Intriguing Ms. Taylor and Puzzled Mr. Parker

'Jesus, please take care of Evan's tensions.' Evelyn closed her eyes, taking some moments to pray for Evan.

She walked through the empty corridor, heading towards the library for she had some books to return and a few to renew.

Thoughts about Evan still occupied her mind. She had known him for a year but had hardly spoken to him.

She would have trouble deciding if she was unapproachable or he.

She still remembered the first time, she saw him on the first day of her junior college and being the less judgmental kind of a person she was – she had neutral feelings for him until she witnessed him being an epitome of rudeness to a classmate and that was when, Evelyn Taylor knew that she would like to keep away from him for she wasn't fond of uncivilized people who let their anger rule them and back then, he had seemed a perfect example of the same but despite everything, Evan had stayed the center of attraction among the girls.

Her female classmates could never get enough of him.

The boy had the voice that many would lay their lives for.

She had searched a bit regarding him in the initial days out of curiosity and was left surprised to know that he and his friends had begun with their band when they were just thirteen. That was quite something, she truly believed.

She was left even more astonished to see that their videos had crossed billions of views on YouTube and that was when she realized – Precious Four were far more popular than what she had thought of.

The boy had built himself up pretty well. Anybody looking at him could say that he must have spent countless hours in the gym. His personality confirmed it as if it was given.

The lead vocalist of quite a famous music ensemble, Precious Four.

His mother belonged to the highest board of directors in one of the top universities in the world, achieving what many would do, only in their dreams.

The boy apparently had a lot of money.

What was even there to worry about in his life? – That was exactly how – almost everyone perceived Evan Parker.

His pearl-gray eyes only added on to his already charming persona. They could entice anyone they wished to. When almost everybody could see nothing beyond it, Evelyn Taylor had seen what everybody had missed.

The eyes were mysterious more than being attractive and the boy, much more than what he showed himself to be.

"Yeah, I want to renew these two and return the rest." She confirmed to the librarian and exited the library quickly. She still had time in hand. Courtesy to the two lecturers who had canceled their lectures for the reasons best known to them!

'Jesus, what do I do now?' She would have run back home had the last lecture not been there.

Piano.

Her eyes twinkled and even before she knew, she was halfway to the music room.

She stumbled on her steps on finding Evan in front of her as she dashed inside the music room.

How did it slip off her mind? She clearly did not think of it.

"Oh... I... I am sorry. I... actually... Piano..." She her palm in the air in front of him. "Sorry, I'll just leave."

"Evelyn, wait." He left the chair he was seated upon, walking up to her. "Do you hate me?"

His question seemed to have startled her for she didn't speak for a few seconds after he did.

"I do not talk to people I hate. I just didn't mean to bother." She slowly flashed her usual signature sweet smile, complimenting her words. She couldn't help but wonder why he would think that she hated him.

His brows rose as if he had not expected her to say what she did. "I thought you do, especially after what I did to you and now that you say that you do not talk to people you hate and considering that we haven't spoken since the day I had made you fall – I guess, my question wasn't baseless."

She drifted back in the memory lane upon hearing him, in the initial days of the second year of her junior college when she had slipped in the corridor due to the water on the floor.

She couldn't forget it. The sprain that she had got in her leg because of it, had forced her to sit at home for the whole one week. Evan, himself had come out at the front, from behind the pillar that was a little distant from where she had fallen and confessed, ultimately making it obvious that he was behind the prank that had cost her a painful injury.

Back then, he had accepted it to be his attempt to do what he did because oh well he had reasoned it stating that he had a bet about the same.

"Well, I would have hated you had you done it consciously or had even done it for that matter. I am sorry if it disappoints you but I know that you did not do it. People, who intend to hurt someone, do not revert to check up on their well-being. I had seen you around the medical room that day. Whatever you may say, I refuse to believe that it was your deliberate attempt to hurt me." She calmly completed, holding his gaze.

She took him by surprise and he stared at her for several seconds in a daze, before he tore his gaze from her.

On encountering his silence, she continued, "I do not know the reason that makes you portray yourself as someone that you, in reality, are not and I am nobody to question you regarding what you choose to do in your life but as far as I am concerned, stay assured - I look beyond what is visible and spend some quality time in understanding the concealed."

•

"You should have gone to the movie with your friends. It would have distracted you for a while from whatever that is bothering you and you would have felt better."

It had been quite a while since they sat together in silence. He hadn't uttered a word after she enlightened him about her thoughts regarding him, that were unexpected by him and although he hadn't made a move asking her to stay back, she had and he let her.

