Butterflies~~ Shirbert

Chapter seventeen: N.ice B.oys N.ever E.at I.nsects

Anne arose Thursday morning with a smile on her face. Gilbert was walking her to school today.
Why she was smiling, she could not say. All she knew at the moment was that she could hardly wait for the sound of the knock at her front door. She had been Unbearably antsy during breakfast, while sitting at the table she bobbed her knee constantly. When she slurped her medicine down before school she did it with utmost speed. She rushed to redo her braids before Gilbert came making them extra neat. She smiled in the mirror. It had been a while since she had actually liked how she looked, but it seemed today nothing could possibly dampen her mood.
She stayed in her room watching out her window anxiously awaiting her best friend. Finally once he came in sight exiting the woods and making his way to the woods. she raced down the stairs. Well more like hobbled down the stairs as best she could with one leg. She kissed Marilla and Mathew goodbye quickly making her way to the door before he could even knock.
Gilbert was very surprised that Anne had managed to get out the door without any help. In fact she seemed to be in very well condition for recently spraining her ankle. Anne turned to him with the biggest smile which he returned. Anne said in a very excited voice that she usually only used with Diana.
"Good morning Gil."
Gilbert wondered if the nickname would ever loose the affect of making his heart race.
"Good morning Anne," he held out his arm which she hooked hers through. He gazed at her from the side. She was quite literally beaming.
"You seem chipper."
He said laughing slightly.
"I just woke up in the best mood today, I don't know what it is, everything just seems brighter, and rosier."
Gilbert raised his eyebrows, his smile widening as he blushed. Did her mood happen to have anything to do with him.
"I completely relate."
Anne smiled even wider her pearly teeth shining under the morning sun.
"Today is going to be a joyous day, I can feel it in the air." She yelled to the birds.
Gilbert smiled, his dimples revealing themselves.
"Yeah," he cheered.
Anne smiled and cheered with him.
"Yeah!"
They met eyes both relishing in each other's laughter for a couple moments.
"Oh, and thank you for the peanut butter."
Anne said smiling and laughing still.
"I had a feeling you liked it."
Anne laughed.
"A feeling?" She said her eyebrow raised.
"You know just a small inclination, not like you made it obvious or anything."
Gilbert said sarcastically, Anne laughed again.
"I can promise you it won't go to waste that's for sure."
Gilbert laughed along with her while looking down watching the way her eyes crinkled slightly.
His eyebrows furrowed once Anne's head turned abruptly, he followed her gaze to find...
"Diana!"
Anne knew Diana was never going to let her live this down. She caught her and Gilbert walking to school together smiling at each other laughing, and she had no doubt both of their complexions resembled apples. Diana smiled widely looking from Gilbert to Anne with her eyebrows raised. Once Anne met her eye she shook her head as if daring her to say what she assumed was between them.
Diana only quirked her eyebrow then said.
"Good morning, Gilbert, Anne."
"Good morning."
Gilbert smiled kindly and said
"Good morning, Diana."
Anne then offered.
"Walk with us?"
Diana shook her head her eyebrow still up looking into Anne's eyes.
"I wouldn't want to intrude," and before Anne could insist she said whist walking ahead of them. "I'll see you at school."
Gilbert looked down at Anne and chuckled saying.
"What was that about."
Anne continued to look ahead staring at Diana with a vengeance in her eyes.
"Let's just say her, Marilla and Bash have a couple things in common."
Gilbert just nodded laughing in understanding, then forced himself to look away from Anne. Once they reached the school, Gilbert opened the door for her.
They had arrived early so the only people there was Diana and Ms Stacy who both looked over with raised eyebrows and held back winks.
~
"What are the Atlantic maritimes, Anne."
Anne stood up eagerly ready to answer the question, she had been preparing for this ever since Gilbert corrected her all those years ago. How could she forget N.ice B.oys N.ever E.at I.nsects. Soon after she stood up and stepped out into the aisle, whispers erupted from Josie pye, catching Gilbert attention.
"Look at the back of her dress." Josie's menacing voice rang through his ears. He looked to where The retched girl referred to. Once he registered why the girls were whispering he immediately jumped out of his seat and stood behind Anne, so no one behind her could see that she had bled through the back of her dress. Gilbert raised his hand as he stood saying,
