Transformation Tragedies [CoRIII]

Chapter 7 - A freak

Thursday 11.00AM

[Gumball has never felt as odd before as during this entire morning. The school weirdly gave everyone a day off yesterday without a known or specified reason. Besides, the only other person the blue kitten talked with so far was Darwin and all other pupils seemed to leave him and his brother be. Whenever the Watterson boys would make their way through the corridors, the others kept silent and stared at them with the most uneasy expression as they walked by. Darwin finds it odd too, but tries his best not to think too much about it, as he is glad enough to be with Gumball. The blue kitten then realizes something even more unusual that makes his heart drop. Penny isn't at school.

After lunch break, any more hours of unease is something Gumball really can't use right now. So he decides to immediately dial his girlfriend's number as soon as he returned his tray. Darwin wants to make him aware of the lessons that are about to start, but keeps himself silent when he sees his adoptive brother having such a sickly worried expression on his face.]

Gumball: Penny? A-are you there?

[Penny tries to hide that her voice is a bit raspy, but the blue kitten already finds out she had just been crying.]

Penny: H-hey...

Gumball: Penny, are you alright? Why aren't you at school? You never skip a day like this...

Penny: D-don't worry about me... I just woke up with a fever and didn't feel like following classes for that matter.

Gumball: A fever? That's new. I can't recall any other time you've been sick before.

Penny: [Sighs] Well a first time isn't impossible, is it?!

Gumball: Gee, sorry. I didn't mean to harm you.

Penny: I-it's not your fault, s-sorry Gumball. There's just too much going on right now and I can't-

[Penny goes quiet at the other side of the line out of a sudden.]

Gumball: Penny?

[Gumball's ears drop when he clearly hears her sobbing.]

Gumball: Penny? Please tell me, what's going on?!

Penny: My dad broke his antler Tuesday night...

Gumball: I'm so sorry to hear that...

Penny: He'll regrow it eventually, not that it hurt or something. But, Gumball, things don't really seem to be as good for you either...

Gumball: What? What do you mean with that?

Penny: You d-don't know? Didn't your parents tell you?

Gumball: I have no clue of what I'm supposed to know.

[Darwin gives his brother a sudden punch when he sees Miss Simian approaching from the other side of the cafeteria. Gumball can't even get mad at him for his interruption as he gasps when he sees the tall baboon walking into their direction.]

Gumball: W-wait Penny, one moment, I gotta run to class right now!

[Both the blue kitten and legged goldfish jump up, only to then start sprinting into the corridors as fast as possible. How Darwin wanted to reach out to the classroom's handle first, he suddenly stops when he sees his adoptive brother stopped in his tracks too. He slowly turns around and walks towards him.]

Darwin: Gumball? Are you coming?

[Gumball feels his entire system tremble by upwelling grief and confusion as he keeps holding his phone tightly in his paw. He stares blankly at the red lockers in front of him with tears evolving in his eyes and slowly raises the phone to his ear again.]