Chapter-7

"Thank God, we were able to secure the seats. I couldn't take it any longer ".. He remarked this after settling into his seat and stifling a yawn. "Do you want to eat?"

Hearing his speech, she tried to return her attention to him, but it was impossible because she was preoccupied by the large moving red box with plush seats. And everything was moving at a breakneck pace, like if she were sprinting.

She sat quietly, touching and glancing at everything. She pressed against and pinched her seats. It was softer than the bench she had been sleeping on.

When she didn't respond, he pushed his eyes open and was astonished to see how interested she was in the bus. It's almost as though it's magical.

He was fascinated by the way she moved her head from side to side, as if she would miss an important detail if she didn't look carefully.

He coughed to get her attention, but she continued to gaze around and touch the seats, poles, and windows. When she took her hand out, he had to pull it back. Finally, this drew her attention, and she asked him, "Why did you do that?"

"It's risky to do that," he explained as he looked into her eyes.

"Does there exist a beast out there?" She questioned, tilting her head and concentrated as if she was looking for something hidden.

"Wait, what beast?" He inquired, his brow furrowed.

"How would I find out? You are the one who stated that it is risky. Please tell me if it's Baatezu or Abishai." She asked, and this time she poked her head out.

"What are you doing, are you crazy?" He asked as he dragged her back. Then she stood up, moved away from the window seat, and sat there, closing the window. 'Phew, she's as small as a baby?'

"Hey, I can't keep calling you she all the time. So, first and foremost, let's talk about your name. Okay." He said this while pressing his hands against both sides of her head and pushing her to look at him.

She was still seeking for the creatures, but when he touched her face and pointed it at him, she reluctantly drew her gaze away from the passing scenery and peered into his eyes, then blinked and nodded.

"All right, now choose between Isabella and Grace," he continued, stroking his chin. But when she just began without responding, he assumed she was still fixated on Sofi.

As a result, he sheepishly told her, "Sofi is the name of my younger sister. She is a senior in high school. If you're both Sofi, I'll be confused about who I'm phoning. So, how is Bella doing?"

She looked at him, blinked, and then nodded. Which elicited an instant smile from him. "All right, Bella, are you hungry now?"

Her face grew ashen and her eyes enlarged as she opened her mouth in a 'O' in response to his question. This is the second time her tough and blank face shows emotion. She shook her head as if her life depended on it.

It perplexed him; she wasn't thrilled eating the pancakes, so why was she acting this way? It had taken him more than eight hours to get to one pancake, and he was certain it wasn't enough to satisfy his stomach.

His stomach growled in response, as if on cue. "But, uh, I'm starving. Why aren't you hungry?"

Her eyes widened as she realised he was hungry and she rose from her seat. She took two steps back and covered her neck with both hands.

Looking at her fear of him perplexed him even more. His brow furrowed and he looked about for the source of her sorrow, but there was none. He stood up to follow her, but she stepped back, almost reaching the bus's last seats. The neck is still hidden.

"Hey, are you all right?" He asked, sitting back, scared of causing her further anxiety.

She shook her head and scowled at him, saying firmly, "I wouldn't give my blood to you." To emphasize her point, she shook her head vigorously once again.

Her statements drew the attention of those who had been looking in their direction since she poked her head out. They all looked at him strangely.

One or two people even glanced at her with disgust, believing she was tormenting a teenager. He was so humiliated that he just wanted to dig a hole and hide for the rest of the voyage. His cheeks flushed and he laughed awkwardly.

"It's all a misunderstanding," he responded, flailing his hands in the air.

They all stared at him with skepticism, then at the scared girl, whose face was still ashen and she was still desperately trying to hide her neck. He fixed his gaze on the girl who had caused this awkward scenario. This heightened the fellow passenger's skepticism.

An elderly lady even said "If you continue to bully the girl, I will contact the authorities.

'Oh, my God! What did I do to allow this to happen to me? He was merely trying to help her. Okay!

'Would it be feasible to travel back in time and leave her at the cafe?' He palmed himself for his charity, which had landed him in jail.

He coughed to get everyone's attention. And then he asked the girl, "Bella, what did I just say to you?"

His voice was soft and pleading. He was pleading with her to disclose the truth before they imprisoned him. His expression deteriorated.

The girl blinked and peered at his face, then turned around to find that everyone's gaze was fixed on her while she waited for his reaction. "You don't need to be afraid of him, youngster, tell us the truth and we will take care of him," one man added.