Disclaimer: I own no characters in the 'Anne' series. But a girl can
dream, can't she?
A/N: Taking a small break from my 'Pat of Silver Bush' fanfic to write this (mostly to annoy Ruby Gillis. BTW, she's a great L M Montgomery writer. Take a look at some of her stories.) Please read and review. I realize I'm messing with some sacred characters, but I'll do my best.
I dedicate this story to Ruby Gillis, whose 'Juliet of New Moon' fanfic inspired me to write this one. I promise, Ruby, that I'm not trying to steal your idea. This story was in my head long ago. Yours just convinced me to finally write it down. (Or type it as the case may be). That being said, I hope you enjoy it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~August 4, 1939
A slender slip of a girl raced through the fields to the Haunted Wood, her dark curls flying behind her as she went. From the main road, an oldish woman with a rather crooked nose spotted her and shook her head in disapproval. In her day, girls weren't so careless of their appearance. It seemed as if she would need to speak to Mrs. Ford about her youngest daughter again.
Meanwhile, the girl in question was blissfully unaware that she was being watched and judged. If she had known, it is rather doubtful that she would have cared. Fifteen year old Christine Anne Ford was not known for worrying about what others thought of her. It was a personality trait which irritated her older sister, Leslie, to no end. Leslie was a very popular girl, especially with the boys, and the tomboyish ways of her younger sister often embarrassed her.
Chris, as she was known to her family and friends, was at this moment heading for a meeting with her friends. Once a week, she and three other girls met in the Haunted Wood to discuss the week's events. None of the other children in Avonlea dared to enter the Haunted Wood, so Chris and her friends could have a merry talk without fear of being overheard.
Despite getting a late start, Chris was the first one to arrive in their meeting place. She plopped down on the ground and leaned up against a huge tree, enjoying the silence of the woods.
Chris did not have to wait long. She was soon joined by fourteen year old Emily Wright who, besides being her friend, was also her cousin. They talked animatedly until fifteen year old Lorelei Pike and her thirteen year old sister, Cecily, arrived. Chris looked at Lorelei admiringly. The two girls had been best friends since they were four and their strong bond was almost frightening. Avonlea folks often referred to them as the 'unlikely duo'. They were opposites in every way. Chris was tall with dark, ruddy curls and grey eyes. Her skin was tan from staying outside so much. She was rather loud for a girl and somewhat inclined to speak her mind regardless of the situation. Lorelei was very petite, with golden hair and dewey brown eyes. Her complexion, if you asked Chris, was flawless. She was quiet and mild-mannered, but she had a mischievous streak which rivaled that of Walter Ford, Chris's older brother, who was the town 'troublemaker'.
Those who knew Lorelei but didn't know her well often thought her meek and sweet. Sweet she was, but meek was far from the truth. Her tiny body held a soul that could often be very stubborn. 'Just like her father,' Felicity Pike could often be heard saying. By the same token, Gus Pike was often heard saying just the opposite. 'Just like her mother,' he would say, receiving a burning look from his beloved wife.
It was this stubbornness and mischievousness which bound the two girls so close together. They were much closer to each other than they were to their respective sisters. 'At least,' Chris thought glumly, 'Cecily and Lorelei are friends.' It was a bitter pill to Chris that she and Leslie had never really gotten along. For all Chris's bravado, she did have a sensitive soul. She knew exactly how her sister felt about her and, though she would have died before admitting that her sister's opinion mattered, it hurt her very much.
But for now, she was content to sit in this close circle of friends, shut out from daylight by the closeness of the trees. Emily, who had become notorious for her ability to attract the opposite sex, began telling her friends about how Thomas Pye had carved their initials in a tree just two days ago.
"He was really very sweet about the whole thing," she said. "And he brought me chocolates yesterday."
"But you don't like chocolates, Emily," Cecily, the practical one, pointed out. She was rewarded with a sharp look from emerald eyes.
"That is not the point, Cecily," Emily said slowly, as if she were speaking to a child. If Chris were forced to find a fault with Emily, it would be that she could be condescending at times. It was the only fault of Emily's that got on Chris's nerves without fail and so she continued what Cecily had begun.
"If I HAD to pick a boy from Avonlea," Chris said, sticking her nose in the air on purpose, "I'm sure I could do better than a Pye."
