Foreword: This story is a joint collaboration between Starburst Crusader and Whiskers Mooncat.

The concept came about as a result of us wanting to tell a new story with the character of Kid Nicole and her relationship with Gumball, but avoiding the typical time travel and forbidden romance angles one might expect.

The Alternate World of Kid Nicole

Chapter One: New Beginnings

Dressed in her favorite white sweater, emblazoned with pink sleeves and a bold number '1' in the middle, twelve year old Nicole Senicourt walked downstairs, adjusting her matching pink skirt and head bow as she came face to face with her mother.

"Okay Mom," began Nicole. "My homework's all finished, just like you wanted."

"That's nice dear," replied Mary, patting the seat beside her at the dinner table, gesturing for her daughter to sit down.

On the table before them sat a pile of important looking envelopes, an empty cup of coffee, a half finished crossword puzzle and a permanent marker.

"Your report card came in." Mary continued, presenting a yellow sheet of paper.

"That's wonderful!" Nicole almost beamed.

To say that she had worked hard last semester would have been an understatement. In Nicole's opinion, she had gone the extra mile and then some. And now, it was all going to pay off.

At last, she would receive those words of approval from her mother that she longed to hear.

"Well, what do you think?" Nicole eagerly awaited her answer.

"Well..." Mary flatly repeated, beckoning her daughter with a flick of her finger. "Right now, you have an A in Math, a B in Science, an A- in History, a B+ in Music, but only a C in Literature."

Mary put the report card down and stared at her daughter expectantly.

"Oh, I see..." Nicole spoke with a stumped frown. "I take it the C in Literature is the issue?"

Mary shook her head. "That's the worst offender, but it's not the only one."

"Wait, you don't mean..." Nicole began, dumbstruck. "The A's and B's too? Mom, you're not seriously disappointed in those too, are you?"

"Well, aren't you?" Mary turned the question back at her.

"But they're perfectly fine grades!"

"I'm afraid 'perfect' and 'fine' don't fit together, Nicole. Your grades are fine but they're not perfect."

"Are you saying you want me to achieve-"

"All A+'s? Yes dear, that's preciselywhat I expect you to do." Mary stated, with a polite grin. "If it can be done, then it must be done. Winners don't settle for anything less than the best. I certainly never did..."

Mary paused mid-lecture, getting up to pour herself another cup of coffee from the kitchen. Nicole's eyes followed her, doing serious mental gymnastics about the situation. Her mother always harboured unreasonably high expectations but this was something else entirely.

"Keep this in mind Nicole," Mary continued. "Pain is temporary but pride is forever. Remember that."

Nicole sighed heavily.

Great expectations or not, her mother Mary was still the same woman who had raised her, all on her own. Ever since her father walked out on them on a cold, frigid, rainy night, following the weeks after her birth.

No matter what hardships Mary was left to endure, she never once blamed Nicole for them nor did her unbreakable resolve ever waver. It served as a constant reminder to Nicole as to why she could never deny her mother's requests, no matter how ambitious they could be.

Wearily resting her head on the table, Nicole despondently spoke.

"Okay, Mom. If that's what you want…" She slowly tilted her head up, her mother's figure coming into view. "Then I guess it's what I want too… I'll make it happen."

Nicole mustered a faint smile and Mary rubbed her head approvingly.

"Good girl," said Mary, before returning her attention to the report card. "Now, would you mind explaining what happened here? It says you got an F on a Poem you wrote in Literature class. How is this possible? Hmm?"

Nicole winced as a sharp bout of anger suddenly overcame her. Oh, she knew exactly what happened. She had poured her heart and soul into writing that poem and Miss Simian being the old, bitter ape that she was, tore into it like a pack of piranhas after fish food.

"Mom, I assure you, I spent all night working on it! It's all Miss Simian's fault!" She sputtered out in the vain hopes that her mother might understand.

Mary simply rolled her eyes at her daughter as if to say 'here we go again'.

"Nicole, we've been over this before. Just how in the world is it your teacher's fault?" She asked flatly.

