A/N: Yes, this will be one of those stories where the friendship gets affected. Now I'm pretty sure things are getting interesting. This will definitely be longer than I first anticipated, especially for what I've got planned.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Star Fox, Nintendo and/or Rare do. Any relation to my original characters in anyway is entirely coincidental.

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Chapter 8: A Fox Worth 1000

The very next day at school, Krystal went early as usual but couldn't find Katt. As she strolled into the building she couldn't find Katt. She'd probably be back to her normal schedule of getting there moments before the seven o' clock bell rang. Krystal could wait for the moment.

Nall was sitting at a table up against the eastern wall, the same one where Krystal found Katt and Fox. She didn't look so good. "You look terrible this morning Nall."

"I just didn't sleep well. I'll do it in my math class, like I always do." She smirked. "You're here on time today."

"Yeah, I set my alarm clock back by a half-hour." Krystal had a seat and looked around the vacant commons. "There are usually more people here by now."

"Must be because it's Tuesday. The school doesn't serve breakfast on Tuesdays, remember? No one will come if there's no food."

"Of course." Krystal sat back and closed her eyes.

"Have you talked to Katt lately?" Nall asked.

"I talked to her for like five-seconds last night. Why?"

"She's been acting strange. She called me up asking what theater you and Fox were going to."

"SHE WHAT!?" Krystal jumped up and screamed. It echoed through the commons and the very little furs that were there turned to look at her.

"You didn't know that?" Nall tilted her head. "She said she'd call and ask you. Maybe she wants to go. She doesn't have any plans for the weekend you know."

"That's not what she told me!" Krystal snapped. "She said that she was helping her parents this weekend."

"Maybe she got out of it. You know how she is. I think she just wants to hang out with you."

Krystal sighed and shook her head. "Not this weekend Nall. I've got plans with Fox. You know that."

"Of course I do darling. But Katt seems lonely lately. You two haven't been doing as much as usual."

"I know. But she didn't have to lie to me you know." Krystal huffed. That was two lies now. What was wrong with her?

Then again, Nall wasn't even supposed to be telling Krystal that. Nall thought that this would help her our a little.

"When Katt gets here I'm going to have to talk with her." Krystal said rested her paws on the table.

***

About a half-hour passed before the commons were full of students. Now it was about six-thirty and that meant Katt would show up soon. Krystal had to ask Katt a few things. The first one being why she lied…again. The second one being why she cut Krystal off last night. "She'll be here soon." Krystal told herself.

Krystal's attention turned to Nall, and she was fast asleep. "How can she stay up so late?" Krystal asked herself in thought. There was no way she could stay up as late as Nall. No one else was there and her only social friend that was there right now was sleeping like a new born cub.

Krystal wanted to get up and walk around but to leave Nall there wouldn't be such a good idea. Especially if she was sleeping and Rob came by. That would be pretty bad. Krystal decided to stay. Eventually Katt would get there. Probably at her usual time though, minutes before the seven o' clock bell.

***

She was early this particular day and she was nervous about seeing Krystal. If there was one thing Katt knew about Krystal that other's didn't know, it was that Krystal had the ability to hold one hell of a grudge. She came off as sweet and innocent. But when you piss her off she'll never let you forget it. 'She's probably mad that I cut her off last night.' Katt thought.

As Katt approached the main entrance and reached for the door another paw with cut off leather gloves reached out and opened the door for her. Katt turned to face Fox who had been standing with the door open for her. "Thanks." She managed and stepped inside.

The entrance hall was a long narrow passage with pictures of the athletic teams along the walls and a trophy case that resided along another wall. The school had won a few trophies before. Most of them came from Basketball, Track, and Soccer.

As they walked down the halls Katt decided to speak. "Are you always here this early?"

"Are you?" Fox smiled and asked in a joking voice.

Katt smiled and laughed a bit. The only problem was that Katt had NEVER been THIS nervous around a boy, much less a fur of different species before. She didn't want to say anything that might offend him. She was starting to forget how to "be herself" Suddenly. As a result, she even grew different towards Krystal.

