𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 ~ 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐲-𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight:
Like A Princess Of The Flames, She Danced
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"It's so terribly disappointing that your parents are sending you away to a finishing school.. all the way in Switzerland." Anne frowned, looking over at Mabel as they approached the school house. "I'm glad you've decided to walk me every morning, though. I do enjoy our time together more than anything."

Anne meant that sincerely. She enjoyed spending her hours with Mabel. She enjoyed it more than anything else in the world. If Anne had to spend the rest of her life doing nothing but spending time with Mabel, she'd be perfectly okay with that.

Mabel sent her a solemn smile, squeezing her upper arm. "I promise I'll write to you, so often that you'll grow tired of me."

Anne laughed, shaking her head. "I could never grow tired of you. I could spend the rest of my days with you. You will be joining us for the graduation celebration, right?"

"Of course.." Mabel's cheeks heated up as they turned the corner to the schoolhouse. Anne fell silent midsentence, causing Mabel to stop and look up from the ground in concern. "Anne?"

Anne swallowed thickly, her eyes focused in front of her. Mabel knitred her eyebrows together, a gasp leaving her lips when she saw that the school house was in ashes.

"Wh-What.." The sound of Miss Stacy's motorbike coming to a stop broke Mabel from her trance.

"My.. heavens.." Miss Stacy said slowly, slowing until she was beside Mabel.

"How could.. How could.." Anne stammered out, tears dripping from her eyes as she turned to look at Mabel, desperation clear in her eyes. "How could someone do this?"

Mabel frowned, capturing Anne in her arms and holding her tightly. Miss Stacy stepped over the burnt remains of the school house, muttering to herself.

"A printing press doesn't just up and walk away by itself." Gilbert muttered. Mabel nodded in agreement, watching as the girls and boys arrived in groups, all equally shocked by the burnt house.

"The fire in the stove wasn't lit.."

"No lightning."

"What could have-"

"Ask whoever took the printing press, because it's not here." Anne said sharply, pulling away from Mabel's grasp abd wiping her face.

"What do you mean not here?" Ruby questioned, shaking her head.

"Taken?" Josie gasped, catching Mabel's gaze for a split second before she tore her eyes away.

"Somebody did this? On purpose?" Diana shook her head, avoiding Anne's eyes.

"Who would.." Ruby's voice trailed off in disbelief.

"Those who didn't like us challenging them." Gilbert crossed his arms, shaking his head.

"They can't get awat with this, we have to do something!" Moody said confidently.

"We did do something.. and this was the result." Tillie argued, shaking her head in annoyance.

"And now we have nothing! It's all my fault." Anne cried, causing Mabel to pull her into another hug and rub her back in a soothing manner.

"This is not Anne's fault, nor any of yours, this is the fault of small minds." Miss Stacy inhaled sharply, "We don't know what exactly happened, and we may never, but we cannot let it knock us down or silence us. Yes, this is a vile.. spineless act.. but it's proof positive that we made an impact. Kudos to you! Now is the time to focus on your futures, and the Queens entrance exams."

Mabel shifted uncomfortably, looking down at her feet as Anne pulled away to look at her.

"And not this act of cowardice!" Anne inhaled sharply, swiping her hand across her cheek before sprinting towards her home.

"Anne!" Mabel shouted, turning on her heel and chasing after the girl she loves do desperately. "Anne!"

~~

Mabel giggled loudly, throwing her head back as she took another swig of the moonshine before passing it to Charlie. "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Charlie right over!"

Mabel doubled over in laughter as the boy broke through their connected hands.

"Drink up, weaklings!" Mabel laughed, handing the bottle to Anne.

"Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!" Anne sang in a pirate's voice, lifting the bottle to her lips and taking a large gulp from it. "Follow me, my sweethearts and friends!"

Mabel laughed, stumbling to a stop at the edge of the fire pit and looking up at Anne. Her heart skipped a beat at the word sweethearts. She hoped so desperately that Anne was thinking of her when she said it. Even if she knew that it certainly wasn't the case.

Anne gathered her hair in a fist, holding it at the end of her chin to mimic a beard as she climbed onto the fire pit. "Avast, ye school mateys!"

"Arr!" Mabel cheered, stumbling into Diana beside her, laughing drunkenly as the dark haired girl helped stand her up.

"Why does it take a pirate so long to learn the alphabet?" She leaned over, pointing at them.

"Why?"

"Because he spends years at C!" Anne cheered, causing laughter to erupt from the class.

"What's the difference between a hungry pirate and a drunken pirate?"

"Tell us!" Mabel clapped her hands together, a dreamy smile permanently etched onto her face as she focused on Anne.

Mabel thought Anne looked absolutely gorgeous with the crackling fire illuminating her face. "Wow.."

"One has a rumbling tummy and the other's a tumbling rummy!"

Mabel inhaled sharply, blinking slowly as Anne began to jump and spin on the stones. Her throat became dry and her stomach erupted with butterflies as she watched Anne.
Like a princess of the flames, she danced.

Mabel blinked slowly, a realization dawning on her as she watched the flame princess dance.

She had to tell Anne how she felt, before she left for Switzerland. Mabel simply couldn't keep it in anymore. She had to let the world know. She had to let the world know that she loved Anne.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

{ A/n: Twenty nine and thirty left and we're DONE im: sad }

{ Edited: No }