The Kitten's Limit Remastered

Chapter 5: Challenge Accepted

"Ah, Watterson. Ms. Simian called ahead and said you'd be coming. Please, sit."

Gumball silently sat at Principal Brown's desk, paws/fingers nervously fidgeting underneath.

"So, Ms Simian tells me you were caught cheating on your test. You know how serious an offense this is, correct?"

"Yes sir, I know, but-"

"No buts Watterson, I don't want to hear your excuses. You cheated and were caught red-handed, simple as that."

"But that's not true! I didn't-"

"SILENCE!" Nigel bellowed. 

The young feline scowled, angrily fighting the air for a few seconds before regaining his composure with a frustrated sigh. "...Whatever, just tell me how long I have detention for..."

"About that...given that this is the second time you've cheated on a test, it's obvious that not even an entire spring break's worth of detention was enough. Which is why I'm going to have to do something a little more serious than just a detention this time."

"...What? W-W-What do you mean?" Gumball asked nervously, as he had never received anything more serious than detention before. 

"...I'm afraid you're being suspended for the rest of the week, starting from tomorrow."

"SU-SUSPENDED!? But...but I've never been suspended before!" The young kitten exclaimed horrified.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but you leave me no other choice. Clearly, regular detentions aren't enough anymore."

The feline teared up, beginning to panic. Oh god, oh god. Getting detention was one thing, but being suspended!?  He had never been suspended before! If his Mom wasn't mad enough with him already, now she was going to be absolutely livid! He wasn't going to see the sun again for months!

"But P-Principal Brown, please, I  swear, I-I-I didn't-"

Nigel held out his hand, gesturing for Gumball to stop. The kitten reluctantly obeyed.

The principal hesitated, before sighing. He spoke again, this time in a gentle, much more understanding tone. "Look, I'm sorry Gumball, honestly I am. You're a good kid, and I don't want to have do this. Honestly, I don't. But as I said, you really leave me no other option.  There's nothing else I can do."

Gumball hesitated before sighing in defeat. "...I understand..." 

"I'll be calling your mother to let her know. You will finish off the rest of today, and then spend the rest of the week at home. I'll get Ms Simian to send you home with some work to complete tomorrow, and one of your siblings will be given work to bring home to you tomorrow and every subsequent day.  You are to complete every task set, completely on your own, and then hand it to one of your siblings to hand back to Ms Simian the next day. Am I understood?"

The young kitten silently nodded, struggling to hold back tears.

"Good. You are dismissed."

Gumball quietly nodded again, before slowly heading toward the door. He opened it and was about to leave when the Principal stopped him.

"Oh, and one more thing! Don't think this means you're pardoned from any detentions you still have to serve. They will simply be postponed until after the suspension."

The feline sighed in frustration, before walking out and shutting the door.

==========================================================================