Time Duology #1: Time For Love 💘

4. Locked In

Evelyn leaned back a little to review her list of items.

There were two columns named "History Project" and "Story". She went through each of them one-by-one and nodded in approval as she read silently. When she was done:

"Yea, this should be good enough," she muttered to herself. She stood up, stretched her arms, and went to the staircase a few feet from the front door. "Got to resume my novel."

It was a fact that not everybody who knew Evelyn was aware of: She was a writer and reader. She loved books and read almost anything that attracted her fancy. She was the member of Gardenia City Central Library and even dreamed of working there when she was a little girl. But now, of course, she had other dreams: to spend the rest of her days researching the past.

Now, she reached the first floor of the house and went into her bedroom. The house was empty, so she didn't bother closing the door. She opened her laptop which sat on her writing desk, switched it on, and waited for it to boot up.

In the meantime, she heard her ringtone going off again, feebly.

"Gosh, I forgot my phone in the hall!" she exclaimed to herself as she rushed out of her room and down the stairs. She saw the screen, but it was a number she didn't recognise. Just as she was about to answer it anyway and find out, the call cut off.

She slowly trudged back up to her room. Her laptop now showed a screen for her to enter her password. She keyed it in and opened a new Word document.

Just as she was about to type in her ideas for her story, the phone rang again. It was the same number. She picked it up:

"Hello?"

"Hey, Evelyn? This is Tony! From class?"

She relaxed. "Oh, hi, Tony! What's up?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about you – and our date Saturday night. Then, I thought, 'Oh yes, we didn't decide where to go!' So, I picked up my phone, searched for your number on the group, and called you."

She could feel the grin in his voice and sighed inwardly. She wondered why she had even agreed to date him in the first place, even if it wasn't going to turn serious. Tony wasn't even remotely her type. But, when she next cleared her throat and spoke up, it was with the opposite conviction:

"How about the mall?" There was only one in the entire city that was most frequented by St. Ann's University—the Miniature Mall across the road of the college. "Five o' clock?"

"Yes, yes! That'd be great!"

"Okay then. See –"

"So, what are you doing now?"

"Um – I was just writing ideas for my project."

"Oh, I see. What's your subject again?"

This was another point that hit her "Why am I doing this?" cause.

"Well – uh – History and International Studies."

"Oh, right, right! I forgot! I'm in Law School."

"I know. You're in Anthony's class."

A nervous chuckle came from the other side, which made her frown in confusion.

"Say... Evelyn?"

"Yes, Tony?" Oh, that's right: to get back at Anthony for butting in the way he did when Tony came to her that day during lunch. That's why she had consented to the date. But, now that they stopped fighting, should she still be obliged to go? She felt that she was.