Chapter 3.15 – Paris

When Taylor got home from school, her mother called her over excitedly. “Taylor, you got the letters from the last two schools!”

Taylor tried not to get her hopes up too high. She had applied to four culinary schools in Paris. She got one rejection and one acceptance. These were the last two. She figured they were both rejection letters as well, which was fine since one had already accepted her. And one was all she needed. But to have a choice, that would be amazing.

Taylor had been walking on air all week. She didn’t even care when she and Olivia walked by and saw Link hitting on Reagan after Cameron dumped her a few weeks ago.  Taylor simply flipped him off and moved on. Even though he didn’t see her, it was satisfying anyway. He could have her drama queen sister, she didn’t need him. Her dream was going to come true.  She was going to school in France.

Taylor sat down with her mother and opened the first envelope. “Rejection,” she said, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “They are already full with a waiting list. Let’s get this over with.” She held her hand out for the second envelope.

“Good luck…” said her mother and handed her the second.

Taylor’s huge grin said it all. “Yesssss!” she squealed. “And it’s also a full scholarship!” She hugged her mother.

“Taylor, that’s amazing!” Dannie was beaming with pride. “I’m so proud of you.  Now we just need to choose between the two. And I know just the way. Christmas in France!” she squealed, just as excited as her daughter.

“Really?” asked Taylor, “We can go check out the campuses before I have to choose? Yesssss!”

Taylor hugged her mother and they danced around the room.

Taylor stopped suddenly.  “Daddy! I need to call Daddy!” she said as she grabbed her phone and dialed the clinic.  She hoped he wasn’t with a four legged patient.

“Taylor? What’s up?” asked Cole, concern evident in his voice. 

“Daddy! I got into another school!!!” she practically yelled into the phone.

“Taylor! Baby, I’m so proud of you. That’s amazing!”

Taylor laughed. “That’s the exact same thing Mother said.  She also said we can go during Christmas break and check out the two schools so I can make a decision.”

“To France?”

“Oui Papa!” replied Taylor in her best French accent. She had been taking French for several years in anticipation of going there to study.

Her father laughed into the phone. “So, she did huh?”

“Please Daddy! You can’t say no!”

“How can I possibly refuse my girls?”

“Thank you! I love you Daddy!”

“I love you too Taylor. Let me talk to Mom please.”

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That evening, once everyone was seated around the dinner table, Reagan’s father looked at her and Ryan. “Taylor got good news today. She’s been accepted at two schools in Paris with full scholarships.” He practically glowed as he made the announcement.

“Congrats,” said Reagan. She could tell she was expected to say something.

Taylor smiled sweetly. “Thanks. I’m soooo excited.”

“So,” continued her father as he looked lovingly in Taylor’s direction, “in order for her to make an informed choice, we are taking a family vacation at Christmas – to Paris!”

“Uh,” said Ryan, “Count me out, I have basketball. I can’t go. I’m starting this year.”

“I’ll just let the coach know you need off for a week while we go,” said Cole.

“No!” shot back Ryan, “You don’t understand! I’m a junior and I’m starting. It’s a big fucking deal. I can’t miss or I’ll lose my spot. College scouts are coming to the games. I have to be ready. I can’t go!”

“I’ll stay with Ryan,” interjected Reagan, “so he won’t have to stay alone.”

“No,” said both Ryan and Cole at the same time, and looked at each other with surprise.

Reagan directed her attention to her father. “Why not? You don’t need me to go, and I can go to the games with Ryan.”

“Dannie and I will discuss it,” said Cole.

“What’s to discuss? Ryan can’t go, so I’ll stay too,” she said, then looked over at Dannie.  “Dannie?” 

“Cole,” said Dannie, “Ryan has a point. And if Reagan wants to stay, then I think that’s fine. They are old enough to stay here alone. We can have Ami and your folks check on them.”

Cole’s shoulders slumped and threw up his hands as he let out a frustrated sigh. “Okay. Looks like I’m out voted. I just think you guys are missing out on a great opportunity. I’ll check with Ami and Mom.”

“Can I go?” asked Connie.

Cole laughed, “Yes punkin’, you are definitely going.”

“Yay!” she squealed.

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After dinner, Reagan went to Ryan’s room to check on him. This time it was her knocking on his door before going in. “Hey. Are you sad you’re gonna miss the big trip?”

“Fuck no. I really do have to practice.  And I don’t want to go watch princess Taylor get praised for a week.  We’d just wind up babysitting Connie anyway.”

Reagan laughed. “Yes, let her parents watch her. You know Connie’ll just get bored and whiny. And there was no way I was going if you weren’t. I just hope they don’t make us stay with Ami or Grandma & Grandpa. That’d be so lame.”

“Well fuck. I hope not either. I kinda wanted to have a party,” said Ryan. “We never have them.”

“Ohhh. That’d be fun!” said Reagan.  Then she got serious. “I was also thinking, Ryan, that maybe, this would be a good opportunity to go see mom.”  Her voice trailed off at the end, afraid he would shoot her down.

Ryan looked at her thinking a second before finally speaking. “You really want to do this Rea?” he asked.

“I do. I just feel like, if I can talk to her, and hear her side of the story, then I’ll feel whole somehow. Right now, I feel … I don’t know … like I have an empty space in my chest. That’s how Ami described it to me one time, and it made sense.”

“I guess. Okay – we’ll go together.”

“Thanks Ryan.”

“I’ll start trying to figure out how to go about seeing her.  You do know, she’s in San Myshuno State Penitentiary, right?”

A chill went through Reagan thinking about her mom locked up in that prison all this time. She started to get emotional. They had driven by there before and it looked scary.

