Begin Again - Start All Over Differently

The silence that Evan and Evelyn were seated in broke when the other students began entering. Soon after the lecturer came, Evelyn's focus was captured by him while Evan stayed still lost in his world.

"What a boring lecture it was!" Caleb remarked once he ensured that the lecturer had left. "Where is Kelly? Even Celine isn't here." Caleb roamed his gaze around before he turned to Evan who was equally clueless until he spotted Kelly at the door who screamed from there itself.

"Hi, guys." She took a brief look at the class, and once she got who she was looking for, she said monotonously, "Evelyn. You've been called by the principal."

Evelyn gave her a nod, pushed her books in her bag and made it to the principal's cabin.

Evan's eyes followed her until she faded from his sight. Despite being willing to know what the matter was, he couldn't bring himself to ask the same to Kelly and that was when, again, his friend in need, Caleb came to help as always. He turned to Kelly and asked why Evelyn's presence was demanded.

"Caleb – again – why is that you are so interested in her?" Kelly didn't take a minute to frown that soon changed to a suspicious look.

"I am interested in her?" Caleb's used his most dramatic way to say that. "I am not interested in her. Come on, Kelly – I have always been a curious soul."

"Okay… curious cat."

Evan chuckled when he heard Kelly but reverted to his previous expression on earning a glare from Caleb.

Caleb moved closer to Evan and whispered in his ear, making sure that it was audible to only him.

"What an ungrateful soul you are! You know it very well that I am asking this for you and you – you unappreciative, thankless boy - have the audacity to laugh at me."

"I don't have any interest in getting myself involved in this trite conversation. Besides, I am here to inform you guys that Celine's father isn't well so we are going to her place. I was giving our applications for leaves to the principal sir when he asked me to call Evelyn. I know nothing beyond that." Kelly forced a smile at Caleb. "Okay, Caleb?"

"What happened to Celine's Dad?" The conversation suddenly turned serious once Evan acknowledged the piece of information that Kelly fed them.

"Nothing serious, but I'm accompanying Celine. I will let you guys know if there is anything serious."

"Keep us informed," Caleb said, at which Kelly was quick enough to nod before she took a leave.

Evan's heart grew a little anxious when Evelyn didn't return within ten minutes. A part of him wished to get up and take a trip to the principal's cabin but he forced himself to sit back, recalling his conversation with her. The girl had a pretty impressive sense of surroundings. She had caught him around the medical room that day despite his utmost care of hiding his presence.

"No bro, don't look at me now. I won't help an ungrateful person like you," Caleb uttered while scrolling through his phone when he realized that Evan had been looking at him for a while.

"Stop assuming things, Caleb. I've told you – I have nothing for her."

"And I have something for you."

"Shut up, Caleb."

"Same bro, same. Either shut up or go and lie somewhere else."

Evan sighed, but catching Evelyn walking in the class followed by the principal made him straighten himself on his chair.

"Alright, students, attention please."

The principal's presence and announcement ceased the chitchat of students. The lecturers of every subject walked in, one by one and once everyone was there, the principal began to share what he was there for.

"This is going to be a serious conversation so no humorous comments will be entertained. Do you guys know, what is the name of our college? Brilliance, yes, right so when are you students going to live up to it?" The principle sounded extremely annoyed but more than that, his eyes shone with disappointment.

"Our college used to be at the top in the best result givers' list and in the last couple of years – our average result has been going awfully low. Do you understand what that means? We had incorporated a technique in the last batch and it did work but we were quite late in doing that so the results even though were okay – but not enough and you guys – you guys are the same. Nobody wants to study. Even if you have different passions and ambitions, you can't take your studies lightly. You kids and your interests are short-lived. Oh, don't give me those looks. I have seen many batches and many students and trust this old man when he says that he knows far more than you guys do even if you don't feel the same right now. Your lecturers had conducted a test last week and a lot of you haven't risen above 60 percent."

"I must be one among them," Caleb remarked while Evan shushed him. Evan wondered what Evelyn had got to do with the entire thing to be standing there, with the principal.

"We are going to do the same what we did in the last batch. Without beating the bush around – you all will be divided into groups of three. You'll be given weekly targets to finish. Each group will be led by the one who has scored the most among them in the test of the last week. Make sure you take this very seriously because if your performance doesn't improve by the end – it's not going to be good and I promise you that. Any questions?"

"No, Sir," the class replied in a unison. Visibly alright students were internally letting out curses but they had to agree. What else could they do anyway?

"Very good. Your groups have already been decided and the list would be forwarded to you very soon. I'll be telling you only about the group of Ms. Taylor because she has topped the test. It would clear how the groups have been formed"

While Evelyn stood there mechanically, everyone else gasped for she wasn't of the topper kind. None had expected it for obvious reasons.

Caleb tilted his head towards Evan, with that stuck in a problem expression of his. "Dude – how do you think Celine will react to this?"

"She is not going to be ecstatic – that I can confirm." Evan earned a smack from Caleb on that.

Celine had been a topper throughout her life and she held the topper's tag with pride. She was the first ranker even in the first year of their junior college. She didn't let go of her first rank, for even some casual tests.

Celine never ranked anything below the first.

"Also, you all must understand that we are not your enemies to put you with people who you can't cooperate with, in this important year. If you remember – at the beginning of the year, you had filled up a couple of forms. That included one with your personal information. Back then, the one who you had mentioned your friend in the first place would be in the same group as that of you so that you can cooperate."

Evelyn sincerely hoped to get paired with sane people, as dedicated as she herself was. Tuning was going to be tough otherwise.

"Caleb Wilson. Ms. Taylor has scored 97 percent and you, 53. This is according to 100 – X and 50 + Y logic. Figure out on your own if you still haven't got it. The first member of the group would be the leader, the second one would be – whose percentile would match and since Mr. Wilson has named Evan on the first position in the list his friends – the last member of this group shall be Mr. Parker."

Hearing their names being taken together - left the all the three people - taken aback. Evelyn's gaze met Evan's who was already looking at her.

Things had changed. Things were changing. For good or bad… only time would tell.