Katt stopped just before the commons and Fox walked a few steps ahead. "What's wrong." Fox turned around and asked.

'Krystal is in there and she'll be pissed.' Katt wanted to say, but figured that she shouldn't get Fox involved in such an issue. Then again, what issue? There was no issue…yet.

Fox walked back to Katt and grabbed her wrist. "Come on, don't you want to see your friends?" Fox pulled her along. What choice did the feline have?

***

'THERE!' Krystal screamed to herself as she saw Fox pulling Katt into the commons by the wrist. She didn't jump to any conclusions since it looked like Katt was being pulled against her will but she'd never seen Katt be the one dragged along before. Katt had usually been the one doing the dragging.

Fox and Katt made their way to the table where Nall and Krystal were sitting. As they sat down, Krystal was about to open her mouth but Katt interrupted. "Sorry about last night." Katt spoke first.

"What happened?" Krystal said in a calm voice, trying to keep herself from sounding too demanding.

Katt put her head down and pointed to Fox. "Sorry Krystal."

Fox raised a brow and decided that he should go for the moment. If there was one thing he never liked to get involved in, it was two girls fighting. Eventually one of them would ask him to take their side or something of the manner. "I'm going to go and find Shane now." Fox stood up and left.

"You cut me off for him?" Krystal suddenly laughed. "OK, I thought it was something else."

"I asked him out." Katt spoke and Krystal ceased her laughing.

"Why did you do that?" Krystal grew serious.

"Because I really like him. I know that you really like him too but I couldn't help myself." Katt openly admitted. It hadn't been the first time this happened. But it was the first time it hit them both like THIS.

"Well," Krystal breathed in calmly, "What did he say?"

Katt looked up. "Oh, no, not the kind of 'would you be my mate' king of asking out. Just a date." Katt said and calmed Krystal down a little bit. This made Krystal feel more relieved. "He said maybe next weekend."

"I see." Krystal said.

'Oh no.' Katt thought and tried not to roll her eyes. They were best friends all right. They could read each other like a book. When Krystal said "I see," that was usually never good. It meant that something didn't satisfy Krystal. "What is it?" Katt asked.

"Nothing." Krystal shook her head. "It's nothing."

'Dammit!' Katt thought. "Nothing" always meant "Something" with Krystal. This was no different. "What did I do now?" Katt said trying not to get frustrated.

"It's not you. It's…him." Krystal said.

'Him meaning Fox?' Katt thought. That was the only 'him' she could think of. Unless it was Shane….but Fox made two now.

The seven o' clock bell rang and Katt stood up. "Call me tonight." With that Katt left for class.

"But it's only seven." Krystal called out to Katt who didn't hear her. Something was up now. Katt never went to class early.

"I guess I could say it's on now huh?" Nall said out of the blue.

"You're…awake?" Krystal murmured.

"I've been awake for awhile now darling." Nall said. "You and Katt are after another one."

***

'She's either blaming herself or Shane.' Katt thought. 'But now she's blaming Fox. That doesn't have to be. Fox hasn't done anything wrong. She should be blaming ME.' Katt thought to herself.

They'd had their competitions before, but for someone like Fox? No…never. It was twenty minutes early when she went to class and her thoughts kept her from actually paying attention to where she was going. As she turned the corner to walk to her first period class she felt something grab her shoulder. She swung around and Fox was in her sight. "What are you doing?" Katt suddenly burst out.

Fox smiled, but didn't pretend not to know what was going on. "You and Krystal are best friends right?" He said.

"Of course. We've known each other since Kinder-garden." Katt answered remembering those days…before boys.

Fox blinked a few times and then spoke again. "Don't let ME mess that friendship up." Fox said. "You're both good friends and all, but I don't really think I want a girlfriend. Besides, I'm not worth it." Fox said. It was obvious he didn't want to come between anything.

Katt hugged Fox and then walked into to class with only one thought in mind, 'Yes Fox, you are worth it.'

***

As Fox began his trek back to the commons area, he figured it would probably be best if he went off to class in the end. By the time he got back it would only be five minutes before the bell would ring anyway.

