It was a bright and sunny morning and I was going over to Anne's house. I was going to visit Ruby after her home was caught in the tragic fire. Anne had suggested that we make biscuits for the boys who were working on her house, but Ruby was only helping so she could see Gilbert. I arrived at Anne's later than I thought so I ran up to the door. I heard whispering.
"Did you see what y/n wore yesterday to school?" Diana inquired.
"The color was ghastly, I could have sworn I was looking at a ghost." Anne piped in.
I thought maybe Ruby would defend me, a small feeling of hope swelled within me.
"Y/n has always been like that, dressed that way since we met. I thought that it was just a phase, but now we've all grown more mature and none of us dress like that anymore." Ruby mocked.
"I thought you were my friends, but I guess I thought wrong," I said.
I felt a tear run down my cheek as I ran off the porch. I heard the girls run to the front door, calling my name. I ignored them and ran as fast as I could. Apparently, my boots were untied. I tripped over my boots and fell into the mud. I sat for a moment before rising to my feet with as much dignity as I could. I could hear the girls laughing before the door closed. As I began to walk back home, I heard a soft voice,
"Are you alright?" The voice asked.
I gave a soft nod, replying with thanks.
"I was just about to go home, may I walk with you?" The boy asked.
"That sounds lovely, I would enjoy the company." I replied.
He placed down his rake and dusted himself off, adjusting his hat.
"So, may I ask who you are?" I asked, hopefully starting a conversation.
"I'm Jerry, I work for the Cuthberts, and you are?" He asked.
"I'm y/n, I am a friend of Anne's," I responded, not wanting to talk about the events that had just occurred.
"Ah, I see, well I like your clothes. Very unique and lovely, I like it very much!" He complimented.
"You seem to be the only one today," I muttered.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing, it's silly," I said.
Grabbing my hand, he said, "It clearly isn't nothing if it's bothering you this much."
I sighed deeply before admitting to him the real problem.
"As I was walking up Anne's porch I heard the girls saying nasty things about my clothes and how I looked. I know it's silly, but it just seemed to hurt a little bit. The girls seemed to be growing distant this year and I can't seem to tell why." I admitted.
"Wow, I am so sorry." He replied sincerely, still holding my hand.
"It's alright, really. Thank you for being here to listen to me, to be here for me."
"I will always be there for you, we're going to be good friends. I can tell." He said, smiling widely.
