Fire In the Hearts

Kindred Spirits

Anne didn't leave Green Gables all weekend. Matthew and Marilla had just thought that Anne wasn't feeling good and left her alone. She was surprised when Gilbert came on Sunday. Marilla had told him Anne wasn't feeling good and that was the reason she didn't attend church. He regretfully left.
Anne watched him leave, confused that he even came when he made it pretty clear in the note that he didn't want to be friends anymore. We spent the rest of the day finishing Pride and Prejudice. When she finished it was dinnertime so she went down to eat.
Monday morning Anne woke up late. She ran down stairs half ready. The table wasnt set. "Marilla", Anne asked the empty room.
"She went to see Mrs.Lynde", Matthew walked in from the front door."I-I told her to let you stay home today".
"Thank you Matthew", she hugged him. He smiled before going back to the farm. Anne grabbed a piece of bread and headed back to her room. "Dear snow queen, I wish I was you", she said sitting down by her window. Diana found her like that hours later.
"Anne", she said concerned. "Are you okay?"
Anne turned to look at her friend and started crying. Diana just hugged her and let her cry. She eventually explained the note Gilbert had left her to read. Diana was angry. The boy had told her just a few weeks ago that he had feelings Anne. She didn't understand it.
When it was time for Diana to go home, Anne walked her to the gate and hugged her one last time for the day. She waved till Diana got smaller and smaller than headed to the barn to check on Matthew.
"Matthew I've decided on the names of the cows", Anne said as she leaned on the fence that kept the horse in.
"Did you now"
"Pride and Prejudice"
"Well all right then, which ones which?"

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

         Anne woke up the next morning nervous. What would she do if Gilbert tried to talk to her? What would happen when everyone in school found out? She was sure it would be a nightmare, but she loved school and with the future just around the corner, Anne wasn't going to break. So she got ready and went to meet up with Diana.
          The girls planned on meeting at Dianas, so when she saw her bosom friend standing at the door she was surprised.
           Diana didn't say a word till they were on the path towards school. "I brought up Queens to mother and father last night", she began. Before Anne could even say anything she continued. "They were furious. As expected. Father called be deceitful and mother just cried".
         "Diana Barry, this is your future not theres"
          The rest of the walk they talked of everything but Queens and the future. They talked about the old story book club and Anne suggested that they go there after school.
         When they got in school, it was Dianas turn to encourage Anne. "Anne Shirley Cuthbert you have come to far to let the narrow thinking of others bring you down". With that she pulled Anne toward their desk. Anne kept fighting with herself to not look to her right. "He's not here yet", Diana as if reading her thoughts.
         "Okay bright leaders of the future. I have some very exciting news. For those of you continuing onto Queens, I've decided to start after school meetings to help prepare you for next years exams. It's important to me that each of my pupils are well prep---- Gilbert nice of you to come today". Gilbert Blythe had come in late and every eye except one watched him walk to his desk.
        "Sorry for my lateness, there was an errand at the farm", he apologized. Miss Stacy nodded her head and continued on. As she went on Gilbert glanced at Anne would looked to be quietly cheering up Diana. From what Anne told him, Diana couldn't go to Queens. He assumed that she was upset with all the talk about it today.
       When the lunch bell rang, Anne and Diana were the first to leave. They headed to their spot at the pond and began to eat. "Why don't you just go anyway. Maybe not tell your parents or Miss Stacy could give you the work and we could do it at lunch", Anne suggested. Diana nodded her head. Anne got up quickly, startling her friend. "Lets talk to her right now". They packed their picked at lunch in a hurry not wanting anyone to know their idea and ran for the door. Very unladylike Diana thought running even faster.
         No one seemed to notice the two, except Gilbert who sat alone a few yards away. He would have went up to the girls but decided against it. He figured that Diana needed Anne and he wanted to be respectful of that. Especially since Diana was always there for Anne. The other reason why he didn't go up to them is because of Josie Pye. She had walked up to him asking him questions about Ruby. He knew it was Josies idea talking to him. Ruby was friends with Anne again. He told her in a polite way to leave him alone.

                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Since their lunch break was almost over. The two girls found their teacher already setting up for the second half of the day. "Miss Stacy" Anne said out of breathe."We....she has a question for you"
Right after Anne got their teachers attention the bell rang. Miss Stacy pulled Diana aside. When she walked back to Anne, she had a smile planted on her face.
The rest of the day was great for the two girls. They passed notes back and forth about the Queens work. Anne almost forgot about Gilberts letter. Almost. Right before the day ended Josie had made a comment that had everyones attention. When Miss Stacy excused herself for a few minutes to talk to Mrs. Lynde. No one knew why the older lady was there.
"Gilbert", Josie had said. "Are you still walking Ruby home later". Anne froze in her seat. Diana slowly held her hand in support. She quickly scribbled a note telling Anne to ignore it. Gilbert didn't say anything. However Anne saw him slowly nod his head, from the corner of her eye earning a giggle from Ruby and the other girls behind Anne.
When Miss Stacy came back, she told them Mrs.Lynde came in need of some volunteers to help with something in the town hall later in the week. She than dismissed the class. Both Anne and Diana didn't need to communicate to understand that they both wanted to leave asap. They darted out the door but was stopped by no other than Josie with Tillie a few feet away. "Anne, Diana isnt it so sweet how Ruby and Gilbert are now courting. Anne you know Gilbert so well. Does he always talk about her?"
Diana spoke before Anne could even fully let her words sink in. "Sorry Anne and me have somewhere to be", she snapped. But it didn't matter, Josie wasn't there to talk, she was there to make sure Anne saw Ruby and Gilbert walking together. And there they were walking in the direction of the shed. Their shed, Anne thought. She was then pulled by Diana.
"You know Ruby lives that way too". Diana said once they were far away from school. Anne and told her about the shed she would go to with Gilbert Blythe.
"Di can we not talk about that now. I could care less, honestly. Let's worry about our future together at Queens"
Diana could tell it bothered her but left it alone. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about Queens and how they'd eventually plan how to get Dianas parents approval. They sat with the ruins of a once magical place. They both were thinking about the old club and stories they would write and of Cole who was still living with Aunt Josephine. When it was time for them to depart they hugged and blew kisses as they walk on to the two different paths. Anne walked home in a bright spirit. She didn't think about Gilbert until she went to bed.