Lady March - (L.L.)

Chapter 03

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Kind Introductions

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A slightly embarrassed Annie once again made her way back to the March household, and this time she was certain that she was going to the correct place. After her conversation with the Laurence boy from the next door, she didn't hesitate to go back from where she came.

Laurie sat on the balcony bench in front of his home. The dirty-blonde girl was nervously strolling around in a circle, her hands enveloped with each other. He glanced at his lap with a smirk. This lady was different.

The sun was slowly setting, the hues of orange and red surrounding their bodies. Either way, however, Annie wasn't paying much attention.

"It's getting dark outside, no?" He said, looking up at her. "Your family must be getting worried, miss..."

She turned to look back at him immediately, her eyebrows were furrowed in a frown. It bothered him she wasn't sitting; it had been almost an hour since they stumbled upon each other, and she had yet to make a move back to where she was supposed to be.

Not like he really cared whether she left or not. It was more like his grandfather would be worried if he didn't make it home in time for dinner.

"Goodness, I didn't notice." She stared at the evening sky and suddenly became aware of her surroundings. If it wasn't for him telling her the obvious, she would've still been harboring around like she had all the time in the world. "I probably should..."

Laurie wasn't having any of it. The nameless girl was still looking around with uncertainty. It had him wondering what was going through her mind. "Is something the matter?" He asked, standing up from his crouched position.

She was quick to shake her head, not having the energy to look back at his hazel eyes. How was she supposed to tell a boy she didn't even know that she was feeling nervous? If he was anything like those bastards back home, it would be better he didn't know.

She scolded herself for thinking so improperly as a lady.

"Nothing really, sir," she finally met his eyes, but her voice was low. "I'm a tad worried about how they'll perceive me."

Laurie chuckled, earning a confused look from Annie. "I'm sure you'll be fine," he said. "And if not, you can come back here."

This time, she raised her eyebrows, suddenly feeling a little suspicious about his intentions. He seemed to notice her shift in body language, and quickly added on, "―because we're friends, aren't we?"

Laurie even offered to drop her home himself, but she refused knowing best that it would be better she came home late by herself, instead of coming late, that too with an unknown man accompanying her.

Taking a deep sigh, Annie knocked twice on the wooden door, and suddenly all that stress she left at Laurence's home, had reappeared. Several questions bombarding her thoughts; What if they don't like me? What if that joke from earlier was actually the truth? All of those thoughts were nothing compared to the family just not allowing her inside.

Just when Annie was about to knock on the door again, however, she noticed that it was already open. Someone had forgotten to lock it from earlier.

Taking a step inside, she looked around the home's atmosphere. It resembled the one she lived in back home, with the slight differences in color and size. Though there was no one in sight, she smiled knowing that her life over there would be like she never left.

Wandering around the place for a few more minutes, she stopped. From where Annie was standing, she heard an indistinct voice coming from afar.

Going a few steps closer to the sound, she saw five women standing around, and two having what looked like a heated argument.

"Great job Jo, now she's probably lost somewhere!" An older woman who she remembered being called Marmee shouted.

"She went to the neighbor's house, how hard could that be?" Another replied, her arms crossed in annoyance.

"She's new!"

It was only when the youngest member spoke that everyone's voices died down. Marmee looked up and recognized the girl at the door as their guest. Annie smiled nervously before coming to a little closer to the five people.

"I'm sorry if I've worried any of you," Annie apologized frantically, her smile furrowed in a frown. "A kind mister helped me out."

Marmee shook her head and embraced Annie in a comforting hug. "Under no circumstances was it your fault. Rather, it was someone else to blame," Marmee pointed her words at Jo accusingly, and earned an eye-roll.

A few more minutes of comfortable silence, a pretty girl with brown hair stepped up and raised out her hand. "Hello, I'm Meg," she said, and Annie shook her hand with a smile.

"I'm Beth."

"Hi, I'm Amy! Welcome to our house!" Annie's smile grew wider at the young girl's introduction.

"―And you already know Jo," Marmee said, eyeing her second-oldest daughter.

When Jo scurried out of the room with a huff, Annie took the moment to introduce herself, though she was sure they already knew who she was. "I'm Annie, It's lovely to meet all of you," she glanced at all the faces in the room.

Sometime later, Meg and Amy offered to show the new girl around their home. They were awfully surprised at how nice she seemed to be, and that's why they came up with the plan of showing her around.

After a small tour with the rooms, they had eventually reached the guest bedroom, which would be Annie's for the time being.

It wasn't very appealing to look at. It resembled a normal bedroom, with a small painting hanging on the wall; a large window placed right behind the bed-set, and white vanity with an oval mirror.

Either way, it satisfied her.

"So, Annie," Meg spoke, catching Annie's attention from the oldest daughter of the family. "I'm heading to the Christmas Eve party with Jo tonight, would you like to join us?"