THE FEELING of longing for someone or something you can't have never crossed Alexa's mind. She was able to think and do whatever she pleased because if she wanted it... she would have to work for it and get it.

All her life she had to work to get to where she is now. She was couch surfing since she was 12 years old. Living back and forth with Chase and Della. She was able to live her dream of having her own webshow with her best friends. She was able to get a scholarship to her dream college and got her masters degree in business and made a multimillion dollar company.

She worked hard for that.

And now?

She laid on her couch as reruns of Saved by the Bell. Her face had been pressed against the couch cushions.

Her door suddenly opened and she lifted her head slightly. Maybe if they were burglars and she laid very still they would think she was dead and only steal what they assumed was valuable.

"Oh it's so much worse than what we thought." Della cried, "She's watching reruns of Saved by the Bell."

Alexa furrowed her brows and turned towards her door. Chase and Della stood by the doorframe, door wide opened as they held their suitcases in their hands.

"How'd you get in?" She asked.

"It's my old apartment." Della answered, "I made twenty copies of the key because I lost them so often."

"In reality, Kendall was giving them to the guys she had stay over." Chase answered and made his way inside.

Alexa stood from her couch with her brows knit as the two of them continued their way into her apartment.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Getting you out of your funk." Chase said.

"Aren't you still directing that new movie with David Harbor in it?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't be doing that without you." He softly smiled, "You got me into this field and I'm not going to leave you behind."

"For the record" Della spoke, "I'm not either."

Alexa gave the duo a small smile, spreading her arms out for a hug and the duo gladly expected.

"She's actually going through something." Della muttered, "She's showing affection."

Alexa scoffed pushing herself away from the duo and sat back down on couch.

"As much as it pains me to say it," Della sighed, sitting next to Alexa, "You've gotta get over Freddie. He has a girlfriend."

"Isn't her name Pat?" Chase asked.

"Pearl."

"Oh... makes more sense." Chase followed, sitting opposite of Alexa, "Della's right though, we need to get you onto some dating apps or something. Because they're other people in this world that would be crazy for you."

"Dating apps?" Alexa questioned, "Do you know who I am? I'm Alexa Romano. People will find out who I am, what I'm worth, and—"

"You've already gotten ten matches." Della smiled.

Soon, Alexa's apartment door opened once more and Freddie and Pearl made their way inside.

"I have got to get new locks." Alexa muttered, standing to her feet.

"Freddie!" Chase smiled, "And his girlfriend..."

"Pearl."

"Pearl!"

"Sorry to barge in, but can we steal some paint?" Freddie asked.

"We're making a little Statue of Liberty in the original copper." Pearl added.

"I should have cooper paint in my office." Alexa softly smiled, "I buy paint and try and figure out what might look good on people's faces."

"Ah, yes. I knew I could count on you, my favorite business woman." Freddie smiled.

"Brown in fine."

"Cool." Alexa turned, "Freddie, I still need you this afternoon to help film new things for the Instagram page."

"Oh, we're gonna be busy with this paint thing all afternoon."

Della stood to her feet, "Well, Alexa is busy, too. She's gotten over a hundred matches on her Sevens Only profile."

Alexa furrowed her brows and quickly rushed upstairs to grab the paint.

She returned quickly and passed the bottles of paint over to the couple.

"Oh, wow. So you're actively looking for a... gentleman caller?" Freddie asked.

"Not necessarily." Alexa smiled.

"Well, be careful, though." He warned, "A lot of those love applications can leave viruses on your phone."

"I think that is the perfect app for you. You're absolutely a seven in Seattle." Pearl said.

"Really?" Alexa questioned, "Because according to Forbes, I'm number one, but thank you for your input."

Alexa phone buzzed once more and Chase took the phone from her hands, "Look at there, you've gotten 75 more matches."

"Wow, that was fast." Freddie muttered.

"For an attractive woman under 30 and has one of the biggest makeup brands?" Chase asked, "Hey, you've gotten 18 more matches. That's better."

Alexa smiled, nudging Chase's shoulder, taking her phone back.

Maybe this dating app thing wouldn't be too bad.