"I dunno, maybe it's because she's a bitter baboon who likes tormenting her students all the time?" Said Nicole, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. "You saw her at the Parent-Teacher Conference, Mom. Didn't you catch a glimpse of it?"

"Again, it sounds to me like you're spinning a different story." Her mother replied matter-of-factly, laying the card back down on the table. "The way Miss Simian presented herself during that meeting was nothing short of welcoming-"

"-She's about as welcoming as a gorilla in a monkey house-"

"And she made it clear that her strict discipline only stems from the fact that she wants all her students to succeed-"

"It was all an act, Mom! She's been feeding you nothing but lies!" Nicole pleaded, desperately trying to convince her mother about the truth. ""And the worst part is, she always has it out for me, specifically. She's always calling me a loser and whatnot! She even said it after handing back the poem!"

"Really?" Replied Mary with scepticism. "And what would a certified teacher have to gain from doing such a thing to her own students?"

Nicole opened her mouth for an answer, but ultimately hesitated as sudden realization sank in.

She simply did not have one.

Why did Miss Simian, the bitter old decrepit ape that had lived for countless centuries, decide to target her? She had been calling Nicole a 'loser' since the moment the little cat had toddled into kindergarten on her first day and it had only escalated from there. Especially when Nicole arrived at Elmore Jr High.

Maybe Miss Simian just targets a specific student every few generations. And maybe she has a complex thought process into deciding who that target will be. Or maybe...

Maybe it was just an unhappy coincidence brought about by pure rotten luck, thought Nicole.

Unable to explain herself, Nicole meekly shrugged and gave the only answer she could offer. "I just… I just don't know…"

There was a pause as her mother thought things over.

Mary had raised her daughter better than to lie but even if her tall tale was true, she would not intervene.

Nicole's mother believed that in order to become a winner, one has to be grow thicker skin and rise above discouragement. If Mary started fighting her daughter's battles for her, others might see it as a weakness or worse, she could end up spoiling her only child.

From Mary's point of view, this was merely tough love. There was little time for such minor matters anyway. A much more pressing matter awaited both their attention.

"Well Nicole, my advice is that for your next writing assignment, you should spend all day writing it rather than all night. That's all there is to it…"

Nicole was tempted to argue but ultimately held her tongue. She knew there was no point in trying to reason with her mother. Once Mary had made up her mind, it was a closed topic through-and-through. Nicole knew from experience.

"Yes Mom, I will..." She conceded.

"Good girl," Mary nodded approvingly. "Now go and make yourself presentable. We have some important guests coming over, very soon…"

"Important guests?" Said Nicole. "Who might they be?"

"Mr. Daniel Watterson," Announced Mary. "The man I've been, well… I've been 'talking to' for a while now. He's a single parent, much like myself and we have some important matters to discuss. In the meantime, I've set you up on a play-date with his son."

"What!?" Nicole cried out, crossly. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? I never asked for any 'playdate'!"

"Now now Nicole," Replied Mary, waving her finger. "I'm doing this for your own good. You haven't made a single friend since you fell out with Yuki Yoshida."

"Don't remind me... please."

"But it's true, honey. You've let one bad experience sour your perspective. It's important to make friends to get ahead in life."

"You don't understand, Mom!" Complained Nicole. "Yuki was my best friend. I thought I knew her. I trusted her. And after everything we'd been through, she showed her true colors at the end!"

Nicole folded her arms tightly, glaring daggers at the floor as if she were looking at Yuki, right now.

"How can I trust anyone so easily, after that!? Especially any of those imbeciles at school that only ever think about themselves!"

"Come now, dear… That's just a rash generalization you're making. Certainly not every person at school is like that. I'm sure of it."

"Well, I'm not so sure. But I'd rather not risk finding out after Yuki… after she …" Nicole swallowed hard, her fury melting away into sorrow. "I never want to feel betrayed like that again. Her friendship meant everything to me, Mom. And she threw it all away, just because of one stupid match…"

Nicole was almost on the verge of tears now. Mary looked at her daughter with concern.

