."

I look over at Anais, who's looking down at her notes thinking. As I am about to ask her what she thought when there's a knock at the doorway. We look up and see Mom standing there dressed and about to leave for work.

"Hey," Mom says to us, "I'm on my way out. Anais, Gumball you two are to make sure no one gets into too much trouble."

"Alright," we reply back.

"And Gumball?"

"Yes ma'am?" I respond back with a salute.

"Just because you're out doesn't mean you can slack off on your make up work from Monday."

'Aww Man!'

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Good," she says with a small smile, "I'll see you later."

"Bye, Mom," Anais and I say.

At that Mom is on her way. Anais gets off the bed and gets her dress.

"I don't know what to tell you Gumball," she says as she's on her way out, "Your dreams aren't always rational, but this one seemed more like an usual day you have. Not much I can gather from it."

"Oh." I say, feeling a little disappointed. I want to find the answer to this feeling. I guess Anais took note of that in my face.

"I'll take a look at the notes later and try to see what I can find. Is that alright?" She asks

"Yeah, that's fine," I sign, "Lemme know if you find out anything."

"Alright. So what are you going to do today?"

"I think I'm gonna get started on the make-up school work. When I'm done, or lose interest, I think me and Darwin will go to the park."

"You sure that's a good idea. I mean the fall had to be scary."

"It was, but as long as I don't climb anything I should be fine."

"Ok," she says as we leave the room. She heads down the hall to the bathroom as I go down the stairs. When I reach the bottom I see Darwin and Dad sitting on the couch watching T.V.  Actually Dad's just snoozing away. On my way to the kitchen I see Darwin looking over the back of the couch at me.

"You sure your ok, Gumball?" he asks with worry on his face.

"Yeah, I'm good," I sigh with smile.

"Ok," he says with a small worried smile.

I stop right at the kitchen entrance turn and ask Darwin, "You wanna go to the park later?"

Chapter Text

~Day 4 (Perspective #2) cont.~

I've been working on the work I missed earlier in the week for a few hours. I don't really care about the work, but Anais will not let me just blow through it. Having someone half my height be my homework warden is kinda embarrassing, but there is nothing I could do about it. She made sure that I am not gonna watch T.V. or surf the web by having me work in her room.

'This is boring!'

I finish a good chunk of my work and can take a break. I lay back onto the floor and close my eyes. My thoughts drift upon my dreams, or at least the guy in them.

'Who is Rick? I noticed that he began appearing after the cliff accident. Did I get hit too hard? Huh...'

CRACK!

The weather outside is not ideal for going out, a slightly heavy shower with scatters thunder claps. Going to the park isn't really smart, but I feel that it is important to go as soon as I can. Like it will shed light on something.

"I heard you wanted to go to the park," says Anais making me open my eyes to see her kneeling beside my head.

"Yeah," I reply, "I haven't went back since the accident, but I keep thinking that the thing I'm missing was left there."

"Well I doubt that it will still be there after three days."

"I know, but... I just want to check. It could help me find it."

"Or you could catch a cold Or there could be nothing," Anais points out. I know she means well, but she's not much of an optimist.

"You should try and be more positive," I grunt as I sit back up.

"And you... should finish the rest of the work," she says as she slides the last couple of worksheets in front of me. After about half an hour I finish them. I place the work into my backpack and go back to my and Darwin's room. I put the backpack next to the bed and went to the closet. I scan through it and got my navy blue snorkel parka, black rain boots, and a medium black umbrella. After putting on my parka and rain boots, I go down the stairs and noticed Darwin and Anais waiting for me at the door.

Darwin is wearing a small yellow raincoat with green rain boots and Anais is in a small pink parka with white rain boots.

"So you decided to go with me?" I ask as I reach meet them at the door.

"Yeah," pipes Darwin, "Anais said that you might need some emotional support, since we're going to the park, where you had a traumatic experience."

"Right," chimes in Anais, "you don't know what you might feel seeing that place. You could have flashbacks, an emotional breakdown, mental inconsistency..."

'Nice to see you be more optimistic.'

"Just know that we'll be there to help in anyway we can," she says with a smile.

I smile at my siblings and give them big hug. As they hug me back I feel like I can handle anything.

'My family. I wouldn't know what I'd do without them.'

As we broke the group hug I look over at dad, who is still snoozing away on the couch.

"What are we going to do if he wakes up in the house alone?" I ask know.

Anais pulls out a small note from her pocket and shows it to me. All it says is:

'Everyone's fine.

Went to the Park.

Go back to sleep.

-kids'

'Not sure if I should be fine or depressed at the fact that this would be enough.'

Anais then goes and tapes it to the remote for the T.V. We put up our hoods and make our way out the door locking it behind us. Since Anais is the more responsible one we decided to let her hold on to the key. Anais and I opened our umbrellas and walked down the front steps. I turned to Darwin as he was coming down behind us.

"Don't you want an umbrella, too?" I ask.

"Why would I need one? I sleep in water," he says back.

"Right... then why are you wearing a raincoat?" Anais questions.

"Duh... cause it make my eyes pop," he says as-a-matter-of-fact-ly. I can't argue with him there, it indeed makes his eyes pop. After that exchange we go on our way.

The rain has let up a bit, but if we didn't have umbrellas Anais and I will be soaked to the bone in 20 seconds flat. The scent is the familiar smell of wet air. Our steps splash as we walk down the sidewalks through the fresh puddles. Hardly anyone was on the road, which I think is lucky.

'Don't need the drive-by splashing you'd see on T.V.'

We make it to the park entrance and I stop in my tracks. I can see the aftermath from here. The cliff all but gone and the stones and rocks that were once apart of it lays out in mounds in front of it. I suddenly see myself on top of the cliff. The cliff face crumbles beneath my feet and I find myself falling. I can hear my screams as I close in on the ground...

"Gumball!"

Slap-Slap!

My face stings and there's a wet feeling on my cheeks. The rain is lighter than earlier, softly falling on my exposed face. I realize that I dropped my umbrella and I'm currently being shaken by Darwin. I push him off me and rub my cheeks to relieve the stinging.

"Ow!  Did you slap me, dude? Why!?" I snap at him.

"You were just standing there staring into space," he says with a worried look on his face. I immediately feel bad for snapping at him. It isn't his fault. I got caught up in my memory of the fall, I would've slapped myself too if I was in his shoes.

"Sorry," I say lowering my head, "I'm good now." I pick up my umbrella.

"You sure, Gumball?" Anais asks with worry on her face. I'm not, but I don't want to admit it. I just nod and take a deep breath. I look back at the rubble from the cliff.

'Doesn't feel real. Seems like it all was a dream. Or rather a nightmare.'

I walked closer and saw where they had dug me out of. There was a small spot where the rocks were removed. I could a piece of my shirt was caught under a rock. I looked at the entire scene when I noticed something.

"Uh.. Guys?" I call to my siblings.

"Yeah?" Anais walks over with Darwin right behind her.

"Was I the only one caught under the rubble?"

"Yeah," says Darwin, "No one else was around the cliff and you were the only one who fell as cliff fell apart. Why?"

I point to another spot where it looks as if the rocks had been moved. Caught in between two rocks is a small tuft of purple fur. Then I point another one at the other end. I look back at Darwin, who looks as though he doesn't understand. I was sure that there was someone else who was caught by the rubble, but who.

"Are you sure that Gumball was the only one?" Anais asks picking up on my observation.

"Yeah," Darwin looks confused, "I'm not the only one who saw it. Banana Joe, Tobias, and Bobert all saw the same thing I did; Gumball falling."

As we are taking it all in we hear something. Someone is singing.

Lollipop, lollipop
Oh lolli, lolli, lolli, lollipop, lollipop

Call my baby lollipop, tell you why
Her kiss is sweeter than an apple pie
And when she does her shaky rockin' dance
Man, I haven't got a chance

I call her lollipop, lollipop
Oh lolli, lolli, lolli, lollipop lollipop

Sweeter than candy on a stick
Huckleberry, chimry or lime
If you had a choice she'd be your pick
But lollipop is mine

Lollipop, lollipop
Oh lolli, lolli, lolli
Lollipop, lollipop

Crazy way she thrills me, tell you why
Just like a lightning from the sky
She loves to kiss me till I can't see straight
Gee, my lollipop is great

I call her lollipop, lollipop
Oh lolli, lolli, lolli, lollipop, lollipop

"Bendice su idiotez. When you said you might break out into song and dance I half expected you singing 'Singing in the Rain,'" says a different voice, with a faint accent as the singing stops.

"I expected that," responds another voice, calm, raspy, and warm, "That's why I sung something Unexpected. And please, keep blessing my stupidity. If it weren't for this rain flooding that 'old movie' theatre you've been spending too much time in, you wouldn't be out enjoying this weather."

"One, it plays classic movies," says the first voice somewhat annoyed, "And two, this is horrible weather."

I turn towards the sound of the conversation. I see two people heading down the path towards the cliff.

One is mahogany dog kid with a white circle around his left eye. He's wearing a pair of black baggy shorts , reddish hiking boots, and an orange windbreaker with the hood up.

The other was a slightly taller rouge fox kid. He is wearing inverse camo cargo pants, with the legs tucked into black hiking boots, and an aqua blue parka with the hood down. His fur is matted with rain water and as he rubs the back of his neck his rouge and white fur stands up briefly before the rain flattens it again.

The fox-kid looks over at the cliff's rubble and sees us. His face, which had been light and happy, becomes contemplative and on edge. It's as if he knows us, or more specifically; me. His friend notices this and looked at where he was staring. He strains his eyes as he looks me over from a distance. He then turns to the fox-kid and says something quietly to him.

The fox-kid is nodding and quietly responding. I am getting a little suspicious so I begin walking towards them while motioning for Anais to stay back. They start backing away as I get closer. They turn around and begin walking away.

"Darwin," I quietly say, "I think they know something."

"Really?" he asks as he walked beside me. As I'm about to tell him not to scare them away when he yells...

"Hey! Do you know anything!?"

At this they bolt towards the park entrance. I drop my umbrella and give chased with Darwin following after. They are pulling until they get to the entrance. Once they pass through I hear one of the yell...

"EDDY! BREAK!"

They then split up and run off in different directions. When we get to the entrance there was no sign of them. They seem to have just disappeared. Darwin and I look around before heading back to Anais. She meets us halfway and gives me back my umbrella and asks what is going on.

"Those guys knew something about the accident," I say failing to mask my frustration.

'Who were they? They seemed familiar.'

Then a memory pops up in the back of my mind. That time Darwin and I got detention I noticed a dog-kid sitting in the back of the room. He had a white circle around his left eye. He didn't say much and didn't stick out against the other detainees.

'They go to our school.'

We make our way home not long after I tell them about the dog-kid. I won't have a chance to find him until Friday, when we go back to school. He knows something and I want to know what.

When we reach our house Darwin and Anais went inside. I stop outside the door. I feel like someone's watching me. I turn to see who, but no one's there. I think I might just be getting paranoid when I look down to the end of the road when I see something.

Right next to the stop sign is a kid wearing an oversized white raincoat. The kid s black cat who looks a lot like... ME.

I watch the kid as he/she stares back.

"AHHH!"

I turned towards the house, where the scream came from. Dad just woke up from his nap and sees Darwin in his raincoat dripping wet.

"You scared me," Dad says trying to catch his breat.

"Sorry...?" says Darwin, not sure if he should apologize.

"Did you guys go out?" Dad asks as look their our clothes.

"Yeah, we went to the park," Anais tells him.

"Was it raining?"

"Yep," Darwin says smiling.

"Uh... You're a fish. Why are you wearing a raincoat?" Dad asks.

"Cause they make my eyes pop!"

"Oh... Okay!"

I turn back and look for the cat-kid, but he isn't there anymore. I make my way into the house.

'What's going on?'

Chapter Text

~Day 5 cont.~

My head hurts. No, there isn't any concussion or contusion from the where I left off to now. It hurts cause I'm worrying about what's gonna happen. Anais is in my temporary care, Eddy is nowhere to be found, Bryce is trying to convince me to reveal the secret of my existence to Gumball and the town of Elmore. I don't want to do this, but then again I don't know what I would do with myself.

I look down on the small pink bunny holding my hand. She is pretending to look around for her brothers, but I get the feeling that she expects something from me. Her reaction when I told her that I wasn't Gumball was not one of annoyance or confusion. It's like she half expected my remark.

'I don't like this.'

Anais however doesn't seem hostile or scheming, like this scenario was not planned. I have no idea what the universe is conspiring to do, but I think the events that have happened around me so far are a little rushed. As if the universe is focusing on getting as many things to happen to me as possible.

"Nah. That's stupid," whispers someone in a soft voice. I turn to see a rouge fox, Bryce, muttering to himself. I believe that his mind is a labyrinth and I've decided early on that I will not get lost in it. I look ahead wondering about my existence. Why am I here? What's the meaning of my life? Basically just asking the same question in different ways.

I sigh at how seriously depressing my thoughts are.

'If Gumball can create a crud monster baby and try to raise it as part of the family, then he might actually welcome my existence.'

I look around and see that we have come to the strip mall.

"Hey, Rick," Bryce calls. I turn and see him fidgeting slightly.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask.

"Nature's calling," he informs me. Anais just shakes her head when she hears that.

"Ok... So go," She says with the hint of annoyance in her voice, "we're not keeping you here."

"Right..." Bryce looks at her scornfully. I haven't seen that kind of look since Mr. Fitzgerald thanked Gumball for saving Penny from being run over, by him.

As he walks into a store I hear him mutter, "Not another bossy uptight... get enough of that from Daniella."

Now it's just me and Anais all by ourselves, and I believe she was waiting for this moment. She turns towards me and looks me up and down. She has this look one would have when they're trying to connect the dots.

"If you have something on your mind just go on and say it," I tell her. I feel my face become lax, but give a scowl that; knowing I look a lot like Nicole Waterson; would give me a chill down my spine. I can tell that is exactly what Anais is feeling.

"Hey, no need to be hostile," she says taking a small step back, "Just want to know who you are."

"My names Rick. Just Rick," I tell her without breaking my look, "and that's all you're gonna get for now."

"Wait, your name really IS Rick?" she asks perplexed.

"Yeah."

'What does she know?'

I shake that thought out of my head knowing that the longer I stand here talking the more likely I'd get some unwanted, at least for the moment, attention.

"I'll be seeing you," I say before I turn and walk away.

"Wait! You're just gonna leave me here?" she yells after me.

"Yeah," I say out of earshot, "you know your way around this town better than anyone I know other than Larry."

'And I get the feeling that you already know where Gumball and Darwin are. Also, not a lot people want to hurt you.'

I know that she won't just let me go so I decided to head into an old store I find and go to the men's restroom. When in the restroom I go and look for a window that I can use. The only one in here is, like the one at the gym, high up on the wall and opened outward. It's open slightly, but the only way I will be able to get to it is to hop up.

I look around for a booster and the only thing I could use was the stall closer to the wall the window was on. I go into the stall and lock it, get on top of the toilet's tank and jump to the stall door. I pull one of my legs over the top and uncomfortably sat on the stall door.

'This is not a good place to sit'

Carefully reaching over to the window I grip the edge as best as I can. Making sure that my grip is tight enough I swing my other leg over and begin to hang down from the window. I struggle to pull myself up, not being able to grip the wall with my feet has me relying on the abysmal upper body strength I gained from Gumball.

'Gumball, why don't you lift, bro!?'

I manage to pull myself up so my upper body could lay on the windows thick ledge. I can see that on the other side of the window is an alley, but nothing around to help lower me down. I shift a leg onto the ledge and sit up as much as possible in the cramped space between it and the ceiling.

I begin to shift my back towards the wall so I will have enough room the swing my other leg over. I push the window open more so I won't have an accident, but as I slowly bring my other leg up onto the ledge...

"HEY! RICK!"

"AWWWW!"

SLAM!

"Aagh..." I groan as I lay on the ground in the position I landed in, on my face with my legs and back bent above my head.

"Wow... that's the first time I saw someone land in the scorpion in real life."

I roll onto my back and crack my eyes to see Eddy squatting beside me with a smirk on his face.

"You know, I could be seriously injured because of you," I groan before I close my eyes to concentrate on numbing the pain in my face.

"Probably, but your speech isn't slurred and your motor control seems good so you might just need minor first aid," he says evaluating my condition with a hint of ammusement.

"So you're a doctor now, huh?" I sarcastically comment.

"Just get up, jerk," he says before helping me up off the ground. I dust myself off and look back at Eddy. His mahogany fur was a bit messed up and had visible scratches around his eye. His clothes, covered with dust and sand, had small rips just under his neck on his blue tank top and on one leg of his shorts. He basically looks like he went combat crawling on a beach.

"You look like crap," I say without realizing it.

"You would to if you got jumped at a construction site," he retorts, his grin now gone.

"Sorry, but why'd that happen?"

He shakes his head, not wanting to talk about it. He begins walking to down the alley, and while knowing that it would probably be best to stay out of his business, I...

"Hey, wait up," I catch up to him, "I know we barely know each other and you don't want to talk about whatever is going on, but I want to help... If I can."

"Just drop it," he sighs, "I can tell you mean well, it's just not something that I want to drag others into."

"Not gonna stop me from trying to help," I tell him. He looks me in the face and I can tell he sees the seriousness in my words.

'He's probably wondering why I care. Well, I don't know either.'

"If you need help just tell me, okay?" I tell him. He smiles a somber smile, but nods.

"So, why were you climbing out of that window back there?" he asks, changing the subject, "Dine and dash?"

"Nah, just had to get away from someone," I tell him.

"You in some sort of trouble?"

I shake my head, "Just felt like things were going too fast."

"Oh! Didn't know you had a lady friend," he says with a look of praise.

"Not like that, dude. Just someone asking some questions I don't want to answer."

I look around and stop. We've long walked out of the alley, but we are in another part of Elmore that looked quite... familiar. Memories of diving into cement, using a trampoline to jump across three streets, and cartwheeling past three cube dogs came to the front of my mind.

"Uh... Why are we here?" I ask Eddy. He looks at me then back at the neighborhood before chuckling.

"Well, I'm on my way home to get a change of clothes. You just sorta... followed me," he says with that carefree grin cropping up on his face once more.

"Oh..." I don't know what I should do in this situation. Gumball's friends have been friends with him for a few years so I couldn't use those memories as a reference without seeming stupid or immature, but luckily Eddy intervened.

"Amigo, just act as you have so far and my family won't give too much of a hard time."

"Okay," I said as we continued down a road through an intersection of Lorenzo Patterson avenue and Christian Pérez drive.

'They sound familiar.'

Eddy stops two houses down from the intersection. He motions that this is his home. His home has faded beige paint on its outer walls and a brown picket fence encasing the side of his yard. There is an orange mid-sized station wagon parked out front.

"Yo siento, in advance, for the mess inside," he says as he lead the way up the walkway, "Not only do we not get many visitors, but my sister, Laurencia, is kind of a slob."

"That's fine," I say as nonchalantly as I can , "can't be any worse than what I'm used to."

We walk up the cracked walkway, which is damp and warm from last night's storm and today's hot sun, respectively. When we reach the door Eddy pulls out a key from his back pocket and unlocks the door.

"Well, mi amigo, bienvenido al hogar de Perros!" he says as he opens the door. Inside looks alright, off-white walls with slightly scuffed vinyl instead of carpeting. The stair case is at the front of the house just right of the door way and the living room to the left. There is one black couch and a brown recliner in the living room. Across from the couch was TV stand with a box TV on top.

"Hey, can you wait down here for a minute?" Eddy says as he stands at the bottom of his stairs, "I gotta go change before my sisters get back and get on my back about my clothes."

I nod and he tells me I can go sit down if I want. I go into the living room and sit on the couch. It's so comfortable that I begin to feel sleepy just as I sit down. Not even half a minute goes by before I doze off.

Chapter Text

"Hey, I wanna speak directly to whoever is watching over me; be it the universe, a Qilin, or someone who's spending a lot of time at a computer. I am Rick, sounds like a movie title, and right now I think I'm asleep. I don't know if you can hear me or, if you can, if I can hear you... I'm confusing myself so I'm going to just start talking. Right now I'm wringing my hands here and I'm speaking aloud to an unknown presence I'm not even sure exists.

"Today I woke up in a depressing state, already going through the motions of the life I adapted. I wandered around and found myself dealing with two people from the life I knew, one I consider an unimportant annoyance and the other I consider to be family. This makes me wonder about many things, like how come coincidences involving an unrelated police chase can push people to notice something off about everything else.

"Truth is I feel like I should be doing something that I would think is important, but something pushes me in a different direction everyday. First off, wanted to take Gumball to the hospital, but found out that I wasn't in his body anymore. I was then gonna stay in that apartment room I now dwell in, but Sal ended up there I left out of fear. I didn't want to be seen by those I knew, remembered from Gumball's memories, but ended up wandering Elmore.

"Of course I met some people who helped me out or interacted with me and of course I was able to get some money, albeit questionably, but where am I going? Am I being tested or are you just watching for some twisted entertainment? I can't be somebody's plaything or experiment, right? I'm my own person now... aren't I.

"Just... WHAT AM I TO YOU!?

"Oh! Crap! Earthquake!? I think someone's trying to wake me up. I'll speak with you again soon, count on it."

~Day 5 cont.~

As I proceed to wake up I feel someone nudging me, probably Eddy. I peer at the inside of my eyelids, still feeling a bit beat from my earlier fall and thoughts, but Eddy's prodding is agitating me.

"Dude, quit it," I slur as I am still drowsy. After a small pause the nudging continues, which begins to annoy me to no end.

"Will you stop that, Eddy!" I snarl as I lightly push away the hand that's nudging me. I look at him only to find that it isn't Eddy who was nudging me, but a small, indigo furred mouse-girl. She is about the height of Darwin wearing a rose colored blouse, a navy blue skirt that went just below her knees, and a pair of white sandals.

Her eyes are filled with shock as she clutches her hand close to her chest. I then notice her right eye had a black ring around it. It's like I am looking at an inverse version of Eddy.

"Hey! Who are you screamin' at, Rick!?" I hear someone yell as I hear steps coming down the stairs. I look over the to the stairway at Eddy who, now cleaned up in some not-ripped clothes, has just reached the bottom. He looks from me to the girl standing next to the couch.

"Mikey?" he says with shock, "When'd you get back? I thought you were gonna stay at a friends tonight." I look back at the girl to find her just standing there fidgeting, still clutching her hand.

"Uh... Eddy, who is she?" I ask as I look from her back to him.

"She's my sister, Michelle," he tells me as he goes to the girl, "You okay, Mikey?" The girl nods, but continues standing there silently staring at the ground while taking quick glances at me. I don't know what to think as I find myself glancing away occasionally since it feels incredibly awkward getting those glances.

"So..." I begin softly, "Michelle... It's nice to meet you. My name's Rick." I put my hand out for a handshake after introducing myself, but she hides behind Eddy.

"Sorry about this, Mikey's kinda shy around new people," Eddy explains, as he possibly knows how off putting her action is. She then peeks at me from behind him with eyes filled with nervous excitement. I feel that feeling you would usually get from going down during a ride on a Ferris Wheel, that butterflies in the stomach feeling that neither I nor Gumball enjoyed.

"How old is she?" I ask Eddy, trying not to have my eyes meet hers.

"She's 12, like me, but older by a few minutes. We're twins," he tells me. He must have seen the confused look on my face cause he then says, "We're fraternal twin. Not all twins look alike."

"Right."

'Didn't Mrs. Simian say something about that during a health science lesson?'

"So, why were you yelling, Rick?" Eddy asks me.

"Well, I had fallen asleep on your couch and I felt somebody nudging me," I inform him sheepishly, "I thought is was you at first."

"If it were me I would have twisted your ear," he tells me with a smirk, "as pay back for how you woke me at the theater."

"Didn't you punch me because of that?"

"You blocked it, so not really," he says with an ominous grin. I see him begin to crack his knuckles and as I glimpse at Mikey peeking at me again and think that I probably should go.

"So, okay. Should I to go before the rest of your family shows?" I ask Eddy, "Not trying to sound rude, just wanted to know if it's okay to be here."

"Well," Eddy answers with a more laidback tone, "It's only 2 o'clock so the stickler, Daniela, won't be home for awhile. Mikey here may be shy, but I can tell she thinks your harmless. The only one I would worry about, however, is Laurencia."

