Close Proximity -Anne With An E-

Chapter 3| the blanket.

"I know I'll only be gone for a week, but I will miss you so, Sir Blossom Tree." Anne spins around, the dreamcatcher above her bed hangs, staring at her, seeming dejected that she was leaving it, "I'm sorry, dreamcatcher. Not having you around to protect my dreams will be a harrowing adventure." She touches the feathers softly.

Anne picks up a stack of books and pushes them into her bag. "You guys will keep me company over the week."

Before she steps out of the room, she spins and whispers, "I'll be back." Then closes the door, to keep the words from escaping.

When they arrive at Gilbert's house, Anne hugs Matthew and Marilla tightly. "I love you. I'll see you in a week."

Jumping down from the buggy, Anne feels the snow crunch beneath her brown boots. The sun starts to set over the mountains in the distance, cutting off it's warm light from Avonlea for the night.

"Welcome, miss Anne." Mary calls from the doorway. "We are all thrilled to have you here with us this week. Especially me, I need another girl to talk to." Anne smiles, "Then it will be a splendid week for the both of us."

After Mary shows Anne to her room, she leaves her alone to let her get settled. Down the hallway, on the opposite side of the corridor, is Mary and Bash's room. But, of course, the room right next to Anne's, is Gilbert's.

Only a wall between the two of them. The thought makes her heart stutter.

The room has a bed, a chair in the corner, and a window. Anne carefully sets her bag of clothing on the chair.

She leans against the window frame, looking out at the white world. Snow blanketing the ground of Avonlea.

Anne's warm breath fogs up the glass, the cold atmosphere outside the window warring with the warm air inside the house.

Anne's eyes wander across the yard, catching on a boy, chopping wood. She watches in awe as he splits a piece of wood with a single swing. Because of his physical exertion, the boy had taken off his shirt and laid it out on the fencepost. His bare chest and arms pulling in her attention. She rakes her eyes up the boy, finally landing on his black, curly hair.

She gasps and stumbles away from the window. Realizing who the boy is, a blush overtakes her face. Embarrassed at the thought that she was just fascinated at the sight of Gilbert Blythe... shirtless.

Her cheeks the same colour of her short, red hair, she grabs a book from her bag and makes herself comfortable on her borrowed bed. Drinking in the inked words on the parchment.

Because of the beautiful pictures being painted in her mind's eye, she was too engrossed in her book to hear the footfalls leading up to her doorway.

As she turns the page, Gilbert's figure in her peripheral vision caught her attention, startling her. She gasps and jumps, "Oh, Gilbert, it's just you." She breathes.

The hazel eyed boy looks at her apologetically, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, Anne."

Closing her book and turning to face him she says, "Next time, you should announce yourself, instead of just lurking there." She quirks her eyebrow at him.

He laughs, breathily, scratching his chin and looking down at his feet. "Yeah, I'll do that next time."

He looks back up, and recaptures their previous eye contact, making Anne's heart stutter, for the second time that night. Both times, she realizes, were because of Gilbert.

She notices his nose and cheeks are red from the cold air. She walks up to him and gently touches his cheek. "You're freezing, Gilbert." She looks behind her, spotting a blanket folded on the nightstand.

She grabs it and unfolds it with a flick of her wrist, wrapping it around her classmate's shoulders.

Gilbert blushes at how close she is to him. "Thank you, miss Anne." He whispers, his warm breath brushing against her cheeks. "Of course, Mr. Blythe."