[Saturday, 11:45 Am, in the past ]

Ah yes, that unknown feeling rises higher than ever in our blue feline protagonist. Because In just one more day, he'll be enrolled in kindergarten for Elmore Elementary school. What else is there to do but buy new clothes for the new school year. After wearing his beloved overalls for as long as he can remember.

Where better to do that than his favorite place to go, Elmore shopping mall. Gumball was a very energetic kid, to say the least, so constantly walking around and looking at shops was a good way to tend to his energy and short attention span at the same time. Like killing two birds with one stone, Gumball's mom always thought. this was a good place to go to spend time with her gummypuss.
(This is a nickname for him in the show that his mother calls him)

"Hey, there's something I want to try on in the store, can you wait out here real quick gumball." Gumball's mother, Nicole Watterson, told him.

"But why, I want to look around some more? Can I just go by myself? pleeeaase, I promise I'll be right back." Gumball pleaded.

At first Nicole was about to sternly put her foot down and say no, but then Gumball pulled out his greatest weapon! His adorable puppy dog eyes and praying hands were a killer cutie combo. So she reconsidered.

"OH, I guess you are growing fast, my little gummypuss." (she hesitated and looked around for a moment) "OK, fine, but be back in no more than five minutes! Do you understand!" She quietly yelled.

"OK, mom, I promise I won't let you down. See you in a bit, mom!" The feline said enthusiastically as he ran down the aisle.

Gumball looked all through the boys' very unamused by most choices. Until, he noticed a sale sign on the other side of the aisle. it read 50% off huge sale, in bold lettering, 'it was worth at least a look I mean that seems like a good deal' He thought then darted over there In a flash, so fast in fact he didn't even notice the kinds of clothes in this PARTICULAR aisle. When he finally got there he was confused as he saw the types of clothing items around him, they were pink and full of stuff like unicorns, there were bows, hair clips and ooooooooooooohhhh........he finally caught on. He was in the girls section. No wonder there were pink and purple items all around him, he embarrassingly thought to himself. But just then, he was walking back to the boys' section shamefully, looking down in shame this caused him to suddenly bump his head into someone and fell on his back immediately.

( if "This side of paradise" by Coyote theory is compatible with your device,
you are welcome to play now)

"woah......my head." He looked over and saw a little peanut girl short and pretty round, For some reason, he felt a strange feeling he never felt before in the pit of his stomach. "OH, I'm very sorry I didn't see you walking." He nervously said as he helped up the peanut girl rushing over to her in the blink of an eye.

"No, it's okay. I should've been looking, too." She said in a very friendly tone and almost sweet tone.

"Well, yeah, I guess we both should've been looking....haha." He said and chuckled while nervously scratching the back of his head. He paused for a moment until he noticed the peanut girl staring at him, confused. "Oh hehe, sorry, my name is Gumball Watterson." He then held out his hand for a hand shake.

she giggled a bit, Gumball thought it was rather cute. "I like your name, it's very original, and a bit silly."
She then softly grabbed his hand and they shook hands for a few seconds. She then smiled and softly spoke. "My name is Penny, like the coin."

Gumball then suddenly blurred out "I like your gig-uh I mean name it's very original too hehe."

The young girl was absolutely enjoying his awkwardness and felt a strange feeling, she felt warm obviously knowing he was going to compliment her giggle.

Gumball now trying to change the subject spoke again "hey yknow I don't think I've seen you around town before. Are you new here?"

"Yes, we moved in town for my dad's job he does construction." She then not thinking blurted out her feelings just s little to this kind new kitten she bumped into. "it's been kinda lonely here so far.....because no one....really wants to be my friend." Penny sniffled a bit, trying to hide back her tears.

"Oh well... I mean If you want, I-I could be your friend." He says, looking up and down at his hands nervously.

*Sniffs again* "You really mean that." She softly said looking very carefully into his eyes. Almost studying them, to see if he truly was being kind.

"Of course I mean, who wouldn't wanna be friends with you? You seem so friendly and cool, and nice and pretty....uh! I mean, um....uhhh." The blue cat kept awkwardly rubbing his hands together and darting his eyes around the room to try and think of something clever to ease the situation. How could he let that slip out he shamefully kept thinking. 'Now, she probably thinks I'm a weirdo!'

