A week later, and I was still mad at my dad. It was Christmas, and I had gone to the Matthews' house as soon as I woke up. Topanga was stressing out about having the perfect Christmas, when Riley and I walked into the living room."It's Maya's first time with us, and Kenz and I need the holiday to go good for her." I had done Christmas with the Matthews family before, back when my mom was alive, but Maya had never experienced the crazy Matthews' Family Christmas. So, while Topanga was stressing abut it, so were Riley and I.

"Well, I need the holiday to be good for your mother." Cory said calmly.

"Liar!" Topanga yelled, pointing at him fro across the room.

"Liar!" He admitted, "I need the holiday to be good for Shawn. Shawn's coming!" Yes, you could say Cory was excited. I had heard the name Shawn before, when my mom used to talk about her highschool days, but I don't remember him. Suddenly, the intercom buzzed. "Shawn?!" Cory asked hopefully.

"Maya!" She responded.

"Shawn?!"

"Aw, what's the matter?" Maya asked. "Your boyfriend's not here yet?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Cory defended, causing me to laugh.

"Oh, then what are we going to do with this 'Cory and Shawn 4-evah!' Ornament?" Topanga asked, holding it up."Oh, that?" He said, taking it from her. "That goes right in front of the 'Cory and Topanga Wedding' ornament."

Topanga sighed. "My whole life." Then she turned to Auggie. "Auggie, wanna help with dinner?"

Maya walked into the room, and I hugged her. " I don't even think he exists." She stated.

"He's real, Maya. I've known the guy my whole life, and he's real." Cory informed her.

"You're fun to play with." We walked to Riley's bedroom. "Riley, Kenz, I got you both presents." I laughed, knowing it was going to be something ridiculous.

"A donation's been made in your name to the Maya new winter coat fund." I read off of a piece of paper, looking over to see Riley holding the same thing.

"Thank you, it's beautiful." Riley said.

"I'm glad you like it. I never know what to get people." She said, sighing. Then she turned to Riley. "So, what's the deal on the mysterious Uncle Shawn?"

"My mom used to talk about him a lot. They all went to highschool together."

"I don't see him a lot. I don't think he likes me."

"How could someone not like you?" We chorused.

"Ask him and let me know." Riley said. We walked down the hallway to see Mr and Mrs. Matthews.

"Riley, Maya, Makenzie! Yay!" Mrs Matthews said excitedly. Then turned to Topanga. "-Topanga. Hello.I just know you are gonna pull off the most fantastic holiday."

"Oh, mom, I just heard you outside." She informed her.

"How?" Grandma Matthews asked, confused.

"I explained that to you." Her husband told her.

"Well, now that it's out in the open, let's take a look at what you're doing wrong."

Grandpa Matthews looked around. "Ah, wow! Look at all these kids. It wasn't that long ago I had kids around the house."

"Yeah, it was just this morning, wasn't it, dad?" I heard a familiar voice say, and I smiled. "Kenzie!" Josh exclaimed, and I walked over and gave him a hug.

"Joshie!" I mimicked. "It's been a while, Matthews."

"I know... a whole week." He teased. Then I remembered something.

"I'm still mad you stole my beanie by the way." I informed him, walking back to Riley and Maya.

"Boing!" Maya exclaimed.

"Ha, that's my Uncle, Maya."

"Sweet, I would be your aunt." I laughed at that.

"Joshie!"

" Auggie! Come here." He said, lifting Auggie up onto his shoulders.

"I love it up here!" Auggie said, smiling.

"My brotha'." Cory said, hugging him.

"My brotha'."

"How's it possible we're brothers?" Cory said, confused.

"Because it's a surprise!" Josh yelled. Yeah, he had done that all last week too.

"Stop doing that." His dad snapped.

"Aw, dad, so proud of himself. He gets into movies for like a quarter." Josh then walked over to our trio.

"Uncle Josh." Riley said, hugging him.

"Riley."

"Uncle Josh." Maya said.

"Uh I'm not your Uncle, Maya."

"Even better."

"Um It's it's been awhile." He said nervously, causing me to grin. Oh. My. God. He had a crush on Maya. I smirked.

"Sure has."

"Well Boy, you grew up gorgeous." He said, before walking away.

"You are not going to be my aunt." Riley told Maya.

Cory, Auggie, and Mr. Matthews were all sitting on a couch, when I saw a man walk in. "Gee, Cor, I thought you'd be more excited to see me." The man said, and I realized who it was.

"Yay! Ha-ha! I told you he was real!" He told Maya, before tackling Shawn into a hug, smashing Auggie in the process.

"I'm okay, I'm alive." Auggie said, squeezing out.

"So, that's us, huh?" Maya and I chorused.

"So I've been told." Riley informed us.Shawn made the rounds, before walking over to us. Suddenly I recognized him.

"Cory..." He said, confusedly, "Why does this girl look just like Gia?"

"Shawn, this is Makenzie Huxton."

"You... were at my mom's funeral..." I realized, looking at him.

He just nodded, still staring at me.

"Hi, Uncle Shawn." Riley said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah hey, kids." He said, before turning back to Cory.