OVER THE course of several days, Alexa finally had enough balls to finally match with a guy named Aaron and was meeting him at Spencer's new place called Shay What?.

She held her smoothie in her hands as Chase and Della watched from afar. They were there just in case this Aaron guy ended up being some sort of creep and was gonna rob her of the twenty dollars she had in her back pocket.

"Alexa?"

She looked up and smiled, he was just like his profile. This was a good start.

THE NEXT day, the original Do Something trio sat at Shay What? (aka the old Groovy Smoothie) and Della and Chase began bombarding the girl with questions about her date.

"Did you have sex with him?" Della asked.

"No." Alexa smiled, "I'm giving him another chance though. I just didn't click with him like I thought I would."

"Why not?" Chase asked.

"I don't know. Maybe he's just not my type."

"And what is your type?" Chase questioned, "Short and Nerdy?"

Soon, Freddie entered and smiled at the trio, "Greetings, fellow humans."

"Yeah, sadly." Alexa muttered.

She grabbed her cup, standing to her feet to meet Freddie halfway.

"What happened to you this morning?" She asked, "I need you to help me filming for my website."

"Sorry, no time to stop. We're almost done with the Lady Library. We're finally at the crown." He smiled.

"Well, it seems like you've made time to pick up Froyo for you and your fro-ho."

"Yeah, a little, uh, mint chip for me and my little chippie."

"Mint chip?" Alexa scoffed, "Since when have you've like mint chip? You've always been a coconut guy."

"Yeah, Pearl saw the baby Mr. Coconut commercial, and now she doesn't feel like coconut is vegetarian enough."

Alexa sighed, "I'm sure Chase to help me while he's in town."

Freddie nodded and made his way out of Shay What as soon as Aaron made his way in.

"Hey, Alexa." He called, "So sorry I'm late. I had to make a stop at the library."

"It's okay." She smiled.

"So, how's the Fro-yo here?" He asked.

She turned towards the menu, "Um, I use to get a mixture of coconut and pineapple, but I don't know if I can really rely on that anymore."

"Hey, don't sweat it." He smiled, making his way towards the register, "Can I get one of everything?"

"One of everything?" Alexa questioned, "You do not have to do that."

Aaron smiled, lacing his fingers with Alexa's. He grabbed one of the Fro-yo cups and sat down at the table.

"We'll find a new favorite." He smiled, "Together."

Aaron handed her a spoon and Alexa took it with a small smile.

"I'd like that."

LATER THAT evening, the entire group found themselves at the Sister Act, axe throwing, bar that Spencer had invented in so he could lose money.

"Hey, Alexa." Chase smiled, "You must be Aaron."

He nodded and left to go get him and Alexa a drink from the bar.

Chase pulled on Alexa's arm and she caught glimpse of Freddie and Pearl laughing as they stood nearby one of the axe throwing areas.

"Hey, come on." Chase called, "You we're doing so well with Aaron until you saw Freddie and Prudence."

"Pearl." Alexa corrected, "And I'm looking because I'm happy for him, okay? But I'm for me too. I'll even tell her I love her shoes."

"Don't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because loving another woman's shoes has an alternative meaning. Trust me."

Alexa scoffed, "What is this? High school? I'm telling I like her shoes to prove that... I'm okay."

She brushed last Chase and approached Pearl and Freddie.

"Hey." She smiled.

The couple turned and Pearl put her arms around Freddie's neck, the axe still close in her hand.

"Thank you for the paint, Alexa." She smiled, "It really helped with our relationship."

"I'm glad." She said, furrowing her brows, "I just wanted to say I love your shoes."

Pearl's smiled dropped and she removed her hands from Freddie, "You love my shoes?"

"That's is so sweet of you, Alexa." Freddie smiled, "And here, I told her not to wear socks with sandals. But Im not a fashionista, like you two."

"Well, I have been on cover of Vogue... several times." She smiled.

Soon, Aaron approached and handed the other drink to Alexa.

"Alexa!" Pearl called, "Is this the big stack of pancakes you're talking to?"

"Guilty." Aaron smiled.