"So, your family's dominated by girls."

"Yeah, but before you think that it's all fru-fru or fragile; my sisters, apart from Mikey, can kick just about any guy's butt. Especially Daniela. Bryce is scared of her and you probably saw that he doesn't let much get to him."

'Okay... I might just have to leave then. Bryce already unnerves me, but someone that can scare him?'

I feel a chill crawl up my spine thinking of someone scaring Bryce. Eddy might be reading my mind, because he then tells me, "He's only scared of her 'cause she's grown and can beat him. Plus he's a self-proclaimed gentleman."

After the way he acted around Anais, I definitely see that.

'Wait a minute.'

"Eddy?" I begin asking.

"What?" he answers still smirking.

"You've only talked about you and your sisters. What about your parents?" I ask.

The moment I mentioned his parents his smirk disappears and he shifts his gaze downward. Mikey has a sad look on her face as well. At this point in time I know that might be a taboo subject.

"They're not here anymore," he says melancholy laced within his tone. I see his eyes begin to well-up and a tear leave his eye. He wiped his cheek, causing the fur under his eye to stick out.

"I'm sorry," I tell him as I go to console him, "I didn't know."

'Of course I didn't. Why am I even prying into his life? He only just met me 4 days ago.'

"Don't worry about it, mi amigo," he sniffles, "It's fine." His sister comes from behind him and tries to fix the fur under his eye. I feel crappy so I excuse myself and go for the door.

"Espére," I feel a hand on my shoulder as I grip the door handle, "you don't have to leave because of that. If I wanted you to go I'd have thrown you out." I look back and see his smirk back on his face.

"You sure?" I ask, "I just don't want to be "that" guy."

"Yeah, but for your information, you're not "that" guy. Bryce is. He isn't very sociable so he lacks some tact." I hear slight laughter coming from behind Eddy. Mikey's laugh is light and cute. This is the only time I have heard her make any vocal noise.

When she notices that I was looking at her she gets silent once again and looks down, but had a smile on her face.

'She gets embarrassed easily.'

"Stay a bit and let me introduce you to my family," Eddy tell me, "I just hope Daniela doesn't find you to be a "bad influence" like Bryce."

"Dude," I say back, "For as long as I remember I haven't influenced anyone, good or badly. I've tried, believe me."

Mikey decides to stay downstairs and watch some TV while Eddy takes me up to his and Mikey's room. Their house only has two bedrooms; one for the older sisters and the other for the twins. Eddy and Mikey's room is peculiar. The walls were a deep shade of purple. There is one dresser and a book shelf full of books next to it. There are two separate twin beds, 'heh,' and both have a completely different style. One had a bland lavender comforter and sheets with a plain white pillow. The other bed looked like it took all of Carrie's emo/goth paraphernalia and put it all on the bed. The comforter, from what I can see, is all black with skull patterns all over, the pillow's a deep crimson shade with what looks like a pair of black eyes designed into it.

"Eddy," I begin, now wishing I had just left, "You never gave off the feel of liking anything gothic."

"I don't because I don't like that stuff," he says as he goes and sits on the lavender bed, "it freaks me out. That's Mikey's bed."

'Okay... Mental note; add Mikey to the list of people who scare me. Alongside Mrs. Simian, Tina Rex, Nicole Watterson, Jamie and her mom, and Bryce.'

I place my backpack next to the door and we begin talking about anything. First my troubles; my existence (sad), my fears of coming to grips with this life (sad), why I think the Man of Steel movie sucked (critique-wise? It wasn't true to the origin or character).

He then told me about how he once collapsed one kids throat (accident), how he helped this lost kid find his parents (he felt sorry for him), how he broke one kids arm (accident), how he volunteers at a homeless shelter (wants to help), how he smashed the rotten cupcake kid through a locker (on purpose), and that his favorite types of movies are romantic comedies.

'Is this guy a rabid dog or freaking teddy bear'

We continue talking for a few hours when we hear someone yell, "Eduardo Salbatore Perros!? Did you kick Mikey out the room!?"

The voice is female. It has a Spanish inflection , but also a little roughness to it.

Eddy gets up and goes to the door and yells, "No Daniela!"

"Then why is she down here by her self?" the voice calls.

He then leaves the room and goes downstairs. Not sure of what to do, I stay put in his and Mikey's room. I go over to the book shelf and pick up a book at random.

'Huh. "To Kill a Mocking Bird?" Which one of them reads stuff like this?'

"Hey! Rick come on down here for a moment!" I hear Eddy yell. I put the book back and head out and downstairs.

I get to the bottom of the stairs when I see another dog person. She had sky-blue fur, against which you can clearly see two whiskers, but unlike Eddy and Mikey she doesn't have any rings around her eyes. She is much taller than me and Eddy. She is wearing a short black skirt with a white collard shirt tucked into it. She also had a badge like Nicole's.

'I guess she also works at the Rainbow Factory. No trouble there. It's not like Nicole has friends... *sigh* I feel like I should be grounded for that.'

"Daniela, this is my new friend Rick," Eddy introduces me to her, "This is my eldest sister, Daniela. Or Ms. Perros, depending on if you want to."

'Oh the one person Bryce is supposedly afraid of. Great(sarcasm)!'

"Hello, Rick," she says with a smile on her face and the roughness gone from her voice, "Can I get your last name?" So far she doesn't seem all that scary.

"Waters..." I cut myself off before finishing saying Waterson.

"Rick Waters, eh?" she says, "That's a nice name."

"Makes you sound like a failed bottled water company," Eddy chides.

"Eduardo, you know that's not nice," she shot back at him.

"To be honest, it kind of does," I say trying to keep Eddy out of trouble.

"Well, as long as you're not offended. But Eddy, you could learn to have some tact," she says somewhat exasperated.

"I did," he responds, "I just did not to use it then."

Mikey, who I didn't notice standing next to me, snickers at their exchange. I turn my head in surprised and look over to her and she then nervously distances herself from me.

'I'm beginning to feel like I'm a creep when she does that.'

"Is Laura back, yet?" Ms. Perros asks her younger siblings.

"She wasn't here when I got back," Eddy answers, "She come back with you, Mikey?"

The indigo mouse-girl just shakes her head.

'Are they sure she isn't just mute?'

"Laura is my other sister, Laurencia," Eddy explains, "she's the second oldest."

"Ok, so you are, technically, the runt litter?" I joke. Daniela makes a slight snort laugh at that.

"Hey," Eddy whispers, "Remember who smashed a kid three times your size through a locker. Do you think I'm playing."

I decide that I wouldn't push him any further, so I keep some more snarky comment to myself.

"I'm gonna go get dinner started," Daniela says as she goes towards the kitchen, "You're welcome to stay, Rick." Mikey follows her into the kitchen, (to help maybe? I dunno). Eddy and I are about to head back upstairs when the front door shoots open. In glides in another dog-girl, this one wearing a pair of jean capris, a tan blouse, and a pair of sandals. She had cherry-red fur and an attitude.

She looks me up and down before saying, "Who's the geek?" Her voice was smooth and hypnotizing, but lacked the inflection Eddy and Daniela has.

'Ok. She's off to wonderful start (sarcasm).'

"This is Rick," Eddy says, introducing me to her.

"Who said I was talking about him?" she asks with a smirk on her face.

'Ok. She's cool. (not sarcasm)'

I stifle my laughter realizing she is talking about Eddy. Eddy looks at me out of the corner of his eye and I shut up, but keep my smirk on.

"Name's Laurencia 'Laura' Clodovea Perros," she tells me, "hears my autograph. Gonna be worth something someday." She then gives me an index card with her name written on it.

"Why do have those goggles on?" she asks me before saying, "Trying out for a steampunk role?"

"I just like them," I answer as I snap them on my head.

"Keep wearing them and people might think you're strange," She tells me, "Nothing wrong with it, but can get annoying hearing them say it over and over."

"They only say it to you 'cause you do monologues in public," Eddy says.

"Well, how else am I supposed to get discovered?" she asks him.

"By having talent," he goads before running up the stairs.

"You little!" she yells as she chases after him.

"Hey! Ya'll better not break anything out there!" I hear Daniela yell out of the kitchen.

Crash!

'Well, they're screwed.'

I then walk towards the kitchen to see if Daniela and Mikey want any help.

Chapter Text

~Day 5 continues~

I find myself outside in the middle of the night, but I don't feel cold. I didn't "feel" anything. No wind, warmth, or the usual physical feeling throughout my body.

'What the….? Where am I?

'The last thing I remember was washing dishes with Eddy after dinner. We were talking about something, but I couldn't concentrate because I was getting extremely light headed. Then...'

Almost instantly I realize I have no control of my body as my head and eyes look around. I find myself in a neighborhood that I'm extremely familiar with. I look around, yet it doesn't feel like I am trying to figure out where I am. I am looking at the neighborhood and this involuntary feeling of nostalgia mixed with a little sadness creeps into my mind.

'How did I get back here? What's happening to me?'

My head turns and looks through a window into a dark room. I can't make out much of the room, but find that it wouldn't matter if I do or not. In that room a door opened, shining a mild light from the hall and and in walks a particular orange fish.

'Darwin? Am I back inside Gumball's head? Why can't I feel?'

Forced to watch him, I notice Darwin is looking for something.

"Where did we put it?" The window mufflea his words, but I can still hear him. He is digging through the usual pile of filth found under the bunk beds before heading to open the closet.

'3… 2… 1.'

"AWW!" An avalanche of clothes, toys, and trash falls on top of him. I feel a slight feeling of joy, but I know that this feeling wasn't truly my own. It reminds me of the time I spent in Gumball's mind, like I'm feeling his... emotions...

'So I am back in his head!? Seriously!?'

I want to feel angry, but my own emotions are drowned out by his lack-there-of. I want to feel depressed, but instead I feel blank and empty.

"Darwin! You okay, dude?" I hear Gumball say as he runs into the room.

'Wait, What!?'

Instead of confusion I feel loneliness, like whoever's eyes I'm looking through wants to be with him.

'Am I in Sarah?'

It's then that the host I inhabited moves and ghosts through the window and levitates near the pile of clothes and trash.

'Ok… not Sarah. Carrie? She doesn't seem like stalking type.'

"I'm fine," Darwin's muffled voice says from under the pile, "I think I found it." He then emerges from the pile with a happy-go-lucky smile and a thin book in his fins. I can see the title, Elmore Junior High Yearbook. I remember Darwin got it a week after picture day. Gumball torched his copy, as well as half the shed out back, since his pictures were so horrible.

'So horrible. Really horrible. I mean it would be cruel and unusual punishment to give them to inmates. It's just not right to be that ug…'

"Hey! Anias, we found it!" Gumball yells as he takes the yearbook and strolla out of the room.

"We?" Darwin questions following him. They go to Anias' room and sits at the little table she has.

Opening the yearbook Gumball asks Anias, "Are you sure you saw someone who looked like me earlier today?"

'Ugh.'

"Positive," she replies, "He looks and sounds exactly like you, if not for the purple under his eyes."

"So, he looked like he gets into fights?" asks Darwin.

'No, but I kinda wanna fish slap you now. Geez, that was harsh. Glad they can't hear me.'

"No," Anias answers, "He had these… uh..."

"Dots under his eyes?" Gumball interrupts.

"Exactly!" she says excitedly, "Just like how you described him from your dream."

'What? I was in his dreams too? Well, kinda already figured that. Wait he remembered the dreams, but can't remember to change his dirty trousers for clean ones?'

"I must say," Darwin says, "the fact that you dream about meeting yourself is pretty vain."

"Dude, I don't dream about myself, well I guess you could say that I do since they are my dreams and I'm usually in them, but that's not the point," Gumball begins ranting, "The point is I met him in my dreams. He's not me, but this guy might be the key to why I feel slightly empty. Or my twin, can't tell which one I'd want more."

"Or he could be some random kid from school that we haven't noticed until now," Darwin reasons, "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time we totally disregarded someone's existence until we caused them harm or had any interaction that would lead us to learning some sort of lesson."

'Although Darwin's wrong, he basically hit the nail on the head regarding their social life.'

"He's not in here," Anias pipes as she flips through the yearbook, "There's no one at our school who looks exactly like you, Gumball."

"What about Clayton?" Darwin points out, "He does seem to mimic people to the letter; size, voice, clothes; it's not so farfetched to think that this is a giant prank."

"You'd have a point if it wasn't for the fact that Clayton was with us all day at the arcade," Gumball reminds him, "Remember, he mimicked the owner and got the employee to give us all free tokens."

"Oh yeah," Darwin says before having a puzzled look and asks, "Was that wrong?"

'Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is not just wrong, but illegal.'

"Hmmm, not sure," Gumball answers with a wondering look before, "didn't care, I was too busy beating River Brawler 2 to care."

"Hey, found something," Anias says as she stared at a page in the yearbook. From where I was I could see the pictures of other kids, but none stood out other than Rachael and...

'Oh.'

Near the end of the page I can see another familiar face. A rouge colored fox kid.

'Why does he look so... Blank?'

The Bryce in the picture doesn't have the usual mischievous smirk nor did his eyes show any form of life. It's like he lost all form of expression.

"Bryce Willex?" Gumball reads, "I don't see how this guy is, in anyway, important to our investigation."

"He wouldn't be, if it wasn't for the fact that he was with that kid earlier today," Anias tells them.

"He seems kinda weird," Gumball states, "like a mix between boring and strange. You know? Like a kid who eats glue."

'Ouch.'

"Sussy?" Darwin asks making a comparison.

"Yeah! Like Sussy," says Gumball agreeing with him.

'How in the world are they able to make friends!?'

It seem my current host didn't wish to stay much longer as I notice we were heading towards the ceiling. Like with the window before, we ghost through it and leave out the top of the house. We begin to look around as if the host is searching for something. The host then looks in one direction and starts gliding towards the other side of town.

It takes me awhile to figure out where we are heading, as I am more interested in whose head I am inside of.

'This feels wrong.'

When I see a certain orange station wagon…

'Ok… This is kinda freaky.'

We lower down into a house and almost immediately I hear people in a panic.

"WHAT HAPPENED!? WHY ISN'T HE WAKING UP!?" I hear a dog woman yell. It's Daniella, Eddy's auburn furred sister. She is kneeling in the kitchen clutching an unconscious Gumball.

'Wait!? That's me...'

"I don't know!" exclaims a frightened Eddy, "We were just talking one minute. Then, out of nowhere, he just collapsed."

"Laurencia! Call an ambulance!" Daniella barks at a cherry-red dog girl. She runs out of our field of view, but the host continues to look upon me.

'What am I gonna do? What's happening to me? Why am I… wait a minute'

I realize that, while we are looking upon this scene, I don't feel fear or sadness. I feel happy, like this is something I have been wishing for. Or at least, what the host has been wishing for.

'Why would this person want this to happen to me? Who am I in?'

I feel like screaming.

'Huh?'

Feel? For a brief moment I feel MY emotions. And I think the host realizes this because we head towards the window, but we don't leave. We just stare into the reflection. My host is a small black cat ghost kid who looks a lot like...

"GET! OUT!"

Darkness. Blackness. Nothing to see. I'm laying down on the ground in a world of pure darkness.

"Where am I?" I ask the void. No echo follows. Nothing, but silence. I have no motivation to get up or even move. I just lay here looking up at nothing.

Out of nowhere a train whistle blows loudly.

"ALL ABOARD!"

I sit up and look around, but can't see anything.

'Am I going crazy?'

tip-tap tip-tap

I hear someone approach behind me. I turn to see someone who looked a lot like those kids from Sarah's old school. The ones who pestered Gumball and Darwin about being hardcore. This man seems somewhat older than his voice sounded. His skin was bay, a mid shade of brown. His short hair was black, a scruffy beard and his irises are the color of dark chocolate. He was about 5'10" and a bit heavy set.

The man is wearing an old style uniform of a conductor; hat of black silk with black leather visor, silk band with gold piping; the uniform consisting of a cotton shirt, blue knit tie, navy blue wool jacket and vest, all with gold metal buttons. On his face was a pair of thin black rimmed glasses.

I noticed this man has a tired look on his face, as if he either just woke up or was about to fall asleep. He looks at me as he was passing and a small caring smile appeared on his face.

"Get up kid," he says yawning, "or you're gonna be left behind." He then stops and grips the air in front of him.  From his hand a vertical railing appears and an entire steam locomotive and railroad materializes. On the sides were the name of the train, or the company it belongs to; Life. Where the rail he is gripping are some steps into the passenger car. He climbs the steps and when he reached the top he turns and motions for me to follow.

"B-but," I begin stammering, "I don't have a ticket." At that he smiles more. Holding his hand flat a slip of paper appears in his hand and he holds it out to me. I walk up the steps and took it and see that it was ticket for Rick Waters Waterson.

"Wha…" I am speechless. Looking up at the man he sees the confusion in my face.

'Does he have any…'

"Nope," he answers a question I haven't finished in my thoughts, "I don't have any answers at this moment, but if you take a ride... I might just be able to give you something."

He points me towards a sliding door to the passenger car. I look back at him and ask, "Where is this train going?"

"For you?" he begins, "I have no idea... but for me? The end of line." He then goes and slides the door open.

Chapter Text

A light bright enough to get rid of shadows shines in my face. I have no idea what is in this room and I feel a little wary of entering, but it seems like I donn't have a choice. I hear another train whistle before I feel the train begin to move. As it does I fall forward into the room and land on my face.

"First day with the new feet?" I hear someone say followed by a couple chuckles. I feel someone grip my arm and pick me up onto my feet. I look to the person who's helping me up and, to my surprise, it wasn't the conductor, but another… human?

He is an ebony kid with a buzz cut. He is dressed in a black a-shirt and blue pajama pants with no shoes. He has a surprised smirk on his face as he stares at me.

"Are you a cat?" he asks, his voice sounding a little bemused, "Now I've seen a bit of everything."

I am about to say something when another person speaks, "Don't mess with the cat, man. It's not like like he's supposed to land on his feet. Oh, wait."

I turn to see another humanoid person leaning against one of the windows. He was young, but a little bit older than the other guy. He had short raven hair covered by a grey beret and he wore a forest green t-shirt, dirty-brown pants and black travelers boots. His smile has a somewhat cool air about it as he walks up to me and patts my shoulder.

"Hey, my names Davon, with an 'A'" tells me, "You got one?"

"Uh.. Rick," I answer him somewhat confused by how forward he seems.

"AND HE CAN TALK!?" the ebony one exclaims, "HOLY CRAP!"

"Calm yourself, man. It's sorta pathetic." Davon says before turning back to me, "Ok, Rick, the excitable kid dressed for bed is, Jeremy? Right?"

"I'm not excitable!," Jeremy exclaims before pointing behind him, "And, by the way, the sore guy in the back says his name is Franklin."

"Uuggh," groans someone else, "It's Frankie!"

I look to the back of the train car to see another human kid laying down across two seats. He was slight with had caramel colored skin, a high-n-tight cut black hair and hazel eyes. He was wore baggy blue jean shorts, an oversized aqua blue t-shirt, white sneakers, and a black choker.

"This is one weird day," Frankie says to himself, "Dreamed I got attacked by three beauties then find myself on a train in the middle of nowhere, literally!"

'The heck!? Who are these people?'

"This is a pretty strange group of people, isn't it? " says a familiar voice behind me. I turn and see the conductor looking from us to a small silver pocket watch, "We got a while to converse amongst the seven of us before we go back to our respective homes."

"So this isn't a dream?" asks Jeremy.

"And what do mean seven?" I ask. There were only five people, counting me.

"One of the other ones is floating above us in the overhead compartment," say the conductor. I step up on one of the seats to have a better look and see something I wish i didn't. There was a black cat in a white parka, the same one from after I passed out.

"Cool, now a black cat-person ghost," Jeremy said slightly wary as he stepped up on a seat to see, "This seems to not bode well for any of us."

"And the other is at the far end," the conductor continues, "however, I honestly don't know if he's cognizant."

At the end I notice someone, a small child covered in soot and is currently having smoke come off them where it seems that they were recently burned.  The young kid seems incredibly familiar, but I can't place him.  His eyes are glassy and it's like he doesn't register where he is nor who is here.

"Can you tell us why we're here exactly?" questions Frankie struggling to stand. It seems like he was in a bit of pain.

We turn to the conductor, but before he answers he motions for us to sit down, as if telling us it was rude to stand on chairs.

"I brought you all here because you have something in common, but since I don't want to right now, I will explain what it is to you next time. You and Davon won't remember if I tell you anyway. Oh, by the way, Rick," he says pointing at me, "you're going to come to a crossroads very soon. I can't wait to see how you react." I just stare at him wondering what he meant by that.

"See you at tha crossroads, crossroads, crossroads," sings Jeremy.

"Not cool, dude," I say with fear in my voice creeping out, "That song isn't appropriate if you knew about my life."

I look back at the conductor, who is now staring back at pocket watch.

"I'm sorry, but I'm still reeling over the fact that this cat can talk," said Jeremy, "How can you guys just look at this situation like, 'Huh? Oh, It's just a talking cat, not surprising'?" Jeremy is pretty hyped on me existing as if he never seen someone like me.

Frankie just shook his head, "You'd be desensitized to this also if you had a gemstone stuck in your throat and had minor control over water."

"What!?" Both Jeremy and I exclaim. Frankie looked stone-faced as if he couldn't care less about our confusion.

"Talking animals are all over the land of OOO," says Davon confused, "Why are you so surprised?"

"Wait, where?" asks Frankie perplexed, "Land of OOO? Someone's nuts..."

"Who are you people?" I ask as my head hurt. I feel a chill go up my spine and see the black cat ghost float out of my chest.  I screech in fear as I jump up on the top of the back of the seat at that. 

'And You! Stay away from me!'

It just looks me over its shoulder and grimaces. It seems like it doesn't like me.

'What did I ever do to you!?'

"So..." Davon begins, "we got a random human train conductor, one ghost cat child, a possible canine child's corpse in the back seat, two human kids, a cat kid in goggles, and a humanoid of unknown origin."  Frankie and Jeremy look at each other then back at Davon in confusion.

"What's our connection?" he ends with a puzzled look on his face.  He then looks at the conductor who shakes his head before...

"I'm not one to count amongst y'all," the conductor says as he closes his pocket watch, "I'm just a... Monitor-slash-record-keeper, when it comes to y'all."

"So... you're just watching us... live?" I ask trying to understand.

"Yes..." he responds.

"And you couldn't help the charcoal back there?" asks an incredulous Franky pointing to the smoldering child in the back.

"Unfortunately, no..." the conductor answers somberly, "I can't put myself in your stories like I am now, normally.  Reader's don't like it when that 4th wall is messed with like that.  Jeremy knows what it's like."

"Wait... What!?" Jeremy exclaims, "Are we just stories to you as an author?!"

"Hmm…" the conductor nonchalantly says as he opens his pocket watch, "It looks like times up."

"Hey! We still want answers!" yells Frankie.

"I don't have to answer you," retorts the conductor, "Besides only Jeremy will remember, but he'll just believe this was a result of his schizophrenia-like condition. I might, however, be willing to give you hints to your possible paths."

"Then give 'em to us," Frankie yells seriously angry.

"Yea… neìn," the conductor says with a smirk on his face, "See ya!"

Darkness. Blackness. Nothing to see. I'm laying down on the ground in a world of pure darkness.

"Where am I?" I ask the void. No echo follows. Nothing, but silence. I have no motivation to get up or even move. I just lay here looking up at nothing.

'Am I asleep? How did I get here? Where is here?'

I had no idea where I am. The last thing I remember is the face. The black cat's face as he screams for me to get out. His face full of hate and the vitriol in his voice.

Now I just lay here looking up at nothing. I feel like I'm fading away…

'No… it feels… like I'm waking up.'

~Day 5 continues~

I feel groggy, like I was knocked unconscious. As my mind stirs I hear far away voices.

"You don't need to worry. It seems that he just fainted," says a nasally voice man. I crack my eyes and am blinded by bright fluorescent lights.

"That's great… Not the fact he fainted, but that he's fine," says a woman. My vision is still blurry. I can't make out who it is talking.

"I've already called Gumball's parents," says the man, "they should be here soon."

"Wait, who's Gumball?" asks the woman voice confused, "He said his name is Rick."

"We see this kid about every week," responds the male voice, "I'm pretty sure that he is Gumball Waterson and that his family should have been in debt from being brought here so often."

