Amzie Hunter hasn't had an easy life, but she goes through life with a smile on her face because of her best friends. Will that smile always be there? In a perfect world, but no world is perfect.
[OC x L. Ross]
book 1 in the Hunter's Sister series.
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"Movie night." Maya sang as everyone sat in the living room.
"No."
"I didn't even say anything!" Amzie said as she put her hands up in surrender.
"You were about to suggest Iron Man." Auggie said.
"Can we watch Iron Man?" Amzie asked.
"No! You never let us watch Captain America." Auggie said.
"I've never seen the first one." Amzie said.
"Seriously?"
"Daddy, can we watch it?" Auggie asked.
"Sure, bud."
"Who's at the door at 10:30?" Riley asked after someone knocked.
"Okay, when someone knocks on the door at night, we need the strongest one to answer the door." Cory said, hoping his family would ask him to do it.
"Amzie, why are you just standing there? Answer the door." Riley said as she gestured to the door, making Cory's face drop.
"Shawnie!"
"Monkey!"
"Shawnie!"
"Hey, Cor!"
"Oof."
"Need some help, bud?" Riley asked as she held her arm out for Amzie.
"Just a bit. Thank you much."
"You know what we should do? We should go to breakfast in the morning. Family breakfast." Cory said after everyone sat down again.
"You buyin?" Shawn asked.
"I am."
"Then I'm in. See you then!" Shawn said before he left.
"Wait. So no movie?" Auggie asked before everyone looked at him.
"Z, you spending the night again tonight?" Riley asked as they ate pancakes at the bakery.
"Sure."
"Wait. Spending the night?" Shawn asked.
"Yeah, I live with a foster family right now." Amzie said.
"Why?"
"Because of some weird paperwork you signed fifteen years ago." Amzie said before she took another bite.
"Okay, what?"
"Some dude showed up and said that the fifteen years of me being in the Matthews care was up, so unless you said different, I was supposed to stay with a foster family until you got home from Jamaica." Amzie said.
"Why didn't you call me?" Shawn asked.
"You had no service." Amzie said.
"You could've sent a letter." Shawn said.
"How?"
"Through the post office." Shawn said.
"Shawn, the situation's bad enough without you making up words. Come on now." Amzie said before she took a sip of her hot chocolate.
"You didn't try to tell them anything to get to stay here until I got back?" Shawn asked.
"I told them my uncle was the pope."
"Z, I hate to break it to you, but I got home from Jamaica two months ago." Shawn said before Amzie slowly looked up.
"Amzie, Amzie, Amzie!"
"You know what, Shawnie? I don't think this is gonna work out." Amzie said after everyone managed to sit her down.
"What? Are you breaking up with me in a restaurant? Are you doing this in a public place so I won't make a scene?" Shawn asked.
"I know you'll make a scene."
"Amzie, look. We'll go down to the courthouse right now and settle this. Come on. Let's go." Shawn said before he and Amzie left.
"Settled it, huh?" Amzie asked as they walked into the apartment.
"Well, how'd I know they needed your birth certificate?" Shawn asked as he closed the door.
"So what happened?" Cory asked.
"Guess who's staying in foster care for another four months." Amzie said as she sat down.
"What? Why?"
"I sorta maybe asked your mom to keep Amzie's birth certificate at her house." Shawn said.
"Why would you do that?" Topanga asked.
"You think I'm gonna keep it in my reach? I'm not responsible!" Shawn said.
"I think I know how to fix this. Last night, I'm watching CNN, right?" Amzie said.
"You were watching CNN?" Riley asked.
"Well, yeah. They suckered me in with a story about cake. Anyway, after the cake, they had this story about fax—" Amzie started.
"How about we go to Pennsylvania and get the birth certificate ourselves?" Topanga suggested.
"I didn't even get to say my idea." Amzie said as they headed for the door.
"Because your ideas usually result in felonies." Maya said.
"Here's her birth certificate, Shawn." Amy said as she handed over the envelope.
"Thank you, Mrs. Matthews."
"No problem. Although I could've faxed it to you." Amy said.
"If you would've listened another fifteen seconds, I would've suggested that." Amzie said.
"—or your boyfriend's nanny can fly a helicopter." Riley reminded her.
"—or my boyfriend's nanny can fly a helicopter." Amzie said.
"Wait a minute. How do you know about fax machines?" Alan asked.
"I watched CNN last night." Amzie said.
"The cake got you, too?" Alan asked before Amzie nodded.
"Yeah."
"Okay, kiddo. You're now officially out of foster care." Shawn said as they walked into the apartment.
"Welcome home, Z."
"Couch, I missed you." Amzie said as she laid down on it.
"Hey. You were still here every single day." Cory said.
"It sucks that you're still not back at John Q Adams." Riley said before Maya nodded.
"Yeah, we all miss you, Z."
"You switched schools, too? Shawn asked.
"Yeah. I thought you knew this. All my report cards were still sent to your house." Amzie said before Shawn sighed and turned for the door.