"New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI."
Anne snatched her head around an irate expression on her face, how dare he not let her answer the question.
She was about to explode when Gilbert asked Ms Stacy urgently.
"Can I please talk to Anne outside."
Ms Stacy was very confused at first but once Anne turned to face Gilbert so her back was facing the front of the room Ms Stacy nodded allowing them to go. Anne was very confused to say the least but she walked out the door nevertheless looking back at Gilbert who had switched to walking behind her, so no one could see her dress. She furrowed her eyebrows and raised her arms in perplexity and irate.
Once they stepped out of the building Gilbert closed the door, turning to face Anne as he paused. What was he supposed to say.
"What is it!"
Anne said loudly, annoyed.
Gilbert just took a breath, trying to figure out how to go about telling her that she had blood on the back of her dress.
"Gilbert?"
She said again starting to get more and more angry.
"Why did you interrupt me I knew the answer perfectly well that's not fair Gilbert and quite honestly extremely rude, you weren't even called on, I mean THE AUDAICITY, i can't believ"-
"You bled through the back of your dress, Anne."
Gilbert said finally, letting out a breath as Anne stopped rambling and stepped back beginning to blush in mortification.
She covered her mouth, her eyes wide.
Gilbert saw blood on the back of her dress that means he knows she is on her period. What did she do to deserve this!
Anne thought angrily. He probably thinks I'm disgusting, he'll probably want nothing to do with me now.
Anne self consciously moved her hands to hold behind her back, trying to cover the stain.
She had no idea what to say.
Gilbert stood there looking away from her trying to lessen her embarrassment.
"I don't think many people saw, I tried to block it from view so that's why I interrupted you, I know you know the answer, I have no doubt about that." Gilbert said laughing slightly at the end.
Anne was flustered and more mortified than she had ever been in her life.
"I can't believe I-I," she was very flustered, "I'm sorry you had to see that."
Gilbert quickly replied.
"Don't be sorry Anne, you have nothing at all to apologize for."
"But I, I should have hid it better, I had no idea," she covered her face, "what a disgrace."
Gilbert stood there with his eyes furrowed, he was slightly angered by her train of thought.
"Anne you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, its not a disgrace not even in the slightest. You shouldn't be embarrassed at all, I'm not judging you Anne, I-I, it's so dumb how people teach girls to be ashamed of something that is completely natural," he said throwing his hands up in frustration.
Anne watched wide eyed. He was saying everything she secretly thought, and he was a boy. She would have never expected this, she was quite literally baffled.
"I- uh, I agree," she said gaining strength back in her voice, "we shouldn't have to be ashamed of it, I mean i told the girls that it's gods plan so doesn't that make it good, they were shocked and told me to hide it, and I figured I was just wrong in thinking that it was nothing to be ashamed of."
"It is good, your right."
Anne just stood there nodding, still shocked that anyone agreed with her let alone a boy. But then again it was Gilbert, and he was not the ordinary, ignorant disrespectful teenage boy. After a moment Anne realized she should definitely take care of the mess that was her clothes.
"I um, i think I'm going to run home quickly and get changed."
Gilbert nodded at first but then remembered.
"Wait you're ankle."
It was a miracle in itself that's she had managed to walk out of the school by herself with a sprained ankle. Gilbert had never heard of anyone healing so quickly but he knew it wasn't a good idea for her to walk home by herself.
Anne nodded realized it was not going to do, walking half a mile back home on one leg. Before Anne could even ask, Gilbert was at her side holding his arm out for her to hook hers onto.
"Gilbert I couldn't pull you out of school just for this."
"Nope," Gilbert shook his head, "I'm going with you."
Anne laughed shaking her head whilst hooking her arm with Gilbert's.
"Your very stubborn."
"Well that makes two of us then."
He said looking over at her laughing. They continued to walk in a comfortable silence until Anne brought up the thing she had been trying to to get her hopes up on.