"Evan," She tilted her head towards him, "Do you want me to go? I apologize, for interfering in your life. I am sure you must be finding it weird that I barely know you and -"

"How do you know?" He cut her off in the middle, with his eyes fixed on the floor.

"I am sorry, what?" She slightly shook her head, on failing to get what he intended to ask.

"Back then, you said, find a way to let out everything that has been bothering me. Everything that has been. What made you say that? What do you know about me and how?"

"Evan, relax. I don't know anything. You need not worry. I mean yes, I do know that something is really wrong with you for the past two-three weeks but nothing more than that."

She watched him heaving a silent sigh. Clueless, she didn't know how to take the conversation forward.

The silence that was comfortable so far began making her feel uneasy. Exiting the place seemed the best option to her for she could see the questions popping in his eyes, answers of which, she couldn't give him.

"I better get going." She was about to get on her feet when he caught the hold of her wrist. She looked at him and sat back against the command from her brain.

"How can you say that something is wrong with me?"

She had already seen the question coming, and that was why she was willing to disappear in the first place. Once the query was spoken, there was no way out for Evelyn.

"Because I can see it," she mumbled while not letting her eyes catch his sight.

He let out a small laugh. "What are you? A face-reader? A mind-reader?"

Her brows knit together at his comment.

Exactly why, she did not want it to come in the conversation. Great! As expected, he was finding it funny rather, he was finding her funny. She stood up wordlessly, to get away from him.

What a fool she had been to sit there and tell that to him?

"Evelyn," whispering her name, he made an attempt to stop her but neither did she respond to him nor did she stop. She walked out, without glancing at him.

•

'Jesus, how could he just laugh at me like that?'

She looked up, complaining in her faint tone, absolutely annoyed at what Evan had said. She was amused with her own self for she already kind of knew that he would react the same way he did.

He wasn't wrong though. Anyone in his place would have said the same that he did.

Shaking her head, she continued on her way to the classroom.

'I shouldn't have gone in, in the first place. What were you thinking, Evelyn Taylor? You can't just walk up to him and say, hey I know you have been tensed - when you two hardly talk. He must be thinking that you are crazy.'

She still had time in hand before the lecture but she sternly refused herself to wander anywhere. She made it straight to the classroom and decided to wait there.

•

"Yes, Caleb. Why are you calling me in the middle of the movie? Is it that boring?" Evan hated Caleb's ability to see the things he wished to hide.

"Nothing bro. Was just checking up on you. You are lost these days. From lost, I remember, did you meet Evelyn?"

Evan straightened himself on hearing Evelyn's name. "I am beginning to feel that Kelly is right about you. You sure about not having fallen into drugs, right? Aren't you chanting Evelyn Evelyn a little too much?"

"Is my bro jealous?"

"Bullshit." Evan took the phone off his ears and held it near his mouth. "If I hear her name one more time from you, just know that everyone will be mourning on your loss because I am going to kill you."

"I am so scared. Ha ha ha. Let me get out of here. I'll see you then."

Evan groaned in frustration pushing the phone in his pocket.

Caleb!

•

"Yes, Melissa. I am just looking for a cab. I'll be there soon. You please handle it until then."

'Jesus, where are all the cabs?' Evelyn entwined the fingers of her both hands as she bent her head on her right while looking for any transport to reach home but she could see none.

"Lift?"

She looked to her right, hearing the familiar voice.

Evan Parker.

She couldn't get over the fact that he was offering her a ride home. Why would he do that?

'Quietly refuse, Evelyn. Just quietly refuse.'

"Thanks but I don't need it." She smiled, turning the offer down and began looking for a cab again.

"There is no doubt that you need it. The question is if you want it."

What was going in his mind? She didn't know. The day was just weird. "Thank you, Evan. I don't want it."

"I'll drop you. As you said, you don't hate me. What is the problem then? Listen, today... you... I don't keep favours. I am just returning it."

Had Evelyn not been in a hurry, she wouldn't have given in but she had to sit and accept for it was the need of the hour. "Thanks."

For Evan, it was just another opportunity to find the answers to the questions that were doing rounds in his head. He was puzzled with the perception that she held about him.

"Drive a little faster, can you?"

He shot a surprised glance at her. The speed was already high and she wanted it to be higher? He quickly shifted his eyes back on the road, speeding up the car, taking directions from her.

"That's it." She got down as soon as he stopped the car and rushed inside a house that he assumed to be her home.

She did not look back. She did not mouth thank you that he had thought that she would, going by her nature but well, she didn't.

He wondered about the reason she was in a rush and lost because of. He stayed there for a couple of minutes before taking out his car from there.