In the Woods When First We Met

7. Teardrop

Tears sprang to Anne's eyes. It was all too much. She hurt all over, she wasn't safe, she was late for school which meant everyone would turn and stare at her when she walked in and the teacher would likely even yell at her, and now she was in the woods with this strange boy who didn't seem to want to hurt her, but she'd tried to convince him she was fine and now he had absolute proof that she wasn't.

Gilbert's concern over this stranger jumped a mile: he had thought she was unsteady because she had been frightened, but he now realized that she was unsteady because she had been injured. He didn't think Billy had actually had the chance to hurt her, he thought he'd been there in time. Clearly he hadn't.

Gilbert knelt down in front of her. Anne refused to look up at him, even though he was clearly trying to make eye contact with her. She just cradled her wrist against her chest.

"Hey," Gilbert said very softly, "Hey, let me see, ok?"

He put his hand gently out, palm upward. He did not touch her, he just waited with his hand held out to her.

"I'm fine," Anne whispered.

A single tear rolled down her cheek and landed in the center of Gilbert's palm.

Gilbert looked down at the tiny teardrop, shining like a pearl, in his hand. He closed his hand around it.

Then he settled himself down on the ground in front of the kneeling Anne.

"We didn't get properly acquainted, did we? I'm Gilbert Blythe." He said softly.

Anne still didn't say anything and didn't look up at him.

"Can I know your name?" he asked after a moment.

Anne shook her head quickly. She couldn't say anything, she couldn't speak, because if she did, she would cry, and she couldn't cry, not with this boy.

"You must be new in Avonlea, eh? I haven't been away that long, and you weren't here when I left."

Anne stared at the ground.

"I was in the District of Alberta, with my father. We're back home now." Gilbert tried.

She sniffled. Her nose was running and she didn't have a handkerchief with her.

Gilbert noticed and without mentioning it he pulled out his own handkerchief and set it in front of her, while saying, "Have you ever been there? There are mountains bigger than anything you've ever seen."

When that elicited no response from the girl, he was quiet a moment. Then-

"Where did your family move here from?"

She just breathed for a few seconds, but finally she spoke.

"I didn't have any family till after I came here. The Cuthberts, over at Green Gables- Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert- they've adopted me."

He nodded. "I see. Are you liking it here, then?"

She finally looked up. She just stared at him. Gilbert realized he had just said something stupid.

"I guess right about now you're liking it less, eh?"

A moment passed.

"That Billy Andrews can be a bully," he said finally.

"Then why are you friends with him?" Anne practically spat.