"It's my bad, sweetie." She soothed, rubbing her head. "I should have told you about this sooner. What happened with Yuki was most unfortunate. Trust me, I know what it feels like to be betrayed by someone close to you."

Mary took a big sip her coffee, pausing to let her words sink in.

"But you must learn to put the past behind you and move on. I assure you, Daniel's son won't wrong you that way. From what he told me, he's gentle and earnest as they come. You'll see... Socializing with others of your age is a good thing. This is a good opportunity for us-I mean you, to start over."

Nicole remained silent.

"Perhaps you might find more in common with each other than you think…" Mary tried to appeal to her.

There was another pause.

"Look, please just try to get along with him, okay?" Asked Mary, with a comforting arm around her. Nicole slowly looked back up at her mother.

"Okay, I'll try..."

"Thank you, sweetie." Said Mary, grateful of her daughter's acceptance. She then made her way to the stairs, calling back as she did so. "They'll be here in about an hour, so make sure everything is need and tidy before they arrive."

Nicole simply dropped her head onto the table, groaning inwardly.

Meanwhile…

Amongst the hustle and bustle of urban city life, a rather average looking maroon colored car sped across the Elmore expressway, weaving its way in and out of traffic.

Its driver, a short but rough looking Siamese cat, impatiently tapped the steering wheel. His child occupied the passenger seat, lazily staring out the window.

Getting an idea, he turned to his father and asked, "Say Dad, can we stop for ice cream?"

"Later Gumball, we're in a hurry," replied Daniel, not taking his eyes off the road.

"...Then can we stop for candy?"

"No." "Donuts?" "No." "French fries?" "No!" "Froyos?" "No!"

There was a pause.

"...Boba tea?"

"Son... I don't even know what that is..." Daniel replied in an exasperated voice. "Look Gumball, I'm sorry we had to skip breakfast today but we can always eat later. This is a matter of utmost importance!"

"I know, I know," nodded Gumball. "You've said like three times already. But you still haven't told me where we're going…"

Daniel sighed deeply. In a strange way, it amazed him how his son could be so oblivious and yet so curious at the same time.

Daniel had no intention of telling Gumball the whole story just yet but he knew it would be wise to give his son some idea about the importance of their visit.

"Very well," began Daniel. "We're going to be visiting Ms. Senicourt for a while. So you need to be on your best behavior.

"You mean the lady you've been talking to recently?" asked Gumball, donning a look of confusion. "How come we're visiting her? I thought we were moving into our new apartment today..."

Gumball gestured to all of the boxes full of valuables, crowding every inch of the car that wasn't occupied by the cats.

"We are moving in! I mean uh, later. We'll be moving into our new home, later." Daniel hastily clarified.

"Oh, I get it," Gumball smiled. "Are you two-"

"-We're not dating!" Daniel angrily finished the sentence, attempting to play coy, despite his evident blush. Gumball innocently giggled in response, prompting his father to change topic.

"And more importantly," He continued. "You're coming along with me because she has a child of her own for you to play with."

Daniel sped up the car, hoping to make it across the upcoming intersection before the traffic light would change. In a typical fashion, the light switched red the moment he got within sight of it, enraging him even further than he already was.

"Augh, damn it! Curse these infernal red lights!" Daniel shouted, loud enough for the passing commuters to take notice.

Ignoring their looks of bafflement, he kept his paws firmly on the wheel, holding it with a grip so strong that if he were to squeeze any tighter, it would break apart from such fury.

"Curses!" huffed Daniel, impatiently. "Why does this always happen to me!?"

In ordinary circumstances, anyone else would have been horrified at Daniel's outburst over such a minor matter. Gumball on the other hand, remained incredibly nonchalant about the whole predicament.

Having known his father all his life, he knew his father had quite the temper about him. It was quite common for him to break into a rant over the smallest of grievances. But beyond his cranky exterior, Gumball knew his father had a softer side he preferred to hide.

Perhaps getting angry was just his way of coping with the stress of being a single parent. At least that was what Gumball had always thought.

"Dad relax, it's only a red light," Gumball lightly chuckled. "It's just doing its job. It'll change soon enough."

