the mystery girl | COMPLETE

chapter 77 | the single Alexis

" So, Alexis is officially single. " Her friend Jessica woke her up. They had their last senior party last night and she crashed there.

" Give me a break, Jess. " She threw a pillow at her face. " What? I'm serious. I'm shocked. It's been almost a month and I haven't seen you over any other guy. " 

" I just want to be single and enjoy my summer. " She stood up from the bed and walked towards Jessica's dresser. " Any plans for the summer? "

" Besides trying to find myself a man? Nop. " Alexis laughed as she looked through the drawers of makeup. " How about I try myself with one of the Smosh boys? " She asked Alexis. 

" Good luck. They're done with relationships for a while after everything that happened. " 

" I saw Shayne on Tinder, the other day. " Alexis stopped doing her makeup and looked into the mirror, staring at Jessica in the background. 

" Did you swipe right ? " She asked, turning toward her. " I mean, he swiped me first and we were matched together. "

Alexis played it off cool. After all, she didn't like Shayne anymore. She couldn't say anything about this, right? 

" You guys going on a date? " She turned back towards the mirror, keeping the conversation going but still doing her makeup.

" Would it bother you? " She asked her as she joined her at mirror to do her makeup as well. 

" Of course not, I'm fine with that. " Alexis filled in her eyebrow.

" Even if we go out on the 26th of this month? " 

Alexis drew in her eyebrow way too intense now. Her heart ached as she said the 26th. Even more, when it would have been a year on that date.

" Hey, I don't plan out your dates for y'all. " Alexis tried to remove her now very dark eyebrow. 

" Hey Lexi, I'm kidding. " She chuckled. " I so hate you. "

" But you so still love Shayne. "

" Non-sense. " She restarted filling them in. " You didn't just have a major freak out, just now because you thought I had a date with him? " 

" Leave me alone, Jess. Trying to make my eyebrows look good. " She pushed her away slowly, laughing.

" Come on, give him another try. You guys were totally goals. " She sat down on her dresser, practically begging her. " Says who? "

" Says the whole cheerleading squad, this entire year! " 

" Really? " She faced her friend.

" Why else do you think everyone was so jealous of you guys? You were honestly the cutest. " 

" We have a family that might want to adopt her. " Betty told Shayne, as they both watched her play with some other kids. " It would be great for her. She would finally be able to experience a real life, maybe even high school. " 

Shayne clapped his hands together, excited for a potential new life for Emily. 

Yes, after everything that went on, he still looked after her. Alexis came by time to time, but she made sure that it was when Shayne had long filming days so they wouldn't run into each other. 

" Shayne, " Betty said with a sad tone, " The family lives 4 hours from here. "

He looked towards Betty and everything from his face went down the drain. Fear was washed up all into his body as he definitely didn't want her to move away from here. 

" I refuse. " He shook his head, and kept repeating himself. " I refuse. There's no way. "

" Shayne, you're not responsible of this decision. By law, Alexis is. And by their guardian laws and contracts that are signed, any family can adopt her as long they've been checked and live in a stable home. " Betty explained. 

" You can't really just ship her off like that, can you? " He asked. He was in denial. He wasn't going to let this happen. 

" There's still a month before it actually goes through. We have to do a background check and if all is clear, by next month, she will be gone. " 

He looked at her laugh and giggle as she played with the other kids. Many memories now coming back into his mind as he realized that she might be leaving. The first time they met, to all the times he would rush here to cheer her up after panic attacks, to the first time he slept over and she drew on his face.

Everything they ever did, he cherished and he did not want that to end. 

" Does Alexis know? " Betty nodded her head. " She was the one who agreed to have the list started. " 

Unbelievable, he thought. How could she just ship her sister away?

" If they do adopt her, will she be able visitations from family? " He asked, concerned. He was trying to find a twist, something that he could use against Betty for them to stop the process. 

" Legally yes, unless they file a restraining order on Alexis or any of her close ones. " Betty sighed deeply. " The family already filed on every worker here, so it proves that they want to keep Emily to herself. "

" You're kidding. I can't lose her. She's my sunshine, my little angel. No, Betty, there must be a way to keep her here. " He shook his head, refusing to believe it. 

" I'm sorry, Shayne. But by l-" He didn't let her finish, he slid down the wall beside him and fell to floor. He let the tears from his body fall out as he imagined the new life without her. How he wouldn't be able to visit her or ever hear from her. For almost a year, he was the one to take care of her. They couldn't take her away from him, could they?

There must be a way for Emily to stay.