₁.₀ SUPERCUT; gilbert blythe ✔

009.

Right now, Marianne is really irritated, thanks to Anne Shirley-Cuthbert.

After all, she is the one who woke up early despite of trouble with sleeping she experienced las night. She is the one who helped Marilla with breakfast and she is the one who was ready for school right on time. If it was up to her, they would be on their way already - even though the second day of school is not something she looks or ever looked forward to.

And there's Anne.

Anne, who got so caught up in her own imagination she almost missed breakfast. Who stopped by the barn so she could talk talk to a horse - a horse, of all things! - and express all her hopes for this day to be better than yesterday. Who seemed not to care about time at all, at least until the moment they passed the fence circling Green Gables, when she started to run, afraid of being late.

Now Marianne - who, once again, could have been in school right on time - is way behind Anne. Not wanting to run, she's walking all by herself, trying to reach the redhead girl with only a quick walk.

It's just very, very much unfair, really.

Stepping in between the first trees, Marianne makes a resolution - if the irritation doesn't leave her by the time she reaches Anne, she will surely tell the girl what she thinks of all this.

And the resolution stands until she sees a second figure in front of the one she recognises to be Anne's.

"You and me, we're gonna talk," says the figure as Marianne approaches them.

It's him, she realises. That nasty boy with nasty words and nasty actions; his name already figuring in her memory as a synonym of the lone word of 'nasty'. Billy Andrews.

"You said some pretty nasty stuff about my sister."

"Who's your sister?"

"Prissy Andrews, dummy."

"I'm sure she meant no harm," Marianne cuts in, finally reaching Anne's side. She's still angry, yes, but now it's more because of the Andrews boy - he has no right to jump on her that way, no right at all.

"Of course you'd be here too. No wonder you two loonies get along so well."

Trying to ignore whatever comes out of his mouth, Marianne unconsciously places her hand on the redhead girl's back. "Come on, Anne. We should go."

Pushing Anne, encouraging her to start walking, Marianne hopes the boy will just let them go. But, all hope disappears the moment he moves in front of them, blocking their way, making it impossible to avoid confrontation.

Forced to take a step back, Marianne is angry. But, just like Anne, she's utterly terrified, too. And the latter feeling is starting to take over.

Not looking him in the eye, she tries once again. "Excuse us, we're just trying to..."

"You think you're better than all of us, no? Coming from the city and all...  Turns out, you're just like her," says Billy, looking at Anne in a brief moment. "The difference is - she's a bad dog. You, you just need a lesson."

God, thinks Marianne. God, he's making her sick down to her stomach.

"And you'll break under the right hand."

"Hey, Billy!"

Hearing an unknown voice, Marianne doesn't rise her eyes immediately. Seeing Billy turn round, feeling Anne's shaking form under her fingertips, all she can think of are his words. How repulsing they were.

"How's it going?" asks the voice, this time a little closer.

Greeting the newcomer, Billy doesn't sound very pleased, "Hey, Gilbert."