Florence - (G.B.)/(B.A.)

Chapter 26

╔══════════════╗

Back to the Past

╚══════════════╝

Florence really didn't feel like going to school that morning. There was no real reason for it, except for the weather. The night before, Avonlea had suffered strong winds and a long snowfall. It was so cold in her house that morning that even the fireplace wasn't helping. She already knew that if it was so unbearably cold in her own home ⸺ a shelter ⸺ that it would be absolutely horrendous as soon as she'd step outside of her house to go to school.

Her grandfather wasn't even in town right now (gone to Charlottetown for a business trip), so it wasn't like Florence could persuade him to drop her off in their wagon, as he'd taken that with him. Nope, she would have to go through the 20-centimetre deep snow by walking.

Unwillingly, she forced herself out of bed and made her way downstairs after dressing for the school day. In the kitchen, she found her grandmother preparing breakfast for them both, busying herself away to the point that she didn't even notice Florence's presence until the said girl slid the wooden stool out, sitting a moment later.

Elizabeth turned around at the sound. "Oh, Florence dear, you're awake. You usually come down earlier, so when you didn't, I was just about to head upstairs to wake you."

Florence's eyes were kept half-closed, and she sighed tiredly. "I really don't want to go to school today."

"Oh? And why's that?" Elizabeth stacked the pancakes onto a plate to serve before returning her attention back to her granddaughter. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm feeling fine," Florence assured, "But it's so cold today, and Mr Phillips does anything but heat up the classroom. You could ask him a million times that we're literally freezing, but it'll be the day indeed where he actually bothers to listen to us." She murmured some more rather rude but to her ⸺ true ⸺ comments about her teacher, and Elizabeth frowned.

"Florence Robinson, don't let me hear you talking about your teacher in that way again," Elizabeth said sharply. "You don't go to school to criticize your teacher. And I want you to understand right off the bat that you are not to come home telling tales about him. That is neither something I will encourage or tolerate."

Florence apologized immediately, but she didn't really mean it. Mr Phillips was an outrageously terrible man, but she now realized that she would have to keep those thoughts to herself. Plus, she didn't like to see her grandmother upset with her. Whenever Elizabeth was upset at her, it was always a little terrifying because she was almost always so kind and composed.

"Now," Elizabeth started after a moment, previous traces of anger now replaced with the same kindness that Florence had gotten so accustomed to. She placed the plate of pancakes before Florence, including the bottle of homemade maple syrup. "Eat up. You have school in a little while."

***

Much to nobody's surprise, Florence had reached class a little later than usual. When she reached the school, all the students were already inside, chattering amongst themselves as they waited for Mr Phillips to arrive and begin the lessons for the day.

When she arrived inside, she went directly over to Prissy, who was standing by her desk at the very back of the classroom, rummaging through her notebook. "Hey, Prissy."

"Florence," Prissy greeted in return, smiling at her best friend. "You came a little late today."

"Be glad that I even came at all," the brunette said with a light chuckle. "If Grandmother hadn't been so busy with deliveries today, I really would have not come today."

"Is it because of the weather?" Prissy went on to assume, staring at the younger girl as if trying to figure out whether her assumptions were correct. At the smile and slight nod from Florence, Prissy knew she was right. She moved her attention to her bookbag and skimmed through it for a moment, before taking out a beautifully knitted scarf. She wrapped it around Florence's neck. "There. That should help."

Florence grinned as she felt the fabric soft beneath her fingers. "Thank you, Prissy, really."

"Good. It's yours to keep."

The Robinson girl raised her brows. "Keep? I can't accept it. It's yours."

"Come on, it looks perfect on you." Prissy smiled. "Think of it as a token of my appreciation."

"Appreciation? For what?"

"For being such a wonderful friend."

At this, Florence couldn't help but smile. She opened up her mouth to respond but was interrupted by the very loud voices coming from the front of the classroom. For a second, she thought that perhaps Mr Phillips had finally arrived, but then she saw all the boys and some of the girls huddled up in a circle, seemingly conversing with someone. Her view was blocked so she couldn't figure out who.

"What's happening up there?" Florence decided to ask Prissy.

"Oh, you don't know? Gilbert Blythe has returned to Avonlea."

Gilbert was back? When had he returned? Truthfully, she wasn't sure if he'd ever return, given the way he worded his upcoming departure to her all those months ago.

As if on cue, the crowd surrounding the boy had begun to clear up, and he came into view. Her eyes shot open as if her lack of desire to come to school that day had completely vanished. There he was. Gilbert . . . Blythe.

He looked around the classroom until his gaze found Florence's. She may have been just imagining things, but it was almost like his eyes sparkled a little ⸺ like he was just as awestruck as her.

Gilbert excused himself from his friends and slowly made his way over to where Florence was standing. She hated to admit it, but his time on the sea had really tidied him up.

"Florence. Flo-rence." He smiled as he stopped right across from her, his gaze not once leaving her face. She looked down at her skirt with slight embarrassment, pushing her hair back. Gosh, why was she feeling so shy all of a sudden?

"You're back," Florence breathed, suddenly feeling like she and Gilbert were the only ones in the room. She quickly glanced beside her to see if Prissy was still standing there, but was surprised to see that she wasn't anymore.

"Looking for someone?" Gilbert asked with a jaw-dropping smile, and she turned her attention to him again.

She shook her head. "Not . . . Anymore."

It seemed like Florence had suddenly a lack of words in his presence, which made absolutely no sense. Perhaps it was the weather playing games with her? Yes, that made sense.

Saved by the door creaking from behind them, everyone immediately took their seats as Mr Phillips stood at the front, looking annoyed as always.

When the class had settled down and Florence had now taken her seat beside Prissy, she looked to her side to see Gilbert staring at her. With a sigh, she looked away.