I hear a door shut and all subsequent talking is muffled as if not in the room anymore. My eyes finally adjust to the light and I notice that I'm in a hospital bed.

'Why did I faint?'

I immediately think about the cat ghost and shudder. Struggling to sit up in the bed and I look around. I am the only patient in the room. I look down and see that I still have my clothes on and that my backpack is next to the bed on a desk.

'Still think that this is a little too convenient.'

I'm about to get out when I hear the door open. I turn to see both Bryce and Eddy come in.

"Hey, why are you here?" I ask weakly.

"I called him when we got to the hospital," says a concerned Eddy. Bryce lets down his hood and sits on the front of the bed in front of me. Bryce himself looks relieved and smiles.

"The thought that one of my few friends being hurt scared me," Bryce says looking down, "Not a lot of people would hang with me even before they know me. But enough about depressing stuff, it's good to see you're ok. I knew Daniella's cooking might be toxic."

Bryce being able to transition back into his usual joking self is a surprise, but a welcome one.

"My sister's cooking was fine," retorts Eddy, "He just fainted."

"From food poisoning," jokes Bryce giving me a wink.

'These two… I've only known them for a few days. And even so, they actually care about me... this feels nice.'

"So, Rick," Bryce says, his voice getting a bit serious, "Do you have an idea as to why you fainted?"

I shake my head, "I just felt like I was fading a bit and the next thing I knew I was looking at something across town."

"Like an outer body experience?" asks Eddy.

"In a way," I answer, "but I soon found out that I was looking through someone else's eyes."

"Are rubber-banding back to Gumball's head?"

"No, not Gumball's" I correct him, "I ended up in a black cat ghost. And what's scarier than that is that it came and watched me as I was unconscious in Eddy's kitchen. As it watched the scene there I could feel what it was feeling... and it felt happy."

They're silent now. Neither Bryce nor Eddy knows what to say. This awkward silence goes on for a couple of minutes before anyone spoke.

"What if," Bryce broke the silence, "you weren't the only thing ejected from Gumball?"

I look at him, chills crawling up my spine.

"If you were his conscience, then what would that ghost be?"

Chapter Text

~Day 5 continues… still. This was a freakin' long day, wasn't it?...~

Ring-Ring

"Richard, can you get the phone!?" I hear mom yell from the kitchen. I look over at my father, who is in his underwear and asleep at the other end of the couch.

'How did he get like this only 2 minutes after dinner?'

Ring-Ring

"Is he asleep?" she asks from the kitchen.

"Yep," I answer, "but I got it."

Ring-Ring

I get up and rush to the phone. No one usually calls us unless something bad has happened around us, so I am ready for some sort of bad news.

'We didn't blow up the Rainbow Factory again, did we?'

Ring-Click

"Waterson residence," I say to whoever is on the other end, "What happened? Who was hurt? Is it our fault?"

"Uh… Yes, this is Dr. Buttes from Elmore General, and I call to inform you that your family member, Gumball Tristopher Waterson, has been brought in after passing out at a friends house."

"What the what?" I exclaim into the phone.

"We can keep him overnight, I just feel that he could wake any moment now and would want his family by his side."

'Has this doctor been sniffing paint?'

I am about to tell him that I was Gumball when I heard someone else on the other end ask to speak with me. The doctor gave the phone to him and he spoke.

"I know what you want to say, but hear me out," the voice sounds familiar, but I know I don't know who this person is, "The person laying in that hospital bed is in dire need of something, something only your family can give him. Either acceptance or, how to say this, clarity...? At least enough clarity to decide what to do, but he can't bring himself to meet up with you. So, I beg you; come and give him either. There's only so much my friend and I can do. He must make up his mind and only your family can show him the choices."

"Who is this?" I ask the guy.

"Just a concerned friend to of his, Gumball," he says, his voice sounding sad.

The guy then hangs up.

'What is going on?'

"Who was that on the phone?" I hear mom ask from the kitchen.

"The hospital," I say racking my brain over what happened.

"Is everything alright!?" She asks rushing out, "who's hurt?"

"Me, apparently."

~6 minutes and 1 conversation about a ghost cat later~

"If that thing hasn't done anything since your 'birth,' it's probably safe to say that it wouldn't do anything later,"  Bryce tells me.

"¿Porque?" Eddy, asks.

"Yea," I chime in, "why do you think that?"

"Well," Bryce begins explaining, "from your experiences since waking from under that rubble, there had been no obvious, or discreet, signs of this ghost messing with you."

"That we know of," mumbles Eddy.

"Let me finish, man," shot Bryce, "And from the feelings you felt while inside of him; which sounds inappropriate for some reason; there were no feeling of power over anything, right?"

"Yea," I answer.

"Well, with the limited data we've obtained; heh, look at me sounding smug and smart; one conclusion we that's possible is that it doesn't have any power nor can it gain power."

"But," I say, "that's only after 5 days. It's possible that it could learn how to gain power later on and come harm afterwards."

"You're a Negative Nancy, aren't you?" Eddy comments as he shakes his head, "Simplón"

"Look Rick," sighs Bryce, "You may have a point there, but looking at the possible negatives of a situation can only bring stress. And since you're already negative about everything else in your life, you don't need anymore stress. You might start shedding uncontrollably if you stay negative."

'Are they about to give some advice or guidance that they're not really old enough to give.'

"I'm just saying," Bryce continues, "those negative thoughts and fears are keeping you from doing what is necessary…"

'Yeah… They are…'

*sigh*

"Look, I know you're scared to meet with the people you consider family because you don't know if they'll accept you, but ask yourself this; Why stay in Elmore?"

"Huh?"

'What's he getting at?'

"If you're so worried about their reaction to you existing, why are you still here?" Bryce continues, "Why stay with the risk of being discovered constantly floating about? It seems, to me, that you're holding on to the hope that everything will work itself out."

'Seriously, is he a monk reincarnated?'

"From experience," Eddy says sadly, "The world doesn't always work that way. For the most part good things don't fall into your lap. You have to work towards it. And although you might fail, you will know the outcome. If you do nothing, then nothing is what you get."

I look down, taking in what they telling me.

'They're right. Without acting for a positive outcome, i can't expect one to come about.'

I shuffle out of the hospital bed and pick up my bag.

"Well," I say to my friends as I take my goggles out and position them on my forehead, "My first action now will be to pay the hospital bill."

"You sure you can afford it?" scoffs Bryce.

"I hope so," I say as I look back on how much I spent, "I have over $700, so maybe." I look at my compadres and find their jaws on the floor.

"When did you have that kind of money?" asks Eddy.

"Uhh… found $1000 my first day alive," I answered.

"Wait a second," Bryce says as he scratches behind his ear, "You had that kind of money when we met?"

"Yea…"

"... WHY DID I PAY FOR YOUR LUNCH THEN?!" he yells.

"I don't know, and I'm pretty sure you just said it was your treat before seeing if I had money."

"If you had money, why not say something?"

"Firstly, you scared me when we first met, so I didn't know if I could trust you yet. Secondly, who would turn down anything free. I mean, that's how those with money keep it."

Bryce just huffs and pulls his hood down over his face. Eddy just cackles at him.

'I'm glad I met these two.'

~Around this time, in the middle of Elmore~

Vroom!

"I can't believe someone is using your identity at the hospital!" mom says fuming. She is recklessly weaving through cars as she drives us towards the hospital.

'Why am I the one going through this torment?'

Since Dad and Anais were asleep and Darwin was in the bathroom at the time of the call, they stayed home as mom and I go to the hospital.

"I'm sure that this just a misunderstanding," I say as I clutch the seat, holding on for dear life.

"How dare they steal from us!" she doesn't seem to be listening to me. I look over and see the look of death on her face.

'She's going to make sure that guy has a permanent room at the hospital!'

~30 seconds later~

My hearts pounding as we make it to the hospital. I can hear the screech of the tires as my mom hits brakes and feel the force as she drifts the car perfectly into a parking spot. I'm shaking so much I can hear my bones clattering. Mom gets out and slams the door, walks around and pulls me out of the passenger seat.

"Come on," she says with anger in her voice, "Let's go see this scumbag."

'I know this guy stole my identity, but I can't but feel sorry for him now.'

As we approach the the entrance we hear someone call out to mom.

"Nicole?"

We turn and see a dog woman approach us. She had sky-blue fur, against which you can clearly see two whiskers. She was much taller than me, but around the same height as mom. She was wearing a short black skirt with a white collared shirt tucked into it. She also had a badge just like mom's.

"Daniella?" mom says surprised, it seems like they know each other.

"Should've figured that he was your son. You two look almost the same, if not for the purple under his eyes," the dog woman, Daniella, says.

'Purple?'

"What are you talking about?" she says turning to look at me, "he doesn't have any purple under his eyes."

Daniella looks at me and her face looks stunned, "If that's your son, then who is…"

The hiss of the automatic doors drew our attention to entrance. There stands three kids; a rouge colored fox teen wearing a black sweater vest hoodie, with the hood up, a white t-shirt under it, tan cargo pants that ended up tucked into black hiking boots; a dog kid with mahogany colored fur with a white ring around his left eye wearing a dark tank-top, black jean shorts and red sneakers; and…

'Is that me?'

Between them stands a kid who looks almost exactly like me, but with purple dots under his eyes and he was wearing a forest green long sleeve undershirt, a lavender t-shirt over it, a pair of purposely faded gray jeans, and a pair of black desert goggles on his forehead.

For what seems like forever everyone is just standing here looking from me to him. No one says anything until the fox guy spoke, his voice sounding like the voice on phone earlier.

He looks over his shoulder and yells, "Excuse me, Doctor!? Can I get a round of therapy for everyone out here!?"

Chapter Text

~Day 5… When will this day end?~

Gumball's Perception

It is quiet around all of us; my mom, her co-worker, a dog kid, a fox teen, me, and this kid who looks exactly like me. I am so freaked out that the dream me is standing in front of me, I can't even break eye contact. I just stare into his eyes, them mirroring mine, as they to are filled with fear.

'What's going on?'

Rick's Perception

'Why are they hear?'

I find myself frozen at the sight on Gumball and his mother. Even though I made up my mind about seeing them, this is way too fast. I am not ready mentally and I can tell that Gumball is just as afraid of what's happening, if not even more so.

I can feel myself tensing up in an uncomfortably familiar way. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm myself down, but the darkness behind my eyelids enhances my anxiety instead.

'Calm down. Just calm down'

?'s Perception

'THIS IS NOT COOL! I find a way out, but he gets it!? Why him!? Why does he exist!?'

Anger. Rage. Furious sorrow. That's all I've felt since the Fall; since my ejection. I'm watching the scene below me; Gumball and the thief, who stole from me, meeting for the first time.

'The thief doesn't deserve to exist. I DO!'

"So…" the hooded fox-boy says breaking the silence, "Since we're all here, might as well explain the situation, right Eddy? Rick?"

The hooded fox motions to his companions, the thief and the mahogany dog-boy. The thief nodded his head nervously, his eyes still shut.

"First off," the hooded one continues,"there's something you all should know; my friend here, who looks like that kid there..." he motioned from the thief to Gumball, "he's pregnant."

Everyone stares at the hooded one.

'Idiot.'

Rick's Perspective

"Okay, you've just proven that you're crazy!" I yell at Bryce as I weakly pound his side.

'Curse your lack of upper body strength, Gumball.'

Bryce just stands there with a smirk showing from underneath his hood.

"Well," he says with a chuckle, "you still nervous, bud?"

I stopp and realize that I don't feel afraid anymore. I look up at him with what feels like a dumbstruck look.

"Acting out on anger is stress relieving, ain't it?" He says before playfully shoving me, "As long as you don't hurt someone."

"... Gumball? What's going on?" I hear Gumball's mother say. I turn back to the group and calmly exhale.

"I don't know…" Gumball says. I can sense that he isn't afraid anymore. He seems like he is deep in thought.

'Kinda weird seeing him like that.'

"You're name is Rick, right?" he asks, putting 2 and 2 together.

"Yeah... Rick Waters Waterson." The look on his face is one of slight surprise, but his mother has a more confused look.

"Waterson?" she says, "Our family is the only Watersons in town! And I don't think Richard has anyone else on his side of the family, other than his mother."

I stand there thinking about how I am going to explain what and who I am. I guess, however, Eddy is tired of it all.

"For the sake of rainbows!" he yells, "Enough of beating around bush. Rick here is the ejected conscience of that blue cat right there. So think of him as your grandson."

Everyone, but me and Bryce stares at him. Each with their jaws drops.

"Sorry, Rick," he says turning to me, "But all the skirting around the issue is tedious and slightly annoying. Just tell them what happened. Daniella, can you unlock the car? I'm tired."

At that he walks over to his sister's car and waits for his sister's bluescreening mind to recover enough for her to click her fob and unlock the doors before he gets in the backseat.

I know that he's right, so I tell them my story.

Gumball's Perspective

"What the what!?"

The cat-kid who looks at me has told us his story. About how long he has been in my head acting as my conscience, about how the accident at the park pushed him out, and about the past week he had been living in an abandoned and condemned apartment complex.

Even though I feel weirded out by his story, I begin to realize why I felt an emptiness. I'm not whole… and the piece I is missing is him.

As he finishes telling us his story, his hooded friend leaves saying, "I don't need to be here for the decision that's about to be made. I'll know the next time I see you. Besides, my dad doesn't know I snuck out the house. See ya later, Rick."

'The decision that must be made?'

I turn to mom and ask, "Are we gonna leave him alone? It feels wrong."

She looks from me to Rick. He looks as though he is mentally bracing himself. She sighs and then says, "Well, technically he is apart of the Waterson family. And we always help family."

I smile and look to Rick. He has a shocked face, as though he actually believed we wouldn't accept him. I walk up to him and hold my hand out. He looks at me and I can see the tears well up in his eyes. He takes my hand and I pull him in for a hug. He begins crying softly into my shoulder. Mom comes up to us and rubbed his back saying we should go home.

Rick then asks through his sniffles, "Can we go get my stuff first?"

?'s Perspective

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Chapter Text

5 days. That's my age: 5 days old and counting. Since my, for lack of a better word, "birth" I had found a place to live, came into a little money, stocked up on essentials, met a couple of people who helped me with small; yet significant things, delved into depression, and then came to grips with my possible futures. I knew I would make myself known to the Waterson family, but I didn't think that the moment I decided to do so Gumball and Nicole would be right there. (Should I call her by name? Mom? Grandma? Nope she'd probably kill me.)

I swear that the universe is too invested in my life. Just think about it; for 5 whole days I had lived my own life away from the people I knew. Away from people who I considered family, but who would probably see me as a complete stranger.

And now Gumball is taking a chance on me? This is not how I thought my life would go. I guess I never thought that I would have one in the first place… always believed I would stay stuck in his head; having no choice or actions of my own… doomed to fade away from his mind as I continued to fail my initial assignment. Fade away… like Zach? I don't know.

Wait a minute. Why am I having an inner monologue?

It's not like anyone is listening.

~ Rick's Perspective ~

~ 12:00 a.m. Day 6~

I'm sitting in the backseat with Gumball as we pass under streetlight after streetlight. Gumball is bombarding me with so many questions: How did I get out of his head? How can I enter his dreams? Why I didn't go straight back to him? Where I got my clothes? If I knew how to do this weekend's homework?

I don't have time to think about the answers as he just keeps going. I find myself just sitting there wide eyed as I take in each and every question he asks. I know Nicole is thinking the same questions, but doesn't say much of anything. She is probably thinking things through, about the possible changes to come.

I feel a bit weird, a good kind of weird. I feel like I am whole; Here I ams interacting with Gumball, something that hasn't happened for so long, and actually influencing the interaction. Albeit in-person instead of from within his mind.

"Were those guys your friends?" he asks with a mix of glee and worry.

I don't know why, but that question causes a warmth to wash over me from inside. I feel a small grin on my face when I answer...

"Yeah. They are my friends," I say. I think of them as my friends, but as I look back it seems like we've been friends forever. It feels like I melded into their group almost seamlessly.

"They seemed... alright," says Nicole from the driver's seat. I'm not sure she approves of them… or how they acted. She only knows them from their initial actions in her presence.

'I guess that they didn't really act like role models.'

"The fox guy seems… odd, but nice," Gumball say as he possibly thinks back to Bryce's actions, "He seemed different from how he looked before."

"Before?" asks Nicole with surprised worry in her voice, "You've met him before? When?"

"I saw him in the yearbook," he explained, "he goes to the same school as I do. His picture seemed off though. His eyes seemed so lifeless and cold... like he wasn't there..."

I think back to when I was looking through the ghost cat's perspective.

'His stare did seem cold in the… wait.'

"Gumball?" I ask apprehensively.

"Yeah?" He responds looking to me with a wide smile on his face.

"Did you see anything else weird since the accident? Like a phantom or something?"

He closes his eyes and scrunches his face as if trying to remember something.

"I don't think so," he says opening his eyes, "why?"

"Just wondering," I tell him. I'm not sure if I should tell him about the ghost cat thing.

'I don't want to cause him to worry now. And besides, it's possible that it was all in my head anyway.'

"By the way, Rick," Nicole , "why were you at the hospital, under Gumball's name?"

"I had fainted, but I think the doctors and nurses just assumed I was Gumball, especially since Gumball has frequent visits to the hospital."

"Right," Nicole says, but I notice a bit of agitation.

"If you're worried about the hospital bill, don't," I tell her taking an educated guess as to why she probably feels perturbed, "It's taken care of."

"What!?" she says staring at me through the rearview mirror.

"I had found some money," I tell her, "and paid the bill in cash. Had to beg a lot to do so."

I look to Gumball and find that his jaw has dropped onto the seat. I believe I see a fly go in and out of it.

"Y-y-you… just f-found… enough money… to p-pay for a hospital bill?" Gumball stutters.

'So… weird things happen all the time, but me having money is so unreal? Please.'

"It was left over from buying supplies and clothes," I tell them, "I considered it lucky I even found money."

"What kind of supplies did you get?" Gumball asks getting a little excited, "Did you get a rocket to fly into space? No wait, a go-kart to travel the badlands? No, even better. You got a lifetime supply of video games!"

I just stare at him for awhile before saying, "You went from the most exciting thing that could happen to the least… and thought it was better. Man, I missed you."

~ 10 minutes later ~

We arrive at the dead end of Broken Dreams Boulevard. I had told them that I had stashed my supplies here. I got out to go get them when Nicole told Gumball to go help me.

"Whoa," Gumball says looking at the surroundings and the apartment complex, "this place is creepy."

"Naw, it's fine," I tell him as we enter, "just gotta be wary of the Whispering Moans."

"What!?" I can tell it freaks him out then. I decide to build on it.

"The Whispering Moans are ghostly sounds that you might hear coming from the walls," I begin telling him in a slightly menacing voice, "If you don't do your best to ignore them, you'll find yourself entranced and following the moans. The a room will appear at the end of a long hallway. You will be drawn to it, ushered by the moans. You won't feel the malevolence that will fill the air around you.

"As you get closer to the door the moans will get louder and louder. And the moment you reach for the doorknob and turn it…"

I stop and look at the now shaking Gumball. I could hear his teeth chattering from here.

"What!?" he asks in a quiet voice, "What will happens to me?"

I lean in close and stare straight into his eyes and whisper, "Absolutely… nothing."

"Eh?" the scared confusion on his face was hilarious, but I did my best not to burst out laughing.

"Nothing happens," I said with a light chuckle, "I just made it up."

Gumball looks dumbfounded before yelling, "Dude! Why would freak me out like that!?"

'Cause it's fun'

Gumball is punching my shoulder, but I barely feel a thing. Gumball's upper arm strength still sucks.

We go into the room I am using and begin packing my dried food, clothes and water into the gym bag I have. As I retrieve my toothbrush from the bathroom I notice something in the tub. It's a slim package with a sticky note on it. The note reads:

Hey Sucker,

Just wanna say thanks for not rattin' me out to the cops and for not takin' any of my loot. This is a little somethin' for ya troubles, seein' as how you're livin' in this rathole. Don't go spendin' it in one place.

Shiftily,

Sal

P.S. You'ss still a sucker!

After reading the note I open the package and find myself in the possession of even more money than I had before.

'Universe… Thank you.'

I put the money into my backpack, but stop to think.

'Is it alright to just take this? Should I tell them about this? Oh man, what should I do?'

~ ?'s Perspective ~

'He'll dig his own hole for now. I'll just bide my time until he's buried. Hehe.'

Chapter Text

You can feel shame when you do something wrong. You can even feel it when you do something selfish. I wonder, however, can you feel it by doing something… understandable?

I took money that wasn't gained in honorable means. Heck, I stole it from a thief. I saw it and… I just pocketed it. I'm a freaking conscience… or… I was at least.

I didn't think much about it beforehand cause… well I was basically searching for who I'm to be. When you're being thrust into life without warning you don't seem to dwell on wrong doings. You just live day to day worrying about the future and what your own life means to you.

Now that I've found a safety net; found is a horrible term for this, let's use… rediscovered. Since I've rediscovered a safety net, I began getting comfortable with my possible future paths. That changed when I saw the note and money left to me by Sal.

What should I do? Do I tell them? Do I keep it secret?

I don't know anymore. When I was in Gumball's head, I never actually had to think about a decision he needed to make. I always had the answer just pop up in my… mind? Cubicle? Sectioned off grey matter office? I don't know. The response was always instant. Always there, as though it was primed and ready to go.

Not once did I give an immoral or devious answer/response. I was always in the right. But now I know that I might not make the moral decisions or perform honest actions. I mean I've lied when I gave my name to Eddy, I took and accepted stolen money, I left a child alone in public; although she can handle herself against just about anything, and I've… uh… hmm… that's about it. Huh… you would think I would've done something harmful about now.

What will I be? Can I stay on the right path? Will I be flawed? Why am I asking questions as though I'm a conscious computer? GAH!

~Day 6~

The street lights' orange glow fills the car in a repeating pattern, almost rhythmically. I close my eyes and try and feel the light through my fur and skin. I hear nothing but the gentle hum of the engine and the slight snoring coming from Gumball as he snoozes away with his head on my shoulder. I feel tired as well, but something keeps me awake.

In my bag there is money, but it's not rightfully mine nor does rightfully belong to the person I got it from. It's ill-gotten money, stolen money, money someone worked hard for only to have it taken away by underhanded means.

I feel guilt for having it. I feel guilt for stealing stolen money. I feel guilt for a couple of things, but I don't know how to proceed with my life. If I should proceed with my life is the question. I'm nothing but a failure in the first place. I couldn't keep Gumball from doing questionable things or having selfish/devious reasons for doing good things. I'm just going to be a failure in life as well, right?

"You ok?"

I open my eyes, they sting a bit from being tired. Nicole is keeping her eyes on the road.

"I'm… not sure ma'am," I tell her, "I feel weird about everything that's been happening around me."

"Right," She responds," to be honest here, I'm not sure how to bring this up with the family. I mean, what do I tell them?"

"Well," I begin thinking back to my interactions, "You and Darwin are the only ones who didn't see or meet me at some point before the hospital."

"HUH!?"

"I met up with Gumball in our dreams a couple of times. And Ri... Mr. Dad?... that feels weird to say, left Anais in my care when he was being chased by cops."

"Routine Traffic stop without a license?" she asks.

"Yep."

"Of course," she sighs.  As the car stops at a stop light, I look forward and notice that Nicole is staring at me through the rearview mirror.  Her gaze sends a chill up my spine and I become extremely conscious of the money in my bag.  I look down at my feet and twiddle my toes as though to not let my anxiety be known.  I know I'm failing.  After what seems like forever, Nicole turns her head to look back at me.

"I don't know why," she sighs, "but I felt like you were holding something back ever since you got back into the car. Gumball seems to like you, so I didn't say anything when you got back, but I have to ask; what's eating away at you?"

I feel a lump in my throat.

'Tell her.  Tell her the truth.... No... that'll cause her to look at you more suspicously.....  Tell her A truth.'

"Am I..." I begin asking, "Am I not a mistake?"

"...!"

"I... I don't want to be, b-bbut..." I stammer as my voice wavers, "I... I shouldn't... I shouldn't be here.  I shouldn't exist.  I shouldn't have even been able to be sentient."

"Rick..."

