Nicole decides she needs to give Gumball more attention by following him to school everywhere.
Tropes:
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Nicole, much to Gumball's irritation.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Gumball feels neglected by his parents so Nicole promises to make it up to him... by literally handholding him through school for the foreseeable future. Gumball very quickly becomes embarrassed by her presence and intervention.
- Bittersweet Ending: Gumball publicly humiliates himself, but he reconciles with Nicole and Penny.
- Brick Joke: Gumball tries to get his parents' attention by mentioning he did a cartwheel and brags to Penny early on that he could show it to her, which Darwin says is unimpressive. At the end of Gumball's cheerleading tryout he does a cartwheel and it's exactly as underwhelming as Darwin claimed.
- Carnivore Confusion: When Gumball tries to pass an "I love you" to Penny off as "I love peanuts", she says that's like if she said she likes to eat cats.
- Fan Disservice: Depending on how the viewer sees it, Gumball's entire cheerleading audition. Notably, when his skirt ends up revealing his thong-clad buttocks
◊. - Frozen Face: Darwin spends most of the episode with his face stuck in a forced smile. At first it was so he wouldn't let Nicole know how much he wishes she wasn't at school, but then it gets physically stuck that way.
- Homage: Gumball's cheerleading audition is reminiscent of The Chemical Brothers "Elektrobank" music video.
- Hypocritical Humor: Several times Gumball tells Nicole to stop helping, then he immediately needs her help for something, even twice needing her to help him burp like a baby.
- Inelegant Blubbering: When he fails the cheerleading tryouts but gets Penny on the squad by making her look better, Gumball is already crying and has no idea what to say when Penny asks if that means he does like her.Gumball: Peanuts... ponies!
Nicole: I think that means "yes". - Insane Troll Logic: Gumball reasons that by joining the cheer-leading squad, he'll impress Penny with his masculinity and out-perform her in the competition to make her love him.
- Master of the Mixed Message: One romantic example and one platonic example; Gumball awkwardly tries to deny his crush to Penny, driving her away twice when he goes too far. He also decides he doesn't want his mom doting on him after all, but as soon as she leaves he immediately calls her back to help him through a crisis and takes for granted that she'll know how to support him in his Zany Scheme.
- Mooning: In a much more innocent example of this trope than most, Gumball briefly flashes his ass to Nicole to demonstrate that his skirt doesn't hide his butt.
- Not Now, Kiddo: Gumball can't get his parents attention because Richard cares more about the TV and Nicole is passed out from exhaustion.Gumball: ... I also crashed your car on the run from the police after I robbed a bank.
Richard: Uh huh. Good for you. - Stuffed into a Locker: Nicole stuffed herself in Gumball's locker before revealing she followed him to school.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: At the episode's beginning, Gumball feels neglected because his dad isn't paying attention to him and Nicole gets home from work so late she immediately goes to sleep.
- Your Head Asplode: Darwin's head explodes at the end, after his face gets stuck with a painful smile on for the third time.
