Undeniable Love {Shirbert Fanfic}

Chapter Three - Running From Your Fears

Anne's POV
Saved by Miss Stacey, oh how in debt I am to that absolutely magnificent woman. Just as the evil Josie Pye is starting her horrible game of "Truth or Dare", Miss Stacey said she wouldn't have such nonsense in her classroom. She believes the schoolhouse to be an area for children to learn and be accepted by others, not being forced into admitting or doing awfully humiliating things.
I sigh in relief when Josie finally gives up on trying to persuade Miss Stacey to let us play. Just as I think the day is starting to look a little brighter, Josie looks around the circle and starts speaking.
"Since this game was ruined, we will just have to do it after school. Everyone can play then, so it will be more fun. If you don't participate then you shall forever be know as a coward." Josie spoke to the group, looking me in the eyes for the last sentence.
I look down at my lap, playing with my fingers. What was I going to do? I had to find an excuse of some sort to get out of this wretched game. I gulp as I feel the color drain from my face. I could not be know as a 'coward'! This is a conundrum.
My bosom best friend beside me is so happy, but how could she be excited when we are being forced into playing a terribly dreadful game. Then again, Diana is a lot more open than me, surprisingly. Yes, I speak my mind and am not afraid to say what I think, but with my newly discovered feelings for Gilbert... well I would just die if anyone found out! Especially innocent Ruby who has had dibs on him for over 3 years.
As I am lost in my mind, I do not notice everyone around me getting up as class has now started back up. I feel a light shake from someone behind me and turn around to see the one and only infamous Gilbert Blythe, looking at me funny. Redness creeps up my neck to my cheeks and ears once I notice everyone is now back in their seats and I am still on the floor. Gilbert offers his hand to me, but I decline and quickly get myself up off of the floor before dusting myself off and rushing back to my seat.
I hear a few snickers coming from behind me and turn to see Billy Andrews laughing at the embarrassment plastered on my face. I briskly turn back around and shove my head into my arms, trying to avoid further mortification.
Miss Stacey gets up from her spot leaning on her wooden desk and walks in between the two front rows of the classroom. She clears her throat, catching attention of all the young children.
"Now listen up class. We will be having an out loud quiz. Everyone will stand up and I will ask a question. If you know the answer, raise your hand. If I pick you and you get it wrong, you sit back down. If you get it right, you keep standing. This will go on until there are only 2 students left, of which will have a face off. Whoever wins will get an extra study sheet for our test next week. Now, stand up all of you."
I look over to Diana gleefully. This is such a great idea! Why, Miss Stacey is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met and she is no doubt a kindred spirit, I just know it! Everyone gets on their feet as Miss Stacey begins asking questions.
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It is now down to me and Gilbert. Of course we're versing eachother again. We're both the smartest students, tied somehow. I will change that soon though, for I've been taking some extra lessons to make sure I take Gilbert down academically. Yes, I like him. That does not mean I will take pity on him and let him beat me. My feelings will not get in the way of my beating Mr. Blythe.
We go on for almost 20 more questions before Miss Stacey gives up, saying she has asked us all of the most challenging questions and more. She settles on letting us exchange the paper and study it on certain days. Great, now there's another reason I am going to have to see Blythe.
Why can't I just not like him? Why him? He would never like me back due to my horribly, red hair, my disgustingly freckled complexion, and my skinny and pale frame that makes me look as if I have absolutely no shape to me. Why, I would be lucky to have any guy ever like me. I look up to the sky, wondering why the heavens had to curse me with such awful DNA.
I snap out of my thoughts as I realize Gilbert is standing next to me, offering his had to shake. If only Ruby didn't look so betrayed, or maybe I would've took his hand to feel the sparks that hit my skin anytime I touch him. I shake the thought from my head and politely decline, walking back to my seat.
