Chapter 3: 3. Four Friends
3. FOUR FRIENDS
"Come on, guys, let's raise a toast!" The blonde and beautiful girl, Evelyn, cheered with excitement, lifting her juice glass high.
"Cheers!" the rest of them chimed in, clinking their glasses cheerfully.
"Bill is all mine today, guys. Eat whatever you want," Evelyn announced with a playful grin, leaning forward to emphasize her point.
"Really? Can I eat all for free?" Billy asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement at the prospect of free food.
"Don't get too excited. All you can eat is low-calorie food and salad," Ethan teased his brother, nudging him playfully. Turning to Evelyn, he inquired, "So, what's the occasion, Eve?"
"Don't tell me you finally got a boyfriend," Billy joked between mouthfuls of food, although it was evident that the others didn't quite catch what he said.
"Let's tackle one thing at a time, idiot," Evelyn retorted with a laugh, earning chuckles from the other two.
"Well, guys, Evelyn didn't get any boyfriend," the plain girl with glasses, Annie, announced with a smile. "She was thrilled to pass her second semester with flying colors."
"Oh really? That's fantastic, Eve. Congratulations," Austin congratulated her, genuinely pleased for her.
"Thanks to you guys," Evelyn's tone shifted from cheerful to genuine gratitude. "I was nervous about entering the university with just borderline marks on the entrance test, but now I have no fear because you two can easily teach me," she expressed her gratitude sincerely.
"I also have to thank you two, guys," Annie added, her smile warm and appreciative. "You both are like confidence boosters to us," she said with genuine affection.
Austin and Billy exchanged a glance, their smiles reflecting a sense of pride. "You know, it's nothing compared to friendship," Billy replied, his voice filled with genuine affection.
"How do you both excel at studies? I've barely seen you both studying," Annie asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"Well, you know, a lot of concentration during lectures! That's it," Austin explained casually. "We both can focus easily on anything."
"It's easy to explain, guys. You two siblings seem to have special abilities. You're both good at academics and physical activities too," Annie pointed out their excellence.
"It's not fair," Evelyn chimed in with a hint of envy.
"Come on, guys, let's leave that aside. We're entering our second year tomorrow," Austin attempted to change the topic, sensing the mood shift.
"Oh, did you guys check your circular?" Annie asked, eager to share the news.
"No, we forgot to check it," Austin admitted.
"You know, they said a new lecturer was hired. Rumor has it she's young and beautiful," Evelyn reported, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Oh, is that so?" Billy responded nonchalantly, taking a sip of water.
"Come on, boys! Don't you have any romantic interests? Any girl would say yes to you both," Evelyn teased, noticing their lack of interest in relationships.
Billy nearly choked on his water at Evelyn's remark. "I think it's still not the right time for relationships," he tried to deflect the question.
"What about you both? Why are you not in any relationships yet? I wonder why no guys approach you both beauties," Austin teased them back, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Both girls reacted differently to Austin's words. Annie was completely taken aback, while Evelyn was flustered by being called a beauty.
"I'm just a plain-looking girl. No guy would find me attractive," Annie declared loudly.
"I know I'm beautiful. I'm sure my prince charming will approach me one day," Evelyn stated proudly.
"And he'll run away from you after surviving five minutes," Billy quipped, chuckling at his own joke, while the remaining two laughed.
"Shut the fuck up, idiot," Evelyn shot back in frustration.
"Come on, Eve, calm down!" Annie intervened, attempting to soothe her friend while still laughing at Billy's joke.
"Now tell me, you seem to have a girl in your heart?" Evelyn asked Billy, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
Billy was caught off guard by her question. "Well, there is a girl in my heart, but I don't know what she looks like," he revealed cryptically.
"What?" Annie and Evelyn exchanged confused glances, struggling to comprehend his words.
"Here he goes again, with the same mysterious talk," Austin remarked with a knowing grin.
"Come on, it's my first love. Let me tell them," Billy insisted.
"Come on, Billy, you have to tell us," Annie urged, eager to hear more.
Billy took a deep breath, ready to start his story. "You two know about the stabbing incident that happened to me seven months before I joined college," he asked them.
"Yeah, we know you said that you got stabbed and got saved at the last moment," Annie mentioned, remembering.
"Heroic gone wrong in a funny way," Evelyn teased.
"Hey guys, I am serious about this," Billy said, ready to share his story silently.
"After I got stabbed, I was left alone to die. I just lost my hope, thinking it was over."
"Then she came to the scene like an angel, as if she had descended from above to pick me up. She was very beautiful and cute, but when I woke up, her face shattered in my memory, and I remembered it. It's not like I fell in love because she saved me; it's because I clearly fell for her."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Ash_thirumuru
Ash_thirumuru I clearly messed up this chapter by not checking it before uploading. I've corrected the mistakes and added clear mentions of the character names.
I hope you, the readers, can forgive my oversight and still enjoy the chapter.
Thank you.
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