"'Yeah.Hey, kids.'?" Maya and I chorused.

"It's getting better.Last time it was just-" She gave a acknowledging nod.

"Maybe he's just not a big talker." I suggested.

"Cor, time to talk.We got a lot to catch up on."

"Or maybe not..." I said, frowning.

~<3~

"So that's your dad's us?" Maya and I asked.

"Uh-huh." Riley answered.

"We're them?" We asked again.

"Uh-huh."

"I don't see it." We said, turning to each other.

We continued talking, until Maya and I decided to ask Shawn what his deal with Riley was.

When we walked over to them they were singing some random song about the two of them in the big city? I don't even know. They're weirdos. "And nobody talks but thhheeemmm." They finished.

"We wanna talk to you." Maya and I chorused.

"Did you not just hear our song?" Cory scoffed.

"What's that?" Shawn asked, pointing at us. "That's Maya and Kenzie. They think they're tough."

"Scram." We said threateningly

"Okay." He whimpered.

I turned to Shawn. "You know, I've heard stories about you. Mom told me them all the time. You're great in the stories.I don't see it yet."

"Okay." He said.

"Riley and Kenzie and I are the best friends on this planet." Maya informed him.

"Well, that's cute." He scoffed, "'Cause Cory and I are the best friends in all of existence.Which includes your little crummy planet.Cory and I finish each other's..."

"Sentences!" Cory yelled.

"Yeah?" Maya said, raising an eyebrow. "That all you do?"

"Because Riley - " I started.

"And Kenzie -"

"And I-"

"Can read - "

"Each other's - "

"Minds." We all finished.

"Ready? What am I thinking of?" I asked them.

"One, two, three! Pizza! One, two, three, clouds! One, two, three, Farkle!" We said.

Cory scoffed. "Yeah, right.Like we can't do that."

"We can't." Shawn deadpanned.

"One, two, three! - Rainbows!" "Can't do it!"

"That's pretty impressive.You're still not me and Cory."

"Why do you make Riley feel bad?" I blurted out.

"I- I don't mean to." He said, taken aback.

"Well, you do." I confirmed.

"And that's not cool with us. 'Cause we're her best friends." Maya told him.

"So I just wanted to tell you that." I said, going to walk away

"Hey." He said and we turned around. "Maybe you two are like me and Cory."

~<3~

"Hold this, will you?" Josh said, handing me some Christmas lights. Josh, Auggie, and I were currently were wrapping Mr. Matthews Sr. in Christmas lights.

"Should we be doing this?" Auggie asked, and Josh and I stopped, turned to each other, and then turned back to Auggie.

"Absolutely." We chorused.

"What's the difference between having a younger daddy and an older daddy?"

"Younger daddy doesn't fall asleep in the middle of of a party?" Josh guessed, and Auggie and I pointed at Cory. Yip yip yip yip yip." He snored. Josh then turned to me.

"Speaking of dads, where's yours, Kenz." I shrugged.

"Don't know, don't care. He might be across the hall at our apartment, he could be at a party... Maybe dinner with Alexandra."

"What do you mean you don't care?"

"I confronted him. He's been ignoring me. He blames me for my mothers death."

"How's that even possible. Kenz, this isn't okay."

"Just leave it, Josh."

Riley and Maya came in the room and I got up. Maya shook Shawn awake.

"How could you possibly not like Riley?"

"Maya." Riley warned.

"She has a good point, Riles."

"What are they talking about?" Shawn asked Riley.

Riley sighed. "Whenever you do come here, it's like you find some excuse not to talk to me and then you leave."

"I talk to you.I'm talking to you right now."

"When's my birthday? What's my favorite color?"

"Riley, that stuff doesn't matter." Cory protested.

"It does matter." Maya said.

"Tell us what you know." I demanded.

"Girls... Shawn knows Riley's birthday." Cory reassured us.

"How do you know?" Riley asked.

"He knows."

~<3~

"Five minutes?!" Topanga yelled. "That dinner took two days to cook." You animals ate it in five minutes!"

"What's for dessert, mom?" Riley asked.

"Nothin'! I want you to sit there for two days and think about that dinner you just devoured, and then maybe I'll give you a cupcake."

Shawn spoke up. "Well, I thought it was great, Topanga.Thank you.I don't get a lot of home-cooked meals."

"How's the job going, Shawn?" Mr, Matthews asked.

"Oh, you do something?" Maya and I asked.

"Yeah. I write for a site called 'hit the road.' Go to a lot of different places and tell you if it's worth a weekend.

Maya and I looked at each other. "You're joking." I said, staring at him.

"No."

"Kenz and I... We go on that site." Maya said. Maya and I had aspent many a day scrolling through that sight.

"Restless little spirits, huh?" Shawn asked.

"No," Maya said.

"We just think about-"

"Other places?" He finished.

"Sometimes." We chorused.

"Yeah." He said slowly.

"Yeah." We mocked, then got silent.

"You take the pictures too." I spoke up.

"I do.How'd you guess that?" He asked.

"I draw pictures." Maya said.

"Yeah?" He asked slowly.

"Yeah." We confirmed.

"I'm gonna say 'yeah' last, okay?" He told us.

