Anne with an E - A Winter Journey

8 - Gilbert and I are not an item

As Anne yanked her arms away from Gilbert's torso, memories of last night came flooding back to him. He remembered gazing at her face as she slept and the joy he felt when she wrapped her arm around him.

"I have no idea what happened!" Anne almost shouted, breaking Gilbert from his thoughts. "The last thing I remember is getting under the blanket with Diana and then I must have fallen asleep!"

"I.. I'm going to get some fresh air" said Gilbert, excusing himself from the awkward situation. As he trudged through the snow away from the cabin he mentally scolded himself. "How could you be so senseless? Of course Anne's affection wasn't real. You knew she was asleep!" Somehow everything seemed clearer in the morning and Gilbert felt foolish as he thought back to last night. He should have lifted her arm away and saved them both the embarrassment. "And she probably loves someone else" he thought miserably as he remembered what Ruby had said yesterday.

A large shiver ran through Gilbert and he suddenly realised that he wasn't wearing his coat. In his rush to escape he hadn't noticed and the winter chill was now upon him. He would have to go back to the cabin to get his coat and, hopefully, salvage his friendship with Anne. Even if she did not like him in a romantic sense, he had worked too hard to gain her friendship over the last two years and he wasn't going to lose it now. As the cabin came into view, Gilbert could hear the conversation inside.

"So are you and Gilbert an item?" asked Ruby.

"Absolutely not!" replied Anne adamantly. She could not believe what was happening. It felt like she had travelled back in time to when she first arrived in Avonlea and had to convince her new friends that she didn't like Gilbert, all because Ruby had called 'dibs'. It had taken quite some time for Anne to win Ruby's friendship and she couldn't believe she was now at risk of losing it over something that had happened while she was asleep!

"Gilbert and I are not an item!" she continued, "In fact, we couldn't be further from it! We aren't even friends. He is simply someone who I am acquainted with and someone who I resolved to be civil to in order to make life easier. If I could, I would never speak to him again!"

Diana looked at her friend with surprise. She had been sure that Anne liked Gilbert as a friend and at times she thought maybe even as more. But Anne spoke so convincingly that Diana wasn't certain – maybe Anne was just being civil and she didn't like Gilbert at all.

"I think I need some air as well," said Anne slipping on her jacket and opening the door. As she stepped outside she came face to face with Gilbert who, judging by the disappointment on his face, had heard everything she had just said.

"Gilbert, I.. I.." Anne stammered, suddenly lost for words.

"Excuse me," he said coldly, "I forgot my jacket." He stepped past Anne and picked his jacket up off the cabin floor. He didn't even look at Diana and Ruby as he turned and walked back the way he had come.

Anne briefly considered following him but she didn't know what to say. Instead, she turned and began to walk in the opposite direction, trying to collect her thoughts.

Inside the cabin, Diana looked at Ruby in annoyance.

"What was that?" she asked. "I thought you liked Charlie now?"

"I do!" Ruby said sheepishly.

"So, you can't like Charlie and Gilbert, Ruby! That's not fair!"

"I don't" Ruby clarified. "I don't like Gilbert anymore. To be honest, I'm not sure if I ever did, at least I didn't like him the way I like Charlie. With Gilbert it was just a crush but I really like Charlie. And only him, I promise!"

"Well why were you so hard on Anne then?" asked Diana, the annoyance still clear in her voice.

"I'm not sure," Ruby admitted. "I think it was just out of habit. And maybe jealousy. I liked Gilbert for years and he never showed any interest and now I like Charlie and he doesn't like me either!"

"I see," said Diana, sympathy for her friend replacing her annoyance. "Well we need to sort this whole mess out. Gilbert likes Anne, its been obvious since they day he arrived. And I think Anne secretly likes him as well but she would never admit it when she thinks you like him."

"Oh, Diana!" Ruby wailed, "I've been such a terrible friend to Anne! All this time she was putting me first and I've been horribly selfish! I must fix this! I'll tell her the truth!"

"Good," Diana replied, "But first we need to get home!"

Content with their plan, Diana stepped outside to call Anne and Gilbert back while Ruby tidied up the mess of blankets on the floor.