The Fate of the Unknown

Hello, my name is Alexis Shaw, and I am just your typical 16 year old girl. I will never be in a beauty pageant, but I also know that I am not ugly. I’m just the “average” high school girl. I have curly brown hair that reaches just below my elbows. My skin is more of a cream color, making me the target of many “pasty” jokes. I have hazel eyes and am covered in freckles. I am on the taller side, I am 5’8” and weighing 120lbs. I am one of the tallest girls in my school, and taller than some of the guys. All of that mixed in with the fact that I am super socially awkward and shy. I’m not a super athletic person, but I do play soccer. It’s the only sport I am somehow coordinated enough to play. I did try out for track last year, but that was a nightmare! I only did it because of a boy. Let’s just say I didn’t make the team. Let’s talk about my family life for a minute. I live with my mom (her name is Alice) and my older sister Caitlyn. Caitlyn is about 10 months older than me. She was born on Valentine’s Day and I was born on New Year’s Eve. I have never met my dad. Apparently my mom got pregnant with me around when Caitlyn was 6 weeks old. My dad took off just before my mom found out about me. She said he just disappeared. Changed his number, and said she could not find him. Well, at least not until later on when she was contacted by his parents. Still not sure why they contacted her, we have never met them either. They all live about a 2 days drive away, and clearly don’t believe in phones or flying. So since my dad took off, my mom works 3 jobs to pay the bills and take care of us. She works overnight as a nurse at the ER. She works part time as a librarian at our local library. Her 3rd job she’s more secretive about due to HIPPA regulations. From what I gathered she helps people with many different things. Such as house calls for those who do not have health insurance. Helping people figure out legal obligations, stuff like that. My mom is really a sweet woman. She’s shorter than me, which doesn’t take much. She’s 5’2”, slim and petite with short curly brown hair and green eyes, with the same cream colored skin that I have. My oldest sister is my best friend. She is 17 and will be 18 on Valentine’s Day. She is however the complete opposite of me. She is super outgoing, everyone loves her, and she could be on magazine covers. She’s not as short as my mom, well pretty close. She’s 5’4” probably 90-100lbs. Unlike my mother and myself, Caitlyn has a more tan complex. She has freckles scattered, not quite as many as I have. She has wavy blonde hair that reach just below her shoulders. She has bright blue eyes that can look into your soul, and see what is wrong. I have never been able to figure out how she does it, but she always knows what’s wrong. She also happens to be the cheer captain and is on the dance team. I know typically those girls can be mean, but not Caitlyn. She has a heart of gold, which I feel is why she was given golden hair and skin. Our home is not the most elegant or expensive, but it is cozy. It is about 10 blocks from school, towards the outskirts of town. It is a small 2 bedroom single story home. The outside has yellow siding with white window panels and a white door. The porch is small but happens to be one of my favorite places. It’s pretty much a cement step with a white wicker bench with yellow cushions. With a long white wicker table, similar to a coffee table. I love to sit here with my family, talking and drinking coffee. I also enjoy sitting out here alone with a good book. Inside we have a small kitchen with a little brown table that has 4 chairs. Mom bought this adorable white tablecloth that has yellow flowers on it. Caitlyn and I each have our own rooms. Once Caitlyn hit high school, our mom moved out of the second bedroom. She said she figured she was gone so much, and since we were teenagers we needed our own rooms. So we have a queen size pullout couch in the living room that she sleeps on. Caitlyn’s room is filled with pink, all things sparkly, and all of the trophy’s she has won. Mine is more of a cottage themed. Forrest green, plants all over, it’s like my own little nature escape. With my mom working so much, Caitlyn and I have found ways to share the household load. When my mom started working the 2nd job when we were in elementary school, I was in 3rd and Caitlyn was in 4th. Caitlyn had just started to like cheering and dancing. Which apparently is expensive. I started to enjoy soccer, which is not as expensive but I still adds up. Mom started a 2nd job to cover the expenses, but once Caitlyn hit 9th grade she started that 3rd job. It was hard on mom to try to do everything. This is where I found my love for cooking and baking. I found it to be soothing. I also love being able to make sure my family ate, and knowing they enjoyed what I made. In a way, it is how I show that I love and care for you.