kindred spirits || anne and gilbert

chapter eleven .

anne knocks on the gillis' front door, her breathing uneven and hands shaking in fear. she waits for a few seconds, staring down at her feet, before the door opens and reveals ruby's mother. her blond eyebrows are raised in shock. "hello, anne. shouldn't you be at school?"

"i suppose so," anne laughs nervously. "but i need to talk to ruby. she's here, correct?"

mrs. gillis nods. "she's in her bedroom. you can just go right up there- are you thirsty or hungry, by any chance? do you want a snack?" anne shakes her head.

"no, i'm fine, mrs. gillis. thank you, though." she smiles, appreciating the older women's kindness. she turns and walks up the staircase, the shiny wooden planks creaking dramatically underneath her weight.

anne turns down the familiar hallway, her heart thumping intensely against her chest. she stops in front of ruby's dark wooden door and, hesitantly, brings her fist down on the material.

"who's there?" ruby's soft voice calls from the other side, sniffling.

"it's anne," she replies bleakly.

"leave!" ruby exclaims with rancor. "get out of my house."

"can't you see why i couldn't tell you?" anne asks softly. "i didn't want this to happen- i didn't want to lose you."

"then you never should have started dating gilbert blythe- i love him!"

"how is that fair, ruby?" she questions, growing angry at the blonde. "why should i not be with him, just because you are infatuated with him? i love him too, ruby, but he loves me back." she pauses. "you can stay angry at me, ruby. there's nothing i can do about it. i want to be with gilbert, he makes me happy. i hope you'll come to realize this."

"get out of my house. you're not welcomed here anymore." her voice seems muffled, as if she's pushed her face into one of her pillows.

anne sighs, releasing all of her held in emotions- sadness, fear, anger- before turning away from the door and waltzing down the staircase. she passes by mrs. gillis and wishes her a farewell, thanking her for her kindness throughout the years, just in cause she'll never be invited in the gillis home again.

as she sets out back home, her phone begins to ring- of course, it's gilbert, asking if she and ruby are alright and if they're coming back. anne chuckles mirthlessly. she tells him they're both safe, that ruby's upset, and she doubts either of them will be coming back today.

anne definitely needs a break from school- from the drama, and josie pye.

anne contemptuously rolls her eyes at the thought of the pretty blonde girl. why, why does she have to ruin everything good in anne's life? she remembers back to something diana said; "she's probably jealous," she had announced as she took a humble bite out of her strawberry tart. she had somehow managed to get no crumbs on her face or lap. after chewing she continued, "you get all of gilbert's attention." she smiles cheekily. "and you're now friends with her friends- even closer to some than she is- that must be the root."

anne shakes her head. 'there's no way someone like josie pye is jealous of someone like me- an ugly, freckled and carrot-haired, skinny girl. it's just an outrageous thought!' she sighs, kicks a pebble away from her with her foot and watches it skid away on the pavement.

finally she reaches home- green gables. she pushes the front door open and closes it behind herself, the heavy dark door moaning as it shuts. marilla comes running into the room.

"anne shirley-cuthbert!" she exclaims, her eyebrows furrowed and dark eyes wide. "what were you thinking, running out of school? your principle called us and told us, what is going on inside that brain of yours?"

anne suddenly begins to cry. dramatically, as anne is, she falls to her knees, covering her face with her hands as she sobs. marilla rushes to the young girl and wraps her arms around her, questioning her as to what's wrong, what happened, and if she's okay.

"marilla," the red head cries, "everything's falling apart! everyone hates me now!" she cries harder now. marilla gasps. she scolds anne,

"how could they ever hate you, you silly girl?"

anne shakes her head. "i'm dating gilbert- we love each other. and everyone knows now, even ruby! she hates me, marilla, plain and simple. oh, i've ruined everything!" she clutches her heart.

marilla strokes the girls hair as she clicks her tongue. "now, you listen to me. if that girl, and anyone else, is willing to ruin a friendship over any boy, they are not worth your tears. it's ruby's loss, not yours." she wipes a tear from anne's eye. "ruby will regret this soon enough, dear."

the petite girl sniffles. "josie pye and ruby spied on us, and josie announced it to the entire school. we didn't want anyone to know yet, and soon every insensible person in old, small avonlea is going to know." she whimpers at the thought- oh, what must people be saying about her now? just the thought of people's hurtful words are making her head spin.

marilla's eyebrows furrow in anger. she shakes her head. "that josie pye needs to be taught a lesson."