Diana gives me a look for being rude and not just simply excepting the handshake. I nod my head back to Ruby who does not look as miserable now, but is still a little teary. Ruby Gillis, the beautiful blonde who will have many beaus lined up, bowing at her feet and worshipping the ground she walks on when she is a little more grown. I just wish she was not so over-emotionally everytime Gilbert came in contact with another female. She was attached to him, like a leech but a lot more gorgeous.
Gilbert walks over to my desk and I am about to attempt to ignore him when he sets the study sheet in front of me. I look at him, questioning his actions. He quickly clears him throat and puts his hand on the back of his neck before he explains. I take note to the fact that is something he does a lot when he is nervous. He smiles down at me before he explains.
"Um, well I thought we could work out the schedule. I thought maybe we could switch off every other day?" he says, smiling nervously at me.
"Oh yeah, every other day works. We can trade it in the morning before school." I say to him with a small smile back. I can hear as he releases a small breath. Why was he so anxious to talk about our schedule for a piece of paper, I wonder to myself.
Now that school is over, it is time for the part of the day I have been dreading since lunch. Truth or dare.
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Almost everyone is sitting in a circle in the coat room now. The group contains most of my friends and the boys. There's Josie, Jane, Tillie, Ruby, Diana, Billy, Charlie, Moody, Gilbert, and I. We had kindly asked some of the older kids to join us before the game started, but they declined, saying they "didn't play such childish games anymore", much to Josies disappointment.
There is an empty milk bottle in the middle of the circle. Josie does the honors of spinning it to see who would be first. It lands on Charlie Sloane. Josie smirks at him, an evil glint in her eye. Gosh, she is so wicked. She perks up, trying to put on an innocent face as she smiles at him.
"Charlie," she says, smiling maliciously, "truth or dare?"
Everyone waits anxiously to hear his response as he thinks about it for a few seconds.
"Dare." he says, finally making up his mind after adding up the pros and cons.
"Okay," Josie says as she thinks up an embarrassing dare. "Kiss the girl who you think is most pretty here." she says to him with an evil smirk.
He instantly turns bright red, glancing at none other than my bosom best friend, Diana. I nudge her with my shoulder gently and turn to see a light blush creeping up her neck and making its way to her face. I stifle back a laugh. Charlie stands up, his expression anxious. He looks down at Diana and puts out his hand.
"Diana Barry, may I kiss you?" he asks her, worried for her response.
She takes his hand and stands up, nodding her head gently. I can see Charlie doing a small victory dance inside. He nods, looking terrified and excited at the same time. Diana does not look as fazed. He cups her cheek and slowly pulls her in, giving her a light smooch before stepping back and letting go of her. A few people clap and Diana rushes back to my side, smiling from ear to ear. A few more people go before Tillie spins and it lands on me.
"Truth or dare, Anne?" she asks me while smiling. I smile back and think for a second.
"Truth." I say confidently back. Tillie smiles and has a mischievous expression as she thinks about what she should ask me.
"Have you ever kissed anyone?" she asks me, proud of her brilliant question.
Suddenly, terrifying memories from the orphanage flood back to me. I can feel my eyes start to well but I hold it back and clench my jaw, holding back the flood of emotions that want to come bursting out. I speedily compose myself and answer back to her.
"No." I say, hoping no one can see I am lying. I don't give anyone anytime to get too deep into thought about it and the expression I had just went through as I take the bottle.
"My turn!" I say cheerily. I spin the bottle and of course it lands on Josie. "Truth or dare Josie." I say loudly with a hint of confidence in my voice.
"Truth." she says instantly, giving me a fake and insincere smile. I return it and ponder my mind for the possible questions I could ask her when a perfect one hits me.
"Why do you dislike me so much, the truth. Not your excuses." I say to her, holding my chin up. She looks taken back at first, but quickly tries to cover it up. She opened her mouth to speak and it looked as if she was actually going to tell the truth before she redecided and closed her mouth. She thought for a second and opened her mouth again.