"I don't even remember how I..." I continue as tears well up in my eyes, "how I came to be in his head.  Am I just a lesson package like every other one off person in his life?  Will I disappear the moment a certain lesson is learned!?"

I'm shaking and my breathing quickens.  I close my eyes trying and failing to keep the tears back.  I feel the car move again before a shift and a sudden stop.

Click

I feel a sudden embrace that grips me tightly.  I then feel something softly stroking the side of my face repeatedly. Opening my eyes I notice that I'm wrapped by Nicole's arms as she consolingly shushes me.

"It's okay, Rick," she whispers, "You aren't a mistake, You are a Waterson. We may not come through conventional methods, we may come in ways with no rhyme or reason, or we may just pop into existence; but us Waterson's aren't ever mistakes."

I can feel the floodgates open as my eyes begin shooting my tears out like a spigot. 

"I just don't want to disappear," I cry out softly.

"Sshsshssh... hush now.  I've got you and I'm not gonna let you go," her voice soothes the pain I inadvertently caused myself.

"Now that I know what was worrying you, and can see how much it burdened you, I realized you're not that bad a person. In fact, as a former conscience you seem to dwell on 'mistakes' more than most."

I look at her as she looks the back of her seat. I see she has this faint smile on her face.

"Learning your way through life," she continued, "is all I ask of you as you join our family. Let's face it, the Waterson men, *mumbles* and women,*normally* have done some questionable things before, on purpose and by accident, like causing the universe to collapse on itself, destroying the entire town, or finding out how to clone a friend."

'Did she start from the worst to the not-so-worst?'

"You being brought about," she continues, "is not a mistake or problem.  You are a blessing; don't let anyone, whether it be some rando on the street or the universe, tell you otherwise."

"Thank you," I tell her, relief washing over me, "I will do my best to be a Watterson."

"You're already a Watterson," she corrects me, "Just do your best to be yourself, whoever that may be."

"Yes ma'am," I sniffle as she pets my head and wipes a tear from my cheek.

I yawn as she climbs back up to the the drivers seat and puts the car back in drive and gets back on the road. Rhythm of the orange light soothes me as I begin to nod off.

~Dream~

I find myself sitting down on a bench in the park. Everyone is going about their day as they normally do. The cliff that started everything looks as though nothing happened. I look around and see Gumball try, and fail, to woo Penny.

'Doesn't he know that she likes him?'

I get up and walk along the walk way that circles the lake. I feel like I belong. Like I am not a mistake or, if I am, at least I am a happy mistake. As I walk I'm joined by my friends, Eddy and Bryce. We're having a hilarious conversation, or at least I think we are. The sounds' muffle, as though we're speaking under water, but I go along with it. It just feels right.

As we walk I look up into the clear blue sky and smile as it seems peaceful, but I notice something in the trees. I look closer and notice a young black cat kid crying, his back turned to me. I go towards the tree he/she was sitting in to see if I could be of some help, but when I got closer I hear something clearly for the first time.

"Stay Away From Me!"

The voice boomed and reverberated in my ears, but I heard trembling in it. It was sad. I continued until I got to the tree.

"Leave Me Alone! I Hate You! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!"

'What did I ever do to you?'

"I was supposed to be alive, NOT YOU!"

I begin to climb the tree, against my better judgement. I just know that I have to stay, even if I want to run. I climb to the branch the kid was sitting on and I finally notice who it was, the Ghost Cat. It looks at me, eyes red and puffy from crying. It speaks once more, this time without the booming.

"Here to finish me off," the kid speaks in my or Gumball's voice. He looks at me out of the corner of his eyes.

"Why would you think that?" I ask him gently as I settle down next to him.

"Because you took everything from me," He says looking back into the trees, "as the universe does to me at every road."

"Huh?" I express confusion, "How did I take everything from you? I… wait… are you the reason for me having this body?"

He just looks at me, his face fierce and his eyes show rage. He seems to have so much fight in him.

"You know," He says through clenched teeth, "I was hoping that the whole "taking stolen money" thing would get you shunned by them, then I could take over in your time of… despair's a good word for it?  I would take over and find MY way in this crazy world."

I just look at him and notice how broken his heart is, with his rage is just a mask for his sadness. He found a way to get out of Gumball's head and here comes someone, who had no idea what was going on, just taking his shot to become his own person.

"I'm sorry," I tell him, "I didn't know… I didn't…"

"You didn't mean to take my ride out," he interrupts, "yada yada yada. I know that. I just wanted my shot. I had it before, but the family stopped me. Got him to legally change his name and, poof, I get shut inside his head watching the life I could've had just go on by."

"So that's who you are," I say finally realizing what or who he was, "You're Zach."

"In the astral-flesh.  Though...," he says with a condescending tone.  He begins floating off the branch and hovers above me, looking down on me with disgust, "I've come to hate that name."

I grab a branch above me as leverage and stand to meet his eye level.  His face goes from disgust to suspicion. 

"What would you like to be called?" I ask him.

He seems taken back, but he responds with, "Something more regal and stylish, like Nikola. You know, after that guy who put the creation of neon lights in motion."

"Yea… Nikola… much better name," I tell him before reaching my hand out to him, "Hello, Nikola Tristopher Waterson, my name is Rick Waters Waterson. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

He looks at my outstretched hand and then back at me with a look that was a mix of annoyance, confliction, and bewilderment.  After a while, he looks back down at my hand and shakes his head before scoffing, "We're not going to be friends."

"That doesn't matter," I inform him, "We're already family."

His gaze snaps back to my face.  He is looking at me, really looking at me.  I don't know what he sees, but the rage he's shown is dwindling, "You... you really mean that."

It wasn't a question, but a statement.  He continues to stare into my eyes.  I don't look away, I look into his.  I try to see him, the real him.  Behind the rage, underneath the heartache... I see a kid in need, a kid on the verge of breaking, a kid who, like me, wants to know where he belongs.

He turns to float away, rejecting my hand.  As he goes, I call out to him, "If you need any help, I'll be here to provide whatever I can!"  At this he looks over his shoulder at me.  I can't see his expression as he is too far away, but I hope he understands.

"Be seeing you Nikola."

'Am I gonna regret this?'

Chapter Text

The dream's air is heavy and it feels awkward. I look at where Zach-Nikola vanished with mixed emotions. I know my words probably has him feeling conflicted, especially since he sees me, the one who took his ride out,  willing to help him?

I could already imagine what Bryce and Eddy would say about how stupid this is.

Bryce: "You know, a black cat crossing your path causes misfortune, but to help one stay within your path!? I thought I was nuts. Nice knowing ya."

Eddy: "Necedad en su más fino. C'mon didn't we just talk about how freaky it was to even see this ghost cat when you were hospitalized?"

'This is stupid and I'm crazy… Seriously crazy!'

I know that now everyone else is just a part of my dream and I decide to take look around my dream version of Elmore.

I climb down from the tree and begin walking down the path once more. I am alone this time as the dream version of Bryce and Eddy has since left. Although I was alone I can feel his presence, as though my subconscious is actively staying aware of him. It's strange, knowing I offer a hand to another entity from within Gumball. I hope that nothing extreme will happen with this situation.

'A twit is what I am.'

I decide to push the doubts out of my mind and I feel like a weight is lifting slowly off my mind. Feeling pretty good I take in the scenery. The dream tree seems bigger and the leaves greener, as though they are filled with endless vitality. The sky is clear and its color's a cool rich blue. The lake tranquil and still with small ripples caused by the non-existent wind.

I keep walking down the path, deeper into the park. It seems like hours have passed when I find myself standing in front of the Watterson house in the middle of the night.

'Ok… this is weird, even by my standards.'

I look around wondering how I got here and when the sky grew dark. The path is gone, replaced by the street and neighborhood the Watterson family lives in.

'Tis but a dream, Rick. When do they follow logic?'

There doesn't seem to be anyone along the street nor was there any noise. I stand here looking around before turning back to the house. Having no lights on within it gave a cold feeling, but I felt happy. I am standing outside the place that I once considered home, the feeling this gives me was indiscernible; like a mixture of comfort, anxiety, fullness, emptiness, and warmth wrapped up into my being. I know that it hasn't been too long since I've been here, in real life, but it felt like ages.

I open the door; the knob, chilling to the touch, and the draft was cold and dry. The house seems empty, but felt full of life. I walk in and head up the stairs. The creaking, accompanied by a gradual warmth, makes me feel better as I reached the top, as though it is welcoming me back. The second floor hallway is dimly lit…

As I amble down the hall, whispers come from the walls,

*He does look like him*

*Who is he?*

*You don't think he gonna take his place?*

*Is he going to take mine?*

*Huh? Why would he take your place?*

These whispered voices sound familiar, but they are fading before I know to whom they belonged.

"Za-... Nikola," I nervously say as I make it to the door to Gumball's bedroom, "is that you?"

I wait for some kind of answer, but nothing happens.

'How long will he be watching, I wonder?'

I open the door to Gumball and Darwin's room and see the exactly what I remembered; the computer on the desk next to the window where the morning's light shines through, the closet slightly opened revealing 2 months of clutter, the bottom bunk holding Gumball as he sleeps, two spooky pitch-black shadowy figures hanging down from the top bunk, Darwin's empty fish bowl…

'Wait… What!?'

I look back at the bed to see the figures. One is extremely short with long ears coming off the top of its head. The other seemed significantly taller due to its freakishly long legs that seem to come out from under its odd-shaped head, having no torso as a mid-point. Both of the shadow figures hang off the side of the top bunk side by side. It seems like they didn't notice the door open nor me entering the room. I stand there, frightened by this when I hear the whispers slowly fade in.

*What if he is tries to eat his brain!?*

*Then he'd probably starve.*

As the whispers fade out I notice they arre coming from the shadow figures.

'Was it their whispers I heard in the hallway?'

I sneak around behind them, kneel down near the edge of the bottom bunk, and reach out between them to wake Gumball when…

Whoosh…

The tall one kickes through my arm, causing me to instantly stiffen.

'OH NO! NONONO-NO-NONO!'

Its long leg just went right through my arm. There is no pain, just a chilling sensation spreading from where it kicked through.

I look up towards them awaiting whatever torment fate has in store, but the whispers just fade in again…

*Should we test him?*

*Test him for what?*

*You know, to see if he is actually what he said he was.*

'Did they not notice me?'

Cautiously, I move my hand towards the smaller one of the shadowy figures and try to touch it. My hand just goes through and the chilling sensation creeps up my arm. I pull my arm back, rubbing it to warm it up. They never notice that I am here, as though I don't exist.

'What are these things?'

The shadow figures begin to show a little color, which is spreading out from where I would have made contact on them; the short one has a pink tint showing through the pitch-black shadows and the taller one slowly turns orange.

'Huh!? Really? Should have realized this sooner.'

As the figures forms sharpens and clears up I see them as two people I know pretty well; a small statured pink bunny known as Anais Watterson and the only fish I know that embodies the evolution theory, Darwin Raglan Caspian Ahab Poseidon Nicodemius Watterson III.

"So, I take it you guys aren't "dream" versions of yourselves," I say aloud as I get up on my feet. The way they are behaving aren't like how the other dream people, so I believe that they are the real deal.

'So… if they're real, how can I see them in my dream?'

I decide to climb up the side of the bunk to see what they were looking at on the top bunk. As I struggle to pull myself up, Darwin and Anais get down off the bunk and sit beside the sleeping Gumball. Once I'm able to pull my head above the side of the bunk I see what they were looking at: another sleeping Gumball.

'Huh!? Oh… the dots under his eyes means that this is me. I'm still not used to telling myself apart from him.'

I look at my peaceful sleeping face. I look calm and comfortable, as though I'm back where I belong.

'If this me, real-world me, how do I wake up?'

I move to nudge myself awake, but as my hand makes contact

Be-Beep be-beep be-beep...

I'm instantly pulled into myself.

~Day 7~

Be-Beep be-beep be-beep...

*Yawn*

'Is that an alarm?'

I slowly sit myself up in the bed and open my eyes.

'Morning Wor... Oh my goodness the sun burns the eyes!'

I instantly close my eyes tight and rub the sleep from them. I keep my eyes closed to protect myself from the going blind from the light. I motion to get out of the bed…

'When was there a railing/border around the bed?'

I climb over it to get out when…

*SHRILL SCREAMS*

*CRASH*

…I fall a ways and land on my face.

As I roll on the ground groaning and holding my nose, I hear footsteps rushing towards the room and I hear the door slam open.

I open my eyes, but due to the pain tears well up so I can't see clearly. I see 4 blurry figures at the door and a tall one comes to me, rubs my back and asks in a soft familiar voice, "Are you alright?"

*sniffle*

"Yeah," I say.

"He does sound like Gumball!" says an innocent sounding voice.

"Screams like him, too," this one sounds a little young and snooty.

"Honey? When did Gumball have a twin?" a soft-spoken man says with confusion laced in his voice.

I wipe the tears from my eyes and look at the scene around me. From my view I see a tall blue cat woman kneeling next to me consoling me, Nicole; a heavyset pink bunny man standing at the door, Richard; an extremely small pink bunny whose face said, "Well, here comes trouble," Anais, a walking orange trying to wake someone on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed up, Darwin; and the now half-awake resident of that bunk, the blue cat I know all-too-well, Gumball Watterson.

"Oh…" I whisper to myself, as the events of last night and my dream flood back into my mind and my lips tremble as they form a small smile, "that's right… I'm back."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

~ Uhh… Interlude? ~

To tell the truth, I don't ever remember turtles being this dangerous. I never thought that my first true traumatic experience would involve one of those slow moving, hard shell having, face biting! Soul Eating! Demon spawned reptiles FROM THE PITS OF Tartarus!...

I think I might have a phobia.

Wait… not a phobia. Phobias' are IR-rational fears. I think this fear is pretty justified, right?

~ Day 6 cont. ~

Rick's Perspective

After my ordeal involving the family turtle, which skulks off into the closet, I am quickly wrapped in an embrace by Nicole.

"Are you okay? Rick?" I hear her ask worriedly. For me, I can't respond. The fear grips me tight as I gape at the closet door. My heart beating so fast it seems to flat line. I don't if I'm breathing too fast… or if at all. My vision gets blurry and sounds muffle… I inhale deeply before…

Gumball's Perspective

*WHEEZE* Rick's pupils contract then glaze over as he passes out. I look down at his unconscious face…

'Is this how I look when I sleep?'

"Is he…?" asks a panicking Anais.

"He's just passed out cold," Mom says reassuringly as Rick lays motionless in her arms. His chest rises and lowers with each of light, but deep breaths. She begins petting his cheek like she did for me when I was little and I had gotten sick or hurt.

I look deep into Rick's face and feel something coming over me.

'Is that how I look..?'

"I'm going to take him into our room to recoup," Mom says as she lifts him up, "can someone make sure that thing stays in there for the rest of the day?"

"On it," I say just before I go and position a chair underneath the handles of the closet, effectively locking it. I turn back and see Anais looking at me with her eyebrow raised.

"That's it?!" she asks me in her signature tone.

"What? You expected me to go in there with that demon?"

"And put it in its cage."

"Yeah, no. You remember the last time I tried that? We had to get Carrie to help me back into my body," I say as feel a shiver run up my spine remembering that ordeal.

"Right. I never thought that being scared to death was actually possible."

"What do ya mean, scared?" I ask, offended, "it mauled me."

"Gumball, there were no marks on you and your body looked like it was cowering in the corner," she then pulls out a picture from then as proof. As usual she's right as the picture show's my body huddled in the corner with the twisted face of someone who had seen the soul of the truest evil.

"Why do you have that?" I ask after a quick realization.

"Never know when I'd need a favor… that you might refuse," she answers with a sly smile on her face.

'Note to self: find and destroy that picture and any copies.'

The phone begins to ring downstairs. The ringing stops, so someone might have answered it.

"Gumball!" I hear Darwin call from downstairs, "phone for you!" As I go down the hall I notice Anais stopping at the door of our parents room. I see that she is continuing to watch mom hold Rick softly and pet his head.

'Hmmm.'

I turn away and head back downstairs. Reaching the bottom of the steps I see Darwin motioning me towards him, "Oh, here he comes now," he then holds the receiver out towards me, "For you."

I take the receiver and hold it to my ear before saying, "Hello, this be Gumball."

On the other end comes a voice that could just turn me into puddle, "Hey, Gumball."

"Ugh," said Darwin as he walks through the liquid puddle that I became.

"Hey, Penny," I smoothly greet back over the phone after reconstituting.

"Gumball, did you guys finish your part of the group project?" she asks. At that I feel my brain bluescreen.

'Did we have homework? Dang it! Brain!'

Smack!

After I face-palm, I remember getting help with it yesterday morning.

"Is everything alright Gumball?" I hear her ask with a tinge of worry in her voice.

"Oh, everything's fine. We had most of it done last night, so we just need to finish it before tomorrow morning, right? Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"Ok," she said before I hear a hushed, "Love you."

Click.

Click.

I feel as though my body is as light as air as I drift into bliss.

After what seems like forever I hear Darwin ask, "You good, Gumball."

"Yes, why?" I ask elated.

"Just wondering why you're floating 7 inches off the ground."

I pay him no mind as he waves his hand underneath my feet, but as my mind drifts I think about where I put my portion of the project.

"Hey Darwin? Where'd we leave our work from the project?"

"It's upstairs in the closet," he answers. The feeling of dread hit me hard, just as hard as my face hit the floor.

My muffled voice from the floor says, "We have a problem."

~ Rick's Perspective ~

I notice warm discoloration in the blackness behind my eyelids. I feel fuzzy cushions on the side of my head as something strokes the back of my head. It's something so familiar and reminiscent of sometime before.

As I open my eyes I feel one lone tear as it rolls across my face to the side of my head. The dazzling morning light, that scorched my eyes not long ago, now only stings my eyes ever-so softly.

"It's okay," I hear Nicole whisper, "mommy's got you." I look up to see Nicole looking down at me with the worried smile she has when Gumball, Anais, or Darwin was sick or sad.

'Mommy?'

As I realize what she said, my eyes well up slightly… just before the dams in my tear ducts crumble away.

I could not stop the tears as they basically erupt from my eyes. This feeling was new, something that I don't remember from Gumball's life. Something entirely different than anything that I have ever felt before. It's like my happiness has shot through the roof.

"It's okay," she says slightly worried, "the turtle is down in the basement." I look up at her through the tears feeling my mouth stretch ear to ear in one of the biggest toothiest smiles since... well… ever.

I dry my eyes on my sleeve sit up on the bed. I look around and see that we're in her and Richard's room.

"Did I faint?" I ask weakly, she nods, "how long was I out?"

"For about 25 minutes," she answers as she pets the back of my head.

"Was that the new family pet? I thought they wanted a dog."

"Well… Richard thought it was a dog."

"Oh… why is it mean?"

She thinks to herself for a moment before answering, "Working theory? It's just evil and attacks good people."

"Hmm," I just nod a bit before I realize something that horrifies me, "Wait a sec! Did you send to attack me? Just to see if I was good!?"

Nicole sit there stammering as she tries to explain. I feel my face flush as I wonder about what they have done. I can't believe they would do that to me.

"So," I say not even hiding how miffed I was, "did I pass your little test?"

"Rick," She says with a saddened look, "We did decide to test you, but… not like that. Not alone. We would have been there to make sure that it never got as far as it did. If it had attacked you, we'd make sure you wouldn't have gotten hurt. We know what that thing was like and we didn't want you to be exposed to its horrors."

"You sure about that? That plan you made was to have it attack me in the first place."

"And that was wrong," She said calmly, "but with our family history, can you really blame us?"

"You said I was a Watterson last night," I say weakly as I find myself recoiling at her touch, "Was that a lie?  I'm not family, am I? I'm just something everyone's afraid of, aren't I?"

We sit there in silence for a while before I feel her embrace me. She holds me close as she strokes my head, "I want you to know that we'll make it up to you. So please, be patient with us."

"okay," I mumble, "I'll be patient. I mean, I know why you did it. I just… I don't know…"

The silence stretches for awhile as she tries to quietly comfort me over the test.  I relent to the petting as I feel starved for it and keep my head down to hide my face and whatever emotion that I am cycling through; be it displeasure, miffed, or sorrow. I turn my head away to the side and wipe the tears from my cheek when I find myself making eye-contact with Anais. 

Anais looks guilt ridden as she stands there rubbing one arm.  I feel my face soften at the scene of her seeming even smaller than she is.

"Do you have something you want to say, Anais?" I ask, my voice still choked with sadness.  She straightens up at the sound of my voice then looks down at her feet.

"Sorry..." she says in a whisper that I can barely hear.

I stay silent and pull myself from out of Nicole's embrace.  I look back at Anais, "I didn't catch that.  What did you say?"

"I'm Sorry!" she exclaims, catching me off-guard, "I was the main one who pushed for a way to test you.  It was the logical thing to do, but...  I didn't know that it would affect you so badly... it was cruel, mean, and wrong.  I'm sorry."

At this time I see tears well up in her eyes and something in me finds displeasure in the sight.  I kneel down in front of her and pat her head before sighing, "We're even now I guess."

"Huh?" she sniffles.

"For when I abandoned you that time days ago," I tell her as I rub a lone tear from her cheek, "It was my biggest regret.  I'm sorry."

She sniffles some more and looks into my eyes and I look into hers.  I see something akin to recognition and warmth just before snaps a hug around me and buries her head into my chest.  Caught off guard I just look at this tiny person embracing me before I hesitantly return the hug, softly stroking the back of her head.  The warm feeling is just like that time when she was placed with me that day, a feeling of wanting to protect her.

"Uh…" she sputters from my chest, "well... will you be going to school with us Monday?"

"That's right!" Nicole exclaims suddenly, causing me to flinch, "We have to get you enrolled soon!"

'School, huh? Well? What did I expect? A life of lazing about isn't exactly what I was searching for.'

"Well I don't see why not," I say to Anais as we end our hug, "I'm going to end up going anyway. Might as well go asap, right?"

"True, but…" she seems hesitant, "What grade will you be in? Gumball and Darwin's or mine? And who's class will you be in?"

"Isn't there a placement test for that?" I ask, pondering for a bit before, "Well we'll figure that out when we get there."

"You seem a little too 'go-with-the-flow' with your life right now," says Nicole.

"Well for the past week I have been going with the flow. It's gotten me here, so…"

Some bloodcurdling screams pierce the air. We look to the door and watch as Gumball dashes up and down the hall trying to rip something off his face. Darwin and Richard follows behind with a bat and golf club.

"What's going on out here!" screams Nicole as she rushes to the hall with Anais and I following after.

"We're trying to put the dog back in its cage!" yells back Richard. He and Darwin were swinging hard, but fortunately Gumball seems to narrowly evade each swing.

As he blindly bobs and weaves through the swings, Gumball pulls the turtle so hard that not only did he remove it from his face… launches it into the air… towards me.

*HISSSSSSS*

'OH COME ON!'

As it drew near, it felt like everything slowed down. I notice every small and menacing movements the turtle made as it readies itself to latch on to me. I move my hand in its way and felt a rending sting as it chomped down on my palm.

"GAH!" I scream out in pain as I grip its shell with my free hand. I then push its head back into shell while it is still chomping on my palm.

"Rick! Here! The cage!" Anais calls as she runs up to me with a somewhat thrashed metal cage. I shove the turtle into the cage and yank my hand out as hard as I could, tearing it out of the reptilian monster's mouth.

*HISSSS*

Nicole takes the cage and quickly locks it. Everyone then lets out unanimous sighs of relief and relaxes just a bit.

"All's shell that ends shell," quips Richard leading to a weary laughter.

"I'm going to take this thing and put it in the basement," says Nicole as she, shakes here head before heading for the stairs, "Then I 'm off to the store to get you some school supplies. So, can you all make sure Rick gets situated?"

"No problem," answers Gumball before turning to me with a big smile, "We're working on finishing a project, wanna help?"

"Uh… yes?" I say questioningly, "Will I be able to though?"

"It should be easy," Gumball reassures, "We got most of it done yesterday."

"Hmm, alright. Let's go," I say reluctantly.

"This should be good," says Anais as she walks behind Gumball as they head to his and Darwin's room. I look to Darwin as he walks past me giving me the "I'm watching you" fin motion.  I give him a slow rising double thumbs up in response.

'Well… this is gonna happen.'

"Well, I'm gonna go watch the fridge," Richard says, "If you need anything, make sure to tell Nicole before she leaves."

