Ablaze with possibility

Chapter 8: Through thick and thin

"Goodbye Matthew!" Anne said to her kindred spirit as she walked past the old barn where he and Jerry were working. 

It was the first day of school after the winter holidays and Anne was ever so excited to come back. She would see her dear Diana Barry, Cole Mackenzie and all her other friends. 

But there was one thing holding her back, Gilbert Blythe.

If there was one person she didn't want to face this day, it was him. 

Even Billy Andrews felt less dreadful to meet than Gilbert. 

Ever since those hectic days with him over the week, she didn't know what to say when she would see him. Were they friends or were they still rivals? Were they going to ignore everything that happened or let it be the biggest news in Avonlea? She didn't know. 

As she walked past the birch path she felt relief wash over her. Gilbert wasn't there. 

She could still hear footsteps coming from behind her. She turned around to see Diana and Cole greeting her with two huge grins on their faces.

"Cole! Diana!" Anne said as they all embraced each other. "Oh how superb it feels to see you! It feels like years since last!" They all laughed together.

"Anne, I just told Cole about this adventure of yours, I just felt like he needed to know. Though I do not know much at all, only what my mother and father told me and now we're both ever so curious!" Anne let out a nervous laugh.

"Oh...I don't think it's as splendid as you may imagine it being Diana". Cole and Diana sighed at the girl.

"What part isn't splendid about you and Gilbert Blythe running away to find his friend in the middle of the night! Not to mention, you were gone for days! That's plural!"

"Schhh!" Anne hushed at her. "I am very aware that it's "plural" but can I trust you won't tell anyone else about this?" Diana and Cole nodded eagerly. 

"Of course you can trust us!" Cole said. 

"Well then, but please don't make such a fuss out of it!" 

As Anne told them about her adventure Diana and Cole listened carefully, trying to remember every single detail. When she had told them everything, being very specific for Cole's sake who insisted that she should have been-Anne's two best friends were in total shock.

"You were almost robbed!?" Asked Diana.

"Did you really cry in front of Gilbert!?" Asked Cole. 

"One at a time! One at a time..." Anne said to calm the two down.

"To answer both of your questions, yes. We were almost robbed but since we had nothing that the man could rob, he let us go. And I didn't want to cry in front of Gilbert, it just happened!" Anne said, feeling as she got a bit irritated from their excitement over her crying.

"But last night! You told us that Gilbert said something to you but you never told us what! We need to know Anne!" Diana pleaded and Cole nodded in agreement. 

Anne bit her lip, feeling unsure if to say it or not. 

"Okay but please don't mock me after I've told you!" Diana and Cole gave her a questionable look. "Yesterday, when we sat in the wagon, Gilbert and I had a tiny argument over what had happened at Mary's house in the Bog." 

"Of course because--"

"Let me finish!" Anne cut Cole off. "Eventually, he let me win and asked me if I was happy about it, winning so to speak, and I obviously told him that I was." She paused. "The weird part is what I'm coming to now. After telling him that I was happy, he said: "If you are happy, then I am happy". "