“Hey, it’s okay Rea,” said Ryan and put his arm around her. “We don’t have to go.”

“What if she doesn’t want to see us?” asked Reagan.

“Then we’ll know, but I think it’s Dad keeping her away. Or maybe she’s just too embarrassed for us to see her like that?”

“I guess…but I don’t care. She’s got to be lonely. We should bring pictures. I’m sure she doesn’t have any.”

“Rea…look don’t get your hopes up. Okay?”

“I just want to be prepared.”

Just then her cell buzzed with a message.  She looked at it and grinned.

“Okay…who is it?” asked Ryan.

“Link . . .”

“Isn’t he dating Taylor?”

Reagan looked up at Ryan. “I don’t think so, at least not anymore. He just asked me to go get ice cream with him. He walked me to class today too.”

Ryan held his hand up for a high five.

“I take it I should say yes?”

“Fuck yeah! Link’s cool. But you do know, it’s freaking cold outside?”

“We’ll be inside. So, promise me, no threats to beat him up.”

“No. I promised and already apologized. But, I knew Camden was a douche, and I was right.”

“Hmm. True. Well, okay…here goes…” said Reagan and texted Link back. “Guess I need to tell Daddy I have a date with Taylor’s ex-boyfriend.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “You tell him everybody you go out with?”

“Uh yeah. Can’t have Daddy Murdick threatening my boyfriends again. It keeps him happy and off my back. And if you don’t stop, you will be Dead Bubba Murdick.”

“Murdick? Oh my god Rea! That’s fucking awesome,” said Ryan and dissolved into laughter.  “I promise I won’t interfere! Never again…. Murdick –  holy shit!” 

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Reagan watched Link read the menu, thinking about how cute he was. He seemed really sweet and not full of himself as Camden had been. After she refused to have sex with Camden for the second time, he stopped calling her.  She saw him in the hall with someone else a week later. It pissed her off. At least Archer had the decency to tell her to her face that they were over.

She looked away realizing she was staring at Link, while thinking about Archer. At least they were at the ice cream parlor. Archer had never taken her there before.

“Reagan…Reaaaagan,” he said, trying to get her attention, “What would you like?”

“Sorry, I was just thinking,” she said a little embarrassed and quickly looked at the menu. “Um, I’ll just have hot chocolate please.”

“So, I hope your sister doesn’t mind that I asked you out,” he said, looking a bit worried.

“I didn’t tell her.  Although Dad did give me a confused look.”

“Well, just so you know, we were only friends, nothing more.”

“But you did kiss her…right?”

“But that’s all….only a couple of times,” he said, his tone serious now. “Honestly, she wasn’t into me. It’s okay. And for what it’s worth, Camden’s a fool for letting you go.”

Reagan knew she was blushing. “He’s a bit over the top,” said Reagan and giggled nervously.

“Agreed. He thinks he’s gonna be another Jackson Day. And he’s gonna end up like him too if he doesn’t slow down, and sooner rather than later.”

“I hope not!” said Reagan. Jackson had overdosed when he was in his forties.

Link smiled at her. “Me either. So…let’s not talk about my competition. Do you know what you’re gonna do after graduation?”

“Well, this summer I’m gonna work for my Aunt at C&M,” shes said proudly. “I will be helping with home decoration. I’m really excited about it. Maybe, if I like it and am good at it, I will find some classes at the local junior college to get me started. What about you?”

“That’s awesome. This music gig is only a hobby. I’m okay, just not great. Probably go for a degree in Information Technology.”

“You’re a computer nerd? I would have never guessed!”

“Well, it all started with video games….” he said and then they discussed their favorite games until it was time to go.

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“I’m not ready for the night to end,” said Link as he walked Reagan to her front door.

She thought it was sweet.  Camden had always just let her out of the car.  And of course, Archer couldn’t, although she bet he would have.  “Me either,” she said, “I had fun.”  

“We’ll do it again then. How about a movie tomorrow night?”

“That would be awesome.”

“Can I kiss you?” asked Link somewhat hesitant, “I mean, if you don’t think it’s weird.”

Reagan couldn’t believe he asked. “Yes….just don’t tell me who was better – unless it’s me.”

Link grinned. “I like you Reagan, you’re fun and don’t have a stick up your as…oops….”

This time Reagan laughed. “You think Taylor has a stick up her ass? Why? Wait…I don’t want to know.”

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” he replied looking worried.

“Link, are you going to kiss me? Or talk about my half sister?”

Link grinned that cute smile and pulled her to him. Then he kissed her a sweet kiss. It made her stomach do little flips. Sort of how it was with Archer, but never how it was with Camden. It scared her a little because she didn’t want to feel that way. It almost felt like cheating on Archer.

“You okay Reagan? Not as good as Camden?” he asked.

Reagan laughed and slapped his arm playfully. “It was much nicer,” she said.

“Hot damn! And I’m just getting started.”

Reagan chuckled. “See you tomorrow night,” she said, and turned to go into her house.

“Reagan?”

She turned back and he pulled her to him and kissed her again, this time much more passionately, making her knees nearly give out. “Wow…yes, much better,” she said breathlessly.

Link smirked at her. “Good. Just wanted to make sure you look forward to tomorrow night.”

Reagan walked inside and closed the door. She couldn’t get the grin off her face.  She could still feel his kiss on her lips as she leaned against the door. He really was nice. And that kiss….   Yes, she was indeed looking forward to tomorrow night.

Go to Chapter 3.16>>>>>

Go Back to Chapter 3.14

A/N –  A new casting call Sim makes a formal appearance….

Link Mason by CitizenErased14