Are We Really Just Friends? a Shirbert short story

Chapter Two

"Oh, Anne. Why are you being like this? My dear dear friend. Can't you see the way Gilbert looks at you?" Diana said with an exasperated sigh as she and Anne sat on the front porch of the Barry residence, working on some knitting as they started to make some scarves early before Avonlea welcomed the usually icy winters. She wanted to shake Anne by the shoulders at  her obliviousness, but knew this was not ladylike, so she refrained.

Anne wanted to roll her eyes but knew this was not proper, so she held back instead sighing the same way that Diana did. "Diana, my most precious friend, how many times must I tell you it was just an odd slip of the words, that's all. He was defending me from that wretched Billy, but it is nothing to take to heart" she said simply with a nod, going back to a particular difficult pattern in her knitting, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration.

"A slip of words--" Diana started to protest and then shook her head, knowing it was no use arguing about the matter. She set aside her knitting pattern and folded her gloved hands in her lap.

"How about we have some tea in the parlor? I believe father's just had some tea from Bombay or somewhere similar" she suggested with a small smile.

Anne turned to her raven-haired friend, and gave a small shrug. "I suppose so. Diana, have you heard from Ruby lately? She smiles politely at me and still talks to me here and there in passing, but she doesn't seem to want to spend time with me after that whole mishap of two weeks ago." the auburn-haired girl said with a small frown etched across her fair-skinned face.

Diana shook her head solemnly. "No. She seems quieter lately. I do wish she'd grow up a bit about it to be honest. You can't help it that the one Gilbert likes-- erm, the one Gilbert admires but mostly in an academically way, is you" she said, quickly backtracking, although the part about just in an academic manner, was more said for Anne's sake, than Diana's own belief about the matter.

The auburn-haired girl's wide gray eyes narrowed slightly at this statement before sighing and standing up from the wicker porch chair, as Diana did the same, as the two young women entered the Barry residence for tea.

~

Meanwhile at the Cuthbert farm, Matthew was whistling to himself as he and Jerry put new hay bales into the barn, while Marilla was inside the main house preparing for dinner.

Gilbert walked along the wooden entrance gate of the farm waving to Matthew and Jerry who both waved back amiably, and he tipped his hat slightly, as they let him onto the land before he walked to the front porch, knocking lightly on the front porch, a few books in the crook of his arm.

Marilla came to the screen door, surprised to see him, but smiled warmly.

"Gilbert. If you're here to see Anne, she's still at the Barry residence" she replied, eyeing the books he had in his arm.

The curly haired boy's face fell slightly but he gave Marilla a small sheepish smile, and nodded.

"Oh. That's alright, Ms. Cuthbert. I found some more books for our project that I thought Anne would like to see, would it be okay if I left them here for her to look at?" He asked politely.

Marilla nodded and opened the screen door extending her arms out for the books, to which Gilbert carefully handed them to her before standing back on the porch a bit awkwardly.

"How is the project coming along?" Marilla asked curiously, wiping her hands on her apron, and  setting the books on a nearby table by the entrance way.

"It's coming along nicely, thank you. Anne and I finally came to an agreement on who to write about" he replied with a small chuckle, and Marilla laughed as well, knowing how adamant her adopted daughter could be.

"Wonderful. Would you like some biscuits before you go? Maybe bring a few for Bash and Mary?" she suggested.

Gilbert shook his head slightly. "Oh I'm quite alright, thank you Marilla. But Bash does love your biscuits, thank you for offering" he said with a smile.

Marilla nodded and fetched a few fresh biscuits placing it into a clothed basket and gave it to Gilbert who thanked her again, before heading on his way back to the Blythe farm, passing Bash and Mary's place along the way to deliver the biscuits to them before he headed to his small and somewhat empty house.

He ate in silence at the table that used to sit six people in his family's kitchen,  pondering about his day, and hoping Anne would approve of the books he had  brought over. As he was finishing cleaning his plate in the sink, he heard a light rapping at the front door.

Maybe Bash needed his help with something, he thought and walked over to the door, opening it slightly.

Anne stood there with another small basket of biscuits and the books he'd brought over to her, and he was worried that she didn't approve of them, but her bright smile said otherwise.

"Sorry I missed you earlier. I mean, that you weren't there when I was." she clarified, a small flush appearing on her face.

He gave her a small smile back, gesturing her to enter. She hung up her coat and handed him the basket.

"Marilla insisted I bring some as you'd only taken a few for Bash and Mary" she explained and Gilbert smiled.

"Please thank her for me" he said with a nod, and Anne nodded back.

"So I liked the books you found and thought you might want to go over some of them for the project if you're not too busy. I know it's a bit late" she replied apologetically.

"Oh not at all." he said and cleared a space in the sitting room for them to work, fixing up some hot cider.

As they sat discussing, a loud rapping came at the door, startling them both. Gilbert hurriedly walked over to the door, opening it quickly and was surprised to see Dr. Simmons, the doctor he was apprenticing for when he wasn't in classes, looking out of breath.

"Gilbert, I need your help. A woman from this town has come to my clinic and she's going to have a baby soon. I know you helped deliver once and I have no one else to ask" he explaind quickly, causing Gilbert's eyes to widen, before glancing back at Anne in the sitting room who had also walked over, surprised by the news. She gave him a small nod as if to say 'go.'

"Who is it?" he asked, putting on his coat as Anne let herself out of the Blythe home, closing the door behind her, watching from the porch as Gilbert and Dr. Simmons got on their horses.

"I believe you know her, your teacher, Miss Stacy" he explained quickly and the two young teenagers gasped at this.

"Miss Stacy is with child?!" Anne said, in shock.