"So, my guy, what do you like more, music or those muscles you got?" Freddie asked.

"Was that comedy?" Aaron asked Alexa.

"I don't know what that was." She answered, sipping her drink.

Pearl chuckled, pushing Freddie away and left Alexa and Aaron alone.

Alexa stepped away, grabbing one of the axes to throw at the board and as she turned she saw an axe flying her way.

She quickly ducked, just in time and turned slowly to see Pearl smiling at her.

"Damn, I missed."

"Damn," Alexa repeated, "I'm calling my lawyer."

Alexa placed her axe down and made her way towards Pearl.

"What is with you two?" Pearl asked.

"There is no "us two."" Freddie spoke, "I chose you."

"Oh, did you?" Pearl questioned, "No one told Pearl."

"Pearl! I was so close." Chase spoke.

"Not now." Alexa sighed.

"I know what you're doing." Pearl called, pointing towards Alexa, "Loving my shoes is a Trojan horse of compliment meant to trick me into thinking you're chill about me and Freddie when really you are dying inside."

"Is everyone 12 years old?" Alexa questioned stepping forward, "I'm finally on a date with guy for the first time in forever and you're turning this around because I said I love your shoes? Grow up."

Pearl sighed, turning towards Freddie, "You suck," She faced Alexa, "and you suck." Then to Chase and Della and Harper and Carly and Millicent.

She finally turned towards Aaron, "Your beard is nice." She smiled.

Aaron smiled and turned towards Alexa.

"I'm sorry, Alexa, it's really important that I be with someone funny, and what Pearl said was funny because it's true."

Just like that, Aaron and Pearl left, leaving Alexa and Freddie alone.

"Alexa—"

She sighed, "I'm really sorry about Pearl, Freddie. I really am."

She grabbed her bag from the floor and made her way out of Spencer's new place of business and on her way home.

CHASE AND Della had long gone and Alexa deleted her profile on the various apps that they had downloaded for her.

She laid on her couch and soon, there was a knock on her door.

She stood up and opened it, seeing Freddie on the other side with a large cup of Fro-yo in his hands.

"Coconut and pineapple?" He softly smiled, "I know it makes you feel better."

She grabbed the cup and gestured for Freddie to enter. She grabbed the spoon, shoving a larger portion of the frozen treat into her mouth.

Freddie shut the door behind him as Alexa sat down on the couch.

"Can I help you?"

"I wanted to apologize."

"I'm listening."

She sat the cup of frozen yogurt on the table and Freddie followed, sitting opposite of her.

"I know you were excited about your date with Adam—"

"Aaron."

"Aaron. And I know that Pearl and I ruined that. Especially after what she said."

Alexa sighed, "I'm sorry. I hadn't spoken to you in so long. I even became friends with Carly for bit. I just missed you and I guess it showed."

"I think right though. We do have an unhealthy relationship."

"Do you really think so?" Alexa asked.

Freddie sighed, "We're a mess. We got to fix it."

"How?"

"We got to figure out how to be friends as adults."

"I think we can do that. As long as we're still Freddie and Alexa." She softly smiled.

Freddie stood from the couch and Alexa followed suit.

"It's Alexa and Freddie."

She gave him a small smile and pulled the boy into a hug. His arms wrapping around her as he shut his eyes for a moment.

They stayed like that for a moment before Alexa pulled away, her small smile still on her face.

"Want some Fro-yo?" She asked, "I know you like coconut."

"Sure."

Alexa turned to make her way into her kitchen to grab an extra spoon.

She had turned just in time to miss Freddie's knees buckle.

Alexa made him weak in the knees and she had missed it.

But they were now adult friends.

Nothing more, nothing less.

— lucy has something to say !!

i'm actually shocked with how many people read the latest chapter :) thank you :)

anyway freddie benson is hitting a little different this season (it's the hair) so different that i was slutting out for him on my tiktok (@oxangejuice.wp) and i was only doing that for milo manheim so you KNOW something is cooking in my brain

scrum dilly yum yum 😝

(kendall schmidt as aaron)

HIS ARMS 😭 i want him to squeeze me

bye :))))