The Missing Linck

• THREE •

After sending off Reid, I run to Mom and Dad's room and furiously pound on the door.

"Come in," Dad says calmly.

I push open the door and step in, frowning at my parents with my arms crossed in front of me.

"Why are you doing this?"

Mom instantly looks a bit guilty and says, "Quin, hun, we just don't want you to break."

"How in the world did you get that from one encounter, Mom?"

Mom just shrugs, "I know the type, Quin."

Rolling my eyes, I turn to Dad, "And what about you? Hadn't you already met Reid?"

"Reid? I thought his name was Rex or something..." Dad trails off.

"Dad, he's not a dinosaur! Besides, get to the point."

"Fine, I had already met Reid; he's courteous but seems to be hiding something dark, sweetie."

"You and your assumptions. Don't forget I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Well, you sure do act like one." they say at the same time.

I stick out my tongue at this. "Don't care."

"Aww, we're just playing, Quin, follow your heart's instincts but just keep one cautious eye out, that's all..." Mom says, Dad nodding in affirmation.

"I knew it!"

No, I didn't. But meh...

- - - - - - -

"So what do you want to do now?" Reid asks me. We're just walking around and chatting, seeing that I don't have anything else to do now.

When I apologised for the way my parents treated him yesterday, he just said, "It's okay."

Well, I'm not complaining, though! Anyways, now I want to hear more about him, and he's obliging.

"Alright. I'm twenty two, I have a younger sister Quenna who's twenty. And, we live with our parents. Nothing out of the ordinary..."

"What about your Australian accent?"

He has an Australian twang to his voice that's so endearing!

"Well, um, to be honest, I'm not from, um."

"You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable" is what I should say, but I can't help going, "Go 'head."

I'm one extremely nosy person.

"Well, you see, I was adopted, and Quen's their biological daughter, but they treat me like I am too. Which is nice..." he trails off, his face contorted in what could be a sad expression if not for the spark in his eyes.

"Yup. Guess that is." I say and cringe.

"Sorry, Reid, I'm not good at sympathising and stuff..."

"That's okay."

He sure says that a lot! Anyways, I want to visit his house.

"Um, yeah, I think Quen might be home now, so let's go."

Wait, did I say that out loud? I glance at Reid who only smiles in what seems like amusement. Oh, I said that out loud too? Great, and now he's guffawing with laughter.

Reid guides me to his house, all the while making pleasant small talk. He seems to be a very nice person. I have absolutely no idea what in the world Dad was talking about.

"See that bungalow? Home sweet home!" he says, pointing to a huge bungalow with enchanting vintage charm nestled in between dense foliage.

"It looks impressive!" I say in a terribly fake Scottish accent, making Reid laugh his head off. I mock pout at him, but soon wind up laughing as well- his laughter is so infectious!

Reid pushes a button on the wall that sounds the booming doorbell. The door is opened by a blonde girl who, to put it quite simply, looks just like me.

"Hey, Reid! Who's this pretty girl?" she says, her voice smooth and silky, not unlike her brother's.

"This is Quintasha, Tasha for short. Remember the Mr. Linck who lives in the sole house in the second most forested area of Crole? Well, this is his daughter. Tashar and her mom moved in yesterday..." Reid introduces me, his Australian twang making it sound like Tashar in place of Tasha.

"Hey, Tasha!" the girl says warmly and cracks a big hospitable grin.

"Hey, um, Quenna?" I say, unsure.

"Yup, that's me!"

We walk in and settle down on the plush trendy-looking couch inside.

"Quenna-"

"You can call me Quen, Tasha."

"Right, Quen. Why do you seem so familiar?" I ask.

"That's 'cause I am."

- - - - - - -

@CarlottaBrown had a theory that Reid's invisible to Tasha's parents, which is what I had initially intended the story to be like, but then changed my mind (which I do a lot)...

I felt like that today when I went to a relative's house- she literally didn't even acknowledge my presence until like the very last minute, when she asked when my wedding is. First of all, I'm only sixteen. And I'm so childish at times, probably more than even Tasha here! Urgh, where was I?

Anyways, thank you for reading, and let me know what your theories are- I might even incorporate them into the story!

Oh, and I might have made Reid have an Australian accent after watching Jesse Spencer play Dr. Robert Chase in 'House M.D.'! I mean, the guy is Australian, but - I'm rambling, I'll stop now 😶

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