"Oh, for heaven's sake! Of course I could do better than a Pye!" Emily exclaimed. "Any of us could do better than that. Thomas is just practice. This way, I'll know how to handle my true love when he comes and sweeps me off my feet. I'll be married in two years, you know."
Chris, mostly because of the pleading look she was receiving from Lorelei, managed to keep from laughing. But she did ask her cousin a question.
"Isn't sixteen a bit young for getting married, Emily?"
Cecily seemed to agree with this statement.
"Yes, Emily. Don't you want to go to college?"
"College? Not likely. You three are the brainy ones. No, I don't think college is in the cards for me. I was destined for matrimony and mother hood. Not that I mind. My husband will make plenty of money and we'll live in a huge house on top of a hill. And I'll have a dozen children running around everywhere."
There just didn't seem to be anything to say to this. All the girls knew that Emily, unlike her mother, was not an avid pursuer of academic knowledge. She was much more content with keeping house. Folks in Avonlea said that she took after her paternal grandmother, Diana Wright nee Barry.
"What are you going to do when you grow up, Chris?" Cecily asked. Chris frowned. It was a question that had bothered her for quite some time. She loved to learn but, at the same time, the idea of college frightened her a little. To leave Green Gables! To leave her family! Unthinkable! Yet, the prospect of being on her own for a little while was so exciting.
"I know what she'll do," Emily piped up, who was famous for her wild predictions concerning the lives of her friends. "I predict that Chris will be married within a year."
Even Chris had to laugh, joining in with Lorelei and Cecily.
"Really? Who am I going to marry, Emily? Danny Sloane?"
This brought more laughs. Danny Sloane was a tall, gangly youth who had a huge crush on Chris. She was always nice to him, but all the girls knew Chris could never be serious about a Sloane.
"Of course not, silly. I'm talking about Will. And Lorelei will marry Walter. And Cecily will marry either my brother, Robert, or your brother Matthew."
Cecily's eyes sparkled with merriment at the thought of their respective marriages. Lorelei and Chris suddenly grew very quiet, but for different reasons. Lorelei couldn't imagine being married to Walter Ford. Oh, he was handsome and dashing. That was true enough. But they had practically grown up together. It seemed impossible that she would marry the boy who, when he was nine and she was seven, had taken his mother's pinking shears to her golden tresses. Lorelei shrugged the thought off and even laughed a little at the ridiculous prediction.
No one noticed the pensive look that passed across Chris's face. Surely Emily hadn't guessed her sweet secret. Emily was not that insightful. No one knew about her little romance, not even Lorelei. It had been difficult to keep it from Lorelei, of course, but the enchantment of a secret romance had proven to be even more powerful than their bond.
It had been six months now. Six glorious months since that moonlit night when William Pike had told her he loved her. He had been walking her home from Orchard Slope and had stopped her as she turned to go in the gate of Green Gables. Chris smiled a little as she recalled how he had shuffled about on his feet. He had been attempting to speak, his sentence peppered with 'ums' and 'wells'. Then, just as she was about to lose patience with him, he had simply pulled her to him and kissed her. The kiss must have served to jump start his brain because, as soon as he released her, he had said, "I love you, Christine."
It was the first time she could remember being called by her full name. She decided right away that she liked the sound of it coming from him. He made it sound as if she were the only girl in the world with that name, as if she were the only girl who could ever do justice to the name.
Of course, it hadn't taken long after that for her to tell him the same. They met in secret, every other night, in Hester Gray's garden. If Chris's parents suspected something, they never let on. She was always able to secure their permission for a walk. Tonight, in fact, she was supposed to meet Will after supper.
That thought served to snap Chris out of her reverie. Tonight was her night to help Mother with supper! She knew instinctively that she had stayed too long. Without a word, she stood and took off running through the woods, back towards Green Gables. The other three watched her go, but none of them seemed upset by her quick and silent departure. They were used to it. Lorelei summed it up perfectly.
"She's always late for something," she stated and the other two nodded in agreement. Then they all went back to their conversation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: I know it's a slow start, but I'm doing my best. The next chapter is almost finished and should contain more background information. Oh, I almost forgot. About the Pikes. I loved the Story Girl books. I really did. But it's been forever and a day since I've read them and I remember much more about the 'Avonlea' TV series. Besides, I always had such a huge crush on Michael Mahonen (Gus Pike). I just couldn't write him out of the picture. Forgive me for not being a purist and please review. I live for reviews.