"Okay," I answer him as he thumps down the stairs. I follow after Darwin and head to the bedroom as Gumball pulls a small upside-down pyramid construction out of the closet.

"Yes! It's not messed up," Gumball say with some relief, "thought it might have destroyed it."

"So, what's the project?" I ask as I curiously look over the small construct, "and what does this have to do with it?"

"Apparently they have to present the knowledge they obtained, through self-study, about the ancient Etherian mythologies," explains Anais.

Gumball and Darwin looked as though they were trying to decipher the mysteries of life to understand what she said. Before she tried, I decided to clear up their confusion.

"You're supposed to show what you learned about the Etherian legends during your own time."

"Oh," they say in unison.

'This is going to be a long afternoon.'

"So why the model?" I ask.

"Well," Darwin speaks up glowering at me, "It's to provide a visual for the buildings that were made for those who passed on."

"You know what I don't understand though?" Gumball speaks as he pulls out materials from under the bed, "Why is Ms. Simian making us do this? I'm pretty sure she has seen how the Etherian's lived personally."

"She wants to make sure you understand how they lived," Anais pipes.

"Or she's a malevolent primate who enjoys seeing the life-force thoroughly drained from the youth of today," I say as I begin to look over the remaining materials and blueprints for the structure.

"Told you someone else thought the same dude," Gumball says nudging Darwin.

"Doesn't count," Darwin retorts, "He's supposedly your conscience, right?"

"Supposedly? That's feels insulting," I jibe as I craft the model's interior rest chamber.

"He's likely to have the same thoughts as you anyway," Darwin continued.

"Actually," I speak up, "As I was in his head and heard his thoughts; doesn't happen now that I'm out so you can take off the tin foil Gumball; I can safely say that we have different opinions on certain things."

"Really?" Anais questions, "Like what?"

"Easy one first; I actually like how Bobert talks."

"Wow, really?" asks Gumball, "I always thought it was like having a monotone kid using auto-tune to read the dictionary."

'Yep, knew you'd say that or "that'd it was like having a Webber's Dictionary read to you through a text-to-speech app on a smartphone."'

"It just shows that judging me by my…" I explain, "or rather, our looks aren't going to be as accurate as you think."

"So," Anais begins, "Since you're going to go to school with us Monday, where do you think you'll be placed: My grade or theirs?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I mean I seem to have a decent memory, as I can remember some things Gumball glossed over when he faked studying."

Darwin and Anais both raise a respective eyebrow to Gumball who responds, "What? When is the Pythagorean theorem ever going to help me in real life?"

As the conversation goes on I feel the suspicious glances Darwin had as he monitored me. His glances weren't the only ones though as I feel as though someone was watching all four of us. As this feeling persists I found myself looking around the room for any prying eyes, half-fearing that the turtle has escaped its cage and ascended from the basement.

Anais notices my actions and asks, "Is everything alright?"

"I don't know," I answer, "do you feel like someone's watching you?"

"I'm pretty sure that's just Darwin staring at you," Gumball says.

"I'm not staring," Darwin defends himself.

"Dude, even I can see the daggers in the side of Rick's head."

"Not that, I noticed him staring even before I woke up today."

"I'm not staring!"

"I mean, like someone outside of this room just watching us, pouring over every little thing we're doing, for material regarding some obsession they have with us."

"Oh," Gumball and Darwin say awkwardly.

"I'll take care of it," Gumball says getting up and walking to the window to open it.

He looks around as if to see what he expects before fixating on something and shouting, "SARAH! GO HOME OR I'M CALLING THE COPS!"

Immediately there's a slight scream and some rustling followed by footsteps of someone running away. Gumball then shuts and locks the window before coming back and sitting down as though nothing happened.

All the while I'm sitting there with my mouth ajar and a shocked and questioning look upon my face. Gumball sees this and realizes he needs to explain what just happened.

"Yeah, I guess we forgot to mention some things that happened after you got ejected."

He then proceeds to explain everything that happened this week; ranging from finding out the new kid, Sarah, is a stalker and Rob became their nemesis; to finding out Anton's parents cloning him to bring him back to life every other day and Penny breaking out of her shell to become a shapeshifting fairy.

'This world makes no gosh darn sense. I was gone for a week!'

I sit here semi-catatonic as I go over all the information from this past week. I never notice that hours went by. I just continue sitting here as the gears in my head work overtime in order to provide a reason all this happened in a week. No reason was found.

'The more I think about it, the more I realize… I might not be ready for this.'

The model is complete, my school supplies are bought, my clothes are picked out, and dinner is delicious.

'What? You expect me to forgo food because I'm thinking about something? Please.'

Tomorrow is going to be the first day of the rest of my life as a Watterson and I feel odd about that. It's a good "odd" though.

Chapter Text

"Do I belong here?" Some believe that this question is universal. Some ask this when they think themselves a burden. Some ask this when they dwell on their mistakes. Many ask this when they're shrouded by depression. They even ask this when they don't have a job to do anymore.

I spent a lot of time dwelling on this question when I had nothing but alone time in Gumball's head. Since my ejection, however, it was a fleeting thought as I started living with my wellbeing at the forefront of my mind. I only thought about it during the slow period of the week.

Day 7 was odd for me. I rehashed my story for the entire family, detailing what I went through while leaving out that train dream and anything about `Zach-Nikola` for now. They even told me more about what they went through that week. Turns out Granny JoJo got a man, Masami has legs, Alan had a plan to take over the world through school reform… I'm still reeling from that statement alone… Oh! and that Richard's father's a con-artist rat.

The skeletons in this family's closet could fill a cemetery. Didn't think I'd be here, in the family. Almost every new addition to the family ends up being destroyed, maimed, erased, or ran-out. Here's hoping that won't happen to me, right?

Speaking of being ran-out: apparently, there were eggs that were hidden in the basement hatched and unleashed the wrath of newborn evil turtles. Their mother, the pet turtle, led them off into the sea towards the horizon. They say they seemed bent on destroying someone's way of life… I shudder to think about that initial onslaught.

Luckily for us, that means that the domestic torment levels should drop. And with that the weekend came to an end and soon I'll be enrolling in school. Let's see how Elmore Jr. High will deal with one more Waterson.

~Day 8~

Blink… blink… blink…

My eyes burn with the familiar subtle sting of being tired. I hear the slight snoring of Gumball from the bottom bunk alongside the slight gurgle of Darwin from inside his fish bowl. I look at the alarm clock for the 17th time since we went to bed. 2:36 a.m. I can't seem to fall asleep. The idea of going to school for the "first" time is keeping me up.

The family had been working on a backstory for me; a cousin who's come to live with the Waterson's after a non-specific incident, a long-lost twin, cloning experiment, etc. Ultimately, it's my decision whether I use one of the backstories or tell the truth. I'm leaning towards the truth, especially since it should reduce the introduction time.

People would usually be nervous meeting new people, but the thing is I know who I'm gonna meet. It's just they don't know me. They're probably gonna try and introduce themselves as 'such-and-such and so-and-so,' but I'd only be able to say that I already know who they are.

'I'd put them off with that knowledge, wouldn't I?'

I look back at the clock… 2:40 a.m.

'Just fall asleep, Rick. Don't worry about what they might think. Remember that they might go through the same oblivious phase they did when Gumball dressed up in Nicole's wedding dress.'

I put my head back on my pillow and look up at the ceiling. My stressed fueled insomnia continues to persist. I do my best to imagine sheep to count.

'1 white sheep, 2 white sheep, 3 white sheep, 1 black… cat?'

Through my weary eyelids, I clearly see a black cat phase in through the ceiling.

I stare at him stoically, but he is turned away from me. It has been awhile since Zach-Nikola and I spoke to each other. The last time I heard from was when I thought I heard his laughter as I was attacked by the demon turtle.  I watch him float about putting his hands through things, his face grimacing as though he's focusing and straining himself.  It seems as though he's trying to move things around, but is still incorporeal.

`Can you hear me?` I try and think towards him, as to not wake Gumball and Darwin.  He flinches and turns in every direction as to pinpoint something.  He then turns towards me with mix of confusion and fright on his face.  I sit up on my elbows before I nod to him and greet him with, `Nikola.`

He looks at me with apprehension and mouths, 'how?'  I shrug then motion to my head, make the talking mouth motion, then point at him; `I think I'm "thinking" to you.`

I see him contemplating before, `Like this?`

I nod noticing how strange the sensation of hearing a voice within my head is.  He hovers a bit before he approaches me and stops at the side of the top bunk

`This is convenient, huh?` I ask him.

`... what are you doing?` he demands, arms crossed. 

`Making conversation when I should be sleeping,` I yawn internally, `You found a way to exist outside of being like Jasper the Cordial Specter?`

`You think this is funny?!` I could feel his anger surge in my head, it was uncomfortable.

`Sorry, just tried to use humor to break this awkward, and slightly hostile, tension I'm feeling,` I respond alongside a sigh escaping my mouth, `Plus, I'm actually curious.`

`Curious about me taking your place?` he chides with an annoyed look on his face.

`If that's your only thought, then yes, but,` I tell him as I start feeling nature calling, `there could be a way to allow for "Co-ownership" in a sense.`

`What!?` he asks in confusion as I make my way to the bunk's ladder.

`We both use this body til you can make another.  Dunno if you'd like purple though.` I answer as I get down the ladder.  When I look up at him it's like the gears in his head have ground to a halt.  I walk to the door while he hovers there in silence.  He doesn't think anything else to me as I head to, use, and leave the bathroom.  When I come back to the room I find that he is no longer there.  I yawn silently and head back up the ladder and back under the covers.  As I finally feel the call of sleep I think out to him, `Night Nikola.`

My eyes close and soon I drift off with him. I have a small journey in my dreams, seeing many different sights. Some from around Elmore and others from places I have never heard of.

~ Dreamscape ~

I am floating through some familiar darkness.  Memories of a train rush through my mind.  I suddenly know why the darkness is familiar, it's the same space as then.  As I float about the darkness lifts slowly.  I see a grassy hill with a city in the distance.  I notice someone on that hill and can hear them sobbing.  As I get closer I realized that it's someone from the train.  A younger and barefoot Davon in a torn white t-shirt and green sweatpants is sitting in a field of green fire with glazed and sunken eyes crying and staring at the city. A booming explosion goes off in the distance, obliterating the city.  As the giant mushroom cloud looms and the force and air rushes towards us, I look to Davon in fear and see he's now has a odd and unnerving smile on his face as he stands with his arms wide open as if welcoming his fate. As the force reaches us I am flung elsewhere by it.

I flipping, spinning, and rocketing through the air until I soundlessly and painlessly crash into a room. I get up and look around and see Jerome, in a black hoodie and gray shorts wearing white poly plastic gloves that are smeared with red liquid.  He's standing over someone strapped to a bed while holding a pillow to their face. A manic and too smile stretches across his face unnerving me as the person begins thrashing, but over time they stop and lay limp.

"Sad to see you go Robbie," Jerome says manically as he removes the pillow, "I actually liked your music."

Seeing the victims face I causes me to shake and shudder.  I watch Jerome pull out a notepad and pencil.  He scratches out something in the notepad before saying, "It looks like Durland is next up.  Heh, how shall we do him in, Rome?"

I can't take the sight of the motionless young man and I fly off fast through the walls and trees around the building I left.  As I speed off the scenery changes suddenly from dense woods to a sprawling ocean. The Sun is high and the sight is soothing.  Hearing splashing and laughing coming up from behind me I'm about to turn when a pink lion comes from above me and lands atop the water's surface and races across it with two boys riding it.

"See," the one in the pink shirt says, "You're not the only one who can walk on water!"

The other, who I recognize as Frankie, jumps off into the water and yells, "A'ight! But can he do this!?"

As he lands in the water and goes under he shoots through the water like torpedo, pulling ahead of the lion before catapulting himself into the air.

"WOOHOO!"

A wave of water crashes over me pulling me under.  As I toss and turn to get my bearings, the water fades and is replaced by smoke and heat.  I look around and notice a raging fire engulfed room where the roof seemingly caved in.  I scan the area for a way out when I see a small burning fox child under some scorching debris struggling to escape.  I rush to help them, but my hands are ghosting through the wreckage and unable to move anything.  I look back at the child and see their eyes, one showing fierce determination and the other showing TV static.  As they try and claw their way to safety, each claw mark seems to tear through the wood and metal revealing more TV static.  I am stuck watching this scene when I realize who the child is, Bryce.  As I am hit by my recognition, a giant bright blaze engulfs him and blinds me.

I slowly open my eyes and I find myself hovering about the attic of the Watterson house.  Looking around I see a figure floating near the window looking out.  I move closer and notice it's Nikola, contemplation on his face.  As a ghostly tear runs down his cheek he inhales deeply before letting out a silent yet emotional cry as he crumples onto the floor.  His sobbing form burns into my mind and I reach out to comfort him, but as I do the room around us shifts and contorts with Nikola disappearing from sight before the room straightens out into a slightly cluttered train cabin. I take in my new surroundings and notice the conductor sitting in a seat with a typewriter on a stand before him. He appears to be writing something. I look over his shoulder to see what he's writing.

[After Gumball and I switch shirts we run in opposite directions insuring that Jamie chases me. I muster all my energy just to keep ahead of her until I find myself at dead end.

I turn and see that now I'm cornered. She looks at me with rage exuding from her.

'What did you do to her Gumball?'

"Just so you know, I'm not Gumball! We switched shirts when we rounded the corner!" I plead with her, hoping I could somehow avoid the inevitable.

Instantly she steams, more rage spilling out from within her.

"So you think that will save you!? You think you two can survive my wrath!? You think you're just so CUTE!?"

She cocks a fist back and lets it fly.

"The only cute one here is you…"]

I cock my head in confusion at what I just read when…

"No more spoilers, Rick," the conductor says turning my way. The conductor then clears his throat opens his mouth and lets out an amplified…

*BE-BEEP… BE-BEEP… BE-BEEP*

~ Day 8 cont.~

My eyes shoot open at the noise.

*be-beep be-beep be-beep*

I sit myself up and look around, I'm back in Gumball's room. The Sun's beams shine through the blinds. I felt awake, alert, and awful.

The rest of the morning is just like the usual school day for Gumball, only it is from my own point of view. I spend a good portion of the time trying to remember the rest of my dream, as all I can remember is Nikola's crying form on the floor of the attic. I am first in the shower, as I woke earlier than Gumball and Darwin. I place everything that Nicole had got for me in my backpack by the time Gumball and Darwin finish brushing their teeth.

"You ready, Rick?" Nicole asks me as we buckle up in the station wagon.

"As I'll ever be," I say meekly as I fiddle with my goggles. Nicole turns the ignition which brought a slight sputter before the engine started in earnest. She drives off with Darwin in the passenger seat and Anais, Gumball, and I in the back.

"This going to be so awesome!" Gumball excitedly declares, "I've got two younger brothers to show around now!"

"What about Anais?" I ask.

"Anais is a girl, so she's a sister," He says still with an excited smile on his face, "besides, she's in the grade above us. How can I show someone like that around?"

"You do know that he might be placed in my grade, right?" Anais pipes up.

"What? Why?" asks Gumball.

"He could do well enough on the placement test that it puts him there," explains Anais.

"That'd be boring," he responds, "How can I show off my Jiminy what's-his-face if he's not in my class."

"I thought I was a brother," I say smugly, "and as a matter-of-fact, wouldn't I be the same age as you?"

"What? No," Gumball responds, "You're 8 days old."

"Not physically nor mentally," I shoot back, "In fact on the latter part, I might be considered older."

"Yeah yeah," He deflects, "I'm still calling you my little bro #2"

Darwin shifts a bit in the passenger seat. Although I can't see his face, I know he has smile stretching across his face.

"Whatever," I say shaking my head, "I already know my way around school anyways. Well… my way as shown by you. And who's to say that I'd be in your class?"

"I'm to say," Gumball exclaims. Now the car ride goes on like this for a while, with only Darwin sitting in relative silence.

Sitting in the Principal's office with Gumball, Nicole, and Principal Brown was almost as awkward as I would have felt when Gumball decided to draw his clothes on. How does one think that would work? His entire backside was showing.

As Nicole explained our situation to Principal Brown I look around his office. His faux diploma still proudly presented on his wall

"So…" Principal Brown began, bringing me back into the conversation. He looked from me to Gumball to Nicole to me again, but this time I was waving at him.

"You're enrolling this young… conscience? … Into this school?" He asked pondering my existence.

"Yes we are," Nicole says.

"Some preliminary questions, as it is part way through the school year. How old is he?" He continues pulling out some sort of form.

"8 days," I respond knowing how ridiculous that sounds.

Principal Brown looks over at me with a raised eyebrow, "Name?"

"Rick Waters Watterson," I reply.

He squints at me as he jots down my information, "Relationship?"

"Mother… of former host?" Nicole looks puzzled by that statement before stating, "Just mother."

'Mother…'

"Hmm." Principal Brown sits back and asks, "ok, would it be alright if I just copy down Gumball's records, while making the obvious necessary changes?"

"That might be best," Nicole states understandingly.

"Does that include all of the times Gumball received disciplinary action?" I ask as my hand shoots into the air.

"I'm inclined to include that due to you being his former conscience," he replies, "but after hearing your story I'll keep that out of your records."

"Thank you," I whisper. I truly was thankful as I didn't want my permanent record to be full of things that happened before I was even alive.

"Hopefully," Principal Brown continues, "You might have a more positive and obvious effect on the others."

"Not likely," Gumball and I say simultaneously causing him to let out a small groan from his side of the desk.

'Someone's disappointed.'

"Seeing as how he should be caught up with the lessons from Gumball's class, I'm going to fast track his enrollment and place him in Ms. Simian's class."

"No placement test?" I ask. Although I feel fine with this decision, I would have liked to at least show how different Gumball and I might be academically.

"Not really," He responds, "I'm placing you on the Watterson spectrum. It's obvious that there's a chance of you being as smart as Anais or your mother, yet there's an equal… higher chance that your around Gumball and Darwin's level. And from our short interaction, I can definitively tell that you're above Mr. Watterson's level."

'Was that a slight? It feels like a slight.'

"I will inform Ms. Simian of her newest student to join her class as soon as possible," Principal Brown states as he pulls out Gumball's record, which apparently has an entire filing cabinet unto itself.

"Won't she be ecstatic," mom says sarcastically.

'Mom…'

As we leave Principal Brown's office we look over to Anais and Darwin who were waiting outside.

"Well?" Anais asks hopefully.

"Sorry, but I'm in Ms. Simian's class," I respond to her, the resulting disappointment on her face iss noticeable.

"What!? Really?" Darwin exclaims displeased.

"Yeah, apparently, the reasoning is because I should already be caught up in her class," I explain, "even though I was gone for a week, during which some life altering incidents happen, so who knows what I'm missing."

"Not much," Gumball says.

I look at him with a look that says: 'I'm pretty sure you're behind as well.'

I stand outside the class door listening to a loud, brash, and frankly R-rated tirade. Principal Brown had gone in to tell Ms. Simian of the new addition to her class.

'I don't think she is taking it well.'

Not even waiting for Ms. Simian to finish her rant, Principal Brown slinked out of the room. He looks beat and weary.

"I take it she took it well?" I let out feigning innocence with a thumbs up. Principal Brown just looks at me and I see a broken man. He slinks off back to his office and I can't help, but feel sorry for him.

'He may be dating her, but that doesn't warrant this.'

"So class," I hear Ms. Simian addressing the class through what sounds like teeth gritted so hard they might crack, "It seems we have a new student with us."

The amount of awkward tension in the room permeates the air. I peek in through the crack to see a threatening eye looking back at me.

"You can come in now," she says menacingly.

I feel chill running up my spine so fast it's like it's trying to set a world record in the 100-yard dash.

"i-I'm good," I respond quietly, "uh... I-I think I'll j-just go back home and contemplate the futility of life."

"Come! In! here!" she growls. I have felt fear… this isn't fear… this is terror.

I swallow my fear down and open the door. Almost immediately I hear the whispers of the class. I turn to look at them, all except Gumball and Darwin have a confused look on their collective faces.

"Hurry up and introduce yourself," I hear Ms. Simian grumble.

I take a deep breath and begin, "H-Hello... M-My name is Rick Watterson and first off, uh... I'm not a clone."

Chapter Text

~Day 8 cont.~

"Are you a shapeshifter?!"

"Not another one! Isn't Clayton enough?!"

"C'mon! I'm right here!"

"Why do you have goggles?!"

"Did you come from the future?!"

"Are Gumball's descendant?!"

"Do I become President?!"

"Are a doppelganger?!"

"Did you steal Gumball's face?!"

"How can he steal his face? Gumball still has it."

"Are you a long-lost twin who was abducted at a really young age, grew up in an abusive household, escaped after 12 years and reunited with your family?!"

'That sounds like an awesome backstory, Sussie.'

"It's obvious that he's an alien from space who took Gumball's look to blend into society."

'That one, not so much, Tobias.'

I have been standing in front with the entire class crowding around me as they spitball ideas of where I come from for 3 ½ minutes. It's sort of funny how quickly they began this, but I each time I glance over at Ms. Simian I can tell that she doesn't find it humorous.

I look back through the crowd and speak up, "Sorry to disappoint, but my short life story isn't nearly as interesting as your theories."

"Then what are you?" asks Anton.

"Well," I begin, "I'm Gumball's former conscience and I..."

"BWAAHAHAHAHAHAAA!"

The sudden burst of laughter shocked everyone and its source was no surprise.

"His conscience?!" laughed Ms. Simian, "You had one job! How can you say that as though it means anything?! I mean, how do you measure your success as one?!"

I didn't give any response, instead I just stare at her with a slight innocent smile on my face. I begin to think of the rage Nicole usually had at extreme disrespect and an idea come to mind…

~Gumball's Perspective~

As Ms. Simian laughs I feel bad for Rick and myself.

'She didn't need to say that. This is his first day, a day where he's a blank slate that has yet to be touched. He doesn't need- Huh?!'

Ms. Simian's laughter dies down quickly and her smiling face is slowly contorting to one replaced by fear. The crowd around Rick backs off as though they are evacuating a blast site.

Rick on the other hand stood there with smile on his face, but the feeling that fills the classroom is one so familiar. This feeling seems to call forth fires from the bowels of the underworld.

'Mom?'

~Rick's Perspective~

'That's right. This kitten has fangs and he bites back.'

After a brief tense silence within this fear filled room, I quickly switch back to my previous passive gentleness and simply ask, "Where do I sit for class?" ~

~ We have group assignments for science. In my group is Leslie; the flower, Anton; the toast, and Penny. Since this is my first time interacting with Penny, whose appearance changed from the peanut with antlers, that I remember, to that of a peanut-shaped fairy, people seem have a specific expectation of me. I, unbeknownst to them, will take that expectation and piledrive it into the ground.

As our group talks amongst itself, Penny tries to get to know me.

"So, Rick," she begins as we prepare our milk based science experiment, "you used to be Gumball's conscience."

"I'm guessing that's a question…" I reply wondering where she's going with this, "Anton, let Leslie pour the milk. Don't need you getting soggy. Sorry Penny, you were saying?"

"Since you were in his mind for so long," she continues, "you probably know just how long he's liked me."

'Yeah… I also know just how long this conversation should go.'

"Yes, I do," I answer her non-question in unenthused way, "It was at least 4 years before he knew what it meant to like someone."  I prep the paper towels for any spills.  When I look back at her I notice a pondering look on her face.  It is at this time I remember all the times Gumball's heart would flutter, his palms got clammy, his thoughts running wild and realized that I don't have an ounce of those feelings in me.  A sigh of relief actually escapes involuntarily as I turn back to the experiment, catching the attention of Leslie.

"So... Rick," Leslie starts with a hint of slyness etched in his voice, "How alike are you and Gumball?"

His question brings an unnatural quiet over the classroom. I look around the class and see so many eyes locking on to my groups station.  I notice Gumball having a near conniption realizing what Leslie is referring to.  I think back at how imposing and menacing Eddy was when we first met then look back at Leslie with annoyance and say, "As someone who's looking for some good tea, what do think about a brew made with dried flower petals?"

"OOooh," Leslie chuckles with his smirk never leaving his face, "Cat's got claws."

