Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
___ "Anne! Marigold!" Marilla called for the girls, who immediately ran down and started to help their guardian.
"Oh! I expect it's perfectly normal to be slightly nervous on your first day, but I'm sure everything will be fine," Anne said as she hastily moved around the kitchen, "I don't have much experience with school, but why wouldn't it be fine? Better than fine. I have no doubt that it will be. None at all. I'm a few years behind, but that's no reason not to be optimistic. The only place I can go from here, academically speaking, is up. If a person puts their best foot forward, things can go well."
"Slow those feet down, please."
"It will be nice to have a lot of new friends, although I expect it will be difficult to find a toehold, since they've probably all known each other forever. Going to school is my lifelong dream. What could possibly go wr--" The redhead stopped as she dropped a piece of glass. "Please let that not be portentous."
"For heaven's sake, Anne, I told you to slow down."
"I'll fetch the broom," Matthew said.
"I'm sorry, Marilla."
"You'll do just fine today. You're smart as the dickens."
"I'm not so worried about my brain. I believe it to be in fairly good working order. And with any luck, I'll catch up with the rest of the class quite quickly. That's not really my concern. Do you want to know what my big concern is? My overriding concern?"
"I'm sure you'll tell us soon enough."
"It's this awful red hair! This horrible, hideous, horrible red hair. It's the bane of my existence."
"Anne, you hair is beautiful. What's hideous is that attitude of yours. Change it, sweetie," Marigold snapped her fingers.
"Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, I suggest you find a worthier overriding concern."
"And my freckles. I hate my freckles. And I can't help but think that the other children would like me better if I was pretty."
"Fiddlesticks. You're a vain one and no mistake."
"If a rose wasn't beautiful, nobody would want to stop and smell it. And besides, how can I be vain if I'm ugly?"
"I stopped and smelled the roses once," Marigold added, "I pricked my nose on a thorn.... roses are mean."
"Enough of this foolishness. You'll do just fine at school if you'd stop your yammering and fortify yourself."