"Do you think we could actually go to Trinidad."
She asked in a hopeful voice that made Gilbert's heart swell.
"As long as we can get Marilla and Mathew to agree and we both save up enough, even though you don't have to pay." He said looking down at her as she smiled shaking her head.
"I think we could go."
"I've been attempting to not get my hopes up but I cant help but imagine how beautiful everything is, and to swim in the ocean, oh to be one with the magnificent blue abyss, I'm sure I'd never forget it for as long as I shall live."
Gilbert watched her with admiration whist she closed her eyes, seemingly in a far off place. Once Anne opened her eyes and caught him staring he quickly moved his head then scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"I'm sure I wouldn't forget it either."
Gilbert said, but he wasn't referring to the clear blue ocean or the tall palm trees, he was referring to the starry eyed redhead dreaming in front of him that would be there too.
"We should probably talk to Diana and Charlie soon," he said.
"How about during lunch, we should be back by then."
Gilbert nodded still watching the girl next to him who was trying her best to not trip under his gaze and overcome the dizziness it gave her.
Once they arrived at green gables Anne swung open the door and walked in. Marilla was outside gardening at the moment so the house was quiet.
Gilbert helped Anne up to her room and sat outside her door leaning against the wall across from her room patiently.

Anne washed the mess that was her dress as best she could in her water basin. She pinned a fresh pair of undergarments on and slipped into her clean gray dress. Her pinafore was stained so she was forced to go without it. Nevertheless she pulled her boots back on, making sure to be gentle on her left foot. She stood up wobbly and opened her door. Anne was only absent in her room for about five minutes rushing as to not make her and Gilbert miss too much school. Gilbert stood up and helped her down the stairs. Both startled at the noise of the kitchen door opening.
"Bonjour?"
Jerry said confused as to why Anne was here with a boy out of school, not only was it a boy but it was Gilbert the bane of Anne's existence, her words not his. But from the way she sounded and the way her eyes glasses over when she talked about him, even though her words were usually harsh saying Gilbert was a stupid dumb boy, he had a feeling that there was a definite reason for both of their blushing faces as they stood before him. He had heard about her ankle so he wasn't shocked they were standing so close but still this was a sight for sore eyes. He wiped a smirk onto his face as he looked from Anne to Gilbert. But even though he had a smirk, his brother protectiveness came out as he asked in a firm voice that intimidated Gilbert as Jerry had intended.
"Why are you not in school right now."
Anne then said in a equally intimidating voice.
"If you must know I had an incident and Gilbert helped me walk home so I could deal with it."
Jerry just nodded his head, very confused as to what she meant by incident, but he didn't push any further instead bidding them farewell and walking back to the barn.
~
Gilbert opened the door for Anne once they reached the school house. It was already lunch time so as soon as Anne limped inside all of the Girls turned from their corner to watch with wide eyes as Gilbert walked her over and helped her sit down at the circle. Once Anne was situated she started pulling out her lunch which consisted of cheese, an apple (sliced for sharing) and peanut butter on her bread. Gilbert saw the way her toast was dressed and winked at her as he saluted with two fingers, a farewell. Anne forced herself to look away as he turned around for the door, she tried to hide the blush that had creeped its way onto her cheeks by leaning on her hand. Once Gilbert closed the door behind him a roar of giggles erupted in the lunch circle.

"ANNE, what just happened."
Asked Jane eagerly. All of the other girls sputtered questions out simultaneously, Anne couldn't make sense of any of the voices so she only looked down at her lunch trying to bite back the cheeky smile that threatened to rise on her blushed face. Finally they quieted down a bit to where Anne could hear Diana say clearly.
"Anne you've found yourself a beau."
~

That's all for this chapter I hope you enjoyed! the next Chapter will be up tomorrow and Will have lots of questions from the girls to Anne, don't forget about Gilbert working on the farm for the weekend with Mathew too ;););) that will be in a chapter soon. as always I love you and THANK YOU SO MUCH! For reading and voting and commenting it means more than you know. ☺️ I hope you have an amazing day!
Published aug 31 19