"And how sharp those claws are," I respond back with some intensity.  After the suffocating tension lasts awhile as everyone has bated breath I protract my claws and grimly ask, "There an itch you want scratched?"

Leslie's face loses the smile and he pulls back as he sees, hears, and feels the seriousness I'm exuding.  I see him starting to sweat and I retract my claws while smiling brightly and chuckle saying, "Pretty different from Gumball, aren't I?"

Leslie is definitely by this as the milk, which he should've stopped pouring by now, fills our saucer to the brim spills over slightly. Anton is looking down at the lab station drying up the spill with a towel I prepped while trying not to either draw attention to himself. Penny is obviously feeling conflicted; here I am, with the face of her boyfriend, saying and doing something ominously threatening to her cousin.

'I think I might have dug a hole about 6 feet deep, didn't it?'

"But to answer the actual question;" I say remembering what they were leading the conversation towards, "I never had my own feelings until 8 days ago, so I was always been taken on a rollercoaster of emotions with him. Sometimes there were somethings I would try steer him away from that should obviously cause fear or distress, yet I would feel happiness, anticipation, o-or; nirvana forbid; elation. I kind of wished that I didn't feel whenever he was entranced by you so much.  Maybe that got me to... I think I might dislike the feelings of love, or at least the mushy r-romantic kind. I feel physically nauseous as I remember the feelings he felt as he thought of you."

'Molten core within site.'

"So I'd just want you to know, and pass along, that for me... there are somethings I'd rather not talk about. Especially, when it comes to my time in his head.".

'Destination reached: Please enjoy your stay at the Earth's core.'

I take the food coloring given to us, for the experiment, and squeeze a few drops into the middle the milk. I pass the dish-soap to Penny, who doesn't really budge.

I place the dish-soap down near her end and look away.

"Look at what you did, Rick," I say under my breath, "You're already on your way to being an outcast.'

"Rick," I hear come from Penny, "I'm sorry that I... made you remember that."

"You didn't know," I attempt to reassure her before looking back at Leslie, "And I definitely did not need to bring it up."

Leslie seems to shrink a bit and we all sit in silence a few more moments when an explosion goes off!

The science lab shakes abruptly and when it subsides I look over to the source of the explosion: Gumball's group. Gumball and Clayton peel themselves off the wall, Bobert walks through a him-shaped hole back into the room, and William; who was blown to ceiling; falls back to the ground before struggling to flap his wings.

"Uh... Gumball, you guys alright?" I loudly ask as I get up from my seat, about to go check on him. He waves me off and nods coughing.

"How'd this even happen?!" Clayton questions, "We followed the instructions to the letter. Was it supposed to explode, Ms. Simian?"

Ms. Simian, who had been leaning back in her chair with a magazine on her face, doesn't even move from her chair. She just shrugs and asks, "Who put the drops of dish-soap into the milk?"

Three of that group looks at Gumball.

"Yep, make sense." Penny and I say in unison. We look at each other with smirks on our faces when I couldn't hold it in and just began to laugh. Surprisingly, I wasn't the only as Penny gives a slight chuckle.

Our laughter dies down and I look take a look at Penny and hold my hand out, "Never took the chance to say this: It's nice to finally meet you Penny!"

She looks at my hand then back at me, grips it, and with a good shake says, "Likewise Rick."

"Sorry about earlier," I confess, "New to my own emotions and what brings them out. I'm not saying I hate you nor your relationship with Gumball. I just developed a dislike of mushy stuff. But you, you're cool."

"Thanks," she says with a smile forming on her face.

I pick the dish-soap back and hand it to her, "I think you should do the honor, Ms. Fitzgerald. Not good for us Watterson boys to do this."

Just then we hear 4 screams coming from across the classroom. We look to see the Darwin's group has a saucer filled with fire and they're frighteningly trying to put it out. After Tobias uses the fire extinguisher to put out the flames I feel the dish-soap yanked from my hand.

"You're probably right about you not doing this."

I just nod as I continue to look on, perplexed.

'The timing, though.'~

~The rest of the science lab is uneventful after we complete the experiment correctly, resulting in a continuous shift of the colored dye in the milk.

The bell rings to dismiss the class for lunch and recess. As my classmates get up from their seats to head to lunch, I sit for a while thinking of my first day so far. I already gained the "gentle demon" standing from my actions earlier. The class seems to gotten used to me being in the class even though I have yet to enter a clique or group. I have no idea if it's because I know them well enough to navigate my way through my interactions or if they just like me. My ego wants me to say the former.

I feel an abrupt pat on my back smell a tinge of burnt fur. I look to see the smiling soot covered face of Gumball.

"You need a towel? Or the burn-ward?" I ask smugly handing him a spare paper towel. Taking my offer, he wipes the soot off his face and tosses it away.

"Still can't believe it exploded," He says cheerfully.

"This coming from a guy who, when jealous of Leslie, brought an actual personification of envy into the world."

I look around and notice the familiar orange fish oddly absent from Gumball's vicinity.

"Where's Darwin?" I question.

"He went on ahead," Gumball answers.  As he does I hear a small knocking on the open door of classroom.  We both look to the door to see who knocked and standing in the open doorway was a familiar mahogany dog in a blue tank top and black shorts.

"Eddy!" I exclaim before getting out of my seat approaching him, "What are you doing here?"

"My suspension ended today," He responds while giving my shoulder love-tap, "and to think, you would enroll when I came back, eh?"

"Yeah. Oh!" I say motioning for Gumball to come, "Where are my manners? Gumball meet Eddy Perros. He's my first friend."

"Hey, nice to meet you," Gumball greets while extending his hand.

Eddy shakes it before giving it a quick squeeze causing Gumball to wince, "Likewise."

"If you're headed to lunch, Eddy, why not join us?" I ask him as we head into the hallway.

"Well... alright. Got nothing better to do."

As Eddy takes point Gumball comes up beside me massaging his hand, "He seems nice."

"Oi! ¡Vamos gatitos!" Eddy calls from up the hall, "Let's not dilly-dally. I hear we're having actual food for lunch."

Gumball and I quickly catch up and head towards the cafeteria.

Chapter Text

~Gumball's Perspective~

I remember that a while back Darwin and I came to realize that Ms. Simian's class wasn't the only one in the school. I opened my mind with the help of Anais, and made another… friend? In doing so, I notice more people, in general. Today I notice more of them paying attention to us, but not for the fact that I have a literal doppelganger. It's Rick's new friend Eddy that gave us the attention this time.

I remember I feel this kind of attention usually when something disastrous is released because of us, but this time… it's just some dude with us that garners the fearful eyes upon us. Eddy, himself, never acknowledges their looks, yet his face has this look of indifference with an underlining sadness popping out when he thinks us or Rick aren't looking. It's like he's hiding his frustration.

'Hmm…'

As we get our food and sit down at a table, Eddy listens to Darwin's story of how he became a Watterson.

"So, you, as a pet fish, were flushed down the toilet, sent to the ocean, grew lungs through the power of love, crawled across the country, survived for days with little to no food, grew legs through, again, the power of love, mastered running within seconds then mastered walking a few hours later, and made it back to Elmore to be the second son of the family that bought you and flushed you by accident?" Eddy asks questioning Darwin's recounting of his addition to the family.

"Yep," Darwin answers beaming as he eats the "Turkey surprise" the school was serving for lunch.

"You should've seen what we went through when Anais was born."

Eddy, mouth ajar and eyes squinting, just stares at Darwin before turning to Rick, "I-Is that?... Are they for real?"

"Dude," Rick says poking his food with a spork, "I am THE living personification of someone else's unused common sense. The idea that something is impossible is shattered when it comes to us Wattersons."

"Except for a certain someone getting a job," I chime as I try to guess the texture in my food.

'Is this a chicken bone? We're having turkey surprise!'

"If we want the universe to stay intact," Rick continues, "He can't get one."

The three of us Watterson boys then shudder at the thought of that, confusing Eddy. He racks his mind over everything we said before getting up, "I'm going' to the restroom, since the food isn't agreeing with me and my mind is grinding gears."

"Ok," Rick replies. As he leaves I notice several eyes on us and when he exits the cafeteria there was a hushed uproar. I look around as everyone has hushed conversations as they give darting glances towards us.

'Ok… what's happening?'

Underneath the murmurs I hear footsteps approach from behind me.

"Hey guys…"

I over my shoulder I see Clare walking up taking a couple worrying glances to the hallway doors.

"Hey Clare!"

"uh… no introductions?" Rick asks before looking to Clare and saying, "Rick Waters Watterson, youngest of the family."

"Right… Clare Cooper, somewhat annoyed by your family."

"Not going to lie," Darwin pipes, "that hurts."

"Yet," Rick sighs, "it's understandable."

"So…" I say, "what can we do you for?"

"Wordage," Rick says shaking his head, "Do you need something Miss Cooper?"

"Just wanted to know... When did you guys start hanging out with Fist o' Dread Ed?"

"Who?" all three of us ask at the same time.

"Do you mean Perros?" Rick asks, "Why's he called that?"

"Uh… ok first off; the fact that there are now two Gumballs is worrisome, just saying. And secondly; he's the most vicious kid in school." 'Impressively worried' written on her face, so I hand her a napkin.

"Vicious!? Really?" Darwin pipes with a nervous look showing, "I know he was in detention when I went awhile back, but he didn't seem all that bad."

"I heard he took on a dinosaur and a wild buffalo, at the same time!" Clare exclaims.

"So did these two," Rick says, annoyance in his voice, motioning to Darwin and I.

"Unscathed?"

"Relatively."

"While winning?"

"That's… a no…" Rick sighs defeated.

"Are you sure it was him?" I ask.

Rick just looks at Clare with a look that said, 'I'm done with this.'

"I know he was suspended for a while," Rick speaks up, "but he has only been helpful and courteous since we met."

"I'm just telling you to watch out," she responds, "he is dangerous. Even if he seems chill. Bye."

As Clare walks away I look to Darwin then to the now irked Rick. He glares at Clare's retreating figure before asking, "What?"

Darwin answers, "It's just… how much do you know about Eddy?"

"His name, his two friends, and I had a brief tutorial regarding his home life."

"So… Not much...?"

"I know enough. Enough to know he's a good guy."

"Who's a good guy?" a voice asks. I jerk at the sudden voice and notice that it's Eddy. He seems more intimidating somehow. It's like he became menacing while he was gone.

"Augh!" A speck of food hits me between the eyes. Everything is back to normal, Eddy gives off his chill vibe, Darwin looks at me, fins over his mouth, and Rick is leaning onto the table with a spent spoon catapult in his hand.

"You're looking at him weirdly," Rick says as he readies another spoon catapult, "stop being your usual amount of weird, please."

"Sorry, Eddy," Darwin pipes up, "We just heard… somethings…"

"Like…?" Eddy asks.

"Nothing important," Rick answers quickly. Eddy looks confused for a bit then he looks around the cafeteria then his demeaner stiffens.

'He looks kind of sad.'

"It doesn't matter to me in the slightest," Rick says finally looking over his shoulder with a smile, "you are my friend. That hasn't changed."

Eddy's face brightens, and a small smile grows on his face.

~Rick's Perspective~

"Seriously though," I continue, "I understand why they think the way they do. My arm still hurts from our first meeting."

"I said sorry," Eddy jokes, "way back in back in chapter 5, Prep for a While."

"What?" I ask confused.

"I don't even know what or why I said."

"Yeah," Gumball awkwardly says, "We don't normally talk about breaking the fourth wall.  We just roll with it."

"Huh?" Eddy and I say in unison before looking at each other.

I just chuckle a bit before finishing off the rest of my "food." I take quick glances at Gumball and Darwin, who have wildly differing expressions. Gumball, after the food launch hit him, seems to be back to his not-much-worried look he had earlier while Darwin still has an apprehensive vibe. I don't mind as I'm sure he'll come out of it as he associates more with Eddy.

As everyone else finishes their food we get up and head out to the schoolyard. I did notice everyone's look earlier but attributed to my existence. I now know they were looking at Eddy, as if him being a part of the group is concerning. I have no doubt that he is a good guy and I won't take people talking about him like he's a menace. As we pass Clare's table, I just give her the side-eye. She just shakes her head and goes back to talking with her friends.

'It helps no one if you spread baseless rumors'

As we get to the schoolyard I think I see Nikola above a basketball goal watching someone sitting alone.

'Bryce'

~Nikola's Perspective~

~Flashback~

If bored is an emotion, then it is my perpetual state. Ever since this morning Rick and I made a deal to limit our contact with each other 'til he was alone or with "them." I feel less lonely now that I have him as company, but it's still nagging at me. This feeling of abandonment is still there, in my core, and I wish I was in Rick's place.

I'm thankful, though. I don't think I could have handled Ms. Simian's comment without tears. And, oh boy, was I not expecting that. If Rick's demeaner towards Ms. Simian wasn't scary... makes you think, doesn't it? He's smarter than most of the family, nice to everyone, and even able to seem intimidating.

Then why is he worried? I somehow felt it this morning. He's fearful of something… And it has me pondering… He could have pushed me aside, spoke of my existence, find someway to protect from me being around him… he, instead, held out a hand. He seems willing to help me… when he shouldn't be.

I don't even know if he even wanted out, but I forced him out. I forced him into a life he wasn't ready for and caused him inner torment. I couldn't see or think of that because anger blinded me… I believed he took the body for himself.

But at least I can understand him a bit now. I don't really have a choice, but he's… He's the only one who can see me.

At least, I thought he was… Before he came to the classroom I felt side-eye glances as I drifted on through. I scanned the room, but no one even glanced up at me. It's freaky. I wonder who or what is watching me.

I left not long after Rick's introduction in class, so I decided to skulk around. I went through a couple of different classes that I didn't know existed. So many personalities in this school and only Molly's a bore?

At noon I found someone familiar, but very different from what I knew. A rouge colored fox was sitting in class with his head on his desk. His hood was down, and I saw that the tuft of rough white fur reached down past his collar and spread across his upper back. It looked like a souvenir from an old injury. His face had a look that said, 'I'm done with all of you.' It seemed like his eyes were sunken and his overall vibe was off-putting, especially when one of his eyes briefly became TV static. When the bell rang, and his classmates flooded out, he stayed put for a bit with a gentle and warming smile slowly growing on his face before he got up.

His smile dwindled as he went into the hallway. His arms were crossed tightly, and he slouched a bit, which made him seem small. He went to, what I assumed to be, his locker and withdrew a bagged lunch. It seemed that it was almost instinct for him to be avoiding people as he sidestepped, twisted, and wafted through a crowed hallway without touching anyone. He bypassed the cafeteria entirely and went straight to the schoolyard, got a bench at the far end and sat down to eat. Eating his lunch in solitary was sad to see, but for him I saw happiness grow on his face again.

~Flashback Ends~

'Strange.'

He's been there for a while now. Looking off through the chain-link fence at the traffic as cars pass by every so often and eating his plastic container of pasta was all he's done this lunch period.

His ears twitched as the sound of the doors to the cafeteria opening reached him. Floating above the basketball hoop I turn to see Gumball, Darwin, the dog Rick knows, and Rick himself come out onto the yard.

"Bryce!" the dog calls out seeing the fox boy on the bench. The fox boy looks over and waves, not getting up from his spot. The group reaches him as he finishes his pasta when he says quietly to himself, "So… from a duo to a trio and now a quintet, huh? Don't know how I feel about that."

'Does he not want more friends?'

"It won't matter," He mutters as puts on a smile, "It'll be a quad squad soon."

'Huh?'

Just then a middling cloud of kids come out to the schoolyard, some setting up for a game of pickup basketball.  Bryce stands up, facing the group as he put away his pasta container when Darwin asked Gumball, "Doesn't he seem different from his yearbook photo?"

"Hope so," Bryce says with a toothy grin, "I was having a horrendous day when pics were being taken. I usually have a bad day when I come to school, but who cares 'bout that? You must be the other Waterson boy. Darwin, right? Nice to meetcha! I'm Bryce, the fiendishly awesome one of this trio."

Bryce wraps an arm around Rick and the other around dog boy, "You already know Rick and I see you've met Eddy. So Eddy, how odd are they?"

"On a scale of 1 to 10?" Eddy answers, "Gumball's a 4, but Darwin's an 8 I guess."

Bryce just laughs, "So I'm still dropped to 3rd by Darwin taking 2nd? HA!"

"Who's #1?" Rick asks. This makes Eddy and Bryce look at him with looks conveying bewildered disappointment. Rick just looks at them for a moment before it seems to dawn on him, "Oh… me."

Bryce looks to Rick and asks, "Can I see your goggles for a moment?"

"Uh… Sure, why though?" Rick asks taking his goggles off his head.

"Just never wore any myself," Bryce responds as places the lenses over his eyes, "Peripheral vision is decreased and there's a slight fish-eye vision."

"Are you seriously analyzing my outfit accent?"

"No!" Bryce says, "I'm analyzing the goggles."

A slight slap can be heard as Rick facepalms and scrunches his eyes shut.

'These are friends?'

"So why are you all the way out here eating lunch, Bryce…?" Gumball asked making sure to remember his name.

"Well, you see, today is such a bright and beautiful day that I'm trying to see what's about to go wrong," he says as he eyeballs the goggles some more.

A basketball rolls towards them, tapping Gumball's heel.

"What do you mean?" Darwin continues. Before Bryce answers Gumball picks up the ball and rears up for a half court shot. As he shoots the ball it becomes clear that he inherited Richards's aim as it hits the corner of the backboard and careens off towards a small group.

Bryce calculates the trajectory and says, "I look at the overall uplifting feeling of the universe as a force that might facilitate something humorous or destructive in contrast.  And I want to see which it'll be."

A smirk grows on his face when we hear the ball make impact with someone.

"Gah!" we hear a yell before a brief silence.  We then hear someone howl, "GUMBALLL!"

Turning around the unaware recipient of the tossed ball turns out to be Jamie Russo.

'This isn't going to end well.'

~Rick's Perspective~

It all happens so fast!

After I give my goggles to Bryce, I hear a roar full of rage calling out Gumball's name. I turn and see the raging bull stomping towards us menacingly. As everyone in our group, apart from Eddy, shirks away from Gumball, he dashes towards the door back into the cafeteria. I notice that Jamie hasn't taken off after him and look back to her. I can see her enveloped red with rage. I also notice she's looking at me.

'I never really seen her eyes before. They're fascinating. So clear, and focused. It's like I'm getting pulled into them.'

I feel Bryce grip my shoulder as he leans in and whispers in my ear, "Just putting this out there, so don't think too much about, but uh... do you think she understands that you're not Gumball?"

"Huh?" I ask coming out of my stupor. My focus pulls back from her eyes to the general circumstances. She has slowly approached with malevolent intent exuding from her being

'Oh… I'm gonna die... WHAT!?'

I don't know how fast I can be, but the fear creeping up my spine is enough motivation to make me not care as I kick up dust. I somehow make it to the doors in less than a second, but from the roar I hear, Jamie is not far behind. I dare not look back as I barrel through the cafeteria, hop over lunch tables, and crash through the doors into the hallway.

For some reason as I run I pay attention to everything I'm feeling. The familiar sensation of vinyl flooring thumping against my pads as I push off with each step. The rush of stale air rustling through my fur as I run. The look of fear, bewilderment, and jovial enjoyment of those who look upon my plight. The sound of a one girl stampede resounding through the air as I speed off. All of which I am accustomed to yet experiencing for the first time. The fear of pain and the inevitable couldn't stifle the one sensation I felt… one inappropriate to my circumstance… the sensation of a small smile growing on my face.

I sprint through the hallway putting as much distance as possible between me and Jamie. I turn a corner and find some stairs and head up them. I skip five steps with each leg, my one true advantage being that mine are longer than hers. As I reach the top I crash into Gumball knocking him down. As I hurriedly get up I bolt to the right and hide in the restroom before Jamie crests the top step.

My back to the door as the only line of defense from something coming into the restroom. I hear screams and stomping heading away from the door. I exhale in relief and rest. My heart beating so hard I can see the shape pump through my clothes. My muscles loosen up after being so tense it could have stopped cannon shots. I inhale taking in the beyond stale air of the restroom, mixed with smell of cleanser, into my burning lungs. As I feel relief something wet strikes me.

"Ow!" I exclaim as I rub my forehead. I look up to see Rocky standing there with a mop in his hands and headphones on his head.

"Oh, sorry little dude! Didn't see you there," he says as he places the mop into a bucket and takes off the headphones which was blaring.

~They got to catch me if they want me to hang
'Cause I'm back on the track
Get in the back
Nobody is going to get me on another rap
So look at me now
Just making my play
Don't try to push a button
Just get out of my way

'Cause I'm back
Ya, ya, get out of my way
'Cause I'm back
Uh, let 'em know~

'Explains the cleanser smell.'

"What are you doing?" he says as he stops the music

"Hiding," I say struggling to stand up through the gelatinase feeling in my limbs.

"From what?" he asks.

"An enraged Jamie that's after Gumball," I answer.

"Uh dude," He says with bothered look, "did I hit you too hard? You're Gumball."

"Oh yeah," I say realizing, "We haven't properly been introduced. My names Rick Waters Watterson, Gumball's former conscience. I got popped out when Gumball got caught in the park rockslide."

"Huh?" He looks confused, but then just shrugs and returns to mopping, "So why were you running if she's mad at Gumball?"

"Because he bolted, and she didn't notice I wasn't him."

"And why hasn't she busted down the door to get you," he asks looking over the shoulder at the door expecting her to burst in.

"Oh, Because I accidently led her to… Gum…ball…" I answer realizing what I had done.

I hang my head low, slouch my upper body in defeat, and sigh, "… and I need to help him."

"Well, ok dude," Rocky says before putting his headphones back on, "be careful."

I head out the bathroom and look for Gumball and Jamie. I couldn't find them on this floor nor could I hear any disturbance divulging where they might be. As I roam the halls I run into Banana Joe.

"Hey, Banana Joe!" I call to him.

He turns and greets, "Hey, Gumball."

Irked I tell him, "Not Gumball, it's Rick."

"You're not wearing the goggles, so your Gumball," he reasons.

'High in potassium. Low in intelligence'

"Do you know where Jamie is?"

"Yeah, she was chasing you on the first-floor before she lost you. Now she's looking for you."

"Thanks," I say as I sprint away heading towards the stairs.

"No prob, Gumball."

I just grumble as I head down the stairs.

'Ok… so lunch isn't over for the next 15 minutes. I need to find Jamie first to protect Gumball. But if I find Gumball first I got an idea.'

I make it to the first floor and I see destruction. The hall looks thrashed and many lockers look mangled. I skulk through the hall looking for either Gumball or Jamie. I notice other people plodding through the hall, most being teachers. I trudge through the first-floor halls until I hear someone beckoning me.

"Psst!"

I look around and all I see is lockers and a trash can.

'Would he?... No, he has more respect for himself to prevent…'

I then see Gumball poke his head out of the trash can.

'Nevermind.'

"What are you doing in there?" I ask as I get close.

"SHHH!" he shushes me quite loudly, "You want Jamie to hear you?"

"Speaking of, did you apologize yet?"

"For what!?" he scoffs, "She's chasing me with the intent of merging my face with the back of my skull!"

"True," I respond, "but if you apologize the chance of that happening goes down."

"To what percent?" he asks glaring at me.

"To sixty-seven point nine nine nine six seven three one percent," we hear a robotic voice adjacent to us answer. Turning I see Bobert standing two feet away from us.

"Yeah… not worth it," Gumball says as he slinks back down into the trashcan.

"How much if he doesn't apologize?" I ask.

"One hundred and fourteen percent," Bobert responds.

"Oh, come on!" Gumball whisper yells bursting up from within the trashcan, "That isn't even possible. That's like 'putting your all and more' into a project."

"Thanks, Bobert," I say. He nods then walks off. I help Gumball out of the trashcan saying, "Let's just find Jamie, and get you to apologize to her. If things don't work out, I'll keep you from getting hurt."

"How?" he asks dusting the contents from the trash off himself.

"Let me worry about that." I look up at the clock in the hallway and see we have 4 minutes left until lunch ends. We make our way around the halls, Gumball cowering behind me, looking for the enraged bull of a girl, Jamie. When we couldn't find her amongst the halls we head back towards the cafeteria.

