Garden

You Belong With Me

"Are you on your way?" Anne spoke into her phone. She was calling Gilbert, and they had plans to play a "serious" game of Catan. Usually, they would just play while disregarding the rules as desired. This time, he wanted to beat her on his own merit; Anne, being extremely competitive, zealously agreed.

"Yeah, I just... stopped at Starbucks," he replied, unable to stifle his laughter.

"Oh my God, thank you!"

"What makes you think I got you something?" Gilbert teased through a grin.

"Shut up."

He chuckled and his heart beat faster. Partially because he had a slight, sneaking suspicion that he may have had a crush on her when they were younger (but he's confident that he doesn't like her at all romantically now); partially because he wanted to keep his life.

"I'm assuming you got me something, thank you so much," she said with a sigh of relief. Once again, his heart skipped a beat, but he pushed it aside. No one would know what it was. Did he even know what it was?

"You're welcome. This time, you'll thank me by letting me obtain the Longest Road card," he commented pointedly.

"Hey, that's how I win," she responded, clutching her heart dramatically, waving her red hair in the air.

"No pumpkin spice latte for you, then..." Gilbert muttered.

"No! I'm sorry, Gil, take me back, forgive me, and make peace, oh, yes, every child's dream: peace in the world! You will make kids' across Canada— no, the whole world— lives better instantly by handing over the drink," pleaded Anne jokingly.

"Okay, but it'll be an hour before I can actually give it to you..." Gilbert began and Anne gasped. "Sorry, Anne..." He gritted his teeth and inhaled sharply. "But traffic."

Anne exasperatedly groaned and stomped up the stairs while bringing Catan with her, tucked under her arm. She realized she left her phone downstairs but didn't care enough to storm back down the stairs and get her phone and hike back up the stairs again and... even the idea tired her. Gilbert would just have to deal with being on the phone while no one was there. She blew a piece of hair out of her face and when that didn't do a single thing, she just tucked it behind her ear, putting her hands on her hips again. She exhaustedly looked at the Catan box and removed the lid and tried to figure out how everything was assembled. 'Yeah, this was of no use,' she thought. She didn't want to bother Matthew because he was at work and he was very busy, she was sure of it.

Suddenly, she ran down the stairs and took a slight tumble, but she was still without injuries. Then, she peered out the window and her breath hitched. Next, she snatched her phone off the couch and angrily called Gilbert.

He picked up on the first ring, and this was a sort of unspoken oath for his relationship with Anne. They always answered on the first ring unless they were physically unable to do so. They never discussed it or brought it up or even noticed it. They just sort of knew.

He cleared his throat. "Hello?"

"Why would you tell me," she began in a furious tone. She was less mad than she came off but she wanted him to feel remorse. "That you're slammed in Charlottetown traffic when you're outside Green Gables?! You know I despise setting up the game. Oh, it's the bane of my existence, but right now, you're a close second!"

He hung up on her, got out of the car, walked up to her antique, beautiful home, and knocked on the door.

She irately exclaimed right before opening the door to him (she knew it was him since she was just stalking him through her window) so he would unmistakably hear her.