My Lucky Penny

But What Is So Headstrong as Youth? Part 2

Penny ate lunch with Prissy at her desk, drawing little flowers on a spare piece of paper, completely lost in thought.

She couldn't stop wondering what the girls were whispering about in class earlier. Even though there always seemed to be drama among the girls, especially with the presence of Josie Pye, she could tell that this may be something serious.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as Prissy poked her with her fork.

"Ah!" she exclaimed quietly. "What did you do that for?"

Prissy chuckled. "Because I could tell you were somewhere else."

Penny chuckled and shook it off. Suddenly, she turned as she heard the sound of all of the girls getting up and walking off, leaving Anne completely by herself.

Immediately, she felt empathy for the young girl. Like her, Penny and Gilbert had been new once, as well.

"I'll be...right back," she told Prissy before cautiously walking over.

"Would it be alright if I sat with you?" she asked.

Anne turned to her, a surprised looking taking over her face. Slowly, she nodded.

Sitting down next to her, she asked, "You're Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, right?"

"Yes," Anne answered meekly. "However, if you'd like, I would love it if you called me Cordelia."

Penny furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong with Anne?"

The redhead grimaced. "It's just such an unromantic name, don't you think?"

The question made Penny laughed. "Well, I don't think a girl of your age should need to worry about romance quite yet. Anne is an exquisite name, in my opinion. I'm Penny."

Anne smiled. "Happy to meet you. Also, thank you for saying something to Mr. Phillips. I really appreciate it, but you shouldn't have. I am sure you are in good standing with him and speaking against him will likely ruin that."

Penny chuckled and shrugged. "I'm not sure I care how Mr. Phillips views me. The way I see it, I shouldn't need to work for his respect if he doesn't have mine." Eager to change the subject, she continued. "You say your last name is Cuthbert. Is that referring to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert?"

Anne smiled and nodded. "They just adopted me."

"I did hear they were looking for a charge, but I also heard it was a boy they were seeking."

"That is correct. It is a long story."

"I am shocked I have not heard this long story yet. Then again, I haven't talked to Rachel Lynde in about a week."

Anne laughed. "She would know everything of my adoption."

"Rachel Lynde knows everything about everything and everyone," Penny agreed. The two girls shared a chuckle before Anne cast a longing glance at the girls outside.

Following her gaze, Penny gently asked, "What happened with them?"

Anne sighed. "I told them that I saw Mr. Phillips and Prissy in the supply room."

Penny exhaled softly. She already knew of Prissy's love affair. "You'll learn quickly around here that gossip isn't normally taken well."

Anne looked at her with fear in her eyes. "That was gossip?"

She nodded. "Yes. However, I can tell that you are a kind-hearted person who made a mistake, so I will try to smooth things over where I can. I can help you become accustomed to Avonlea, if you'd like."

Hope entered the young girl's eyes. "Really?"

Penny smiled, resting her hand on Anne's arm. "You're going to be okay here. I promise."

•••

That night, Penny was eating her special birthday dinner with Mrs. Kincannon when she heard a carriage pulling up to the house.

She gasped. "Father and Gilbert!"

Mrs. Kincannon laughed as Penny bolted up and ran out the door.

As she made it outside, Gilbert and her father were slowly heading towards the door. They both smiled when they saw her.

"You're back!" she squealed, running towards them.

Since her father was really weak, she broke her run by throwing her arms around Gilbert, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back with equal excitement.

"Oh, how I've missed you both!" she cried happily.

"Happy birthday," he exclaimed happily as she hugged her dad.

"Oh, stop it," she waved off. "Come on, I want to hear all about your trip!"

Picking up a suitcase and helping to support her father, the three walked inside.

The four enjoyed dinner and got caught up on each other's lives.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, she felt at home again.

•••

Long after Mrs. Kincannon had gone home and their father had fallen asleep, Penny and Gilbert studied in the fire lit living room. Penny was getting her brother caught up on everything he missed while he was gone.

As they hit a lull in their work, Penny glanced at her father's room.

"How is he doing really?" she asked Gilbert quietly. "You said he was fine at dinner, but I could hear hesitation in your voice."

Gilbert sighed. "I do think the fresh air did him well, but he is declining. I don't like how often and aggressively he is coughing."

She nodded. "I was afraid of that. We really can't afford it, but we're going to have to have Mrs. Kincannon keep an even closer eye on him. He still tries to walk when we're not looking."

"Okay," he whispered. "We'll talk about that more tomorrow. How has school been going?"

"Well, there is a new student," Penny informed.

Gilbert raised his eyebrows. "Really? What's their name?"

She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "Don't fret, you'll find out. She's got a presence of her own."

———
AN: gilly boy is finally here!!