I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me,
Whom then shall I fear?
- Never let go,
Matt Redman

...

I look up from my book to see the girl standing in front of me moving a few steps forward and I sigh inwardly. This was how it had been for the past two hours; the line moving forward step by step. At this rate, I would have to stand here the entire day. At least the council building was in sight now. The Westminster Education council held its college admissions annually here. But I had no idea it would be this tedious.

"Are you okay?" Someone asks from behind me. I turn around, coming face to face with a black-haired boy having electric blue eyes, partially hidden behind his glasses. He wears a smile on his face, revealing a dimple on his left cheek.

"Um... yeah. Why'd you ask?" I question.

"Well, you're just standing there. The person in front of you moved forward a long time ago," he says, shrugging.

"Your point, being?"

"The people behind me are cussing at me to move forward. I can't do that unless you..." he says, pointing in front of me.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" I move forward and then smile at him, "That okay?"

"Thank you!" He grins, revealing his dimple again," So, you like reading, huh?"

"I do," I smile at him before getting back to my book.

"What book are you reading?" The boy asks and I sigh. Seriously? Couldn't he read the title on the cover? I hold up the book so that he could read the title.

"The... Scarlet... Pimpernel... what book is that? I've never heard of it before?"

I sigh in response. "Maybe because you don't take an interest in reading? I don't know. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic British historical fiction novel and I'm not sure you would have heard about it unless you're too much interested in reading."

"Why are you reading a historical fiction? Don't you have any other genres to read?" He asks, tilting his head to one side.

"Look, Mister..." I realise that I don't know his name, but, I didn't need to know it, since he was nobody but a random stranger. I don't even know why I was talking to him in the first place.

However, he holds out his hand to me. "Rayden. Rayden Jonathan. Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you too, but I would love it if you don't get in the way of my reading. I'm a polite girl and all that, but stop me from reading... trust me, buddy, you don't wanna know what happens," I tell him before getting back to my book. The story was getting interesting especially since Lady Blakeney had just found out that the Scarlet Pimpernel was none other than her own husband.

"Come on... will you not tell me your name? I told you mine," He says, grabbing my book from me.

"Hey! Give it back!" I try to take it from him but he manages to keep it away from me. "Give it back mister! Did your mother not teach you to not take anything away from a girl?"

"She might have, but I try not to think about her. On the other hand, I'm sure my step-mum taught me - or at least tried to teach me something of that sort," he says.

Oh. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to...," I trail off. I'm not sure what to say, but he brushes it off.

"Nah, that's okay. So what's this Scarlet Pimpernel about, Ruby?" He asks, handing me my book.

"Ruby...? That's not even my name," I scold, taking back my book, "Where did that even come from?"

"You have red hair. Are you Irish?" He asks and I groan. Why does everybody ask me that?

"No, I'm American. Half. Wait, why am I even telling you all this?" I don't even talk to strangers, and here I was, making a casual conversation with a random stranger who I've never seen before in my life. Ah, how I wish Nathan were here. He would probably have made friends with this guy and I would've been reading without being interrupted.

"Oh? So, you're American? By the way, do tell me, have I seen you before? You seem way too familiar." He taps his chin as if he's in deep thought.

"Do you use that line on all girls? 'Cause I'm definitely not falling for it. Leave me alone. I have a book to read." I get back to the Scarlet Pimpernel only to be interrupted by him two seconds later.

"Aha!" He exclaims, snapping his fingers, "You're the girl who received the award on TV! James, right?"

"Way to go, Sherlock," I roll my eyes, "You're Jonathan. How hard would it be to find out the surname of the girl standing in front of you?"

"Very hard," he says with a serious expression, "Trust me, there's a huge score of names between James and Jonathan. There's Jameson, there's Jameston, there's Jane, there's Jacques, there's Jarvis..." he goes on, "Don't tell me you haven't watched Iron Man... You don't know Jarvis?"

"I have...," I sigh, "But, Jarvis is not the surname, it's the name Tony gives his AI system. And don't you dare question if I've watched Iron Man. Huge fangirl of Tony Stark here."

"Cool! Me too! But that's beside the point. The point is, there are so many surnames between James and Jonathan. Don't even get me started on the surnames beginning with Je. There's Jefferson, there's Jenkins, there's Jennings-"

"Okay, okay I get it. You got it right, okay?" I put up my hand, asking him to stop. "I am James, alright? But that is all I'm telling you."

"It won't take me too long to find out your name, Ruby. Man, I'm so stupid to have forgotten! You were wearing a blue sundress that day, on the day of the awards function, weren't you?"

