Time Duology #1: Time For Love 💘

2. Secrets Behind Closed Doors

Evelyn was the first to arrive at the cafeteria that all the three friends had been frequenting since their first years.

She spotted a table for four and immediately rushed forward to secure it. She looked around and saw that the cafeteria was crowded; more and more people were flowing in. The immense capacity of the cafeteria never failed to baffle the young girl in all her tw-and-a-half years there.

She opened her backpack and looked inside. She saw the top of a yellowed book, smaller than her other notebooks, and a bulb went off in her head:

'Of course – my library book! I need to return it to-day if I don't want to pay another fine!' she thought. She carefully removed it from the bag and gazed fondly at the title cover: "The Book of Tomorrow", a novel by Cecelia Ahern. The author became her new favourite with this one and she vowed to read more of her works in the immediate future.

"You're early, as usual!"

Evelyn started violently, but when she recognised the voice, she put a hand on her chest to calm down, before turning to see Anthony looking down at her with a big grin.

"Anthony! You came!" she exclaimed. "Here, sit there!" She pointed to a chair on the opposite side. "Where's Sophia?"

"Oh you know, she in Foy's class now."

"Oh yes, yes. I remember her when she took International Economics for me last semester. She taught well, but always lost track of time!"

"So, Sophia texted me that we could go ahead and have our lunch before she and Eddie can make it. But, I'm sure you're against that."

"Yep. Let's wait for her, no? You don't mind, do you?"

"No." His gaze went beyond her. "But, there's somebody who's been waiting for me to finish talking, so he can talk to you."

Evelyn turned around again, and this time, to see Tony. She gave him her gracious smile.

"Hey Tony! Back from the hols already?! Didn't your family all go out anywhere this time?!" Tony's family was well-known to take long trips abroad during every vacation.

Tony blushed, seemingly embarrassed. "Er, yea, no, we did. We went to Nepal and came back earlier this time. My aunt had to be hospitalised."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry. Is she doing fine?"

"Yes, thank you! – she's just got the flu, I think. Er – Evelyn? I have something I've been meaning to ask you for some time now."

"Sure, go ahead!"

"Um – er – I..." his voice trailed away when his gaze caught Anthony's stern one at him.

Evelyn saw this and scolded the latter, "Hey, cut it out! The poor guy wants to say something, so let him!"

Anthony scowled at Tony in indignation and looked away, arms crossed.

Evelyn turned back to Tony with her smile. "Yes, Tony?"

"Er – yes, about my question," began Tony. "Evelyn, will you please go out with me this Saturday?"

Evelyn felt very surprised, but she didn't show it. Instead, she beamed happily at him. "Wow, Tony! Really? You mean it?!"

Tony nodded eagerly. "Yes!"

"Well, I'll go out with you on one condition."

His face deflated, though the smile remained. Anthony watched this from the corner of his eyes.

"Please don't take this into a serious relationship."

"Uh... but, don't you want to at least try me out? Try us out?" He gestured between the two of them.

"Please, Tony. Don't make me do it." Evelyn had a soft smile on her face.

"Oh well, all right. One date it is, then. See you at seven at Dollar's Café?"

"Sure! Can't wait!"

Tony went away, a happier man. Anthony stared after him with a frown.

Evelyn looked at her friend and sighed. "Now what?"

He turned to her. "Really? I mean, why do you always keep that condition? I thought you'd do better, now that you're in the final semester and know more about the value of life!"

Evelyn turned away without a word, towards the window where she could see the dark clouds growing closer in the sky.

"Well?!"

She turned back to him with a sudden change in her mood. "Hey! What do you think we should buy for dessert on our first day back of our last semester?!"

His frowned deepened, but didn't have time to speak on it, when he saw that his sister had entered the cafeteria. He let it go with a heavy sigh.

'I suppose this will be continued later,' he thought, as he stood up to greet his sister. Evelyn also stood up when she turned around once more to see Sophia with her boyfriend, Edmund "Eddie" Lowell.

Sophia hugged Evelyn tightly, panting a little. "Oh my god, I'm finally out of Foy's class! Ugh! I mean, it's not like – well, she's a good person and a wonderful teacher, but really! She should at least carry a watch!"

Eddie grinned as he shook hands with her brother. "And if she has one, to make a habit of checking it from time-to-time," he added. He sat down beside Anthony.

"Well, I did give you a solution for this a long time ago," Evelyn told them, settling down herself. "To stand up and inform her of it. It's not like she's going to hurt you or embarrass you for that! We used to do that all the time in her classes!"

Sophia sniffed. "Maybe we should do that."

"So then, let's have lunch!" Eddie, ever the glutton of the gang, instantly dug into his backpack and brandished a lunchbox. "It's sandwich for me here! Anybody interested to share?"

"Me! Me!" cried the others as they, too, took out their lunchboxes.

All four shared their meals with one-another and chatted gleefully about the upcoming days.

When they were done, it was time to decide on their menu for dessert. Evelyn checked her navy blue formal-looking watch and saw that there was still a quarter of an hour to go before they were all expected back in class.

"I think," proposed Sophia, "we should have drinks!"

"Yea, I'm in," said Evelyn.

"And me!" said the two men in unison.

They chose their drinks and Sophia and Eddie got up to them. Anthony took this chance to speak to Evelyn again:

"So, why is it?" he said in a soft whisper.

Evelyn frowned at him in confusion at first, before it dawned on her. Her brown eyes looked a little sad. "Oh that. Well, nothing you need to concern yourself about."

"You do realise that you're breaking guys' hearts by putting that condition, right?"

"Well, that's not true. It's entirely their choice whether they want to accept my condition or not. And it's my choice to keep one." She looked very calm and her eyes lost their sad look and turned into something even her friend couldn't comprehend.

At this, anger flashed in Anthony's black eyes and he let out something that sounded like a growl, but she ignored it and looked around her, her brown hair waving slightly in the air that blew from the window beside them.

"Don't ever ask me that question again," she muttered to him, her voice wounded.

Anthony was so shocked, he didn't speak again until his sister and her boyfriend returned with their drinks.