"But the other road is clear!" Complained Daniel. "What's the point of having a red light when no one needs it!?" He yelled out, his tantrum giving out with a simple sigh.

Glancing at his watch the time read 1:36 PM.

Not great, not terrible. There was still a chance he could make it on time, thought Daniel.

If only this damn red light would just... move... on...

"We have to get there as soon as possible," stressed Daniel. "I promised Mary I'd be there at exactly 2 o'clock on the dot!

"Relax Dad," replied Gumball. "It's good to be on time but I don't think a few minutes difference is gonna matter-"

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, AT LAST, IT'S GREEN!" interrupted Daniel triumphantly, slamming down the gas pedal with a cry of joy. He continued talking as the car sped off. "And as a matter of fact son, it will matter. To Mary it will..."

"Why? Is she like some sort of perfectionist or something?" inquired Gumball, prying for more details about the mysterious Mary.

"What? Of course not!" retorted Daniel, shaking his paw in dismissal.

Crossing his arms, Gumball skeptically raised an eyebrow at his father who was quick to rescind his previous statement.

"Well okay, maybe she sort of is…" Daniel confessed quietly. "...but that's what I like in a woman." He offhandedly continued under his breath. "She'll be a better mother to you than Joanna ever was…"

Gumball's eyes immediately darted towards him.

"Uh, what did you say?" He asked, perking up his ears.

"Nothing, nothing. Don't worry about it." Daniel replied, trying to play it cool.

For a moment, Gumball continued to stare at his father as if he could see right through him. Fearing this, Daniel coldly avoided his gaze in the hopes his son would not privy further. Despite his stoic facade, mentally he was panicking. He swallowed hard.

'Just drop it, just drop it, just drop it…' the words kept cycling through his mind.

Thankfully, Gumball just shrugged the matter off and said "Okay then."

Daniel internally breathed a sigh of relief as Gumball turned his attention back towards the road.

"Thank God…" he thought, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"So, Ms. Senicourt has a kid," asked Gumball, curious for more details. "What're they like?"

Daniel merely shrugged.

"I don't know... Mary didn't go into detail. But they're about your age, so I'm sure you'll get along fine."

"Cool," smiled Gumball. "I can't wait to meet him!"

"Her. You can't wait to meet her." Daniel corrected, causing his son to grow a little nervous.

"Huh? Oh... I-I-I've never tried to make friends with a girl before…" Gumball admitted shyly.

"Well, there's a first time for every thing then. If in doubt, just be polite as possible." Daniel instructed.

Several more minutes of traffic later, the duo had finally reached their destination.

"Ah, this must be the place… 1026, York Street." Daniel muttered to himself, as he pulled up towards a driveway. "Look alive son, we've made it!" He said with a smile, as they departed the vehicle.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Gumball cast his eyes upon the little house that stood before him on this warm sunny day. It was evidently much smaller and cosier than the neighbouring houses that surrounded it.

It appeared to be a two storey house, probably housing an attic too evidenced by the window at the very top. The walls were painted a rather saturated shade of light blue with white panels and picket fencing.

It overlooked a neatly kept garden with a nice little patio leading up towards an awning atop the front door. Even the Mailbox looked welcoming with a big painted smile on its front.

"So, this is their house?" Asked Gumball, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yep, it sure is," smiled Daniel. "Well son, what do you think?"

"Hmm, I think it looks…" He trailed off, seemingly about to dismiss it. However, at the flip of a coin, Gumball's eyes lit up as he finished his sentence in an almost mesmerized tone.

"Amazing…"

"Haha, I'm glad you think so." Daniel chuckled at the sudden mood change. "Come on son, it's bad manners to keep a host waiting."

Daniel began to make his way towards the front door as Gumball followed closely behind. Thoughts of meeting his father's acquaintance and her child, made him feel both nervous and excited at the same time. Making friends was all but a new endeavour for him.

Gumball attended Richwood Junior High, which was reputable for its obsession with sports, 80's culture and not much else. It was hard enough trying to fit in, much less make any friends. And given Gumball's overall distaste for the school's motif, it only cemented his status as a misfit and loser.