"Okay, I'm definitely weirded out now. How on earth do you remember I was wearing a blue sundress in an awards function last week?" He was right, I was wearing a blue sundress to the award ceremony.

The day the results of the common examinations were released was a roller coaster ride of systoles and diastoles; in literal terms, ups and downs. The best upside was when the director of the Centre of Education of England, a man named Rueben Hartzell, personally visited us to announce that I was to receive the award for achieving the first rank, the week after in an awards function taking place in London - where the headquarters of the Centre was located. The students who achieved the top scores in the examinations were felicitated by the governor of London. It was a proud moment for my family and myself, to have received the award and a scholarship fee to the university I was going to apply to. I stopped feeling proud a minute later. I couldn't have done it without God's blessings, and so, to commemorate the achievement, my family decided to give away the exact amount I would get in my scholarship for outreach purposes. When Uncle Gale learnt about that, he totally flipped. He said something along the lines of 'don't throw your money away like a madwoman. Learn to keep your money with you'. I think a commendable elucidation from my mother who said something along the lines of 'Each of us should give what we have decided in our heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver' shut him up. Sure, my mother was quoting Corinthians 9, but that did put him in his place. My uncle may be kind of a stiff, but he was a stickler for rules, especially if they're from the Bible.

"Because my little sister said 'pretty' when you got called up. She said your name reminded her of a sea nymph," he says.

"Wait, what?"

"She's obsessed with Percy Jackson and Greek mythology and whatnot," he says, as a matter of factly, "She said your name means sea nymph in Greek."

"I know that. I'm a reader, remember? I've read the series," I tell him as I keep the Scarlet Pimpernel in my bag. I don't think I'll get to read a word more. "Do you also know that my name means talented in music?"

"You're talented in music, Ruby?" He raises his brows.

"Stop calling me Ruby. And yes, I love music. I play the guitar, piano and I'm learning to play the violin. In fact, I dream to be a singer one day," I beam. It is then I realise that he was the first person who knows what I really want to be. A complete stranger. Not my parents, nor my siblings, nor my aunt but a random person I met in a queue of college admission interviews.

"You realise that this," he points to the building ahead of us," is only for admissions to medical, engineering and law schools all over the state, don't you? Why are you here?"

"That, Mr Jonathan," I say, before taking my book out of my bag, "is none of your business. And if you excuse me now, I have to find out what Marguerite Blakeney will do to rescue her husband."

"Oh come on, you can trust me," he pouts, going for the book again. But this time, I'm more prepared due to which he doesn't succeed in taking the book from me.

"I'm sorry, this conversation is officially over," I say, before giving him a small salute. I then get back to my book, even though I already knew what was gonna happen next.

...

"Nerissa James?" The man at the entrance calls out. I look up from the book and frown. What is it with people interrupting my reading today?

"That's me," I call back, raising my hand. The man nods at me, as if to acknowledge me. He looks down at his list before calling out the next name. "Rayden Jonathan?"

"Here!" Rayden calls out and then he looks at me, grinning. "So, Nerissa..."

Oh dear God. Why are You letting this happen? I think, looking up at the sky. Why did the bouncer man have to do that? Did I not sign my attendance here before entering? And now, because of him, I have to deal with the impudence of a stranger.

"To be honest, I prefer Ruby. It suits you," he grins and I roll my eyes. Before I could reply, he speaks, "I know what you're gonna say. You have a book to get back to. Go ahead, I'm not disturbing you."

"You know what? I think the Bookkeeper doesn't want me to read today, since everyone keeps interrupting me. Besides, I've already read this book a hundred times before."

"Wait... what? You've already read this book? Then why are you reading it again?" He asks, confusion clouding his features.

"Because I wanted to," I chuckle at his confusion, "You see Mr Jonathan, the thing about us readers is, we never, ever stop reading."

"I know. My sister is obsessed with books. She has this room filled with books and bookmarks and posters and whatnot. And she's just eleven," he says, smiling.

"She seems cute. What's her name?" I ask as we enter the council building.

"Abriella. I call her Brie. She would love a person like you; always reading and everything. I wonder if she'd ever get to meet you, like I did today."

"Well, if I ever get the chance I'd like to meet her too," I say, signing in the register across my name and taking a seat in the lobby. Rayden follows suit and takes a seat next to me. There are ten other people, students appearing before the council just like me, waiting to get called. They all seem nervous. I would be too, but I believe God is gonna get me through today. Whatever happens today, whether I get into medical school or not, is His plan. I know it.

"You would meet a stranger's family? Doesn't that seem too rushed or something of that sort?" Rayden asks, grinning.