But out of nowhere, the peanut while giggling quickly squeezes gumball tightly for a hug. While both kids are smiling and embracing in a warm hug, gumball feeling really comfortable starts purring in a soft and very cute way. Immediately both stop hugging and back away, gumball blushing madly starts to speak feeling embarrassed.

Gumball: "Um... sorry, I didn't mean to do that, it just.......happens sometimes when I'm uh-umm when I'm really-"

He then got cut off by Penny.

"Happy?"

"Yeah, pretty much." He responded, again looking down

"Well, I thought it was pretty cute." She spoke with a small smile.

Both blush and try looking away for a brief moment while holding their arms and looking down. Finally, they start to speak again.

"So do you... still wanna be friends?" He nervously asked.

"Sure, if you want to...." she replied with a soft, kind glare at Gumball.

"Definitely! Well, it's settled then, but I still gotta go back to the boys section to pick out some clothes for school."

"You're going to Elmore Elementary school too on Monday!" She said while smiling even bigger and sounding excited at first, then quickly trying to hide it.

"Yes, at first I was a bit scared but now I feel fine cause I get to see you..... uh my friend....I mean." He very awkwardly chuckled.

Penny felt warm all around as this statement touched her heart just a little. she hugged him one more time before departing. "Me too, well I guess I'll see you on Monday." She said

"Yeah, see you soon." He said, running quickly back to the boys section. He felt that strange feeling while talking to her but he never felt it before....certainly not talking to anyone of his other friends his age? Well whatever the feeling was it felt like a blanket wrapped around and his whole body full of nerves, he had to admit though.....he kinda liked it?

Soon after, Penny thought to herself, 'What a silly cat, I hope we get the same class on Monday, I don't know why, but he seemed pretty cute hehe. I really hope we get to be friends! I still can't believe he thought I was pretty' she thought with a look of pure ecstasy and a happy sigh before she heard her dad call her from the other side of the girls section.

Gumball then thought, 'oh man, oh man I think it's been way longer than five minutes.' Almost at the changing booth his mom was in, emphasis on the word "was" as she was now standing outside of it with that look of disappointment and her arms crossed. And a look of small anger.

"Gumball, you promised you'd be back in five minutes while it's been almost 15! What on earth were you doing!" She said in a demanding and sharp tone.

"Well, it's a long story, but basically I was looking, until I noticed a big sale and I ran over there but found out it was for girls, then I accidentally ran into a girl and I guess we were talking for a bit, I'm really sorry mom." Gumball hung his head in shame.

Now feeling a bit bad, Nicole lowered her angry tone and knelt down to lift her son's head chin up to face her and said...

"It's OK, I forgive you...just please be more careful next time."

"Yeah, I promise mom."

"Now, tell me some more about this girl, huh?" Nicole said with a smug expression as if she knew already.

"Well, her and her family moved in recently she's also so friendly, and like super nice and even more pret- well I mean sweet or...erm."

"I NEW IT, my little gummypuss is growing up so fast, you already have a little crush, aweeeee..." she remarked actually feeling her heart melt just a tad.

" Well, no, I mean yes, or I mean she's just a-a friend, you know?" He said blushing so red he almost looked like a tomato. "

"Sure sweetie whatever you say, but that's the same thing your father told his parents about me when I was a little girl." She spoke now devilishly grinning at him with a raised eye brow.

They both were about to leave the store when all of a sudden something catches Nicole in the corner of her eye. On the clearance shelf a nice red and yellow striped T shirt just hanging there.

"Hey Gumball, how about this?" Nicole said hoisting up the T shirt like a trophy.

"Oh wow! I love it, I think it looks really cool."

They went to the checkout line and bought the colorful shirt and soon enough walked out of the store smiling. Gumball looked pretty tired but deep down inside he couldn't contain his excitement to see penny again on Monday, although they were friends, something felt different about her, to him she wasn't just an ordinary friend, he liked her a lot, maybe even too much for a friend. Although he never felt this feeling before, he felt both nervous and excited in his stomach, and strangely enough in his heart.......