"Very mature." We mocked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, that's it." Riley interrupted. "When's my birthday, Uncle Shawn?"

"He knows, Riley." Her dad told her for the hundredth time.

"You keep on saying that.Why won't he answer? What did I do?" She exclaimed. Silently, Shawn got up from the table.

"You coming or what?" He asked us, opening the door.

~<3~

"December 8th." Shawn answered. We were sitting at a table at Topanga's.

"What?" Riley asked.

"Your birthday."

"That doesn't save you." I informed him. "We know her birthday."

"But we don't abandon our friends to hit the road."

"Whoa." Shawn said. "You think that's fair?"

"We do."

"Then this is fair too.What time was she born? How much did she weigh? How tall was she?"

The three of us looked at each other. "Uh-oh."

"6:00 in the morning, seven pounds, four ounces, 21 inches.I was there all night.I was the first person to hold you after your parents.You looked like this." He made a scrunched up face.

"She still does." We informed him,and Riley copied the face.

"Why do you remember it all so well?" Riley asked.

"It was the day I left New York City."

"City wasn't big enough for the both of you? When people get married and they have kids, sometimes their old friends who didn't keep up start to feel a little out of place."

"Please don't make me the reason that you don't stick around." Riley said.

"No, I'm the reason.It's on me.Your parents are the best people I've ever met in my life."

"Then you should really love Riley." Maya told him.

"Because we love her. I mean...She's exactly like her parents." I told him.

"He does love me."

"What?" Shawn, Maya, and I all asked.

"He loves my parents and I come from them, so he loves me.He loves me so much that he can't even look at me.I'm right here.Look at me."

"I'm looking at you." He said.

"Loooook at meeee." She said in a crazy voice. He stared at her grinning. "What?"

"You're Cory with Topanga's hair.You got lucky."

"Is it okay if I say something scary?" Riley asked.

"I hardly think a 13-year-old girl can say anything that would scare me."

"Don't doubt her. She can be very scary." I warned him.

"Every time you see me, does it remind you of what you don't have?"

"Check!"

~<3~

As soon as we got home, Riley forced Cory and Shawn into the bay window. Then, after a few minutes, Riley pushed Maya and I in there.

"Wait.What are you doing?" We asked her.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Shawn asked her.

"Ask him about his parents." She told us.

"Riley." Cory told her.

"Look at them, Dad.They're us."

"Uh, Cory? What's going on?" Shawn asked.

"Riley, what are you trying to do here?" We asked her.

"You got this, buddy." Cory told Shawn.

"You got this, buddies." She said, before closing us in there.

"Okay, fine." Maya groaned.

"So, what about your parents?" I asked.

"Okay, fine.Um My dad was in and out half the time."

"I know the feeling." I said, sighing.

"I got half a mom." Maya said.

"Well, my mom took off when I was a kid."

"Mine's .... died."

"My dad has another family."

"Mine's has a new fiance that takes up his time."

"I would never let anybody grow up like that." Shawn said, looking at the both of us.

"You wouldn't?" We asked.

"No."

"Oh. You wouldn't?" I said, hoping he'd catch the hint.

"No.Oh."

~<3~

"Present time!" Topanga said.

"You guys open some without me... I'm going across the hallway to grab my presents for you guys." Everyone nodded, and I walked across the hallway. I went to unlock the door, when J realized it was unlocked.

"Dad?" I said, opening the door. When I opened it, I gasped. All of Alexandra's suitcases were gone. All of the fireplace knickknacks were gone. I ran to my dad's room to see nothing but a bare bed.

My heart skipped a beat, and I ran back to the main room, to see a note on the table. And the extra apartment keys.

~<3~
(3rd person P.O.V)

"Guys... Kenzie's been gone a while, don't you think?" Riley said warily.

"I'll go check on her." Shawn spoke up. Everyone looked around the room, surprised. Shawn got ip and left the apartment, to see the Huxton's apartment door open. He quickly walked into the apartment to see the girl on the floor, sobbing. "Makenzie?"

"H-he's g-gone, Shawn." She sobbed. "M-my dad l-left." She broke into another sobbing fit. He crouched down and picked her up, grabbing the note off the table. She sobbed into his shoulder.

'Makenzie,

You were right. No matter how hard I try, I can't put it past me. I don't mean to blame you. I need time. I need a fresh start. I know that one of your friends will take you in, so Alexandra and I are leaving.
I love you.
Your Dad.'

(AN- I know that this is super petty, but that's the whole point. I'm trying to make her Dad a terrible person😂)

He carried the petite girl back to the Matthews', the note still in his hand. The moment he walked in, everyone was on their feet. Josh ran over, taking the girl from Shawn.

"What happened?" Almost everyone chorused worriedly.

"Her no-good, rat of a father left her. He just left her." Shawn said angrily.

And in that moment, everyone in that room knew that Makenzie Huxton wouldn't be the same again.

Okay. I've been planning this moment since I came up with the idea for this book. I'm sorry if it wasn't carried out well, but this is how it ended up. Anyway... Who do you think will take Makenzie in? Who else loves Shawn and Kenzie's father-daughter relationship.