Remains to be Seen

Chapter Seventeen: 'Ditching Together'

Beep boop.
It's 1am and I ain't even gonna say if this chapter is on time or late.
I got it done, lol.

Thank you too all my readers who commented and helped inspire me for this chapter!! What would I do with this story without y'all ♡

Enjoyyyy

||

It was the second day in a row Diana had to walk to school alone.

"I hope Anne is alright. It's very unlike her to miss school, especially school start," Diana spoke to herself as she neared the schoolhouse.

She looked to the other path leading into the forest to see if she saw Ruby coming, but when she saw her friend her voice caught in her throat.

Ruby was consoling a very depressed looking Jerry. Looking like a mother hen over a duckling, Ruby patted Jerry on the head and said something which made Jerry smile just slightly looking up at her.

Well fine. If that is how Ruby wants to be, Jerry too for that matter, then so be it, Diana bitterly thought.

With a humph and deep exhale, Diana walked into the schoolhouse alone. She hung her coat and hat up on her peg, setting her basket down. Taking her seat she organized her books and set up her inkwell for the day. She looked at the empty seat next to her longingly, then noticed Gilbert's seat across the room was also empty.

That's odd. He wasn't acting even close to being ill yesterday. Wait until Josie notices they BOTH are absent two days in a row! She'll have some big conspiracy theory that they are 'ditching together'. Diana laughed at her own mind's muse.

"What's so funny, Diana?" Ruby asked as she sat down next to her.

"You can't sit there," Diana snapped.

"Why not?"

"Because that is Anne's seat."

"Yes, it's Anne's normal seat, but Anne isn't here today." Ruby for once made perfect reasonable sense, but Diana still wasn't going to have it.

"You still can't sit here," the last thing Diana wanted right now was to sit next to Ruby.

"Well, FINE! I don't know what I did to make you so u-upset with me!" Ruby exclaimed and ran into the coat room her sobs echoing through the room.

"Now what did you do little miss perfect?" Josie snapped as she slid into the desk behind Diana, for once not going after Ruby.

What has gotten into me? I never used to be in the midst of drama, net alone start it. Although Ruby is quite a baby, maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh.

Diana shook her thoughts away as Ms. Stacy walked into the room.

"Well it looks like my two star students are absent again today. Shall we begin with maths, class?"

Although most of the lessons Ms. Stacy taught were fascinating, maths was still maths. Diana heard whispers rise up as around her as the lesson began.

"I bet they're together," snickered Josie.

""Yeah, and probably arguing over stupid spelling words," Billy chimed in from across the room.

Diana shot a look at both of them, but saw a sad brown headed boy as she turned back around. It was the boy who normally sat to the right of Gilbert.

Something Stone? No. Sloane! That's it. I never noticed his dark wavy hair and green eyes, which look quite sad right now. I wonder why.

"Hey, Di," a harsh not so quiet whisper came from Josie behind her, "you done staring at Charlie there?"

Diana's face turned a vibrant red, almost as vibrant as Anne's hair.

Having heard his name, Charlie whipped his head from the chalkboard to the girls' side and saw Diana's beet red face. The small flicker which never quite went out, reignited into a flame in his chest.

Diana gave Josie an unamused look, but was unable to hide her suddenly ruddy cheeks. As she turned back around she locked eyes with a certain pair of sad green ones. Suddenly the sadness lifted as Charlie gave Diana a soft look. Her blush growing deeper Diana turned and locked her eyes on the blackboard for the rest of class until the lunch bell rang.

||

Marilla hurried down the lane towards the Blythe house, pausing at the barn when she heard noises and a voice muttering to itself.

"It just has to be this God-forsaken cold already doesn't it," Bash looked up to find Marilla standing in the doorway.

"Ms. Marilla! You startled me!" Seeing her worried expression, and tired tear-ridden eyes he queried,

"May I help you with something?"

"A-Anne? Did she come here? I feel crazy asking you, but she ran off after Ma—after saying goodbye to Matthew. She never came home—"

So that was what happened. Bless Anne's pure little heart and soul.

Bash shook his head with sorrow, "I am so sorry for your and Anne's loss. Quite honestly, it is a terrible loss to the town. Anne, she came here sometime last night and stayed for breakfast. I can go check with Gilbert when or if she has left."

Relief rushed Marilla's face, "oh thank the heavens! Yes, thank you, Sebastian."

"Here, walk to the house with me and I'll go in and check with Gilbert."

||

It was near tea time when Bash walked into the house calling out,

"Blythe?"

He walked in the living room finding two tear-stained sleeping faces: a dark curly head resting on one of fire. Smiling to himself Bash walked back out onto the porch.

"Ms. Marilla, yes, Anne is still here but she is sleeping right now."

No need tell her the exact details of that slumber, Bash thought to himself.

"Oh!" Marilla sighed in relief wiping tears off her ruddy face, "thank goodness. She gave me half a fright this morning when I realized she had never come home. Well, thank you, Sebastian, and just send her home when she wakes. I don't want her being a burden."

"She is no burden at all, Ms. Marilla. Actually quite the opposite, she livens life up, and she made herself right at home. It was a real treat to have her here, and she is welcome all the time, anytime," Bash smiled a wicked smile knowing what he was doing; knowing Gilbert would threaten to kill him if he was hearing this.

"Oh. Well," Marilla thought for a second,
It's quite improper her staying in an all male household; however, it is Sebastian and Gilbert, and if he is anything like his father...
But it also may not be the best she come home while Matthew is still in the house. The funeral is tomorrow...

"send her when she becomes a burden or is ready to come home. The funeral is tomorrow and it may be better she isn't home while—" Marilla's voice trailed.

"Yes, yes. I quite agree. I again am very sorry for your loss, Ms. Marilla." Bash's dark eyes heavy with sympathy, "I will send Anne home whenever she wishes, or we can meet you at the church?"

"That sounds perfect, Sebastian. Thank you," Marilla nodded, turned and started walking down the road back towards Green Gables.

||

ikik. no shirbert (well tech VV LITTLE shirbert)....

I just wanted (Lol kinda needed) to develop the other storylines that were also happening while A+G were 'ditching together'

thank you all SO MUCH for 3.2K reads!!! ILYASM!!

♡ Avieda