The Many Fates Of Nate

1 The Good, The Bad And The Thirsty

"No, no, no no!" the ram shouted at the screen.

He could do nothing but watch in total devastation as his avatar's car plunged into the water, automatically putting him in last place. And, to add insult to injury, the race was over. The monitor even dared to display the "you lose" letters all over his side of the screen over and over as if to remind Nate he was a mere grass blade in a field, further taunting him.

"This game was hard!" he whined, frustratingly throwing his game control on the floor, like a sore loser. His hamster girlfriend, Katrina, giggled next to him.
"Or is it because you're bad at it?"
"I'm not bad at it!" Nate defended concededly. "It's just that the game mechanics are busted. It has nothing to do with my impeccable, amazing and genius game strategy."
Katrina rolled her eyes.
"Let's change the settings and this time things will be different."
The rodent rose. "As much as I would love to beat you again, I can't. I have swim practice in an hour." She lends him her paw, as white as snow.
"Good game?"
Nate sat where he was like a petulant child, arms crossed.
"Make me."
"Very well."
She pulled out a pillow next to the beanbag chair they were sitting on and whacked it at him, feathers raining everywhere like confetti.
"Do you surrender?"
"No!"
"Do you surrender?"
"Never!"

Conjuring all the strength she had, she swung the pillow like a baseball bat, throwing the boy off his seat and tumbling to the ground upon brutal impact.
She walked on top of him with a smirk, a breathless pillow hanging by her right shoulder, standing elegantly with the light of the room perfectly encapsulating her curvy figure. Nate wasn't sure if was dreaming or what, but if he was, he didn't want to wake up.

There was something about her black cargo trousers, pink collared vest and pink scrunchie that made her pose so much more alluring. Her tail was a pom pom and her toes were freakishly adorable just like her whiskers and buck teeth. Her nose was pink too, and her orange fur was the cherry on top. What did he have? He had a red hoodie, large horns that looked out of place, and three hair tuffs hanging lazily over his head, contrasting with Katrina's short brunette ponytail.

Even how she talked made his heart beat rapidly.

"Had enough?"

Nate replied by coughing up a feather and she fell into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, clenching her stomach as the cheetah got to his feet, dusting himself off.
"It's not that funny." Nate chastised her, despite failing to maintain a straight face.
"Yeah right. You gotta admit, you look pretty cute lying there like a kitten."
"You take that back." Nate grinned charmingly. The hamster had her hands on her hips, rocking subtly back and forth.
"Like. A. Lamb."
"That's it! You messed with the bull, now you get the horns!"
"Ooh, I'm so scared. What are you going to do? Baa like a goat?"

The ram charged, tackling the girl. She squealed in delight. They collapsed on the ground. They were fighting as Nate repeatedly demanded Katrina to take it back, only for her to refuse every time, laughing all the way. When the dust settled, they stopped their little wrestle and roughhousing and Theo returned to his feet, lifting Katrina too. They kissed. Nate gently spun Katrina around at the same time, not daring to let go as the hamster cuffed his cheeks while he had her neck. Nothing mattered. Everything's irrelevant. Only the two of them. They then separated reluctantly and Nate placed the girl down. "I love you, Katrina."
"I love you, too, Nathen."

The boy blushed faintly. "I don't want this to end."
"Me, too."
"Stay here," Nate said sincerely.
"Nate..." Katrina began. "You know I can't."
"So you miss a few minutes? Say you were late for the bus or something. Nobody has to know. I did and look at me."

The hamster ignored the last part. As much as she would want to skip basketball practice to be with him, they both know they can't, something Nate failed to grasp. Luckily the hamster rectified it.