Carrots Are The Best Vegetables

Chapter Five

"He'll be okay, Anne... look on the bright-side of this. Now that Billy is shot, he won't be in school for at least a week." Gilbert tried to comfort Anne with a small smile, and a squeeze of her cold hand.

Somehow, her face lifted a little bit with a small smile. "I guess that's right... it'll be nice to be really back with everyone in school. Though, I'm not sure if Marilla would like for me to return after this. Miss Stacy is the only adult who knows what Billy did, and even she doesn't know fully..." Anne questioned.

The first day that Anne had returned to her classes, a boy'd been shot. "I can help you tell everyone. The truth is going to come out eventually. It'd be better if it came from you." Gilbert reasoned. It was a fair point, but the idea of seeing Billy after she admitted he'd shot her froze Anne's blood so that it was like a milkshake.

"I will tell Miss Stacy soon, and there's no doubt she'll go to Matthew and Marilla, but... I want everything to be normal for a little bit before I do." Anne promised. It didn't exactly resonate well in his chest, but he also didn't want to upset the frightened girl. "Gilbert, I will. I promise." Anne repeated, almost as if she'd read his thoughts.God, that would be horrible... what secrets Anne would discover..

"I believe you, Anne... and it's your decision when you tell everyone. It's not mine... not Cole's... and definitely not Billy's. You do what you want to do." Once again, Gilbert made Anne quake in her leather boots, but in a good way. In the way that would haunt her dreams, but once again... in a good way. She much rathered Gilbert than Billy's face in her nightmares, but with him, they were dreams. Very. Good. Dreams.

"Thank you, Gilbert... I'll see you at school tomorrow." Gilbert was surprised she was going, but all of that fell away as Anne leaned forward, and kissed him gently on the cheek, then headed off towards the Barry's household with a face redder than blood.

Gilbert didn't know how long he stood in those dark woods, but the cold seemed to fall away due to the warmth where Anne's lips had pressed against his cheek, which burned with such a passion it fueled Gilbert's heart madly. Eventually, he caught himself (for the most part), and began to return towards where Del and Sebestain were no doubt worried about where the hell Gilbert was.

(TIME SKIP)

"It's going to be so hard to return to school today, Diana. Everyone will be staring at me like my hair's gone gray. I'm so nervous." Anne admitted to her best-friend, who looked pearl-white. "What is it, Diana? You've been quiet all morning? We're arriving at school now, and I can't fathom having you upset with me."

"Oh, Anne... I'm not upset, it's just..." Diana paused before continuing her fragile sentence. "... Cole discussed with me what Billy did to you..." Anne turned slowly to her friend with a suddenly porcelain face. How dare Cole? She'd have to speak with him later.

"I... yes, he was the one who shot me, Diana. If you don't mind, I'd rather not to discuss it with you." Anne replied coldly, and hurried toward school, leaving her friend in the grasp of the skeleton trees with a sour look.

Anne didn't know why she was so upset by Cole telling Diana, or why she was mad at Diana for that, but the rage that belonged deep, deep inside of her seemed to be evaporating into the air much quicker than it should've been.

And who did Anne run into? Why, with her luck, none other than Cole... of course he had to talk, like always. "Anne! Hey, is Billy okay? I heard he survived the gun-shot, but is he in pain or anything?"

"Why do you care so much about him now, Cole? Did you switch sides?" Anne spat with venom traced in her voice, which Cole clearly picked up on. "I know what you did. You told Diana without my permission."

Cole's expression dropped. Anne scoffed angrily as she stomped towards her seat before sitting down. She could feel Gilbert's eyes on her and Cole's argument. "Anne, I didn't... I didn't think you were ever going to tell anyone, so... I did what had to be done." Cole stood by his actions, even as Anne scowled at him with such an evil that Cole was nearly sure soon enough he'd have a hole through his chest.

"No, you did what you wanted to do. That wasn't your story to tell, Cole. You know Diana has a big mouth. Now everyone will know, and there's nothing I can do to stop it, Cole..." She met Cole's eyes with such a powerful hatred it terrified him, until she uttered the words, "... I... I hate you, Cole." Anne looked up, and she looked about just as surprised as she was. "I hate you. I don't want to see you right now."

"Anne-"

"I said I don't want to see you right now, Cole. Do you need to hear it again?" Anne asked, and turned away from Cole, whose eyes were shining with tears... Anne was already had a tear rolling down her face.

"Okay. I'm here when you need here." Cole murmured, ironically. He passed Diana, who thought it best not to sit next to Anne today, so instead she let Ruby take her place. Gilbert wanted to intervene as Cole sat next to him, but he wouldn't have a chance to, since class was about to start.

"Anne, he was just trying to help by telling us..." Ruby was trying to aid Cole, but that just infuriated Anne more. He told more than one person, and if Diana had a big mouth, then Ruby's was a new Grand Canyon.

"He told you." Anne whispered to herself. "How many people did he tell?" Anne looked to Ruby, who was trying to hide her words with her lips, and the desperate look of Cole wasn't helping. "Ruby, I swear, how. Many. People. Did. He. Tell?" Anne asked for the last time.

Finally, Ruby slipped up. "Everyone... well, he told Diana, and me... and then... everyone found out." Ruby admitted, and as soon as Anne heard that, she expected her blood to grow cold, but she felt as warm as she ever had.

Anne was suddenly aware of everyone in the room. Were they looking at her? Were they talking about her? Did any of them tell any adults? What would happen when Billy came back? Did Marilla and Matthew know?

But, the most prying questions were, one... did Gilbert know about this?... and two, how. Could. They? Anne bolted out of the classroom before anyone could say anything, but she knew that it was too late for their thoughts to dissipate. The first question seemed to suddenly carry as much weight as the ladder, and it churned Anne's stomach.

"Cole, what happened?" Gilbert asked Cole, who looked like he was about to be sick. "Cole. What did you do?" Gilbert questioned him again. The children were chattering about Anne, but it eventually died down; but still, Cole looked like he'd been stabbed in the same spot a dozen times.

"I told Diana and Ruby... and then I guess they told everyone else." Gilbert's face paled as he glared at Cole in a new light. "I didn't mean to... well I did, but I didn't mean for everyone to find out, or for Anne to get hurt."

"Cole, that wasn't your decision to tell anyone." Gilbert seethed, but he felt some sympathy for the boy... he was trying to do good, but just ended up muddying things even further. Anne would be so upset. Just the night before, Gilbert had promised that her story would come out when she wanted it to... not when Cole, Billy, or anyone thought it should.

"You've really done it this time."