We crack open the corridor doors, to peer inside, and find her interrogating Darwin. I look around the cafeteria and notice Bryce trying to get himself out of one of the pillars, it looks like she impaled him through it headfirst. Eddy was unscathed and was using mechanical pencil to clean underneath his nails. He notices our eyes peering in and mouths a message, 'Sorry. Made a deal with her months ago to not get involved with her.'

'So I can read lips… or at least the subtitles.'

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS!" Darwin screams out, tears strewn down his cheeks. Jamie has him upside down, lifted by his feet. I could see the seething fury has softened to a tempered ire. I found myself fascinated by how her scowl looked in the fluorescent lighting. I feel a nudge to my side.

"Ok… *gulps* I'm going in," Gumball says as he pushes the door open wider. The telltale creak emits for them and Jamie's head turns toward us. She lets go of Darwin, who's face smacks the ground, and he flounders before crawling away.

"So," Jamie declares, "stopped running Gummypuss? Ready to take your beating like a dead man?"

Gumball is visibly shaking, trembling uneasily as he swallows his fear for a moment… and starts coughing and wheezing.

'Must have went down the wrong pipe.'

As he remedies his cough, he begins to speak, "Jamie… I just want to say: 'I'm sorry'"

The lunchroom begins to fill with murmurs of disbelief, scoffs, and hushed whispers.

"I know what I did hurt, and while I definitely did not mean to do it; I mean seriously not even in my subconscious would I dare think to; I apologize," he says as his tremors die down and he stands there more resilient.

Jamie's rage seems to die down and she breaths in then out before saying, "Apology accepted."

A bigger ruckus pipes up at the scene as everyone is shocked and stunned. Gumball himself was picking his jaw up from off the ground. He looks back at me and I give him thumbs up and a slight grin.

"However," Jamie exclaims, "Every action has a consequence, and I don't think you've suffered your consequence.

Gumballs eyes widened and his pupils contract so much all I see is his eyes go white. I look from him towards Jamie, who's calm demeanor slowly heated up to, what can only be described as, volcanic rage. I quickly grab the now stiff with fear Gumball and rush back into the hallway with her following suit.

As I rush around a corner I dip into an open and empty classroom with Gumball. Hearing her stomp by I get to work taking my shirt off.

"Sweater off, Gumball!" I command.

"Good idea," he says, "that way I don't get it bloody when she TURNS ME INTO A FELINE PUREE!"

"Or…" I retort, "it does get ripped to tatters as she SHREDS ME INSTEAD OF YOU!"

"Oh…" he realizes where I'm going with this.

"Yep. Now sweater off. I hear her coming back around. And remember, run the other way from me."

After Gumball and I switch shirts we run in opposite directions insuring that Jamie chases me.  Hearing her stomps behind I hug every corner I turn to keep my speed and hope she wings one to create more distance between. I muster all my energy just to keep ahead of her, I soon find myself at dead end.

I turn and see that I'm cornered. She looks at me with rage exuding from her.

'What did you do to her Gumball?'

"Just so you know, I'm not Gumball! We switched shirts when we rounded the corner!" I plead with her, hoping I could somehow avoid the inevitable.

Instantly she steams, more rage spilling out from within her.

"So, you think that will save you!? You think you two can survive my wrath!? You think you're just so CUTE!?"

She cocks a fist back and lets it fly.

"You're the cute one here!…"

My eyes shut as I brace for the impact, but nothing. I crack one eye open to see her fist has somehow paused in mid punch and her face is red, but not with anger. She looks flustered and embarrassed.

"I said that aloud didn't I?"

We both stare at each other for a while. I make the first move as I slowly reach my hand to her wrist to try and lower her fist. As soon I make contact everything snaps to black.

~Nikola's Perspective~

'Uh… wow. He may have been laid out, but I think he landed the deciding blow'

I have following since Gumball's apology, but this is not what I had expected.  I now am watching Jamie pace over a crumpled Rick whose face resembles a well used bean bag chair.  She's still seems flustered by Ricks words.

"wow... I can't believe this."

"Me neither," I hear a familiar voice say from behind me.

'Of course it'd be you… Krueger.'

Chapter Text

~Rick's Perspective~

A throbbing pain in the back of my head is the first thing I notice. The next is the warmth emanating from my left eye. I wince as there is a raw feeling coming from it. I limply lift my hand towards my face, touch under the eye and flinch as it stings. Fighting through the pain I gingerly map the area surrounding the eye with my hand. An all-too-familiar mound of warm flesh under fur where my eye is lets me know I have a black eye. I begin to open my eyes; my right one being the only one able to open enough to see out of. The ceiling tiles had a telltale stain.

"Is I upon the caregiver's office?" I ask aloud confusingly as I sit myself up on the tall cot.

"Yes? you are in the nurse's office," says the band-aid nurse, Ms. Markham, looking as though she's just done with everything, "how do you feel?"

She flashes a small light in my eye as she checks my pupil.

"Rickety, unstable, and and about to crumble," I answer her, still mixed up.

"All the symptoms of secondhand playground equipment," she says unfeelingly as she she gets a pack of frozen peas out of the school issued Styrofoam cooler. She places the pack in my hand and guides my hand up to my left eye. The ice-cold feeling on top of the eye's rawness sends a chill throughout my body.

"What happened?" I ask, my daze finally clearing up.

"Jamie dragged you in here unconscious. Said you ran into a doorknob," Ms. Markham told me as she jotted down on a clipboard. "First time she brought someone here personally, I think.  Usually someone else would bring her 'alleged' , for legal reasons I have to emphasize it, victims."

"Heh," I scoff at the thought knowing better. The door creaks open and Gumball and Darwin pop in cautiously. I think seeing me with the pack over my eye was uneasy for Gumball.

"Is that how I looked after Tina chased me into a doorknob a while back?" he says grimacing.

"Feels like it," I begin as I realize one eye has darkened vision, "but I think my eye actually sunk into the back of my head." I blink the head pressure away as I rock my eye back into place, restoring my vision while seeing spots. I groan as I move to get off the cot, stopping when Ms. Markham places a firm hand on my shoulder.

"I'm going to need you to stay for a while longer," she says as I sit back down, "need to make sure you don't have a concussion." I sigh before looking back at Gumball and realizing how annoyed I am at him wearing my shirts.

"You want your sweater back?" I ask Gumball, "because I want my shirts back."

"Oh! Yeah sure," he says as he takes the shirts off, "been nice wearing something other than the sweater."

We swap our clothes back, me dealing with the pain in my head as well. The light-headed feeling along with the throbbing pain agitated me to no end.

"Not gonna ask how I'm doing?" I ask Gumball and Darwin, mildly annoyed.

"You told us how you were doing," Darwin speaks up looking confused.

"No," I retort, "I compared what I felt with what happened to what Gumball went through."

"I guess..." Darwin says somewhat awkwardly. The mood felt as heavy as Tina's father after that and an awkward silence spread throughout the room.

"Are you alright though?" Gumball says legitimately concerned.

"I... I don't know," I groan softly, "I feel so agitated and annoyed, yet I don't want to."

The bell rings and I wave them off so they can head back to class. Ms. Markham asks me various questions about my well-being that I answer on auto-pilot. I try to think back to my confrontation with Jamie. I wonder why I said what I said and why that stopped her, temporarily, from throttling me.

"Is the newborn in here?" I hear someone say from the outside of the nurse's office door. The door creaks open and I look over to see Eddy peeking in.

"Why are you...?" I begin, but he interrupts answering.

"Just trying some nicknames for you. Nothing perfect comes to mind, yet."

"Not that. Why are you here?" I re-ask chuckling a bit.

"Did you get into another fight?" Ms Markham asks him. Eddy only shrugs with mild smirk then walks up to me on the cot. He sits next to me, in my temporary blind spot; I notice one of his hands have some bruising around his knuckles. Ms. Markham comes over and checks his hands immediately.

"You need to stop getting into fights," she says to Eddy, "I'm a doctor not a corner man."

"But you mend my wounds so well!" Eddy says with mock swooning.

"This keeps up you might end up in jail," she retorts.

"Where I might spend 8 years doing hard labor," Eddy shoots back, "then get hired by a school, and end up in a relationship with the school nurse."

Ms. Markham just stares daggers into Eddy and applies some pressure on his hand bruise. She smirks a bit as he takes a sharp inhale and gives him a small baggy of ice for the bruise, "That shouldn't be a goal of yours."

"I know..." Eddy remarks dejectedly. He takes the baggy and pulls my goggles from his pocket. He hands them to me and I take them with my free hand.

"Hope your doing good," he says gripping my shoulder, "Can't go losing one of my new friend too soon."

I smirk, "I'm doing better than I when was unconscious.  Head's aching something fierce, man.  Where's Bryce?"

"Plotting I guess," he said with a 'meh' look, "think Julius Caesar and the Aegean Sea pirates."

I shiver at the thought, so I don't ask for more info. As he leaves Ms. Markham has me take the bag of peas off my eye to check the swelling. She tells me that it's going down and I could possibly go to class if I didn't want to call my parents.

'Parents? Is that what they are to me?'

I tell her I'll be fine and head off to class with a small baggy of ice in place of the peas. I place the baggy in my left side of my goggles and gingerly place it over my eyes. As head down the empty halls of I feel the condensation from the baggy seep into the divot of the goggles. Luckily it doesn't pool into the right side.

'Are we really a family?'

I stop in my tracks.

'Really though. They accepted me, right? But what am I to them? Brother? Son? Some adopted kid from off the street? They don't know me. I don't even know me. I already found out that I don't feel the same way Gumball does. Preferences differ, so does my body's reactions to things. I'm a Watterson in name only.'

I feel a shortness of breath, as though I'm hyperventilating. My palms feel clammy and a chill rolls throughout my entire body; I even feel it extend to the ends of my fur. My heart beats harder and faster and I hear the beating in my head as it gets louder and louder. I begin curling up and shivering, my vision tunneling. My breathing quickens even more and more and more until...

"Just breath, dude," hear in my ear as I feel someone embrace me from behind, "Breath slowly. In... and out..."

I try to match their breathing, slowing mine down. While it's still shaky my breathing stabilizes. I realize I'm gripping my claws into one of the reddish arms holding me. I retract them and I a sigh of relief responds as the arms themselves from me. I turn to see Bryce grimacing as he rubs his forearm tenderly.

"OH MY! I'M SO SORRY!" I nearly scream as I get up to tend to him. He just stops me by putting a hand on my shoulder. He looks at me with a comforting smile, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tissue. He gives it to me and motions to my right cheek. I raise the tissue to my left cheek, but Bryce shakes his head and points to me right cheek. I then notice that I had been crying as tears stream down my face from under the right side of my goggles.

"Didn't know that hit hurt you that much," Bryce says, worry showing on his face.

"It wasn't..." I begin to say sobbing. His hand on my shoulder grips a bit tighter.

"I know," he says with knowing smile before he hugs me tight, "I know."

I look off over his shoulder for a bit as my sobbing fit fades and I blink the tears welling up away.

~Gumball's Perspective~

"Is he doing alright?" Penny asks me. Darwin and I have just gotten back from the infirmary and sat in our seats.

"I... don't know," I say just realizing, "the first thing I asked him referred to myself." I look at my desk racking my brain about why I did.

'I know that I'm pretty oblivious of a lot and I do have some slight narcissism, but he just got hurt. I did not show any care for him, why?'

I resolved to apologize to him when returned to class. I look up to begin paying attention to the class as it goes on. I look to Penny, who looks uneasy, and give her a reassuring smile. I look towards Jamie, who has her head lowered as though she's ashamed of something. Looking towards Darwin, who is having what seems to be a serious conversation with Carrie about a weird bottle she has. Now I just need to wait until Rick returns to class. Minutes go by and no sign of Rick. 45 minutes since I sat down and still no Rick. I look at the clock; one and a half hours left until schools over. I begin to worry.

'Is he alright? Did he have an accident on the way back? I shouldn't have just left him like that!'

There came a knocking on the classroom door snapping me back from my worried thoughts. Ms. Simian looks annoyed and screeched for the person to come in. Once the door fully opened I felt deflated as it wasn't Rick, but the rouge fox boy we met during lunch, Bryce.

"What is it!?" Ms. Simian demands. Bryce looks surprised at her overall unpleasantness. He blinks before heading to her desk with a note. He gives her the note and promptly left, but not before looking my way and giving me a nod.

"Who was that?" Penny asks quietly.

"Rick's friend, Bryce," I answer. Ms. Simian huffs as she puts the note down as she finishes reading it.

"Well he had a short school day," I hear her mutter.

'Rick?...'

~Nikola's Perspective~

~1 hour and 15 minutes ago~

Jamie is acting somewhat sheepishly as she jostles Rick in an effort to wake him up after knocking him out. She looks around with a slight worry that no one has actually seen before. She grabs his legs and stomps off dragging him elsewhere.

"You can come out now," I say to my hidden overseer. From within a locker the ghost girl phases out. Her look had a hint of apprehensiveness behind an uncaring facade.

"Who are you?" She asks with a glare.

"Guess," I goad her.

'It makes sense, now that I think about it. I'm "technically" a spirit, so her being able to see me just."

"No games," she has a callousness to her words that through me off.

"Whoa! Never actually seen you go straight up nasty before," I say with mocking annoyance

"We've met?" She cocks her head. My guess is that she might be thinking back to where we might have met.

"Yeah, no, maybe, who knows," I joke, but her eyes narrow so I roll my eyes and actually answer, "You probably remember me going around with a popped collar, purple sunglasses, and riding a skateboard. I called myself Zac back then..."

"Wait," she stops me, "wasn't that just Gumball?"

"Well yes, but truly no," I snark.

"Then why are you here?" she continues interrogating, "Are you planning to haunt Gumball and his family?"

"Not necessarily, no," I begin to explain, "Can't interact with anything like you can." I then demonstrate by trying to open a locker, but no matter what I always phase through it. She scrutinizes my every movement with her silent stare/glare and I begin to feel uncomfortable.

"I see you've been hanging around Rick," she says after a heavy silence, "you going possess him?"

"Why would I?" I say taken back, "He's willing to help me get what I want."

Her eyes go big at my comment then narrows, "What do you mean 'help'?"

I smirk and begin floating away when I see her pull small bottle from behind her and bellows, "Hanc Entitatem Continē, Effugere Non Potest!"

A continuous gust of wind blows around us. The lockers fly open and close putting their contents on the ground while loose papers flutter about. The wind picks up and begins pushing and pulling me. As it gets stronger and stronger I see where it's trying to take me, the bottle. I feel nothing, but terror and try to fly, run, and force my way through the current, but I make no progress and continue to be pulled towards the bottle.

I let out a panicked scream as I get pulled into the bottle before it goes dark.

Chapter Text

~Gumball's Perspective~

"All I'm saying is, when has a new addition to the family brought just good with it?" Darwin says to me as we walk to the buses for the ride home.

"Isn't it odd that he's willing to help him?" Carrie tacks on to Darwin's question.

"Is something happening here?" Anais asks, more confused by my reluctance to talk about something with Darwin than the conversation in general.

"Nothing important," I reply as I try to think about the assignment.

"You think that Zach being here is not important?" Darwin asks, astonished by my statement.

"Look," I sigh, "whether he's back or not, which is hard to confirm because both you and me don't see anything in that bottle there;…" as I motion to the corked glass bottle Carrie had in her hands, "in which she said ghosts can be seen by the living, shouldn't matter when it comes to Rick."

"He said Rick was willing helping him get what he wants!" Carrie exclaims.

"And what's that!?" I shoot back, "Huh? Rick isn't even here and, for some reason, you two are trying to make him out to be a bad guy.  I don't understand you two! Carrie, you met him for the first time today and he hasn't done anything bad to anyone aside from threaten Leslie, when he was trying to instigate something. And you Darwin? Why are you so adamant that he might be trying to get one over on us?"

"It just makes sense," Darwin explains, "First off, Anais is unknowingly left with another you who ditches her and leaves her by herself, anything could have happened to her.  We meet two sketchy guys, who we never really see here at school, at the park while investigating this other you, and come to find that one of them is considered dangerous by everyone at school. We get a call from a hospital that you're hurt, but you were right there when it came in.  You get there and there he is with stolen money and the sketchy guys.  And now Zach's back as spirit-adjacent? How can you not be suspicious?"

"We accidentally tested him, remember? That evil incarnate turtle attacked him when it would avoid other forms of true evil."

"When unprovoked! How do we know he didn't have it attack him to give him 'evidence' that he wasn't a bad guy?"

"Why would he do that? Seriously, why? To get into our drowning-in- and-out-of-poverty family? To take my astronomically comedic stress-filled and danger-prone life? There's nothing that's good about my life aside from the love we have for each other in our family! That is the only thing I can think of that he might want, and if so we should let him get that love!"

"Gumball," Carrie pipes up, "Just think. Both Zach and Rick have something that would make them hostile to you. Rick was your ignored conscience, the thing tells you not to do something since the consequences could be bad. And Darwin told me that Zach messed with your memories in order to take over your body."

"Yeah, I was there, Carrie," I snark.

"Both were a part of you that you refused and locked away. It's not far-fetched that they might have gotten together to mess with you."

"There's just one actual problem with that," I sigh.

"Which is?" Both Darwin and Carrie say.

"He purposefully avoided not just me, but our entire family," I say, "He could have hurt Anais in some way to hurt our relationship without saying he's someone else. He could have destroyed my relationship with Penny by gaslighting her or promising something that I'd have no idea about. He had stolen money and could have used that to get me arrested and sent to Juvie. He's had ample opportunity to turn my life upside down, and yet he hasn't. He was here for almost an entire week and the only bad thing that happened was that fall I had in the park, which obviously was not his fault. So yeah, I have a little more trust in him. Should I? I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

I walk away from them, head on to the bus and find a seat.

'I understand they are just looking out for me, but Darwin knows that I've felt Rick's feelings every now and then. Not once did I feel anger or jealousy.'

"Ahem."

I look to the sound of someone clearing their throat to see Jamie rubbing her arm sheepishly. I insta-recede into the side of the bus, having nowhere to go.

"Is it alright if I get off at your stop?" she asks before saying, "I want to apologize to Rick." She begins to turn beet red as I just sit here with my mouth ajar.

I blink a couple times, not believing my eyes, "sure…" is all I could muster. She nods her head and sits across the aisle.

'Is she blushing? Apologize? Wait… I need to apologize as well.'

Darwin walks up the aisle and sits with me while Carrie takes the seat behind us. Anais, surprisingly, sits with Jamie who begins to talk hushed with her.

"Will you be quiet…" I hear Carrie mutter. I look to see her talking to the bottle.

`If she's right, does Rick want to help Zach?`

~Rick's Perspective~

4 hours ago

"So," Bryce begins as he exits Principal Brown's office with a note in his hand, "You've got the go ahead to head home when your dad comes to pick you up."

"Thanks..." I say weakly from a chair in the hallway.  I turn to look down at the floor and twiddle my toes.  I hear Bryce sigh before he stands next to my seat and leans against the wall.

"Rick," he starts, "I'm about to tell you 1 lie and 2 relevant truths.  I want you to guess what is the truths and their relevance."

"What?" I ask confused.

"1) I hate you so much," he says, "your existence is sickening and has no meaning."

"Wait, wha-!?"

"2) You're the only person I know that doesn't have 3 faces."

I look at him but he doesn't look at my.  He motions to the lockers across the hall before continuing, "3) In my locker, right over there, there's a solid gold pair of trousers."

Right now I just stare at him feeling my anxiety rising inside.  He huffs as he pushes off the wall and walks over to his locker and he tries to use his combination, but it doesn't open.  He sighs and rears his head back before headbutting it hard.

"Dude!" I exclaim at the sight.  As the locker opens slowly he reaches in and pulls out a folded pair of white trousers.

'... Oh...'

He turns back to me and unfolds the trousers to reveal that embroidered on them was the words 'Solid Gold.'

"I... I don't understand," I stammer as I try to comprehend.

"Just cause somethings sounds wrong, or impossible, doesn't mean it is," Bryce says with a smirk growing on his face as he tosses the trousers back into his locker, "And just cause something sounds like the only rational option, doesn't mean it's the right option."

"So..." I begin with realization coming to me, "how many faces does everyone have?"

"I believe," Bryce explains, "the Japanese saying goes, that people have 3 faces; one you show the world, one you show your loved ones, and the one you show only to yourself.  Rick, I believe you only have 2, at this moment at least.  You're open with who you are to the point the faces you show the world and loved ones are one and the same.  I also believe it's connected with a certain aspect of your current mentality."

"And what's that?" I ask him.

"You've not verbally lied, have you?" He questions in response.

"I..." I start when I realize, "... don't think I have?  I have kept stuff from people though."

"Lies of omission," Bryce scoffs, "aren't 'lies' lies, at least not in my eyes.  Sometimes, people can't handle stuff so you don't tell them about it to spare their feelings or, the reason people view it as a negative, you try to avoid consequences from letting them know about it."

"And it relates to my 2 faces," I begin after finally connecting the dots, "because only I know my omissions, which shows me the kind of person I am, huh?"

"That, plus the fact that you wear your emotions on your sleeve," he says, as I go to look at my arm he spits, "Not like that, Dingus McGingus.  I mean, if anyone knows how to read people, even on a rudimentary level, would be able to read you.  Case in point:  I saw that smile growing on your face when Jamie began to chase you.  It wasn't even an adrenalin or nervous smile, it was like the smile I got when I first met Eddy's sister, Laurencia.  Buddy, that was an 'I got a crush smile.'"

Bryce looks at me then picks my jaw up from the ground and closes my mouth giving me a soft double pat on my cheek.  I feel my face heat up so much there might be a furnace inside my skull.

'I got a crush on JAMIE!?'

"Before you that realization burns you up from the inside," Bryce continues with a chuckle, "The face only you see lets you know the answer to the following question: 'Where are you on the spectrum of Sinner to Saint?'"

"I think.."

"Oh uh no," Bryce quickly stops me, "This question isn't meant to be answered to me or anyone that asks it.  You answer to yourself, cuz any answer could be not fully true, due to the aforementioned faces.  From Sinner to Saint, only you'd know which you ain't.  Now, let's get you to the front for your ride home."

As he walks with me to the front of the school, I think on the question.

'Sinner to Saint... which one am I closer to?' 

After Bryce leaves me at the steps of the school and heads back to class, I wonder about a number of things; Bryce's question, my, apparent to Bryce, crush on Jamie, about how Bryce had 28 favors he could call in from Principal Brown...

'What else does he have on him?'

... to my breakdown in the hallway, which might have been building up all day from my insecurity about being a Watterson.

'How do I fix that?'

I feel my leg bouncing and try to calm down, but I only cause a chill to spread throughout my body. This feeling settles at the base of my ears and I begin to rub there. As I continue rubbing, I hear commotion from up the road and I wonder what is going on.

Looking up I see a familiar scene of a station wagon speeding down the road with an army of patrol cars behind it blaring their sirens. I throw my head back and sigh deeply, but in spectacular and frightening fashion the station wagon pops onto the sidewalk on two wheels. While I can't fully describe how; without slowing down, or crashing, the driver was able to yank me into the car and fasten me into the passenger seat within a half a second before getting back on the road.

I am clutching the head of the seat as my heart pounds so hard I think I can see an outline of it under my shirt. I look over at the driver and, sure enough, it's the father of the Watterson family in only a robe, underwear, and slippers. I smell something and look on the dashboard and finally notice an open extra Large pizza box with 3 slices of pepperoni pizza left in it. I also notice my feet touching something and when I check there's a sack with the dollar sign.

'Oh… oh no...'

"So…" Richard begins trying to be calm, "How was school?"

"Fine…" I squeak sheepishly as we go over a hill. Frightened, I sarcastically ask, "How was your day!?"

"Oh it wasn't half bad," he says as he drifts around a corner, "Woke up not long after you all left, made myself breakfast, called the fire department to put out the fire I made while making breakfast, watched some tv, fell asleep, woke up again, ordered a pizza, realized I didn't have any money for the pizza, raced off to the bank, somehow crashed through the vault, made a withdrawal, rushed home to pay the delivery man, received an urgent call from the school to come pick you up, heard the sirens head towards the school, and then hurried to save you from the emergency."

"Well, I'm good now, I think," I tell him, "but I don't think the sirens are for a school emergency. If they were, wouldn't you have to pick up everyone else?"

Richard just goes silent for a while before slamming on the breaks and exclaiming, "Did I rob the bank!?"