Worse still, two students in particular, Carlton and Troy, always liked to pick on him. At least, that was what they liked to think. Frankly, Gumball actually felt sorry for them, given how petty their squabbles could be. Even worse, the principal seemed to encourage this bad behavior.

This was a chance for Gumball to start over and by golly, he was determined to make a good first impression. Otherwise, he ought to quit while he was ahead, before he wound up making a fool of himself.

Approaching the front door of the house, Daniel made sure to straighten his appearance, adjusting his tie before knocking three times.

"Now Gumball," He spoke, with his attention set squarely on the door. "I want you to be on your best behavior. Mary and I have a very important matter to discuss. So I don't want you causing any mischief or wandering off on your-"

Daniel turned to face his son but astoundingly Gumball was nowhere to be seen. He whipped his head back and forth in a panic, desperately searching for his son, only to spot him speaking to an elderly moose next to the Senicourt's mailbox.

"...So if you're the neighbourhood mailman, do you deliver your own mail? Or do you like, have your own mail person? Or maybe-"

"-Gumball Watterson!" Daniel hollered. "Get your butt over here, right now!"

"Uh, never mind, bye!" Gumball hastily bid farewell to the mailman and rushed back to meet with his father, who stood before him looking quite annoyed. "What's wrong, Dad?"

"Wrong!? I'll tell you what's wrong..." Daniel spoke in a loud whisper. But he was quick to adjust his tune upon hearing the sounds of the door unlocking. "...After we've said 'Hello' and introduced ourselves."

The door finally opened as he came face-to-face with a tall, beautiful, blue feline. Though in all fairness, most adults would be relatively tall compared to his short stature but Mary was particularly a tall drink of water, with an elegant streak about her.

Although he greeted Mary happily, Daniel was quickly silenced by the unimpressed look on her face. He gulped, anxiously waiting for her to speak.

"Well, you sure know how to keep a lady waiting." She spoke accusingly.

Daniel's nervous expression sank to one of disbelief.

"I… I didn't make it on time then?" He put his hands together and took a pleading stance. "I'm sorry, Mary! I tried to get here as fast as I could, really I did! But the traffic in this city-"

"Shhh, hold on to your whiskers, Daniel," Mary playfully soothed, with a little grin. "It's only 2:01. It's not like I was expecting you to be right on the dot or anything."

Daniel looked up at her, his face a mixture of relief and astonishment. "You… you weren't?"

"What do you think I am?" scoffed Mary. "Some kind of perfectionist or something?"

"Well uh..." Daniel mumbled, scratching his head. "To be honest, yeah. But that's what I like about you, Mary."

"Please Daniel, compliments will get you everywhere," Mary laughed dryly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's no secret that I aim for perfection. But if there's anything I admire more, it's dedication. And you Mr. Watterson, are very dedicated."

"Aw shucks..." Replied Daniel, looking a little flustered.

His father's meek attitude took Gumball by surprise. He had never seen the man look so submissive. Despite his short size, Daniel was a fearless individual and usually one to speak his mind, loud and clear.

But if there actually existed someone who could cut him down to size, then Ms. Senicourt might very well be the scariest person Gumball could ever hope to meet.

Gumball only grew even more nervous as Mary cast her eyes upon him with definitive interest.

"Ah, so this little one here must be your son…" inquired Mary.

"Yes ma'am," Daniel said proudly, ruffling his son's head. "His name is uh… Well, he we call him Gumball."

"Gumball, hmm?" repeated Mary.

Aware of his unusual nickname, Gumball felt himself go tense as Mary's eyes wandered over him, curiously inspecting him like a fine antique, as if trying to figure out his worth.

The thickening air silence was only making him feel even more nervous, so he decided to speak up.

"Uh, how do you do?" He smiled, pretending to tip his imaginary hat.

Mary said nothing but gave him a little smile as she eased off. Inwardly, Gumball breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hmm, quite the little gentleman, I see," Grinned Mary, turning to Daniel. "And what a surprise, you never told me he had blue fur like us!"

