November 13th, ANDIE'S birthday.
ANDIE wakes up, rolls over and looks at the ceiling.
Andie: Three months. Still here after three months. Happy 17th birthday. Again.
Then ANDIE'S facial expression changes as she looks around. She looks down at the sheets.
Shit.
A moment of realisation.
Shit.
GILBERT knocks on the door.
Gilbert: Andie!
Andie: Don't come in.
Gilbert: What?
Andie: Don't come in.
Gilbert: Are you alright?
Andie: Yes.
Gilbert: You sound strange...
Andie: Gilbert. Boundaries.
GILBERT moves away from the door, ANDIE panics. She tries to get some things together and makes a break for the bathroom. She tries to sort herself out as best as she can.
They don't have fucking tampons in the 1800s Andraya.
When she emerges she tries to look normal. JOHN and GILBERT are both in the kitchen smiling, GILBERT is holding a cake.
Both: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Andie: Yay! Thank you...wow. Look at this cake! It's brilliant.
John: How are you feeling?
Andie: Mm...fine...good...better than good. A-ha. Mm. I, uhm, I actually have errands to run this morning. Completely slipped my mind yesterday, mm...where does the nearest woman live?
John: Pardon?
Andie: The nearest woman. Preferably an older woman. A no-nonsense woman. Oh, like Mrs Lynde. Yes, where does Mrs Lynde live?
Gilbert: Uh, just over the hill, do you want me to take you?
Andie: You have school, don't you?
Gilbert: It's a Saturday.
John: Are you sure you're feeling alright?
Andie: I'm fine. Yes, please, Gilbert, if you could take me that'd be grand. Won't take long.
ANDIE goes to get her coat and then goes straight outside. JOHN and GILBERT look at each other strangely. In the wagon.
Gilbert: What's going on?
Andie: Nothing.
Gilbert: You're being...well...you're not being yourself.
Andie: I'm seventeen now, Gilbert. This is what being seventeen looks like.
Gilbert: Like a personality-change?
They go over a bump and ANDIE grips her stomach in discomfort.
Is this a future thing?
Andie: No. There is no "thing". Noth-"thing" is happening here. I just promised I'd visit Mrs Lynde and I forgot until just then so...are we nearly there?
Gilbert: Just around this bend.
They pull up to the house. The LYNDE House.
Andie: Stay in the wagon.
Gilbert: Andie?
Andie: Shouldn't be long. If you get out of this wagon, so help me.
ANDIE gets out of the wagon carefully and knocks on the door. She tries to straighten up.
YOU ARE READING
Anne with an E: Andie with an IE
FanfictionAndie: First option, I am in a coma and this is my coma-dream. Second option, I am already dead and purgatory is based in 19th Century Canada. I mean...that would make sense. Everyone here is god-fearing. But also you've got a heavy-duty patriarchy...
