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

Chapter 35

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Fiery & Rare

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Florence, Anne, and Moody spoke about rumours that they'd heard about the new teacher the first day back at school, which turned out to be a woman this time. While the other two talked animatedly about the day's upcoming class, Florence sat with them, silent. Instead, her gaze was frequently drawn to Prissy Andrews, who sat cheerfully with her other senior classmates. It had been a few days after their argument, and Florence, despite her desire to make amends with her, was simply too humiliated to do so. She wasn't sure Prissy would forgive her, to be honest. There was no doubting that she was the one who was more to blame for this incident.

Prissy sighed, unwillingly meeting Florence's sad eyes across the room. She looked away, cleared her throat, and continued to speak with her pals. She didn't want to say it, but her conversations with these girls were significantly less fascinating than those with Florence. Perhaps the fact that they were best friends and were now kindred spirits was the reason for this. Perhaps she also wished to make peace with the brunette but was unsure of how to go about it.

Florence's silence was the first thing Anne noticed, and she gently patted the elder girl's shoulder with a smile. "Now, what's the matter that's got you so worked up?"

The girl just shook her head. "Oh, um, no reason . . . Just tired."

"I'm tired all the time, but I never look sad," Moody added with a chuckle, "In fact, people tell me I look angrier than anything."

"For the first time in my life, I have to agree with Moody. One doesn't look unhappy when they're tired. They look angry or frustrated, but you . . . Flo, is everything alright back at home?" Anne asked, giving her good friend a worried look. Moody rolled his eyes.

For a moment, Florence contemplated the potential pros and cons of revealing the truth to Anne. Well, to Moody as well since he was a part of this conversation. Now that she thought about it, there weren't many drawbacks, at least none that she was aware of. Then she reasoned that she could tell them what was bothering her without going into too much detail. Plus, Moody and Anne were two of her most dependable friends, so there was no problem there.

"Prissy and I are in an argument, and I want to set things right with her, but I'm worried that she won't forgive me," she managed after a long breath.

"There's nothing wrong with trying, right?" Moody suggested, casting a glance at Anne to see if she agreed with him. "I mean, if someone was furious with me and I knew it was my fault, I'd want to apologize to them immediately. Why don't you give it a shot? And, regardless of what she says, you'll know that by apologizing, you did the right thing."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have to agree with Moody for the second time in my life," Anne joked, but her expression was not amused. "First and foremost, thank you for entrusting us with your concerns and reaching out; if you had chosen to keep it hidden, you may still be carrying a huge burden on your shoulders. Second, I believe you should go ahead and do it. Apologize to Prissy, and be certain that your apology is genuine ⸺ that you mean what you say. Isn't the last thing you'd want to do if you eventually summon up an apology is give her the impression that you're not being sincere?"

Florence's lips curved into a smile as she stretched out and drew both of her friends into a massive three-way embrace. The two pals were taken aback at first, but they reciprocated the hug with identical smiles.

Florence had no idea that Prissy was witnessing their warm hug and bright grins from afar, making her feel even more heartbroken on the inside.

***

Miss Stacy, the newest teacher, came shortly after. After greeting the class, her first order of the day was for everyone to form a circle on the floor. With the desks and chairs temporarily shoved aside, the students gathered on the ground, casting interesting eyes around. Florence sat between Moody and Diana, waiting for the teacher to give them more instructions. Anne sat alongside the woman, a wide grin on her face, as she seemed most enthusiastic for this specific event and for the teacher's arrival.

"You will stand up and you'll say two words that represent you, using the first letters of your given name and your surname," Miss Stacy described with a smile and stood up. "I'll start. Muriel Stacy. Mischievous . . . Scholastic." She took a seat once again.

"Those would be my descriptors if we had the same initials," Anne breathed, staring at the teacher with something akin to infatuation. "It's like we were separated at birth."

Miss Stacy gave Anne a polite smile before clearing her throat and glancing down at the attendance list. "Let's start with Ruby Gillis."

Ruby stood up, smiling awkwardly. "Romantic . . . Girl."

"Ruby has a crush on⸺" Anne began but was cut short.

"Gilbert Blythe?"

"Oh, um . . ." He stood up.

"Global . . ."

"He travelled the world for a year," informed Anne to the teacher.

"Bookish, I suppose."

"Florence Robinson," the teacher said, raising her eyes to the girl who had stood up with a small smile on her face.

"Florence Robinson . . . Fiery and Rare."

Miss Stacy nodded her head, but Anne had begun to loudly whisper to the teacher ⸺ not paying mind that the other students could possibly hear her. "Her parents passed away a little over a year ago, so she's currently living with her grandparents . . ."

"Priscilla Andrews?"

Florence sat down hesitantly, slightly uncomfortable as she realized that Anne was also gossiping about her. "There are also two boys in this circle who have quite obvious crushes on her. Their names are⸺"

"Not necessary," the teacher scolded, giving a look to the student.

Florence turned a deep scarlet from humiliation. She tried to ignore the eyes that were clearly peering into her soul even as Prissy rose to take her turn.