"Must've slipped my mind," Daniel scratched the back of head. "They said the gene pool dealt us a wild card. My great grandpappy was a Russian Blue, y'know?"

"Well, do come in and make yourself at home, Gumball." Said Mary with a light chuckle, making her way back inside as the father and son followed her lead.

"Nicole!" Mary beckoned from the base of the staircase. "Come down here and introduce yourself, honey!"

After a moment of hesitation, Nicole lazily walked downstairs, her unhurried hand dragging along the railing, just as her tail did against the floor. When she arrived, she simply stood there with her head lowered, hands crossed and one foot before the other.

Ever so slowly, she titled her head up to make eye contact with her guests. But the moment she saw them, particularly Gumball, her eyes widened with disbelief. She had to blink a few times just to make sure her imagination was not running wild.

'T-That's him?' thought Nicole, noting Gumball's blue fur. 'He looks like… like… He looks just like us!'

'What the what?!' thoughtGumball, his expression mirroring that of Nicole's.

Mary's daughter looked like his carbon copy, even wearing a sweater just like him. They could easily have been mistaken for fraternal twins. What were the odds of that?

Despite his initial shock, Gumball gave a warm smile and stepped forward.

"Hi, my name is Gumball Watterson!" extending his hand with a big dopey grin on his face.

Nicole responded in a very formal, somewhat forced tone. "I'm Nicole, nice to meet you."

Though she shook his hand, the bored look in her eyes did not seem to agree with her, much to Gumball's dismay. Was it something he said?

Mary folded her arms, giving her daughter a stern look before turning to Gumball.

"Forgive me dear but she can be a little shy." Mary apologetically told him.

"Hey, it's cool," smiled Gumball with sympathy. "It's nice to meet you too, Nicole."

Nicole said nothing in response, preferring to to look down at the floor.

A void of silence filled the air and Gumball was unsure what to say next. Deep down he had a feeling that making new friends would be tough for him but he never expected it to be this hard. Nicole was standing in front of him and yet she seemed so distant from him.

Daniel awkwardly coughed into his fist, catching everyone's attention.

"Well then," he began. "Now that the introductions are over, what say we get down to business? Mary, should

Well then," he began. "Now that the introductions are over, let's get down to business. Mary, shouldn't we start discussing… well, y'know. The thing."

"Oh yes, the thing. That's right," She nodded in agreement before turning to face the kids. "Kids, while we have our private discussion, why don't you go ahead and play upstairs? Nicole, you should show Gumball all the cool stuff you have in your room!"

"Cool stuff?" Gumball mimicked her words in interest.

Nicole on the other hand looked petrified with fear. Her room?

She had just met this boy and already she had to invite him into her own little private sanctuary!? There was no way she could agree to this.

Mary must have read her daughter's mind. She did not say anything but she raised an eyebrow and just like that, any protests Nicole might have had were immediately dismissed.

If her mother wanted this, then so did she. There was no room for negotiations.

"Yes, Mom." Sighed Nicole.

"Thank you, honey," Smiled Mary. "And remember, the two of you are not to come down here until we say so, understand?"

Nicole simply nodded and went back up the stairs, while Gumball offered a cheery "Yes, ma'am!"

Gumball was about to follow after Nicole but his father placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Uh one moment Mary," Said Daniel. "I just need to have my own little talk with Gumball for a moment."

"Is that so?" inquired Mary, pulling out a chair in the dining area. "Very well. I'll be right here."

Mary began sorting through the pile of papers that sat on the table as father and son spoke in hushed whispers at the foot of the staircase. Neither one was aware of the third party above them; curiosity got the best of her and Nicole listened in to their conversation.

'I know it's wrong to Gumdrop-I mean, eavesdrop. But I have to know what this 'Gumball' is really like… What kind of name is that, anyway?'

"What's wrong, Dad?" Asked Gumball.

Somehow, he had a strong feeling this was going to be less of a talk and more of a lecture. His suspicions were confirmed when Daniel faced him with an angry scowl.

"Why were you bothering that mailman, earlier?" Daniel sternly pointed outside. "What have I told you about talking to strangers?"

