Gumball Watterson #1

Ever since Darwin told him about the new student in Anais's class, Gumball couldn't think of anything else. Another cat at Elmore Junior High! Not a dog, not a rabbit, not a living piece of toast. A cat just like him!

Now, standing in the yard, Gumball watched him from a distance with a mixture of fascination and nervousness. There was Usser, sitting quietly under the shade of a tree, his eyes fixed on his phone, oblivious to the intense blue gaze boring into him.

Gumball's eyes were completely dilated. His tail was wagging with suppressed excitement, and his paws were shaking with the need to get closer. He wanted to sniff him, touch his ear, play with him, let his cat instincts take over completely.

But I couldn't. No, I couldn't just jump on him like I would Darwin or Anaïs. I couldn't roll on the floor with him or pat him on the head with my paw. This cat was different. He was older. Bigger. More... fluffy.

"Gumball!" Darwin's voice interrupted his trance.

Gumball jumped, turning to his fish brother with an expression of utter guilt.

"What are you doing?" Darwin asked, tilting his head.

—Me? Doing? Nothing! I'm not doing anything! Just... existing. Like any other day, hehehe... —he laughed nervously.

Darwin stared at him silently for a few seconds, then followed his gaze. When he saw Usser sitting under the tree, a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Ooooh, I see," he said, crossing his arms. "You're spying on the new cat."

"I'm not spying on him!" Gumball exclaimed, indignant. "I'm just... watching him closely. For scientific reasons."

"Yeah, sure," Darwin agreed, still smiling. "So why don't you go talk to him?"

"Me? Talk to him? No way!" Gumball shuddered and shook his head. "What if he ignores me? Or what if he thinks I'm weird? Or what if he turns out to be a superior cat and challenges me to a cat honor battle I can't win?"

—That doesn't make sense.

—EVERYTHING makes sense when you're a cat, Darwin!

Darwin rolled his eyes and, without warning, began pushing Gumball from behind.

—Come on, come on, come on! You can't just stand there staring at him like a stalker all your life.

—No, no, no, stop, Darwin, stop! My legs aren't ready! My brain isn't ready! My soul isn't ready!

Gumball desperately grabbed onto the post of a basketball hoop as Darwin tried to drag him.

—Just say 'hello' and that's it! What's the worst that can happen?

—He could look at me with a neutral expression, which would mean he's silently judging me, and then my self-esteem would explode into a thousand pieces, leaving only an empty shell of what I once was!

Darwin blinked.

—Gumball, that happens every time you make a mistake in math.

—AND THAT'S WHY IT TRAUMATIS ME!

Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling that recess was over. Gumball breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the floor.

—Oh no, what bad luck, recess ended and I couldn't talk to him, what a tragedy, well, it'll be for next time, let's go Darwin!

Before Darwin could insist, Gumball ran off towards the school at full speed, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

But just before entering the building, he heard a voice behind him.

His tail bristled and his heart raced.

Someone had greeted him.

And it wasn't Darwin.

Gumball froze. He turned his head slowly, sweat running down his forehead.

Usser was looking at him.

Gumball felt his brain explode in confusion and excitement at the same time.

THE OTHER CAT HAD SPOKEN TO HIM FIRST!

Her first instinct was to scream with happiness. Her second instinct was to faint. Her third instinct was to act naturally.

He chose the worst possible option.

"HELLO!" he exclaimed a bit too loudly, raising one hand in an exaggerated, stiff motion, as if he were trying to hail a taxi in the middle of a desert.

Silence.

Gumball felt shame consume him from within like a slow fire.

Luckily, the bustle of the other students saved him from the awkward moment, and before he could make things worse, he turned sharply and ran into the building, leaving Usser behind.