A road trip can be boring at times. Sitting in the seat for hours while driving down the highway and the roads. The driver gets it worse since they are the one driving the car. The passengers are lucky but still suffer from boredom. Now don't it wrong, road trips can be fun and exciting. It's all about who is in the vehicle being ready for the summer vacation or something.

The Warren family was just quiet and enjoying the road. Ethan Warren was the one driving down listening to some music and what the latest news was while June was on her phone listening and watching her shows with headphones on. In the backseat was Ashley Warren and Michael Warren. The young sibling was on her phone and with headphones on as well watching some funny videos on the internet.

For Michael though, he could only stare at the passing cars and signs while thinking to himself. For weeks he was preparing for the vacation with utmost joy. So excited in fact that he was almost bumping into everything without paying attention. It was not just for the fact it has been years since the family went out together and got to enjoy the summer fun, but Michael really needed one.

He needed a break to escape from his thoughts that kept poking at him for some time now. He thought it would stop, but it never seemed to disappear entirely. His thoughts were always thinking about the future. His future to be exact. Yet...another mammal was by his side in his thoughts. One he never thought about for a while. It was like a shared future; a what-if alternate future really.

He wasn't just thinking about his own future, but also brought someone along with him in his far off thoughts. Katrice. The red panda that bullied him, befriended him, and now...his biggest crush. He always was prepared for the day when he would ask her out and get the chance to become boyfriend and girlfriend; even if it meant it would be slow and steady, which he wouldn't mind having in a relationship.

But then his mind started to think about the idea of what if it did work. What if Michael said his feelings and she got to go on dates with him and later on became a couple? What then would happen after that? Would it last long until they both turn old? Would their relationship slowly become a toxic mess? Would he have to change everything special about him to make her like him more?

The rabbit was always overthinking at times. He mostly wants to form a plan and how he always overthink way too much. Michael just wanted a normal last chance at love. He didn't want it too be too boring or too crazy. He just wanted to feel like he could get back into the relationship game and see if he could improve himself just one more time.

Katrice was the bully who became good friends with Michael. Sure she has moments of being mean with her jokes; mainly joking about gamers, much to Michael's dismay. Still, she was a misguided red panda that has a good side. Michael knew she was a challenge, but in the end she got to turn good and all thanks to the rabbit who never gave up on her. He still never would even if it meant he would get everything in the world.

Katrice was more important to him than any other game. Ironic how as he was helping her, she also was having to have him change for the good. There were flaws with Michael as with Katrice, but slowly together they got rid of their problems and start to embrace the changes with a smile.

She was special to him. One that made him start to feel weak on the knees and feel like his mornings would turn brighter just from a single text from her. Yet, he still worried for many reasons; admittingly legitimate reasons.

Would she ever say yes? She had hard breakups and many guys reject her because of how cruel and awful she was, so it seemed like if Michael asked her she would say no in an instant. Michael could be too much for her; he feared that in her eyes he was like a gaming obsessed rabbit that constantly talks about games and about other stuff that she isn't a huge fan of.

Worse...he might just be too weak and too low standard to be considered boyfriend material. He was finding work to get a lot of money for her, he planned to leave the house soon and live in an apartment or house, and even planned to have a life all figured out; which was going poorly but was doing ok-ish at a slow pace.

The future with Katrice seemed scary. Relationships are a big deal after all. It isn't getting into something and have fun for five minutes before throwing it in the trash. He would never do that to her, but he still worried that maybe it might not work at all. That the two would be so awkward as friends as they were now ex's. He has seen plenty of videos and movies of ex's having to be jealous or bicker or just be friendly one minute then mean the next. He didn't want that to happen between them, so all he could think about is if it did work, would his relationship with her be his once chance to fix his heart?

"Michael?" Ashley caught his attention as his eyes and head went over to the small rabbit who was munching away on some cheesy snacks.

"Yeah Ash?" Michael blinked and felt like his eyes slightly burned. He must have been staring without blinking for some time.

"You have that look an anime character gives off when something seems to be troubling them." Ash took a bite of a cheesy snack as Michael looked at her oddly.

Regardless though, he needed to talk to someone. Mom and dad weren't listening, so it was good for the siblings to talk about whatever they wanted without their parents coming into the conversation.

"It's Katrice again." Michael speaks in a soft whisper to make sure his mom won't hear it. She is basically the ultimate shipper when it comes to Michael and Katrice; even saying 'McTrice' would be their ship name. It sounds pretty weird for a ship name.