"Calm down Dad," said Gumball. "He's the next door neighbour and he was just asking for the time."

"And for all we know he could be dangerous!" replied Daniel, tightening his grip on his son's shoulders.

"Oh sure," Gumball sarcastically rolled his eyes. "I think I saw him carrying a letter opener. Clearly he must be the most dangerous man in Elmore…"

"Son, this is no laughing matter!"

"Well, excuse me," Gumball folded his arms. "I didn't realize being nice was such a crime!"

"And that's just the problem son, you're too nice! And one of these days your carelessness is going to get you in big trouble!" He snarled at him, in voice that would scare a shark-bear-igator.

"Oh come on, Dad," protested Gumball. "I get it, it's important not to trust strangers. But you're taking this too far! Are we gonna start treating everyone we don't know with scorn? You can't assume everyone's the same!"

That last statement certainly caught Nicole's attention as she listened in from upstairs.

Daniel softened up a little, shaking his scowl off with a huff. He could not deny his son had a point. Perhaps he was being too paranoid, though Daniel was not without his reasons. All that anger stemmed from concern. His son could be quite the mischief maker at times.

"Gumball, by all means follow your heart but do not wander off without telling me first." He warned, poking his forehead. "I haven't forgotten about the time you mistook that burglar for a charity man!"

"Well, he was pretty convincing," shrugged Gumball.

"Son, the guy was literally a walking thumbprint!" asserted Daniel. "He had crime written all over him!"

"Well, excuse me for not making assumptions..." Gumball threw his hands in the air. "Alright Dad, I promise I'll be more careful around strangers from now on. But only if you promise you lighten up a little."

"Very well then," said Daniel approvingly. "Glad we could have this talk, son. Now go on upstairs and make friends with Nicole."

Gumball nervously threw glance at the top of the stairs.

"I don't know, Dad, she seems pretty shy. It's like she doesn't wanna be friends at all."

Daniel groaned with irritation, pinching the bridge of his nose with impatience. Placing his hands on Gumball's shoulders, Daniel kneeled down so he could be face to face with him.

"Son, friendship is a fickle thing," explained Daniel. "Sometimes, it takes a bit more effort than just saying Hello and introducing yourself. And sometimes, you've gotta make yourself more welcoming. Some people have a like, uh…."

Daniel twirled his fingers as he thought of the right words.

"Well, like a big shell around them, that they won't come out of until they feel comfortable. And that's when you have to get them to open up to you."

"Hmm, so what you're saying is, some folks can be tough nuts to crack and if I wanna help them come out of their shells, I need to use the hammer of friendship to break them out by making myself more welcoming like an open book?"

"Um yeah sure," shrugged Daniel. "Let's go with that."

"Thanks for the awesome advice, Dad!" Gumball said cheerily, giving his father a hug.

"Alright, alright." He fidgeted, gently shoving him off. "Just play safely and remember, do not come back down here until we call you two. Do I make myself clear?"

Gumball gave a reassuring nod and ascended the stairs. Perhaps his father was right, it was too early to jump to conclusions. If he was to make friends with Nicole, he had to put more effort than just introducing himself.

As Gumball made it to the top of the staircase, he met back with Nicole, who stood a good distance to his right at the end of the corridor. She awkwardly leaned against the wall with her arms folded, trying to act natural but only making it more evident that she had been eavesdropping.

The two cats gazed at each other, Nicole giving him a rather unapproachable look. With great courage, Gumball stepped forward, determined to make Nicole's acquaintance.

"So, how are you doin-"

Unfortunately, the second step was where it all fell apart. He tripped over and landed face first onto the carpet with a grunt.

'Ouch. So much for a good first impression….' He thought to himself.

Nicole's mouth briefly gaped in pure disbelief. This was whom her mother wanted her to make friends with?

One should never judge a book by its cover but if Gumball was a book, he'd be the one that was missing half its pages.

Mary had always forced Nicole to have the highest of standards in everything, including friends. In fact, Mary had always told her that the only friends worth keeping are ones that are beneficial to your lifestyle and will push you to achieve greater heights.