How many times had he seen this now? Love that isn't really love but rather hurt disguising itself as a blessing? Fox would hate to see a good strong bond like the one Katt and Krystal had come to a crashing end because of him. After all, he couldn't help but think that both were good to him. Katt was affectionate, and Fox liked that. He always liked the affectionate girls. It wasn't that Krystal was boring, it was that he didn't get any "action" so to speak. Fox himself wasn't sure which one was better for him. It was then he remembered what Falco had said. "So many woman, so little time."

Fox's thoughts were interrupted by the bell, and he knew that there was no time to dilly-dally. If there was one thing teachers hated, it was students who were tardy.

***

Everyone had gone back to class and now Krystal was stuck with Bill. 'I hope he doesn't go on with another lesson about how Wolf is bad news.' Krystal thought. Who needed parents when good 'ole Bill was around? He was always the "voice of reason."

Being that Krystal had no where else to go and Nall had run off as usual when first period began, Krystal only had Bill to talk to. "Hey Bill."

Bill looked up to Krystal and raised a brow. He closed his book…the same book he always read and looked up at Krystal. "You don't seem to good this morning."

"Well, Katt has been…doing stuff she normally doesn't do." Krystal sighed. "She asked Fox out when I've already made plans with him. Then she lies and tells me that she's helping her parents when she only wanted in on my plans." Even though the events didn't happen in that order…did the order really matter right now?

"Doesn't sound like a friend to me." Bill shook his head. "But I don't know Katt nearly as well as you do. Plus, I don't think romance is worth it."

"How would you know anything about romance?" Krystal slipped out in her semi-angry state.

Bill looked into her eyes and now had that 'What don't I know?' expression on his face. The one that everyone feared. Probably the only reason many like Bill was for his parties…but it took a lot to stand up to his ego.

"Romance isn't something you just know Bill. It's something you experience."

"You can know almost anything if you really try." Bill retorted. "To be frank, I think it's all puppy-love. You may love him now, but do you really think you're going to marry him?"

"You've never had a girlfriend have you?" Krystal suddenly asked.

Bill stayed silent for a moment and then shook his head. "Don't want one."

"Why not?"

"It isn't worth it." Bill replied.

"Don't say that!" Krystal snapped. "Anything can be worth it if you make it that way, you know?"

"What makes you think that having a 'special relationship' is worth it in these times?" Bill argued.

Krystal had no reply. "Bill, romance is not something you're going to learn reading those books. Have you ever just relaxed?"

NOW she was starting to sound like Fox, Shane and Slippy. "Why don't we change the subject. You said something about Katt running off with your Fox."

Krystal was a bit speechless. "And you think you could help me?"

"I can tell you what Fox likes." Bill offered with a smile.

"I thought you said--"

"Forget what I said." Bill interrupted. "When I say I'll tell you what he likes, I meant, what he looks for in a girl. You're still going to have to get to know him on your own."

"Well…what does he like?" Krystal tilted her head.

"First, be yourself. It will help much more if you don't start trying to be Katt." Bill started as if he knew Krystal would turn to that sooner or later. "Second, be affectionate. Every guy I know likes that."

"And third?" Krystal asked.

"There is no third. I could tell you more but hey I already told you what I was afraid you wouldn't do." Bill laughed.

"Wait! You said you'd tell me what he likes!" Krystal rasped but managed a smile. She had just fallen for another one of Bill's lessons.

"Anyway, I'm going to the Media Center, I'm almost through with this book and perhaps now would be a good time to check out another one." Bill got up from his seat.

Krystal watched Bill gather his things and walk. 'Romance not worth it?' She thought. Forget what Bill had been trying to teach her. Fox, was worth it.

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A/N: Not as god as the last chapter but I feel that now I can start to get somewhere. I'm not sure exactly WHAT I was really trying to emphasize in this chapter really. So this one probably wasn't all that great, but I'm trying to show that Katt and Krystal actually have a strong friendship and why a situation like this is far more awkward than previous ones of the sort.