"Ohhh. Still got the crushy bunny blues?" Ashley said in a half joking and half serious manner while Michael nods and lets out a sigh.

"I just keep thinking about the future. Like, what if I do succeed in getting to go on dates with her but yet it falls apart all because I said something or did something she didn't like? The future is important to me...and I want to plan things right. I don't want to mess things up like I usually do, especially when it comes to Katrice..." Michael said while having to look down at the car seat with a bummed out face.

Ashley looked at her big brother and was kind of shocked to see him be like this. He was smart with some math and knew a lot of things that she never knew about but yet when it came down to love he was being so broken and so terrified of stepping forward and letting himself be, well, himself.

The young rabbit knew how love works thanks to the cartoon specials that air every valentine's day so she would call herself the love doctor and get to know everything right and wrong when it came to falling in love. Michael was in the right to be worried, but it was wrong for him to be acting like this and fearing that his relationship would crumble all because of him.

Nothing was wrong with Michael other than him always doubting himself. Ash didn't want to see her brother be like this and miss a big chance like this. Love doesn't grow on trees, so he only had one shot to do it.

"You know, I say just ignore the future." Ashley says as Michael looks up at her.

"Ignore it? But if I don't plan on the future, how could I ever get what I want?" Michael adds as a point for his reasoning.

"Well sometimes plans aren't just going to work at times. Planning for the future is something that shouldn't really be a thing because plans change as we do." For a kit that was about ready to go middle school, she was one smart rabbit.

"But-"

"You can dream of the future you want, but you gotta not make plans on it. You got to follow through on the road that will lead you to your future. Again, plans change as life goes on. I say ask her out and be yourself. You shouldn't worry about yourself so much."

"She isn't a gamer and she has different tastes than me. I feel like if I don't do a lot of things she likes, then I might just be not right for her or I become like...my..my ex…" Michael sighed again while having to rub his hand on his face in disgust.

Ashley doesn't know the full story about what happened with his ex, but she knew that his ex-boyfriend wasn't really a nice fox. "You aren't like him though. You are a sweet and thoughtful rabbit that likes to talk about nerdy stuff. There is no harm in being yourself."

"Yeah but-" Michael was again cutted off by his sister

"Plus, you overthink about the future. Stop doing that. I am sure and very positive that she will love you for you, and you two will get along well. Might have differences, but no relationship is perfect. It will have ups and downs, but I know that one day you will be happy, get married, and have a demon spawn to torment you two."

Everything but the last part really sounded helpful. Actually, it was helpful. It was something that Michael never knew he wanted to hear. She was right again as always, for relationships can be a bumpy road, but thinking of the future will not help as you never know what exactly will happen. The future does change depending on the choices you make on the present after all. He loved Katrice more than any mammal on Earth, so his future of having her as his partner will never change, but he knows for a fact that a life with Katrice will be crazy; he can handle the craziness, and he would go through it all just for her.

"So...I should just be me? Just see what happens and not go overboard with planning?"

"Mhm. Just go with the flow. Ask her out whenever you are ready to. Just remember the one thing…" She takes a sip from her can of soda. "Never let fear control you. Life has risky moments you can't plan out...take that risk. Go for it."

Michael again was stunned for words. It seemed like multiple times she said to take a risk and don't overthink, yet for this time he really listened. His heart and mind both agreed on the same thing; it was time to take a risk and not plan so much.

"Yeah...I'll do that...thanks Ashley."

"No problem. Glad I could be of help. You owe me a cookie blizzard though as payment." She sips from her can while he smiles and chuckles.

"Sure thing." Michael went back over to stare at the window while the small rabbit continued to watch her video and laugh at the funny spaceman doing a funny meme.

She was right. The future is only that, the future. Even if you make plans, the future would always change because of paths in the road that would alter it too. Even if he did ask out Katrice, he knows now that there will be bumps in the road that will make his plans crumble. Despite being scared of knowing it would happen, Michael smiled.

He smiled because he knew that he would always fix the messes because they never are going to be drastic. Michael never did drugs, he never cheats, and importantly he was never going to be toxic and vile like his ex. He was going to become even better than him. He was going to do way more than his past self could. He was going to finally find true love and finally get a happy life with a partner like Katrice.

Soon, he hopes to tell her the truth of his feelings. He knows that it pretty much might just be in his favor and he would finally get to have her as his girlfriend; admittingly they might start off slow at first, but Michael would still be the happiest rabbit of all time.

All Michael needs to do is the one thing he never thought of doing in his life. He needed to take a risk.

One day, that risk will make him have the greatest life ever.