"It's going to be Blyth, no doubt," Charlie Sloane proclaimed between mouthfuls of bread and cheese. Even at 15 years of age, manners completely escaped him.
Ruby Gillis, primly wiping her own mouth with an embroidered handkerchief , threw him a disapproving look before speculating " Do you really think so? It's pretty close between him and Anne."
"No doubt." Charlie repeated firmly.
The air was finally warming up after a bitterly cold winter that caused many of the students to miss their classes. This, if possible, intensified the competition between Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blyth to achieve top marks in the graduating class. Through coughs, sniffles, and feverish hazes, they both fiercely pushed themselves in their studies, and to keep a perfect attendance record throughout their final term.
"Finally, a nice afternoon to eat lunch outside," Diana Barry commented, lightly steering the conversation away from the rivalry.
Josie Pye was not one to be deterred from this discussion. In fact, she reveled in any opportunity to gush over the merits of a certain Gilbert Blyth. So much so that she even agreed with a Sloane.
"Of course Gilbert is going to be this year's valedictorian! And when he is, I already have a list of theme ideas for the graduation ceremony for when he chooses me to be head of his planning committee."
"Ohh, let's hear your ideas!" gushed Ruby.
"What makes you so sure he will choose you to be the head of his planning committee?" Diana asked.
"Please, Diana. Everybody knows I plan the most smashing events of the year. Remember last year's New Years Soiree? A little bit of Pye flair is what the ceremony needs."
"Too true" Moody Spurgeon nodded.
"Let's hear your ideas, then?" simpered Ruby.
"Well," Josie paused dramatically, and eyed each person in the group before continuing, " we shall have an English afternoon tea party in the garden. Daddy found the most elegant fabric from London when he did a business trade in Halifax last month."
"Ohhh, how divine," squealed Ruby.
"Yes, enough for table cloths for the head table, I imagine. And we will have English tea party finger food."
"I know some English tunes on the fiddle," offered Moody.
Josie rolled her eyes. "It shall be a classy affair, honouring our graduating class for all our hard work."
"And Gilbert will agree to this?" Diana asked.
"Gilbert will agree to anything I say. You need to know how to ask it right."
Diana bit her tongue, but she wasn't so sure that Josie was right. She wasn't so sure that Gilbert was the inevitable valedictorian. Anne could be the one at the top of the class, and have the honour of being valedictorian and planning the ceremony for the rest of the graduating class and their families.
Secretly, she hoped so.