THE REJECTED PILLAR

CHAPTER 2-TAKING A RISK

"I am Anabel Lilith James but please call me Bella!" I said, introducing myself to the stranger. His reaction frightened me greatly. He immediately gasped like someone had pinched him. He turned and stared at me with curious eyes. Then he sighed and stared back at the window.

"What?" I asked him, frowning slightly. I was curious.

"Nothing!" he stuttered, trying hard to avoid my curious gaze.

"I saw you! You clearly gasped and stared at me. What is wrong with my name?" I asked, staring at his eyes. Have he heard my name before? Why did he look so shocked?

"Um....Your middle name" he stammered, finally looking into my eyes.

When I first discovered the meaning of my middle name, I was totally surprized and angry at my parents. I remember crying for days and refusing to eat. Yeah, I was little and stupid.

"Oh!" I finally replied " It is not my fault my parents named me after a Jewish demon! Lilith!" I mocked.

Bobby looked really shocked and stared at me. I would prefer he stare at the road he was driving on.

"You never told me that!" he said, sounding pained.

I didn't really like talking about it. I still couldn't grab a tangible reason why my parents decided to name me after a demon. The weirdest part was that I begged them day and night for weeks to change the name but they said it was my destiny to bear the name. I pestered them for another one month to explain the meaning of the statement but they completely refused. I then decided to forget about the whole thing and move on. It was also weird that this stranger knew the meaning of Lilith. Maybe he was a supernatural books fan like me.

"I am Kelvin!" said the stranger, introducing himself. "Thank you so much. I am super grateful that you two were there and you helped me. I can't just put to words how thankful I am.”

"You're welcome!" I replied, smiling at Kelvin.

Bobby just grunted with a frown on his face. Now I thought of it, Bobby didn't seem happy with helping Kelvin. He didn’t stopped giving the helpless stranger angry looks.

"I am so grateful. Anywhere around here will be perfectly enough for me!" said Kelvin, who seemed unaware to Bobby's rudeness.

"WHAT!" I shouted" I am taking you home! No offense, but judging from your appearance you clearly have no home!"

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING, BELLA!" ordered Bobby. I stared angrily at him and he equally stared back.

The look Bobby gave me was a look of pure annoyance. It was like I was acting stupid. But he was being the stupid one. We just met Kelvin, a stranger who we know is in great danger and he was ready to drop him off, just like that? What if something happened to him because of our negligence?

“I AM TAKING HIM HOME!” I said boldly

"Helping this criminal escape from the cops is already a huge offense! Hiding him in your house is a bigger crime!" said Bobby, staring at me.

"The cops?" asked Kelvin "I'm not running from the cops! I wish I was running from the cops!"

"That's what every hardened criminal says!" retorted Bobby, glaring angrily at Kelvin.

I sincerely wanted to slap my stupid boyfriend and scream at him. Bobby was never like this. The Bobby I knew would say kind words to Kelvin and help him out. I sighed and tried my best to ignore him. This was my decision, not his.

"Kelvin, be honest, are you running from the cops?" I asked softly and tenderly, staring at him.

"I swear! I am not running from the cops" he replied.

I stared into those deep eyes of his and I believed him. He was being honest.

"Then what are you running from?" I asked, compassionately.

He sighed. "I am sorry, Bella! I can't tell you and I also can't go to your house."

WHAT??!!! Why was he making it hard, I'm trying to help him here.

"What do you mean?" I asked, sounding hurt.

"Look, Bella! I'm really eternally indebted to you for your help but I can't just rub you in. I can't put you in danger."

Now, I was curious. Rub me into what? And this stranger seemed really educated, judging by his choice of words.

"If it's any gang or something, we can help you connect to the cops" I offered.

He shook his head and placed his hand on mine. My heart leaped! Like I had been hit with electricity.

"You don't understand, Bella! These people are way bigger than the cops. They're bigger than anything you can think of!"

I withdrew at that statement. Was he being honest? What was wrong with me? This stranger was giving me a clear warning. I should let him go but why was I being so hard-headed? Why can't I just let him go?

"I...I..." I started…..but Bobby cut me off. "Bella, you heard him. Why are you being so..." I cut Bobby off.

"Kelvin, be honest with me, if I let you go now, what's the probability that you'll be safe?" I asked.

Kelvin sighed, stared at me and said "1 out of 10 probability that I'll survive but..."

No buts, I ordered Bobby to drive us home.

My mother was in her nightgown and robe in the kitchen when we got home. My brother, Charles, and the two foster kids who were living with us at the time (Charlie and Natalie) were in the family room playing cards. My dad wasn't home. He played poker with his friends on Friday nights.

My mom and the guys all dropped whatever they were doing when I brought Kelvin into the house. My mom switched into mothering mode. She fixed Kelvin in the bathroom with fresh towels and a change of clothes. While Kelvin was showering, she heated up some frozen pizza for him. She ordered the guys and me into Charles's bedroom to put new sheets on the extra bed. Charles was always complaining because I was the only one in the house who got her own bedroom. He always had to share. Our house had four bedrooms. At times, we had as many as three guys in one bedroom, and at Christmas, the house became a crowded house. My older brothers came home. Many of my parents' previous foster children came home. There were guys sleeping everywhere. On the couches, on air mattresses, on the floor, in bedrooms. And the bathrooms were a mess. They were covered with shaving cream and hair gel and bottles of perfume. Guys have just as many grooming products as girls these days.

I was used to the distracted atmosphere of my house. After we made up a bed for Kelvin, and the other guys donated various articles of clothing to him, which we piled next to his bed, we all went back to the living room. Bobby had stuck around for a little bit, helping my mother in the kitchen to make hot chocolate and set the dining table. He joined us too.

The guys couldn't shut up. Charles made Bobby and I retell the story of how we picked up Kelvin at least four times. Natalie and Charles were convinced that Kelvin had escaped from prison.

"He says he's not on the run from the police," said Charlie.

"He is lying," said Charles. "Nobody runs like that unless they're on the run from the police."

I wasn't too surprised with the way my mother took Kelvin in immediately. She clearly saw his appearance and knew he needed help. My parents were so kind that most times it became super annoying. They took in homeless kids and cared for them.

I was pretty sure they won't let Kelvin leave just like that until he explain why he was running and who was after him? Who can they be to be bigger than the cops?

"I think he's running from the authorities," said Bobby. "I think that Kelvin guy is bad news."

I glared at him. "Yeah, you wanted to leave him on the side of the road."

"He wanted to be left on the side of the road," Bobby replied angrily.

"Because the police are after him," said Natalie. "That's the only reason he wouldn't want to come back here. If he was running from some guy who bought drugs from him, he wouldn't want us to turn him in."

"I don't think he's a drug dealer," I said.

"Why not?" asked Natalie.

"If he dealt drugs around here, why wouldn't we know him? Why wouldn't he go to our school?" I said.

"He doesn't need to go to school, because he makes bank selling drugs," said Charlie.

"No way," I said. "Something bad was after him. He was terrified."

"It was the police," said Bobby. "I should just call my dad and ask if there's an APB out on this guy." Bobby's dad was the local Anthony.

"Don't you dare," I said to Bobby. "I promised him he would be safe here."

"And for all you know, you're protecting a criminal," said Bobby.