In the Woods When First We Met

45. Closed Gates

Gilbert slipped a note to her right before lunch. Sit together at lunch? He waited to see her response.

She shook her head at him. She looked sorry, but Gilbert understood she probably wanted to try to make up with the girls at lunch time. He still didn't know what had happened with the girls yesterday, but whatever it was, he hoped it had blown over and Anne would actually enjoy her lunch today.

Billy peered over her to try to read the note. Anne looked at him, crumpled the note up in her hand, and moved it to her other hand, the one farther away from him. Whatever, his expression seemed to say. He went back to his own work and ignored her again.

Anne wasn't sure what to do when lunchtime came. She got her basket slowly, trying to muster up the courage to go at least try to talk to the girls.

She walked slowly toward the corner the girls ate lunch in.

Upon her approach, Josie turned and glared at her, with her arm around Ruby, who looked more upset than ever. Tillie didn't react at all until she saw Josie's face and then she glared at Anne too, putting her arm around Ruby like Josie had. Jane looked indifferent, but certainly didn't look as if she was in any hurry to welcome Anne to the lunch corner. Only Diana looked conflicted.

Anne stopped, looking around at their faces. She shook her head sadly and walked away. She didn't have it in her to even try, today. She couldn't try to sit with them, knowing she was unwanted, knowing she would be spurned.

She walked away and sat down at her desk by herself. Diana got up, saying "Hold on," to the other girls, and came over to Anne's desk. Anne had a brief hope that Diana had come to sit with her, but Diana didn't bring her food with her, so Anne knew she was just coming to deliver a message.

Diana looked as if she had practiced what to say. "Now listen, Anne," she said patiently- Anne wondered how many times Diana had rehearsed this speech in her mind before she said it- "I am trying to work on the girls. To get them to accept to you. That's what I want. For you to blend seamlessly into the group. And I know that's what you want too, isn't it? But you've really brought this on yourself, I'm afraid. It's going to be uphill work for me, now, especially since you've made it's clear that you and Gilbert are...an...an item."

Anne started to protest. "We're not..."

Diana said, "You've walked in with him two mornings and Ruby's convinced he's walking you to school now. He left with all your things yesterday, so he's been to your house at least once. And then today he was hoping you'd sit beside him. Ruby's practically in tears. If you want to be in with the girls, you'll have to stop this. Ruby'll never forgive you for it and frankly I don't blame her. Now I love you Anne, I do, but I want you to join in the group and you can't, not as long as you're in Gilbert's affections."

"I am not...in Gilbert's....affections," Anne protested.

"Then do something about it, Anne." Diana said.

She looked sadly at Anne for a moment, looking as if she was being pulled in two different directions.

"Anne, I'll sit with you tomorrow. I promise. I will. But today I've got to try to help Ruby." She looked torn, but she finally turned back and walked to the others.

Anne could hear Jane saying in hushed tones, "They walked in together. Again. Anne's probably off doing things with him. Everybody knows Anne's the expert on intimate relations."

Ruby wept.

Diana stepped over them to get back to the spot she'd been sitting in, and as she did so, she said "Stop it, Jane, that's not true about Anne, and you're only upsetting Ruby!"

"She's just stating the truth," Ruby wailed. "Did you see the way Gilbert slid right over in his seat beckoning her to be next to him?! He was couldn't wait for Anne to sit with him!"

"He did look awfully upset when Mr. Phillips wouldn't let Anne sit next to him," Tillie agreed.

"Please," Josie whispered. "Gilbert can't possibly actually like her. Don't worry, Ruby dear, that harlot somehow wormed her way into his affections but I'm sure the charm will wear off soon and he'll come to his senses. He won't let himself be defiled by her."

Anne couldn't even sit in the same room, now. She was too upset. She put her sandwich back in her lunch basket and took it outside, even though it was colder outside than it had been yesterday.

Gilbert was sitting on one side of the building with two of his friends, close by to where Billy was throwing a ball around with a couple of his pals. He's watching him, she thought. He thinks I'm safely inside with the girls, and he's watching Billy out here.

She walked down the steps and sat underneath one of the windows.

After a few minutes Gilbert happened to glance over, and, noticing her, he got up and came over to where she sat.

Anne realized how close she was to the window. She hoped the girls weren't watching.

"Hey," Gilbert said. "Things didn't go so well in there, I take it?"

Anne tried not to look at him. "Go back to your friends; I can't talk to you."

Gilbert looked caught off guard and almost laughed in his confusion. "Wha- Anne, are- are we back to this? At lunch yesterday you did the same thing...I don't understand what's going on, why are you-"

"You can't be my friend!" Anne burst out, upset.

"What?" Gilbert was staring at her like she had two heads.

"You can't be my friend. Not while we're at school."

"Why not?!"

"I can't tell you why not!" She got up again and ran toward the trees.

She wasn't leaving school. She only needed a quiet place away from them all. She sat just inside the treeline, where she could still see the school building, and hugged her lunch basket close to her...already knowing she wouldn't eat a thing.