About a month had gone by. I had just left the post office and was stopped by Josie Pye and Mrs. Pye.
"Why Abby, congratulations," Josie told me with a fake smile.
"You have such a way of putting Avonlea on the map," Mrs. Pye said with a fake smile as well.
"Well, thank you...but what do you mean? Congratulations for what," I asked.
"You were always such a terrible fake at modesty, Abby. Even during public school," Josie said.
"Well, there's nothing fake about the business Lawson's General Store intends to do from all this," Mrs. Pye said.
"And I think that lavender you're
wearing is so dramatic for a young authoress. You almost look pretty in it," Josie said, referring to my outfit.
"Don't say things you don't mean, Josie," I said before walking away.
As I walked through the town, several people congratulated me. I was so confused. That is, until I saw a banner on the Lawson's store that read "Congratulations, Abigail Shirley".
"Great Jehosophat," I exclaimed before walking inside the crowded store to figure out what was happening.
I was pulled through the crowd by Alice before she spoke up.
"Abby Shirley, we've been trying to track you down everywhere! Oh, ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Avonlea's famous authoress,"Alice exclaimed with joy to the crowd.
Alice then called for her father, Mr. Lawson to come out to the crowd.
"Oh, my goodness! Miss Shirley," Mr. Lawson said with a smile.
"I don't understand," I said quietly.
"You won the contest, you goose! And I knew you'd go and do it all behind our backs too," Alice said with a smile.
Soon, I found Anne and Diana making their way to me.
"Abby! Oh, I'm wild with delight! Oh, I was sure it would win when I sent it in to the competition," Anne said with enthusiasm.
"Anne Shirley," I exclaimed.
"Yes, I did! I thought of your story in a minute when I saw the ad in the paper! Well, I was going to tell you to send it in yourself, but I figured you had so little faith left in it you wouldn't. So, I sent my copy. Then, if you hadn't won, you'd never have known because the stories that failed weren't being sent back," my twin said as I left the store with her and Diana.
"Why, Abby, you don't seem a bit pleased," Diana said.
"Of course, I couldn't be anything but pleased, Diana. It was the gesture of a true sister to try to boost my spirits. But there isn't a word about...baking powder in my story," I told her.
"Oh, I put that in with the help of Diana. It was easy as a wink. You know that scene where Averil makes the cake? Well, I just stated that she used Rollings Reliable and that's why it turned out so well! See! And then, here, in the last paragraph where Percival clasps Averil in his arms and says, 'Sweetheart, the beautiful coming years will bring us the fulfillment of our house of dreams'. I added, 'in which we will never use any baking powder, except Rollings Reliable'," Anne said.
I was upset. Why would Anne and Diana change my story for some baking powder advertisement?
"Come on, I have the buggy. I'll take you and Anne home," Diana insisted.
YOU ARE READING
𝓟𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓼 (a Gilbert Blythe x OC story)
Fanfic🎶I used to hear a simple song...that was until you came along. Now, in its place is something new. I hear it when I look at you.🎶 When brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, try to take a boy from an orphanage from Halifax to help them...