"Well because, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert," she says to me, putting emphasis on my last name as I always have to remind others to use it, " you are simply a disgusting orphan who no one could ever love. If you ever find a beau, well I would be truly shocked for who could ever love a red-haired freak like you. You are not lady-like and it is a shock you could even find a family in the first place." she says, looking me in my eyes. I feel my eyes well up a little and try my best to hold it back. Words never get to me, but I know that everything she said is true and having someone say it to my face, proving my thoughts.. it just... hurt.
I quickly stand up and point my finger at her.
     "Take that back, Josie Pye. Take it back now." I say, screaming at her.
     "No. I am only telling the truth." she says, smiling at me evilly but when i look closer at Josie, I see an emotion quickly flash through her eyes, guilt? She quickly covers it up though and masks all emotion, once again looking dull and lifeless.
     "Why, if our lives depended on this game than you would already be six feet under!" I scream back, glaring. She is the evilest they make them.
I quickly grab all of my things and run out of the schoolhouse, despite my name being called by my friends. I don't go the path to my home, as I need some alone time. I run as fast as I can, even though my vision is being blurred by my tears. I run until my lungs are burning and my legs feel as if they could fall off.
The forest is so peaceful and I breathe in deeply, letting the fresh air swarm my lungs. I sit down on a small rock next to a pond and watch the cloudy sky. It is freezing outside and there's a light patch of snow on the ground but I ignore the coldness as I take in my surroundings. Nature is absolutely stunning, sadly is had to create something as wicked as Josie Pye.
I assume most of the students kept playing the game or went back to their houses after I left. Why would they go home though, how could someone as unusefull as I cause an inconvenience in their game? I assume they're all sitting and playing still, smiling and having much more fun now that the dead weight is gone. My one wish is to be accepted. Why must everyone dread me so much, including myself?
I get lost in my thoughts, speaking to myself about things I have been wishing to confide in others. Somehow I manage to get on the topic of Gilbert, but he is always on my mind so it doesn't really surprise me at this point. I am now standing and twirling around while I talk to myself. Weird, I know.
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Gilbert's POV
As soon Josie Pye spoke those awful words to Anne, I went into protective mode. Anne was none of those things! She is wonderful and beautiful. No matter the situation, she seems to make it better. She has such love for everything around her, but none for herself. I wish she could see herself the way other see her, the way I see her.
When she ran out of the schoolhouse, I quickly got up and gathered my things. Diana called after her and was going to get her things when I stopped her and told her it was alright. I said I would go find Anne and she should stay here with the others. When I was about to leave, I could see Diana comforting a mourning Ruby. I assumed it was because she was terrified for Anne, but I also knew the little blonde had an immense crush on me.
I followed footsteps as far as they could take me before I spotted a glint of red in the distance. Now, here I am sitting behind a tree and watching the gorgeous girl known as Anne. She looks absolutely stunning in this weather, her fiery hair stands out against the bland white of the atmosphere. She looks like the sun of winter, since the clouds have completely covered our only other source of heat. If I had Anne though, I wouldn't need the sun ever again for she provides me with all the warmth I need. Even being near her causes small outburst of heat in me and my thoughts go wild, only being able to focus on the ray of sunshine infront of me.
I've known that I've had feelings for her since the first day I met her. She is just so.. different. She is beautiful inside and out. She loves everyone and everything. All the things she considers 'flaws' makes her so perfect to me. I just wish she could see how amazing she is.
As she is twirling and dancing around in the snow, I notice she is speaking quietly to herself. I get a little closer and stop suddenly when I hear my name. What could she possibly be talking about? My heart races and I get very anxious as I move closer to her, hiding behind the trees so she does not notice me. I start to listen very closely and hear something I would never expect to hear from Anne, making my heart want to thump out of my chest. Anne likes me?
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I hope you guys enjoys this chapter!!! It was very long so I hope it was interesting enough and you didn't get bored :)
- Comment! Let me know your thoughts and please give me tips. How can I make the story more interesting? Also, Anne and Gilbert's love is a slow burn in this story ;)
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7/28/18
2726 words