Once Upon a Time in Elmore: When Gumball Met Penny

by Wrigley Stuart

  The bird nabbed Mr. Watterson’s hat with its beak and wrestled it from his head. With two flaps of its wings, the bird soared high into the air, clutching the hat tightly.

  Mr. Watterson screamed. The bird squawked and the hat fell from its mouth.

  Gumball’s father ran into the yard, his arms outstretched as the cap plummeted toward him.

  The hat was only a few inches from his grasp when an eagle swooped down and snatched it with its talons.

  The eagle, still clutching the cap, flew up and over the house and into the sky. As it glided off into the horizon, some kind of giant monster bird with horrible fangs and claws swooped out from behind a cloud and swallowed the eagle in one gulp.

  The monster cawed happily, a loud and echoing BAWK! It never saw the airplane that flew by, and the creature was sucked into its engine.

  Smoke sputtered from the plane as it wobbled a bit and then disappeared into the distance.

  “My hat!” bawled Mr. Watterson, his face wrenched in agony as he crumbled to the ground.

  “We’ll get you another hat, Mr. Dad,” suggested Darwin.

  “It wouldn’t be the same,” moaned Mr. Watterson. He jumped up and pointed to the ground. His face was frozen with a look of overwhelming fright. “Ack! A spider!”

  “You can barely see it, Dad,” said Gumball, squinting at the teeny, tiny bug.

  His father screamed again, this time even louder. He sprinted away so quickly it was if his legs were on fire.

  “Ack, dust . . . !” he screamed from inside the house. “Help, a burglar! Oh, that’s just me in the mirror . . . Help, it’s me in the mirror!!”

  His yelling lingered, echoing across the yard.

  “I hope Mr. Dad doesn’t lose his confidence now that he’s lost his hat,” said Darwin.

  “I’m sure Dad will be fine,” said Gumball.

  “I’m never leaving the house again!” screamed their father.

  Gumball held a flower. He sniffed, filling his nose with its delicate scent. Life was good. “Is it just me, or does the air smell sweeter and the sun look brighter today?”

  “It’s just you,” said Darwin. The skies were gray and cloudy. It looked like it might rain.

  Gumball wore his new red cap and it made him feel wonderful. He was bursting with confidence. He felt powerful! He could do anything!

  “You should have given your hat to Mr. Dad,” Darwin said. “He refused to go to work this morning.”

  “Nonsense,” said Gumball. “I’m the one who needs confidence, not Dad.”

  Penny huddled with Teri and Carrie on the school playground.

  “Good morning, ladies,” said Gumball as he strode past. He tipped his cap to them.

  “Oh, hi,” said Carrie. She yawned as if she was already bored with the conversation.

  “Hi, Gumball,” said Penny, smiling and blushing. “I like your cap.”

  Gumball tapped his cap but his confidence melted away. He balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. He resisted the temptation to run off. He looked down at his feet. “I am confident,” he repeated softly to himself. But as soon as he looked back up to Penny, his tongue twisted into a knot. “Phlxxtp,” he muttered.

  A faraway thunderclap shook Gumball’s ears, and a raindrop plopped onto his nose. More raindrops quickly followed behind.

  Gumball bit his lip. Why was he so nervous? He’d worn his father’s red cap, and people with hats never got nervous.

  Unless.

  Unless his father was wrong and Darwin was right. Maybe hats don’t give people confidence.

  Maybe people give themselves confidence.

  He took a deep breath. Gumball needed to stop acting so scared in front of Penny.

  She was a just a regular girl—nothing more—and he was Gumball! He was confident! He was astonishingly awesome. Even hatless!

  With a burst of determination, Gumball removed his cap and handed it to Penny. “Here. This will keep you dry.”

  “But you’ll get wet,” protested Penny.

  “I insist.”

  Penny took the hat. "Thank you, Gumball."

  Gumball smiled and smiled. And smiled some more. His mouth felt frozen. His head felt lonely. What had he done? How could he talk to Penny, or to anyone, without a hat? He had just made the biggest mistake in his life! He gulped, just as another thunderclap shook the ground.

  Raindrops increased in size and frequency. The dark clouds looked even darker. Kids fled into the school.

  “We should go inside,” said Penny, running to school to escape the rain.

  Gumball remained frozen, smiling.

  “Hello?” Darwin waved his hand in front of Gumball’s glazed eyes. “She’s gone,” he assured Gumball, and slapped him across the cheeks to snap him from his trance. "Are you okay?"

  Gumball shook his head. “I think so. Let’s get out of the rain.” As they jogged toward school, the downpour grew stronger. “You know what, Darwin? I’m sick of acting silly around Penny. Fourth-graders don’t like girls! I don’t know what I’ve been thinking. You were right. I don’t need a hat.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Darwin as they ducked inside the school door frame, rain dripping from their clothes.

  “Of course I’m sure,” said Gumball. “Who needs a girl or a hat when you have a best friend and a great brother?” He clapped Darwin on the shoulders. Darwin beamed.

  Penny stood across the hallway. Gumball saw her and took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and strode forward. He patted his wet, hatless head. He turned to Darwin. “I don’t need a hat. Hats don’t give people confidence.”

  “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses,” agreed Darwin.

  “Hi, Gumball,” said Penny.

  Gumball threw her a thumbs-up.

  When he was safely past her and no one was looking, he untied his tongue.

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