A/N: Taking a small break from my 'Pat of Silver Bush' fanfic to write this (mostly to annoy Ruby Gillis. BTW, she's a great L M Montgomery writer. Take a look at some of her stories.) Please read and review. I realize I'm messing with some sacred characters, but I'll do my best.
I dedicate this story to Ruby Gillis, whose 'Juliet of New Moon' fanfic inspired me to write this one. I promise, Ruby, that I'm not trying to steal your idea. This story was in my head long ago. Yours just convinced me to finally write it down. (Or type it as the case may be). That being said, I hope you enjoy it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~August 4, 1939
A slender slip of a girl raced through the fields to the Haunted Wood, her dark curls flying behind her as she went. From the main road, an oldish woman with a rather crooked nose spotted her and shook her head in disapproval. In her day, girls weren't so careless of their appearance. It seemed as if she would need to speak to Mrs. Ford about her youngest daughter again.
Meanwhile, the girl in question was blissfully unaware that she was being watched and judged. If she had known, it is rather doubtful that she would have cared. Fifteen year old Christine Anne Ford was not known for worrying about what others thought of her. It was a personality trait which irritated her older sister, Leslie, to no end. Leslie was a very popular girl, especially with the boys, and the tomboyish ways of her younger sister often embarrassed her.
Chris, as she was known to her family and friends, was at this moment heading for a meeting with her friends. Once a week, she and three other girls met in the Haunted Wood to discuss the week's events. None of the other children in Avonlea dared to enter the Haunted Wood, so Chris and her friends could have a merry talk without fear of being overheard.
Despite getting a late start, Chris was the first one to arrive in their meeting place. She plopped down on the ground and leaned up against a huge tree, enjoying the silence of the woods.
Chris did not have to wait long. She was soon joined by fourteen year old Emily Wright who, besides being her friend, was also her cousin. They talked animatedly until fifteen year old Lorelei Pike and her thirteen year old sister, Cecily, arrived. Chris looked at Lorelei admiringly. The two girls had been best friends since they were four and their strong bond was almost frightening. Avonlea folks often referred to them as the 'unlikely duo'. They were opposites in every way. Chris was tall with dark, ruddy curls and grey eyes. Her skin was tan from staying outside so much. She was rather loud for a girl and somewhat inclined to speak her mind regardless of the situation. Lorelei was very petite, with golden hair and dewey brown eyes. Her complexion, if you asked Chris, was flawless. She was quiet and mild-mannered, but she had a mischievous streak which rivaled that of Walter Ford, Chris's older brother, who was the town 'troublemaker'.
Those who knew Lorelei but didn't know her well often thought her meek and sweet. Sweet she was, but meek was far from the truth. Her tiny body held a soul that could often be very stubborn. 'Just like her father,' Felicity Pike could often be heard saying. By the same token, Gus Pike was often heard saying just the opposite. 'Just like her mother,' he would say, receiving a burning look from his beloved wife.
It was this stubbornness and mischievousness which bound the two girls so close together. They were much closer to each other than they were to their respective sisters. 'At least,' Chris thought glumly, 'Cecily and Lorelei are friends.' It was a bitter pill to Chris that she and Leslie had never really gotten along. For all Chris's bravado, she did have a sensitive soul. She knew exactly how her sister felt about her and, though she would have died before admitting that her sister's opinion mattered, it hurt her very much.
But for now, she was content to sit in this close circle of friends, shut out from daylight by the closeness of the trees. Emily, who had become notorious for her ability to attract the opposite sex, began telling her friends about how Thomas Pye had carved their initials in a tree just two days ago.
"He was really very sweet about the whole thing," she said. "And he brought me chocolates yesterday."
"But you don't like chocolates, Emily," Cecily, the practical one, pointed out. She was rewarded with a sharp look from emerald eyes.
"That is not the point, Cecily," Emily said slowly, as if she were speaking to a child. If Chris were forced to find a fault with Emily, it would be that she could be condescending at times. It was the only fault of Emily's that got on Chris's nerves without fail and so she continued what Cecily had begun.
"If I HAD to pick a boy from Avonlea," Chris said, sticking her nose in the air on purpose, "I'm sure I could do better than a Pye."