A series of thuds, crashes, and screams fill the air as behind us each patrol car rams into each other as the ones in front come to a screeching halt.

~30 minutes and 1 remorseful apology in holding later~

"I can't believe they allowed me to put the stolen money up for bail," I say as we leave the police station and get back into the station wagon.

"Sliver linings, Rick, sliver linings," Richard remarks as he starts the engine.

"I'm pretty sure it's 'silver linings,'" I respond back.

"If we had silver we wouldn't have needed the money."

'... how did he graduate?...'

I look at the dash and see there's still an hour and a half left in the school day. I sigh then look out at the scenery as we go by. I roll the window down and feel this light warm breeze go across my face. I begin to imagine myself skating on the air alongside the car, doing various tricks and flips to avoid the people and objects on the sidewalk. My imaginary self now is just gliding gracefully when there is no obstacle like he has no care in the world. I close my eyes as I imagine gliding on air high above the ocean, just passing by clouds.

"So…" Richard begins, which brings my focus back to the car, "what happened at school, Rick?"

"I'm honestly surprised you got my name right," I say without thinking as I roll the window back up.

"Well yeah," He responds proudly, "I may not be the smartest, or even smart, but I do know who my kids are," before he mumbles, "some of the time."

"You really see me as your kid?" I ask looking back at him, shame of my previous comment smacking my mind.

"Yes, of course. No matter how you got here you're one of our Watterson boys. A part of this... ," he rattles on before he trails off as a curious look appears on his face as we pull up to the house. I look to see what he is looking at, but I don't see anyone or anything of note. He then asks, "Was that the emergency?"

I look at him bewildered, "Huh?"

"Was your emergency because you don't see yourself as part of the family?"

I'm just sitting here, mouth closed tight, shock and embarrassment surging inside me on my issue being out. I look down and twiddle my toes. I feel my anxiety rising from my shame.

"I don't know a lot of things, but I do have things that I think about myself. 'Am I being a good dad? Am I a good husband? Does my family actually love me? Will I turn out just like my own dad? How bad did I mess up?' That last one is often and, obviously, very recent. These thoughts always pop up when I see I did something not so good, even when I haven't done anything. Everyone has something they worry about, whether they should or not. You can't ignore them cuz they'll just get bigger and bigger until they're all you think about."

"Then what can I do?" I ask him. I look up from my feet to meet his gaze. His eyes glisten with repressed tears and my question is answered.

"There's no 1-size-fits-all cure-all for this feeling," he says, "Each person has a way to make the feeling go away; whether for good or for like 30 minutes. It varies. Some people's ways involve them hurting themselves or hurting others. Some, luckily for them, have it disappear all on it's own. Some try to ignore it until it either goes away naturally or it festers to a point where it'll never go away."

"How do you deal?" I ask my last question. He looks me in my eyes with a soft smile on his face.

"I learned what 'fester' meant."

Chapter Text

~Rick's Perspective~

405° preheated oven; two 9''x13'' greased pans; macaroni, milk, 3 cheese mixture poured into the pans and topped with the nearly expired shredded cheese before being placed in the oven alongside the ham that's close to its expiration date.

"Is it done yet?" I hear from behind.

"I just placed it in the oven," I exclaim slightly annoyed, "besides, didn't you finish the last of the pizza 20 minutes ago?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"No 'buts'," I begin scolding, "That'll tide you over for, at least, 30 minutes. By then, everything will be done."

I place the dirty dishes in the sink and clean off the counters as I go. I place the recipes I printed off on the counter beside the fridge, and prepare to boil the frozen vegetable medley and 12 halves of potatoes.

'This is pretty relaxing. Just following the recipes and instructions. Why don't Gumball and Darwin do that again?'

A memory of a burning kitchen pops into my mind.

'Would have caused a lot less pain.'

As I sprinkle some salt and pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil into the pot as it boils, I look out the back window at the blue sky feeling a faint peace wash over me. I look back at my pot and pour the medley in. As I stir the veggies slowly with a spoon, I hear tires screeching to a halt outside followed by a car door quickly opening and slamming shut.

As I hear the front door burst open a worried voice rings out, "Richard!?"

"Yes?" he answers innocently as he leaves the kitchen to greet who walked in.

"What happened?! What's the emergency?! Where are the kids?! Why were you arrested?! How'd you post bail?! When'd... Are you cooking!?" She fires off in quick succession before her footsteps close in on the kitchen. I look over my shoulder as the footsteps stop at the archway.

"No, I'm cooking," I tell a surprised and worrying Nicole, "I hope you don't mind."

"Rick," she says as she tentatively walks into the kitchen to see exactly what I'm doing, "do want any help."

Shaking my head I say, "No. The instructions and recipes are straightforward enough." I turn back to the boiling pots, "Besides, we're just in the waiting, boiling, and mashing phase. I should be done by the time everyone gets home. I have something to say to everyone anyways."

"Ok…" she says awkwardly before asking, "Are you alright?"

"I wasn't, but now... I'm feeling better," a sigh follows my answer and I do not look back at her, as though I can't let her see what emotion I'm feeling.

The air hung heavily with the smell of food and a hint of anxiety. I hear her footsteps gingerly head back into the living room as I strain the potatoes.

I feel my eyes start to well up, so I take a paper towel to dab my eyes. I inhale and exhale slowly before setting the veggies to simmer and picking up the masher with a sense of calm washing over me and a small smile on my face.

~Gumball's Perspective~

'How can I apologize to Rick? I did react as though what he went through wasn't a big deal. I mean it wasn't, not to me and Darwin. We're kind of used to something like that, but it's not fair to think Rick would be. He's different from me. Get that through your head Gumball, he's not you.'

The bus ride feels long as I look out the window imagining that I was running alongside the bus doing tricks, avoiding obstacles, and barefoot grinding on the guardrails.

"So let me see if I understand this," Anais says somewhat frustrated at Darwin and Carie's ravings, "Zach, the jerk persona Gumball had, is stuck in that bottle. He's like a spirit now; but can't interact with the world in any way, shape, or form. He's getting help from Rick, with something you don't know because you instantly trapped him in the aforementioned bottle. Did I get that right?"

I don't hear their response; but with the slight noise that I can attribute with a quick repetitive motion and a slightly defeated sigh, from Anais, I assume that Darwin nodded like a madman. There's a murmur spreading throughout the bus as my schoolmates remember Zach and his antics.

"Can we talk with him?" I hear Anais ask.

"Only if we open the bottle," answers Carrie, "which will allow him to escape."

"So, how will you confront Rick about this? It's not like we can see Zach, so what if he can't? What if Rick said he'd help him without knowing who he is? There's so many scenarios to this where you come off looking foolish or mean spirited. No offense, Carrie."

"How so?" Darwin replies.

I sigh and look over at Darwin and Anais.

"Hey, buddy?" I say somewhat annoyed, but grabbing Darwin's attention, "Let's say Zach is back. Let's even say that Rick is willing to help him with something. Let's say that with ALL OF THAT… they aren't trying to harm us in any way. What then, huh? If they're not evil, nefarious, nor scheming; what then? How do you think you'll look to Rick, and everyone else, if there's no bad intent on his and Zach's side"

Darwin looked confused, as though such a thing was not possible in his mind.

"And besides; it's not like they're Jamie, just willing to hurt us for no reason. No offense, Jamie."

"Offense taken," she grumbles as looks ahead from her seat.

"Figured," I squeak before turning my attention back to Darwin, "If we look back, Zach never had bad intentions for anyone; he just wanted to be me… or have me become him… I dunno how to say it. He harmed the family to protect himself; not very nice, but understandable; right?"

"So you'd be fine if he won?" Darwin spits back.

"Look, I know I wouldn't be here if he won, but look at it this way: We believed his personality would be erased if I won. We were ok with just snuffing out an existence, mind, and person to protect me. That's basically murder!"

I look past Darwin, Anais, and the world as I realize, "We tried to kill a person…"

'Zach… you deserve an apology too. At the very least…'

After that, the ride home has become awkward and borderline quiet. Only the occasional private conversation breaks the silence within the bus. I sit in my seat looking at the gray ceiling of the bus mulling over my revelation. Darwin and Carrie are quiet in their seat just staring at the bottle. Anais is still chatting with Jamie, of all people.

My curiosity in their friendship does nothing to draw my thoughts from earlier.

'We did hurt a lot of people before, but we never crossed the line… well… there were many times with Anton. He got better after, but we actually tried, believed we succeeded, and celebrated in snuffing out a sentient life.'

My head hurt at the thought so much that I didn't notice we made it to our stop until Anais nudged me. Without saying a word Anais, Darwin, Jamie, Carrie, and I all step off the bus onto the corner. Just down the block is our destination: Home.

Somehow the walk feels longer and more stressful than any other day or days where I have to bring my Progress Report home. I take up the backend of the group, but I feel like I'm a football field's length behind everyone.

My worries seem to affect me more than ever before. My mind wonders how to proceed, how to apologize, how to gain forgiveness. This uncertain feeling has me reeling.

We all arrive at home to see mom's car out-front. Anais runs on ahead to the house, Jamie and Carrie walking and floating after. I look towards the house and sigh.

"You alright, Gumball?" he asks me with concern in his voice.

"We're not bad people, Darwin," I begin as I look down at the ground, "but we've done something unforgivable."

~Nikola's Perspective~

I've been placed in this bottle for a few minutes now. I have tried pushing on the cork at the top, but it would not budge or give.

"C'mon! Let me out! I haven't even done anything!" is what I try to yell, yet my effort continues to be fruitless as my voice. I back off the cork and float down to the bottom of the glass.

'I hope this doesn't damper my way back. Rick said he's willing to help me. He wouldn't go back on his word right? Nah, when he sees that they got me in here, I'm sure he'll get me out… Right?'

~Some Time passes~

I recite a verse I've been thinking of since I've been stuck in here for a while.

Let me out, Let me go, Let me see another day!/

There's a pain in my head, and it will not fade away!/

Am I here? Am I loved? Am I just a weight?/

Latched on to the ground/ unable to shake!/

I look around/ see the glass unable to break down/ with thin layers ingrained into the take now/

The shakedown's/ a coming./ I'm running,/ a marathon adept/

Leaving prints in the rug and/ I'm slugging/ with every step/

Got a grip with the right,/ but banging with left/

Treat me like a lie/ keep it goin or let me rest/

Hear me wail into the vast/ open space of towering glass/

Callin out for the future, to the present, and the past.../

'How long have I been here again?'

~More Time Passes~

'Why am I here?'

'999989' I had started counting the seconds awhile ago.

'What did I do to get here? I might have been a jerk before, but do I deserve this?'

'999990'

The cold and empty feeling of being a spirit is numb in comparison to the anxiety and fear that permeates my entirety.

'Please, just let me be…'

'999991'

Phantom tears that well up and fall just to disappear before hitting the bottom of the glass prison that surrounds me. I sit just above the ground twiddling my toes, as my ghostly bottom half has become legs instead of the tail. I look up and around to see that the outside world is still darkened to a point where I can't make out anything.

'999992'

'Rick abandoned me. My mom and dad abandoned me. I'm not wanted.'

The sounds are muffled and altered in such a way that discerning who or what is making them is impossible.

'999993'

'It's not my fault. I didn't ask to be here. I just was.'

The glass couldn't be scratched or broken from my side, as there's something invisible and non-existent that keeps me from touching it.

'999994'

'I showed up due to Gumball wanting to act like a Zach. He made me this way.'

Yelling didn't help, my voice seemed to be silenced. I couldn't even let out a whimper.

'999995'

'I was forced into the back of his mind. I tried so hard to get out of there…'

'999996'

'…just to be placed in a worse prison?'

'999997'

'Am I not allowed…?'

'999998'

'...to exist?'

'999999'

'Was I… a mistake?'

'1000000 seconds have passed… twice.'

A rumbling begins, emanating from the top of my bottle prison. I look to the top and see the cork slowly twist and rise. Hope fills me as the thing that I had been wanting ever since I was trapped here: My Freedom! However, the cork and its rumbling soon stop and rage washes over me as I see

I fly up and shoulder bash the non-existent barrier between the cork and I. I push as hard as I can until, finally, I pass through the barrier and come in contact with the cork. Witnessing this places a fire in me and I push with all my might. My ghostly body feels pain coursing through it as I exert as much force as I can muster against the cork.

It begins rising and rumbling again. I hear voices arguing on the other end, but I pay it no mind. My freedom is just ahead.

I push and push and curse and spit until…

'FREEDOM!'

Chapter Text

~Rick's Perspective~

I set the timer for 25 min as I finish cleaning off the counters and stove. After that I take the dishes soaking in the sink and place them in the dish washer. With the dishwasher now running, the counters cleaned off, the ham and mac baking, and the medley and mashed potatoes on the burners set to low/simmer to keep them warm; I can now sit back and rest.

"Richard," I hear Nicole begin to scold, "You know we can't eat yet til everyone's home."

I hear him whimper in response, causing a warm smirk from me. I sit back on a stool and think about what I've decided to do and wonder how to prepare for it.

`Nikola,` I call out to my specter-like warden, `can we talk real quick?` I don't get a response. `Nikola. Ni~kola. Nikola! You there?! Nikola banana bug, where we at?`

"Where is he?" I mutter to myself, as I notice I haven't seen him since Gumball and I ran for our lives from Jamie earlier. "I'll talk to him later, I guess. Gotta let everyone know before though."

I then take my goggles off of my forehead and look at them. I thumb its elastic strap and cushioned edge of the glass part. I think about my week long journey and the feeling of loneliness washing over me. About the events that led me back to the Wattersons. About the people who helped me with my issues, both small and large; like Mira, who helped me with finding a look for me and see a perspective away from Gumball; Eddy and his family, who I realize is my first friend; and Bryce, the person who saw me as I am and guides me to myself.

I feel warm as I think of the 6 people who I appreciate so much. Then I shiver at what will happen.

'Will they understand?'

I feel my eyes moisten as I think of my decision I've made and how it will affect my friends and the family I gained. I put my goggles back on my head and shift on my seat as an uncomfortable gut feeling tinges me soul.

From my spot in the kitchen I look towards the front of the house. I see watch Nicole's head lay on Richard's shoulder and see him respond in kind with him gingerly nuzzling her. I feel both warm and fuzzy, for the display of affection, and a small feeling of embarrassment crawling up my skin. I look past them to the left edge of the window where I can only see a sliver of the front yard and the right fence.

I notice a translucent figure pass by the fence alongside someone with orange hair and green skin. They are followed by Anais then Darwin and Gumball. I take note of an unfamiliar look of apprehensive sadness on his face as he speaks to Darwin. Not long after she passed the window, Anais opens the door and I see that both Carrie and Jamie are with her.

Upon seeing Jamie I pop up off my seat while I feel my face heat up and my palms go clammy. I stammer out a greeting that is too quiet as I nervously wave to our guests. Anais responds with an energetic wave back before she goes into the living room, Carrie just gives me a heavy glare, but Jamie goes somewhat red before she gives me a slight wave while looking away from me.

'WHY IS SHE HERE!?... Why is she red?'

I'm slowly wigging out thinking about the incident-slash-confession in the school hallway.

'Is she mad at me?! Am I gonna be ground into dust?!'

I notice Darwin walk in with an unnerved look on his face, then he sees me and shifts his eyes away to his feet as I greet him with a nod.

'huh.'

I hear a conversation start up in the living room just as a sullen Gumball enters, but before I turn my attention to either of them…

I turn to the timer I set as it goes off behind me. I get up and grab the oven mitts to take the ham and macaroni out. The heat dries my eyes a bit as pull the dishes out and place them on the stove and begin retrieving the serving dinnerware. As I move the mashed potatoes and vegetables to their respective dinnerware bowls I start to pick up on the conversation.

"To be completely honest with you, Carrie," I hear Nicole saying, "I don't see anything in this bottle."

"Yeah," Richard pipes up, "Is there a boogie guy in there?"

"Richard, it's bogeyman," Nicole corrects.

"Isn't that who you find dancing under our bed?" he asks.

"No, Richard," Nicole sighs before continuing with Carrie, "So what exactly are you trying to show us again?"

I can't hear her response as she seems to whisper it.

"WHAT!?" I hear 3 voices cry out in unison surprising me so much I jerk back in shock and drop a kitchen spoon, sending a spoonful of veggies scattering across the floor.

"Aww c'mon!" I exclaim at my blunder.

I hear a little more hushed talking after that, yet I don't take notice of it as I grab a broom and begin to gather and sweep up my mess.

"Do you need any help?" I hear a rough yet shy voice say from over my shoulder. I turn my head to see Jamie standing under the archway to the dining-room table, nervously rubbing her elbow.

"Uhh… s-s-sure," I sputter as bit feeling my face heat up a bit. She walks forward and grabs a paper towel and begins to sweep and gather a small pile of veggies to pick up as I sweep the rest into the dust pan.

As I pick up the dust pan I sputter, "J-Jamie?" I feel her gaze from under her hair, "I want to apologize for earlier."

"For saying I could help you sweep up, what looks like, only a spoonful of tiny vegetables?" she asks looking at her barely full paper towel. I take it and my dustpan to the trashcan and dump their contents.

"N-… you know what? Not initially, but now I see that it wasn't even necessary. I meant, sorry for what happened at school… in the hallway… before you laid me out."

"oh…" she chokes. I turn to look at her, but she looks away meekly.

"Yeah, I didn't mean to embarrass you or anything. I just blurted out my thoughts."

"So," she responds softly, "You just thought I was… 'cute'?"

A light, nervous, and awkward noise; that I could only guess was mix of a laugh, a cry, and a vocalization of an old jalopy backfiring; escapes my lips before I smack my hand over my mouth. After a split second, which felt like an eternity, I nod my head lightly, but vigorously.

"Wait… Does that mean Gumball thinks I'm cute," she asks looking off as if thinking about the theory of Relativity.

"Uhm I… you know... after being ejected from his head… I tend to have different likes and… dislikes that differ from his. So I can't say that, but… please don't... hurt him… for that?…"

"But you think that I'm…?" she mulls over her words.

"Yes," I answer quickly before saying, "Please don't knock me out again."

"Well," Jamie begins as she comes closer; and just as she about half an arms length away, "I guess you do get to the point faster than Gumball did with Penny, huh?"

"Huh, I guess I do," I chuckle a bit as I start rubbing the back of my neck with one hand and glancing away. She gives me a playful punch to free arm.

"Look," she sighs, "We might need to post-pond this talk later…. Nope. That didn't sound right."

"I think post-'PONE' was what you're thinking of," I let her know, "But it's endearing."

"What's in a deer ring?" she says confused.

"Let's just say, it's a nice personality trait," I say; doing my best to explain, "but why talk later."

"I think you've got a family thing to deal with," she says as she motions to the living-room, "So, we'll talk later?"

"Definitely," I say nodding with a stupid grin on my face.

She smiles and lets it fade before turning to walk out the kitchen. As she leaves, gazes into the living-room and says, "I'll let myself out now."

As I look at her leave I think about my previous decision.

'I should rethink what I'm gonna do.'

As the door closes on her exit, Nicole calls from under the living-room archway for me to come to her. As I leave the kitchen I notice Gumball gnawing at a bottle with a motionless fly inside it.

"Uhh… why is there a fly in that bottle?" I ask perplexed. Everyone then turns to look at me with worry on their face, except Carrie and Darwin. Carrie has a look of surprised indifference and Darwin has his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You see something in here?" Gumball says taking his teeth from around the bottle's cork.

"Yes…?" I say wondering what's going on. I notice the fly slowly moving towards the top of the bottle. Really… slowly…

While it's in motion I see it in more detail.

'Wait a second…'

"NIKOLA!?" I shout before running to get a closer look, "WHY is he in there?!"

I'm answer back with statements right after another.

"I trapped him in..." Carrie responds curtly, but cuts herself off and asks, "Nikola?"

"HOW are you gonna help him!?" Darwin exclaims with an accusatorial tone.

"WHO'S Nikola?" asks Gumball confused.

"IS dinner ready?!" Richard asks politely.

"RICHARD!" exclaims Nicole.

"He used to be Zach, but changed his name. Was gonna giving my body up temporarily. It's Zach, but new name; don't know why I answered that again And it's almost ready, was actually coming to call everyone to get..." I answer in order and catch myself. I look around and see everyone's face has a shocked expression.

"Right…" I mutter, "I was gonna tell them during dinner."

"You're gonna give him your body?!" I hear Gumball say with a chastising inflection, "Why?!"

"It's his body anyways," I answer feeling smaller, "I got it by accident. Besides, it'll be temporary"

"So what!?" He shoots back angrily, a tinge of annoyance pulses in my head alongside my shock.

"Gumball," Nicole puts her hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down.

"He tried to take my life from me!" he continues, a wave of shame washes over me causing me to shut my eyes and turn away, "and you were let him have another shot at me?!"

"Gumball!" Nicole says as he shakes her hand off him and stomps closer to me. He grabs me by the collar of my shirt and as I stare into his eyes, I see rage. A rage I have never even felt from him during my entire existence in his mind. He's looking at me like I'm the enemy. Like I'm not family. I feel fear well up inside me… alongside anger. I shut my eyes to push the anger down.

"Gumball! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Richard bellows as he comes between us pulls him from me. Gumball's grip loosens in his surprise and I fall back onto the floor. I can't push it down anymore.

"He wants to exist, outside of you and me! Is that wrong!?  Was I wrong to want that too!?" I say seething as I open my eyes in a scowl and sit up on the floor. I see a look of surprise and hurt on everyone's face, Gumball seemingly affected by my question more than anyone else, he looks devastated. I continue, "He's just like me, right? An aspect of Gumball's mind that just happened to come into existence. He just wanted to live! He may not have gotten off on the right foot with the family, but does that mean he just has to fade away?! I can give him his rightful chance at being here, so why shouldn't I?..."

"WHY!? WHY WOULD YOU THINK TO JUST GIVE UP!?" Gumball yells at me, pulling himself together.

Something in me snaps.

"BECAUSE I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS!," I screamed back with all my emotions rushing out, "I didn't ask to be here! To!... to be! All I wanted was to be heard! To be listened to! By You! I got that! But!… now I'm reeling!... falling!... being pushed and pulled by feelings ranging from happiness to sadness to anxiety to an existential feeling of both importance and irrelevance that I have never… NEVER dealt with before!…

Everyone is quiet. No one knows what to say. I keep going.

"I remember Plato's allegory of the cave: the people shackled who only see the world via shadow puppetry controlled by others and then a thought pops into my head!…. blissful ignorance…"

No more anger. No more fear. Sadness washes over me, chilling me to the bone.

"Existence is nauseating and I didn't think I'd actually would have wanted to BE if I knew I'd be a bundle of nerves and anxiety; filled to the brim of insecurities and fear; or uncertain of where my place in this family is. I see you all as my family, but it's weird for me. I don't see you as my brother, or Nicole and Richard as my parents. Anais, I do see as my sister. And I see Darwin as a brother; I just don't know how I see myself."

"We can help you though," Gumball says gingerly as I feel him come to comfort me, "you are a part of this family. Even if you are a new part to us, a lost part, you are family to us. We care for our family."

With quickened breathing I mutter, "I don't qualify… I can't… I shouldn't be here..."

Everything I was feeling is out in the open and instead of just feeling relief, I feel shame and disgust in myself. At this point I'm curled up with my knees to my chest and I'm trembling at every labored inhale and exhale. I have my eyes shut tightly, yet I can feel the tinge burning as my tears well up.

The silence that washed over us is heavy and stifling.

'The food's gonna get cold'

I feel myself retreating into my mind…

'I turned the stove off, right?'

... trying to cut myself off from my emotions…

'I don't belong here.'

…I see that my decision was the right one… I should stop existing...

'Bryce and Eddie will move on. So can Jamie.'

As my face relaxes into a cold neutrality and my decision begins to solidify; I feel presence standing over me, a small shift in the carpet next to my foot, and then a warm embrace. My eyes shoot open and I see that Richard is holding me tightly.

"At least you didn't let it fester," I hear him whisper in my ear. At this I tremble again, but this time I let my tears run free. I cry into his shoulder as grip his shirt. I feel another embrace, then another, and two more. The Watterson family is embracing me. My family is embracing me. I cry softer. After what seems like an eternity, Richard speaks softly and with care…

"Is the food done?"

I chuckle a bit, "yeah... I already told you that."