In the Woods When First We Met

195. Ruby and Jane

The prospect of walking in and facing everyone again is a bit daunting, Anne thought. Still, it's good to be getting back to normal.

The bell was ringing, and the other students were making their way to their seats, the steady hum of conversation dying down as school was about to begin. Anne put her things in the cloakroom, keeping her head down to avoid eyes. As she sat down, she was aware of other students looking at her, but when Diana put an arm around her, squeezing her close, nothing else mattered.

Anne wished she'd come in before the bell rang, so she could have spoken to Diana, but her fear of the other student's reactions had kept her out until she heard the bell. She felt someone behind her poke her in the shoulder. She turned, worried, until she was met with Ruby's cheerful grin. Anne smiled back, relieved, until Josie elbowed Ruby in the side with a glare.

Anne turned to face the day ahead. Mr. Phillips acknowledged her with a nod, but said nothing to her. In a few minutes the class was busy reading silently, and Anne lost herself in a story.

Reading was soon over and Mr. Phillips began a dry, dusty lesson in history. The only good part was that his back was frequently turned as he wrote on the board, allowing Diana and Anne to pass much of the morning writing notes to each other. Every time he turned to write, his chalk scraping uncomfortably against the board, a note was pushed under the table. They were very nearly caught, but continued anyway. They could not hold back after so long a time being apart from each other.

---

Ruby learned from Gilbert and Jane that Anne was going to be in school on Monday, and she came prepared. At lunch time she brought out a pink satin purse with a pearl closure.

"Ruby, your purse is exquisite!" Anne exclaimed. "Oh, I love pearls...they're simply divine. I suppose angels don't cry, I don't know why they would, but the first time I saw a pearl it made me think, 'If an angel cried, it's teardrop would look just like that'. Do you think that's a strange thought? I told Marilla that once, and she said it sounded heathen-ish. But I didn't mean it to. I often say things but I don't..."

Ruby listened as Anne went on. She was smiling. She'd thought Anne was a bit odd before, but now she couldn't imagine why she'd ever found her to be anything but delightful.

Finally Anne finished her train of thought and said, "Anyway, Ruby, your purse is wonderful."

Ruby flushed with pride. "Thank you. I got it for my birthday."

Anne said, "I have a purse now, too! ...Except mine is just a little change purse. I have it in my pocket." She pulled hers out to show Ruby.

Anne had been pleased with her purse, but it was of no comparison to Ruby's. But before she started feeling down about it, she reminded herself that her purse was special not because of what it looked like, but because of what it held- Gilbert's note about missing her was still inside.

"Yours is nice, too," Ruby said kindly. "Now," she went on, getting down to business, opening her purse and beginning to pull things out of it: "I brought my purse because I needed it to carry all the things we'll have to try on your hair. All right? I have lots of ribbons- I thought pink, to match the flowers we'll carry- but then I thought you poor dear, you can't possibly wear pink ribbons in your hair. But that's all right because I have lots of colors. I was thinking maybe yellow? Yellow is awfully pretty on redheads, I think! Oh, and I have a little circlet with silk rosebuds on it. I thought we'd put that on your head and then tie your hair with the ribbon at the end. It's white and green, the circlet. It belonged to my mother when she was a girl- she said we could use it, just for that one day."