Yuki Yoshida had exemplified those traits. Gumball Watterson on the other hand, was another story. So why did her mother want them to be such good friends?

Nicole continued to stare down at him looking most unimpressed. From the floor, Gumball raised his head to make eye contact, offering her a nervous grin.

Following a heavy sigh, Nicole looked away before extending had out towards him and helping him back on his feet. Despite her standoffish mannerisms, Gumball appreciated her gesture of kindness all the same.

Just when he was starting to feel a little more at ease, Nicole faced him and spoke, straight and to the point.

"So, what exactly is your deal?" She asked accusingly as her tail twitched.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm a little bit clumsy." Gumball giggled sheepishly, brushing the dust off himself.

"No, what I mean is, how come you look so much like us? You look like me, only wimpier. I swear, if it turns out that you're my long lost brother or something I'm gonna-"

"Whoa whoa, hold the phone," said Gumball, surrendering his hands up in a flustered fashion. "I'm not related to you, at least… I don't think so. My blue fur comes from my great grandfather."

"Alright, then…" Said Nicole, folding her arms with a huff and shutting her eyes.

She took his answer with a grain of salt but it satisfied her enough. The last thing she needed right now was a sudden addition to the family.

Although Nicole's stiff attitude did nothing to curb Gumball's optimism, her comment about him being wimpy did not exactly boost his motivation either. Then again, some people are just naturally blunt and she did have a point is what Gumball told himself.

Nicole stood where she was, ears flattened against her head as Gumball awkwardly looked back and forth around the hallway. Gathering the courage to break the ice, Gumball spoke up.

"Look, I'm not very good at hellos," He began. "Or goodbyes. Or a lot of stuff in general. But I really do want to be friends with you, Nicole. Just give me that chance. Whatever you wanna do, I'm down for it!"

Nicole sighed inwardly, knowing full well there was no avoiding this.

Any conflict would inevitably bring her mother into the mix, who could smell trouble a mile away.

She thought back to what he said earlier, about not treating every stranger with scorn. Mulling his words over, Nicole felt a sharp pang of regret for insulting him prior… Wasn't that what she had just done, by calling him 'wimpy'?

And the fact he did not call her out on it…

Did that mean his self-esteem was so low that he agreed with her? Regarding this, she found herself wishing that she had left that part out.

'It's not like you know anything about him, Nicole…' Her conscience reprimanded. 'Maybe you should just give him a chance? He seems... like a good kid….'

"Fine…" said Nicole, rolling her eyes. "I suppose, if we must. But I can't really think of anything to do, so what do you have in mind?"

Nicole placed her hands on her hips, awaiting his response. This was his chance to prove to her, that he truly wanted to be friends.

"Okay, uh..." replied Gumball, pondering the matter over.

What exactly could they do? They could play on his GameChild console but he had left it in the car with the rest of the luggage. But going back downstairs was out of the question.

'Even if it's just a quick run outside, Dad's not gonna like it one bit. And I promised I wouldn't wander off…' Gumball thought to himself.

Coming to the obvious conclusion, Nicole's mother did suggest playing in her room earlier. Perhaps the simplest solution was the most ideal.

"Say, your mom mentioned your room, right?" asked Gumball, curiously moving towards her door. "And that you had some 'cool things' in here."

Nicole stared back at him with absolute horror, as he inched closer and closer to her door.

"Why don't we do that?" continued Gumball. "That'd be a great way for us to get to know each other."

He reached out to open it, and simultaneously, in a flash, Nicole sprung forward from her feet.

"NO!"

It was no sooner than the door slightly cracked open that she slammed it shut in a panic, causing Gumball to back away in fear.

Gumball stared at her, dumbfounded, as she stood flat against the door. Nicole spoke not a single word after that, her breathing reduced to heavy huffs as if she had just ran a marathon. She seemed scared beyond belief.

"Nicole!" Mary suddenly yelled from downstairs, giving the two cats quite a fright. "What on earth is going on up there, young lady?!"

...

End of Chapter 1