"I wouldn't meet a stranger's family. But I will meet a fellow bibliophile. And that is your sister, not you Mr Jonathan."

"Why do you call me 'Mr Jonathan'?" He asks, making finger quotations. "Jonathan's my father, not me."

"Why do you call me Ruby? That's like, nowhere close to me or my name," I question back.

"Answer a question with a question. That's like the first tactic of avoiding answering anyone," Rayden says, bobbing his head.

"Whatever..." I say, pushing a strand of hair away from my face. "Do you torture everyone you talk to with questions, or am I the only unlucky one?"

"I just like meeting new people Ruby," Rayden shrugs in reply.

Again with the Ruby, I sigh. "Do you give nicknames to everyone you meet?"

Rayden thinks for a moment before answering. "... No, I don't," And then his face lights up, "Hey, I think that means something else. You know, like fate wanted us to meet or something?"

I roll my eyes. "Only you would think like that, Mr Jonathan."

"Stop calling me that!" He exclaims.

"Stop calling me Ruby!" I call out which earns me a glare and a 'finger on your lips' expression from the receptionist, a 40's something lady who's wearing her glasses on her nose and way too much pink gloss, it might be blinding. I cower down in my seat, not wanting to get thrown out of the building, while Rayden sits upright and glares back at the lady. The nerve of this guy! "What are you doing?" I whisper-shout at Rayden, who's clearly intent on getting us thrown out by participating in a stare-off with the stern-looking receptionist lady.

"Who does Mrs Pink Gloss Receptionist think she is? She can't glare at me," he whispers back, still not breaking eye contact with the so-called Mrs Pink Gloss Receptionist.

"What? Of course, she can. Last time I checked, this was a free country. It still is," I state, like it is the most obvious fact in the world. When Rayden still doesn't plan on breaking his stare-off contest, I pull him by his arm, which makes him look at me. "Rayden, please. I think I have a plan for my entire future. And I can't have you ruin it just because you can't break eye contact with the Receptionist lady."

"You called me Rayden," he states, his blue eyes lighting up as he looks back at me.

"Yes I did, Mr Jonathan." I declare, smirking at him, "Got you to stop glaring at our poor old receptionist, didn't I? And I found out something else too. You do give other people nicknames. Maybe I should call you Nick. You know, short for Nickname?" I say, making finger quotations at 'Nickname'. "Oh, here's an idea! The next time you call me Ruby, I'll call you Nick! How does that sound?"

Rayden pouts like a kid whose teddy bear doll was taken away. "And here I thought we were actually becoming friends."

"Nerissa James?" A second receptionist; who looks younger than the other lady, calls out to me, "Your interview will begin in room number 7 in five minutes." She smiles sweetly.

"Thank you, ma'am," I smile in reply before gathering all my stuff. In bickering with Rayden, I hadn't noticed that the people who were in front of me in the long queue had all already left for their interviews. Huh. And here I thought I was supposed to be making note of everything that was going on, since that is what I do when I'm nervous - I don't focus on myself, I try to distract myself by memorizing my surroundings. I guess I'm not nervous. Why would I be when I know my God is with me through every waking moment?

"Aren't you nervous?" Rayden asks, echoing my thoughts.

I shake my head no, my hand unconsciously sliding up to touch the cross pendant hanging off my neck. "I gave it to God. He will never let go," I smile at him, "Good luck, Rayden. God be with you. And if He permits, maybe we'll meet again." That said, I walk up to the receptionist to find out where room 7 is. I don't wait to hear Rayden's reply.

...

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
- 2 Corinthians 9 : 6 - 8

...

Author's note:

Hey guys!
It's been super long since I last updated, and I think this chapter is weird. Writer's block hasn't been good to me. Like, seriously, I've been trying to write since day 1 of the lockdown, but I can't come up with ideas, since most of the ideas I get are from my real-life situations. I'll be trying to update regularly soon, since I'm having a lot of time in my hands.

Also, since I had edited the story from the first, you might want to skim through the previous chapters. There aren't many changes, but the changes I made were;
1. Nerissa lives in Westminster, England (not in America).
2. Her mother's British and her father's American.
3. Her best friend's name is Alan Wellington (it was Athalia before this).

I know this chapter isn't much, but please do leave your thoughts in the comments. I would love to know what you think about my newest character!

Please stay safe during this time. COVID 19 has brought our world to a standstill, so let's do what we can to break the chain. Remember to wash your hands regularly and stay indoors as much as possible. And do pray. The world needs a lot of prayers right now.

Stay safe,
Grace.