"Oh, for heaven's sake! Of course I could do better than a Pye!" Emily exclaimed. "Any of us could do better than that. Thomas is just practice. This way, I'll know how to handle my true love when he comes and sweeps me off my feet. I'll be married in two years, you know."
Chris, mostly because of the pleading look she was receiving from Lorelei, managed to keep from laughing. But she did ask her cousin a question.
"Isn't sixteen a bit young for getting married, Emily?"
Cecily seemed to agree with this statement.
"Yes, Emily. Don't you want to go to college?"
"College? Not likely. You three are the brainy ones. No, I don't think college is in the cards for me. I was destined for matrimony and mother hood. Not that I mind. My husband will make plenty of money and we'll live in a huge house on top of a hill. And I'll have a dozen children running around everywhere."
There just didn't seem to be anything to say to this. All the girls knew that Emily, unlike her mother, was not an avid pursuer of academic knowledge. She was much more content with keeping house. Folks in Avonlea said that she took after her paternal grandmother, Diana Wright nee Barry.
"What are you going to do when you grow up, Chris?" Cecily asked. Chris frowned. It was a question that had bothered her for quite some time. She loved to learn but, at the same time, the idea of college frightened her a little. To leave Green Gables! To leave her family! Unthinkable! Yet, the prospect of being on her own for a little while was so exciting.
"I know what she'll do," Emily piped up, who was famous for her wild predictions concerning the lives of her friends. "I predict that Chris will be married within a year."
Even Chris had to laugh, joining in with Lorelei and Cecily.
"Really? Who am I going to marry, Emily? Danny Sloane?"
This brought more laughs. Danny Sloane was a tall, gangly youth who had a huge crush on Chris. She was always nice to him, but all the girls knew Chris could never be serious about a Sloane.
"Of course not, silly. I'm talking about Will. And Lorelei will marry Walter. And Cecily will marry either my brother, Robert, or your brother Matthew."
Cecily's eyes sparkled with merriment at the thought of their respective marriages. Lorelei and Chris suddenly grew very quiet, but for different reasons. Lorelei couldn't imagine being married to Walter Ford. Oh, he was handsome and dashing. That was true enough. But they had practically grown up together. It seemed impossible that she would marry the boy who, when he was nine and she was seven, had taken his mother's pinking shears to her golden tresses. Lorelei shrugged the thought off and even laughed a little at the ridiculous prediction.
No one noticed the pensive look that passed across Chris's face. Surely Emily hadn't guessed her sweet secret. Emily was not that insightful. No one knew about her little romance, not even Lorelei. It had been difficult to keep it from Lorelei, of course, but the enchantment of a secret romance had proven to be even more powerful than their bond.
It had been six months now. Six glorious months since that moonlit night when William Pike had told her he loved her. He had been walking her home from Orchard Slope and had stopped her as she turned to go in the gate of Green Gables. Chris smiled a little as she recalled how he had shuffled about on his feet. He had been attempting to speak, his sentence peppered with 'ums' and 'wells'. Then, just as she was about to lose patience with him, he had simply pulled her to him and kissed her. The kiss must have served to jump start his brain because, as soon as he released her, he had said, "I love you, Christine."
It was the first time she could remember being called by her full name. She decided right away that she liked the sound of it coming from him. He made it sound as if she were the only girl in the world with that name, as if she were the only girl who could ever do justice to the name.
Of course, it hadn't taken long after that for her to tell him the same. They met in secret, every other night, in Hester Gray's garden. If Chris's parents suspected something, they never let on. She was always able to secure their permission for a walk. Tonight, in fact, she was supposed to meet Will after supper.
That thought served to snap Chris out of her reverie. Tonight was her night to help Mother with supper! She knew instinctively that she had stayed too long. Without a word, she stood and took off running through the woods, back towards Green Gables. The other three watched her go, but none of them seemed upset by her quick and silent departure. They were used to it. Lorelei summed it up perfectly.
"She's always late for something," she stated and the other two nodded in agreement. Then they all went back to their conversation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: I know it's a slow start, but I'm doing my best. The next chapter is almost finished and should contain more background information. Oh, I almost forgot. About the Pikes. I loved the Story Girl books. I really did. But it's been forever and a day since I've read them and I remember much more about the 'Avonlea' TV series. Besides, I always had such a huge crush on Michael Mahonen (Gus Pike). I just couldn't write him out of the picture. Forgive me for not being a purist and please review. I live for reviews.