Chapter 60

"What do you mean we have to go to corner café? You just said no when I dropped you off at your house." Fox's voice was a whisper, a rather fast and frantic whisper.

She only shook her head at his response. "What are you wanting some kinda midnight drink too?" She just gave him a glare, her turquoise eyes shooting him daggers. He shook his head, like he was getting out of a trance, "Fine, you're right. Wait here, I'll be back." Fox retreated to his room to grab his phone and keys again, leaving the door wide open while she waited on the porch.

'Is this really happening?'

Fox thought to himself as he picked up his phone and keys, trying to figure it out before he really did this. He did indeed pinch his face, he had to make sure. 'Ow, definitely not dreaming this time.' He turned off his lamp, turned off the lights in the living room and approached the door.

There she stood, faithfully waiting at the door still, staring out at the sky.

'Gotta make sure to keep my mind guarded, don't want her poking around in it.' He closed the front door quietly and asked if she was ready to go. Both of them walked towards Fox's car once again and they resumed their positions in the front of the car. She clicked her seatbelt in and fastened it as she looked over at Fox as he did the same. He flipped the headlights on and backed out of the driveway, preparing for his journey.

Again the car ride was silent, but this time it was for a different reason.

"So… is there something you want to talk about?" She looked over at Fox, his arm propped up by the window with his head leaning on his fist.

"Yeah."

Only the bare essential, he said nothing else. "We'll talk about it when we get there." Her hands were clasped together in between her legs, twiddling her thumbs was about all she could think to do.

They pulled into the parking lot of corner café, Fox was glad that they stayed open late. "Here we are." He took lead towards the door and opened it, allowing her to walk in first. 'Yeah, guess some things don't change.' He thought to himself with a mental laugh. The same hostess was still there, Fox forgets that it had only been a little over an hour since he was last here.

"You're back!" She said ecstatically as she smiled at him and leaned over to see who was with him. "And you have another girl with you?"

Fox turned red a little but just laughed along with the hostess. "Yeah, surprises are all over the place huh?" He had a weak smile directed towards the hostess. "We're just gonna go up to the balcony again, if that's okay?" The hostess nodded at her, Fox could tell it was close to closing time for them. There were almost no other people in the café, most people were cleaning around the floors and tables, Fox waved at them all as they made their way up the stairs.

"I didn't know that they made a second floor and a balcony."

"Yeah, it's new." As minimal conversation as could be made.

He led her to the balcony door and opened it for her, without seeing her face he could feel how much she was marveling at the scenery. "Wow, this is incredible." She said as she walked around on the balcony. "These tables look so nice, so authentic. I love the old school, red brick design that they added especially up here!" She was marveling with great vigor, spinning around looking at everything that was new to her.

Fox didn't say a word.

She kept looking around on the balcony, taking in all this that was new to her. "This is so great." She said as she approached Fox towards the balcony's rail. He only did a quiet laugh in return as he leaned against the rail. He looked over at all the lit up buildings, all the neon lights, then the cars going across the highway. Fox looked over at the parking lots, the ones that were empty, and the ones that were full. He looked down at the empty back parking lot of corner café. He felt her presence as she approached him and leaned against the rail, taking in the same sights as he did.

"Wow, it's incredible how ordinary all this is, but it's still so breathtaking." Fox had a small laugh and grin come across him as she said that. "What?" She asked him with a small laugh and grin of her own.

Fox quickly turned to face her, he propped his elbow on the rail and leaned on it still, "I want you to read my mind."

"What?"

"You heard me, just read my mind."

She had a confused look on her face as she began to focus. She gasped at what she saw. She saw Fox sitting at his table with his parents, trying to comfort him, there wasn't much effect to their efforts. She saw him go to the restroom at school, he sat in the stall by himself as he began to cry. Then Falco came in to try and comfort his old friend, it had little effect.

She gasped as she saw all of this, "You're not done yet."

She had an afraid look on her face as she was told this. Then it came into clear focus, she saw him approach her at the tennis courts. She saw him cry, close his eyes in defeat, felt his defeat. She heard him say that he couldn't lose her, how things couldn't be the same without her. They walked off together, happy.

"Wh-what was that?" She asked as she opened her eyes, completing her process.

"A dream. One that I thought was real. Do you wanna know what happened the day I woke up from that dream?"Fox had a small glare on his face.

"I…I…" She couldn't sum any words together.

"Krystal I was so scared. Do you have any idea-" He had to cut himself off, he was losing his composure.

'He… He said my name'.

Fox took a deep breath and let out one of the same magnitude. "Do you have any idea what you did to me? Yeah, when I lost my memory I treated you like dirt. I know, I'm sorry. I wish I could say more than that, but that's all I can say. I'm so sorry for what I did to you." Fox shifted and put both of his arms on the railing and hung his head.

