I Need You - A Shirbert Fanfiction

Chapter one - the flashback

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She could feel his rough hands holding on to hers, and his breath against her neck. He leaned against her, their lips were just millimetres apart...

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Anne Shirley Cuthbert was, as so many times before, late for school. She knew that she would arrive at least five minutes late, heavily breathing while having everybody's eyes on her. She couldn't afford that humiliation once again. Billy would laugh, Josie would smirk in a mean way, Diana would give her a comforting smile and Gilbert would look at her. Just look at her with his hazel eyes. She never really knew if she liked it when he did that. She was pretty sure he didn't mean any harm by it, but still. It was Gilbert. And she hated him, that's for sure.

Anne was only halfway to school when she heard a voice behind her. She stopped running, heavily breathing and turned around. And there he was. Gilbert Blythe.
"Running away from me?" He asked when he caught up with her.
"Yes," Gilbert knew she didn't mean that.
"Oh well, why did you stop when I shouted your name then?"
"You got me", Anne mumbled.
"What did you say?", Gilbert asked. "You got me!" She shouted it out loud this time. "And now, if you don't mind. I'm late for school so I'll have to go now", she continued.
"Well if I'm not mistaking we go to the same school, which means I'm also late, so would you mind me walking there with you?" He smiled.
"What could I do to stop you?" Anne asked and they started walking.
She did absolutely not want to go with Gilbert, though it felt pretty good walking beside him and sometimes feel his hand against hers when they accidentally bumped together. She could see that he smiled, and she felt it like thousands and thousands of butterflies flew around in her stomach. Why did she feel this way around this boy?
Caught up in her feelings, she forgot all about being late and they slowly walked their way to school in silence. When opening the door, Anne realised that she was eleven minutes late, and that was due to Gilbert. While taking off her coat and hat she whispered to him "This is all your fault!" He just smiled and said "My pleasure, Shirley"
All eyes were on her while she was walking down the classroom to her desk. "I'm sorry we.. I'm late", Anne said to the teacher, Miss Stacy. "That's alright Anne, please be seated." Miss Stacy said with a smile.

Anne could feel Rubys eyes in her neck all morning. Her gaze was cold and hateful. But Anne could also feel someone else staring at her. She turned her head around slightly, and of course, there was Gilbert with his eyes on her, now looking into Anne's. He smiled. He had made her turn around and look at him, just what he wanted. Anne quickly looked away in shame. Now he's happy, again. Great.

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Neither of them really knew what was going on between them. After Sebastian and Mary's wedding, Anne and Gilbert talked and had fun at the reception. After a few hours, they went outside to take a walk, still laughing and talking happily. Deep in the forest Gilbert stopped. Anne felt something was going on, not just her heartbeat speeding up more than ever, nor was it the butterflies in her stomach making it feel like she was going to explode. He held onto her. They were standing against a big tree in which the birds happily sang.
She could feel his rough hands holding on to hers, and his breath against her neck. He leaned against her, their lips were just millimetres apart. No no NO! She couldn't do this. Not to herself and not to poor Ruby. In a panic, she escaped. She heard Gilbert calling her as she ran through the woods, not knowing where she was going. She ran faster than ever before until her legs couldn't move anymore. She fell. Right on the ground. After a few minutes she managed to crawl to an old tree, which she leaned against. Her mind still tried to understand what had happened. Did Gilbert try to kiss her? No. He couldn't possibly. But if he was, did she enjoy it? No! He is just a boy, who used to get on her nerves, but now he is nice and they are friends. Just friends. Nothing else. If he should kiss anyone, he should kiss Ruby. That thought hurt.

After that incident, Anne and Gilbert barely talked, though she could feel his warm gaze during the lessons. Summer came and Anne only saw Gilbert in church, except when Marilla sent her to Carmody the last day of summer to pick up some things. She walked into one of the shops to buy sugar, and while standing in line to the cashier she felt someone tapping her on the shoulder. She recognized the tap and the warm gaze. Turning around, she saw him. Gilbert Blythe. This was the first time they were alone, face to face, since the wedding day and their...almost to be kiss?
"Hello", Gilbert said.
"Hey", Anne said nervously. It was quiet for a couple of seconds
"So how have you been?" He asked to break the silence. "Fine, just fine", Said Anne. "What about you?"

"I'm good, and really happy actually. Mary is pregnant!" He said with a smile.

"Oh how wonderful, tell her I'm happy for them!" Anne said with a smile.
"Oh thanks, I will", Gilbert said, and it was followed by silence. Anne realised that she had really missed Gilbert this summer, but it felt like they were no longer as good friends. It was Anne's turn to pay for her sugar, and as she left the store she felt really sad about something. She and Gilbert had lost their friendship, and was it ever to come back?
Later, when Anne and Jerry were on their way home when they heard galloping behind them. She heard Gilbert's voice, saying as he passed them:  "See you in school tomorrow, Carrots!"
Anne felt a wave of frustration and anger, but at the same time, happiness? But how did he dare to call her carrots? After what happened last time he shouldn't!

And so school started. It felt just like the first day of school when Anne had just moved to Avonlea, because Gilbert tried to get her attention by stupid tricks, like "accidentally" drop something that "accidentally" rolled under Anne's desk so she would have to either get up so he could fetch it, or pick it up herself. He even asked if they could eat their lunches together, but Anne had luckily already been asked by Diana.

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"Anne!" Someone clapped their hands in front of her face. "It's time for lunch", Diana said and Anne woke up from her thoughts. She stood up a little to fast, which made it feel like she was going to faint. She grabbed the desk, determined not to fall.
"Are you okay Anne?" Diana asked nervously. "I'm fine" Anne mumbled and turned around. She was still a little dizzy and didn't look up which resulted in her crashing into Gilbert.

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My first chapter of this book, hope you enjoyed and that the language wasn't too bad:o

Please comment what you think and if you see anything misspelled or not grammarly correct please tell me so I can fix it😘😘