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'     I can't get a grip, but I can't let go.
       There wasn't anything to hold on to, though...'

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[Gumi 🍃]

Beep,
Beep beep beep, Click!

The electronic lock sounded and the lock unbolted, granting Gumi entry into the apartment room where she lived.

The little girl didn't bother to close the door behind her. It automatically slid shut on it's own; the lock clicking shut when it did, leaving Gumi alone in dim light.

"I'm home." Gumi called out to no one in particular. She didn't bother to open the lights. She just stumbled her way through, easily finding her way to the door leading to her bedroom. She entered and flicked on the light switch, squinting slightly as thr brightness invaded her vision.

Gumi collapsed on her bed in a tired heap. She groaned, feeling absolutely drained for reasons she cannot understand. Maybe it was because she was jumping around so much earlier?

Her eyes wandered around her messy room. Clothes, magazines and toys were littered everywhere. She wasn't a clean freak, and she doubted that her friend and only family, Primadonna, was one either. After all, she never got any scoldings for keeping her room as messy as this.

"Oh, right," Gumi spoke up loudly to herself. "Where's Primadonna now?"

Gumi's gaze went to a paper taped to her room's wall. It was an old drawing, one she made years ago.

It was a messy scrawl of crayons, lacking much detail and color. It was a cartoony image portraying a teen girl wearing a white, ribboned uniform blouse and a black mini skirt. But instead of two, she had six arms and a television for a head. A happy :-) emoji was drawn messily on the screen.

Looking at the whole thing made Gumi cringe. Not because her friend was weird--No, she liked Primadonna because she was very different from the average human. Gumi was cringing because she knew she lacked talent in art, and that drawing done more then four years ago was by far the best drawing she had of her long-time friend.

"Primadonna? Primadonnnna!!!" Gumi called out loudly. "Where are you?"

《 Here. 》 She heard Primadonna buzz. Gumi found her by the door, her screen slightly glitching with pale green color as usual. All the words she was trying to convey was being typed on in small, black font. 《 What's up? 》

"Primaaa! Can we play?" Gumi yelled with much excitement in her loud voice. She jumped up from the bed, suddenly so full of energy. "I'm bored!"

《 >:( 》 Primadonna buzzed--A disapproving sound. She crossed one of her three pairs of arms, looking down on Gumi with what seemed to be an expression of annoyance. 《 Do your homework first. -0- 》

"Aww...." Gumi groaned. "But I don't wanna go to school tomorrow!" She complained.

Primadonna didn't move. But Gumi could tell by the slight tilting of her TV head that she was trying to make a questioning expression which involved the act of raising an eyebrow. Too bad, Primadonna doesn't have eyebrows.

"I'm alone in school." Gumi pouted, her mood sinking. "No one likes me. People think I'm weird."

《 -_- I'm always there. You just forget I am around. 8-) 》

"But I can't talk to you in school. No one can see you, and they will think I'm crazy." Gumi protested. Tears were beginning to well in her bright eyes, and she sniffled, a pout forming in her expression.

Primadonna buzzed again, scratching the back of her head in total loss. She didn't know what to say in order to comfort the poor girl. 《 :-( 》

By now, Gumi was already choking back silent sobs. She refused to look up at the taller creature, her eyes glued to the gray floor. Primadonna sighed, her arms falling to her side.

She stretched out a finger, tapping Gumi on the shoulder.

《 Fine. :-| You can stay home for tomorrow. But do your homework. 》

Immediately, Gumi's face lit up like a light. She cheered, giggling like a child who just recieved a mountain of candy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squealed, tackling Primadonna and giving her a big hug.

Primadonna buzzed, shaking her head slightly at this. 《 Seriously, you. -_- 》