"You just can't do that. One of us has to be something of an adult, and since I was mentally incapable of it I needed you so badly to be mature. I don't blame you but…" Fox only could sigh, he didn't know how to complete his thought.

"So… you remember?" She peeked her head over at him. He nodded his head, still hung over the rail.

"Every bit of it. The first day you came to school, when I careened into you in the neighborhood, the fight. Do you?"

"Of course I do. How could I forget?" Fox laughed at her last comment. "Well you had me guessing. You didn't seem too reluctant to forget about it all. What with just up and leaving us all, then not saying any word to any of us. Disappearing like that, having your parents cover for your absence. You had me fooled." Fox and Krystal's ears both drooped.

"Look, Krystal, I understand that you don't like me. You have plenty of reason to not like me. I'm glad that you gave me this chance."

'He's… He's actually looking at me.' Fox was looking right in Krystal's turquoise eyes for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.

Krystal could see his eyes were becoming a little more wet than they are supposed to be. "I've…I've just…" Fox's voice began to choke up as he spoke. "I've just missed you. I never noticed how much I really did miss you until someone said it. I guess the saying 'out of sight, out of mind' really is true." Fox turned away to wipe away the tears that began to form.

Krystal moved closer to him as he turned away and leaned her head on his arm. "No Fox. I'm the one who should be sorry. I just…" He turned over to see what it was that took up space on his arm.

"I just didn't know what to do. Everything had gone wrong for me. I lost my boyfriend who I cared so much about, I wanted nothing more than to just be friends at least. Then he didn't like my new boyfriend, and it felt like he was drifting further and further away. Then I find out that my current boyfriend isn't who I think he is, things all just happened so fast and in such a radical form." She closed her eyes as she leaned on his arm.

"It must have been so hard, I always remember you being so strong, so steadfast." Fox leaned his own head on hers. "You just couldn't take any more, could you?" He felt her shake her head, "I just didn't know what to do. It felt like I wouldn't get anything but hurt if I went back to you and your friends."

Fox laughed a little at the last comment. "What's so funny?"

"Bill's gone. He left for the Cornerian flight academy. He's getting a headstart on his career. It's just me, Falco, and Slippy now."

"And the girls?"

"I don't know, they may all be on breaks or done. I just haven't heard about them. Don't really see them either." There was a pause.

"What about you? How'd you manage to avoid us all the time?" Krystal laughed a little. "Alternative classes, alternative school. Just to get away from everything I was taking classes elsewhere, the new scenery helped."

"I guess that would make sense." There was another pause. "You know those are our friends right? Not my friends. They'll be so happy to see you, you know that right?" He felt her shake her head again. "I'm not going to see them again."

"Yes you are."

She removed her head from his arm and looked at him, an expression of anger mixed with confusion. "I want you to come back to Corneria high school."

"But it's too late for me to come back."

Fox shook his own head this time. "No it isn't, school started back last Thursday, it's not too late to go down there." Krystal pondered for a moment, then leaned back on Fox's arm.

"So this is what you wanted to talk about?"

"There are a lot of things I want to talk to you about." He said as he closed his eyes.

"I won't read your mind."

"Thanks."

There was a pause, he could feel her breathing as she leaned against him. "I really want you to come back to Corneria high school. And I really want you in my life, you know that right?" There was nothing said back. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer, she did the same and leaned her head on his chest.

"Will you?" He could feel her laugh.

"Thank you." He said in response.

"I'm glad this place is open late. And that I chose to go home the way I did." They both laughed. Fox thought to himself how his life may not have changed if he didn't go that way, if he didn't go to corner café with the guys and Fara.

"Hey."

He heard from below him as he looked down into her eyes once more. She hugged him tight as he returned it. "How about we go home? We can talk some more later, it looks like it's time for them to close." Fox pulled out his phone, it was almost 2 in the morning. He relinquished his hug and they began to walk toward the exit back inside. He waved goodbye to the hostess and exited. They both got into Fox's car once more and headed home, this time for good.

It was quiet again, but this time not by much choice. Shortly after leaving the café, Fox looked over to steal a glance at Krystal. She was curled up and fell asleep, he laughed.

'Some things just don't change'

"Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up." He shook her lightly,

"Wha-what happened?" Fox laughed again, "You fell asleep on the way home. Your bus stop is here." She came to and realized where she was. Fox opened his door even before she did, he walked with her to the door.

"So… is it okay if I maybe come over tomorrow?" He asked her, uncertain of the answer.

"If you do, I think that would be great."

They both smiled at each other. They hugged tightly one more time and then decided it was time to go. Fox and Krystal waved goodbye for the time as she disappeared into her house and he disappeared in the distance.

He turned off his car and walked inside. He threw his phone and keys onto his computer desk one more time and collapsed onto his bed.

He looked at the clock by his bed, it read 2:06 AM.

His vision faded against his will and only one thought remained on his mind as it also faded,

'I've had a long night'.


It happened, people.