Begin Again - Start All Over Differently

"Hello, leader," Caleb jumped out of his chair and stood in front of Evelyn, who was signing the printout that included the list of the groups.

She forwarded it to him. "Hi, Caleb," she replied while putting back the cap of her pen.

"How do you feel about having, me in your group, eh?" He grinned. "Pen please?"

She had almost put it in her bag when she heard him. Pulling it out, she passed it to him. "Isn't it too soon for me to say?"

He ended up laughing at her response. "Well, that's also right." He turned back, handing the piece of paper over to Evan who had been silently witnessing the conversation.

"Careful." Evelyn almost yelled when Caleb threw her pen toward Evan. She rushed forward to catch it only to find it lying safe and in one piece in Evan's hands.

Her suddenly worked up self surprised both, Caleb and Evan.

Evan didn't wait for a second and placed the pen carefully in her hand. "You keep it. I'll use mine."

She instantly pushed it in her bag and mumbled, "Thank you."

Evan had been observing her every reaction minutely right from the way anxiety took over her when Caleb threw the pen in the air toward him to the way her eyes shone with a glint of relief when he kept it on her palm. Looked like the pen had a tale to tell, he thought.

"Hey, I am sorry," Caleb was quick enough to apologize. "I knew he would catch it. If you don't believe me, come to watch us play cricket, someday. He never misses a catch."

It took Evelyn several seconds to acknowledge Caleb. "Oh, no, it's okay. The pen… um," she thought for a while before making up a response, "I am just attached to my stuff."

"I understand. I am also attached to Evan. He comes in my stuff, you know? I would be equally worried if someone threw him like I threw your pen."

Evan's forehead stretched in annoyance. He had enough of his friend's lame jokes. Caleb seemed to be having a little too much fun at his expense.

Evelyn glanced at Evan and pressed her lips together to suppress her giggle.

"No, but, 97 percent? Seriously? I don't think I can even reach to 80 even if I sacrifice my sleep for this whole damn year," Caleb confessed.

"I think you absolutely can! You just need to try and work in the right direction. I had scored 71 last year." She shared the piece of information, hoping it would help Caleb understand that if he genuinely put in efforts, he could definitely reach the number 80.

"71, eh? You kidding me?" Caleb shook his head, refusing to believe her.

"I am not. I'll show you my scorecard if you wish to see."

"Alright, Caleb, I think you are forgetting that we have to go somewhere. Shall we?" Evan intervened, reminding Caleb what looked like was washed out of his memory.

"Oh yes! Damn." Caleb slapped his forehead. He had to arrange the party. How could it slip off his mind? "Come, let's go." He gestured Evan to get up and they were almost about to leave when Caleb thought of something and he turned around to face Evelyn.

"Evelyn, I have a party at home. Why don't you also come?" Caleb invited.

"A party," Evelyn thought for a brief moment, "I am not really fond of parties. I am sorry."

Caleb took a step toward her. "You are not fond of movies. You are not fond of parties. What are you fond of, Miss Evelyn Taylor? You sure, you are from this planet?"

"I am fond of generous people like you, who show the courtesy to ask despite, a part of them knows that the other person would deny." Her lips stretched into a joyous smile.

"My, my… I am impressed." Caleb made no attempt to conceal his surprise. Who knew - the silent, reserved, introvert Evelyn Taylor - could talk the way she just did?

"Okay, so this is not one of those parties, which I think you aren't fond of. Today is my baby sister's birthday and not many people are invited. Just us and her friends. We are a team for this whole year. Let's warm up a little to each other so that we can work together. What say?"

His sister's birthday! Evelyn couldn't refuse.

"Alright. I'll see you then." He waved, making his way out of the classroom.

And that was when Evelyn realized that she didn't know where she was supposed to reach. "Caleb, wait. I don't know your address," she called for him only to see him turning around to tell her what she wasn't expecting.

"Don't worry about it. Evan will pick you up. Wait - exchange numbers, guys. Evelyn - you message him your address and he would bring you to my place." Caleb pulled Evan by his arm to walk them back to Evelyn but Evan stopped him.

"It's okay. I know where she lives."

There was a moment of silence after Evan spoke those words. Caleb's raised his eyes at him and Evan hated Caleb's grinning face. "We are getting late, aren't we?" Evan dragged Caleb outside before he could utter something in front of Evelyn that could land him in trouble.

*

"How far is it?" It had been almost twenty minutes since Evan picked up Evelyn from her home. Vanessa was sleeping when she had reached home after college. She had informed Melissa that she would be back soon.

Ever since she sat in the car, none had uttered a word. He drove and she fixed her gaze outside her window.

"Twenty minutes more," he replied while turning the steering to the left.

Evelyn was so busy staring outside that she missed the way he glanced at her every now and then from the corner of his eye.

She hummed in response. The October had just begun but the air was already cold. She rubbed her arms to warm herself.

"I would have to get back home before nine," she informed. She had to get back within two hours. Her sister would neither eat nor take her medicines without her. It had been a routine. Vanessa needed Evelyn by her side during the dinner and especially while taking the medicines.

Vanessa had Pseudodysphagia and she literally grew up with the belief that as long as her sister was around, things would be fine and when a couple of times, Evelyn couldn't make it to the dinner with her and Vanessa had tried swallowing her medicines – she couldn't – and the choking that had occurred did nothing but intensified her fear.

She watched him giving her a small nod. Silence had been her companion for a long time, yet, the silence in the car was a bit unsettling for her.

"Why is your smile so expensive?"

Though he had not expected that kind of a question to be thrown at him, he reminded himself that he wasn't supposed to be surprised. "Why would you think that my smile is expensive?"

"Because you would smile more often if it wasn't."

"I think, you haven't done your homework right, Miss. Taylor. Had you observed me a little more, you would have known that I smile at everyone."

"Except in the mirror?" Her voice softened, as she waited for his reaction, which was exactly how she had predicted.

Corners of his mouth had lifted when he was making the attempt of ridiculing and dismissing her knowledge but that very smile froze on his face when he heard her asking what he couldn't have even made a wild guess about.

He unconsciously slowed down the car and his smile began faltering as her words sank in his system but he couldn't let her see it – not for long. He pressed his right foot on the accelerator once he grabbed the hold of his emotions that she seemed to have triggered. "Don't you think you are trying to read a little too much between the lines?"

"Right," she muttered while silently commanding her tongue to stay in its limit.

He stole a last glance at her and he could tell that she was still firm in her opinion in her mind. He couldn't quite pinpoint what it was about her that drew him toward, her but there was something indeed. She still intrigued him, so did her cognizance. The range of what she perceived, the way she perceived, and her understanding based on it left him wondering what more she knew and how much more she knew about him.

She was a profound mystery to him, which he couldn't resist himself from wishing to unravel.