In the Woods When First We Met

91. Wish Granted

On Thursday morning when Anne and Gilbert reached the school, they separated as they always did now, and went in one at a time.

Anne noticed Billy's seat was empty. Maybe he was just late.

She felt like she was holding her breath for most of the morning, waiting to see if he'd suddenly come in.

But by lunch time, he still wasn't there, so she knew he'd stayed home. At lunch she asked Jane why he was absent.

"He's got a bad cold. He sounded like he was getting sick Wednesday, but mother had him go to school anyway, but then last night he got all stuffed up and his throat was so sore he couldn't talk at all. So mother made him stay home today."

"Poor Billy," Josie said.

"Yes, poor Billy," Anne repeated. But inside she was beaming.

Her walk home with Gilbert that afternoon was even happier than usual. "I bet he won't be here tomorrow either, then," she said, sounding over the moon. "Maybe he'll even still be sick on Monday! Don't you think it's awful that I'm thrilled with someone feeling bad? But I am. Nothing makes me happier than to know he's lying there feeling miserable."

Gilbert laughed. "I can't say I feel sorry for him."

The next day- Friday - passed happily for Anne as Billy was absent again.

She felt positive that Billy would be out of school again Monday, because late on Friday afternoon, before leaving school, she asked Jane if Billy was any better?

"Oh, no, he's much worse," Jane told her. "He can't breathe at all. Mother's had him sitting next to the stove with a pot of boiling water."

"That's good," Anne said a little too enthusiastically. "Uh, I mean- the- the part about the steam from the water helping him breathe. That's good. Good thinking."

Then she said- just to be nice to Jane- "Well, hopefully he'll be all better in time to come to school on Monday."

Jane shook her head. "I wouldn't expect it. He really is awful. And even if he does get better, he'll play up being sick as long as he can so that he won't have to do schoolwork again," she said with a laugh.

Anne laughed too.

The weekend would be the easiest two days she'd had in a long time.