Waaaaassssss uuuuuppppp!
How are all the Anne fans this fine evening?
I just wanted a shoutout for this one! Everyone thank you so much!
So this is actually the second off last chapter of the AOGG based one. Actually I had to move one or two things from AOA into the last chapter of this.
So I have a question for you all...
Do I close off this as AOGG2017 and start a new story called AOA2017 (although would I call it AOA2018? Hum?) as a continuation of this, or do I keep the whole plot in one story? I'm thinking these are big chapters and I don't want to scare people off with my word count (Because there's a lot!) What do you all think? (Leave in the review along with the reviews)
Shout out to my girls as always Kim and Catie my rocks I love you both!
OriginalMcFishie do you sleep? No matter when I post you seem to be one of the first ones to review! Thank you so much! And yes, when Anne isn't paying attention they are very good friends... And something is going to make her realise it very very soon!
Queenofthenight82... she is definitely protesting too much! and its becomes glaringly obvious here!
Ineedaname Thank you for continuing to support!
I hope you all enjoy this!
Anne walked into school on Monday morning to a low buzz in the corridors. She thought it was a particularly odd buzz but she couldn't seem to put her finger on it. It wasn't until she went into advanced Chem and the substitute teacher walked in that anything really started to click into place. She looked over at Prissy who was sitting quietly on her own her eyes down towards the floor. The substitute teacher looked around.
"I see far too many people not sitting in partnerships." She looked to Anne "You there can you sit with the girl in the back?" she asked her. Anne obediently went and sat next to Prissy.
"Hey." Anne whispered to her as she sat next to her.
"Don't talk to me if you're going to be like the others." She said almost accusingly at Anne.
"I… I… don't understand?" Anne asked her.
"Want to mock me for falling for a teacher?" she asked Anne.
"Oh." Anne stuttered. "I'm afraid I'm quite out of the rumour mill Priss," she admitted.
"You must be the only one." She whispered back accusingly. "Being called trollop and a call girl on the way in."
"I'm sorry." Anne whispered. "When you've been lured in by someone in a position of trust, it's difficult to tell what's real and what's not." Anne tried to sympathise.
"I was not lured. I love him." She whispered and at her words tears started gathering in her eyes.
Anne took a deep breath and looked at Prissy "I suppose timing is everything, two years from now no one would look twice, but right now that's what he did, it wasn't your fault…" Anne started.
"A man wouldn't do it if you don't give him signals you liked him." Prissy hissed at Anne, the words left a look on Anne's face which would perplex anyone who knew what the two girls were whispering.
At that moment there was a knock at the door where a student came in with a note for the teacher. "Pricilla Andrews?" she called. Prissy put her hand up. "You're needed in the principal's office." The teacher informed her. The teacher looked to Anne again "looks like you're moving again." She said apologetically. "You don't mind moving next to a boy, do you?" she asked Anne pointing at the chair next to Gilbert.
Anne almost rolled her eyes but said obediently "No, Miss."
She moved over next to Gilbert giving him a brief nod on sitting down.
"I heard they were caught having sex in the classroom." A whisper came from in front of them.
"Looks and sounds like word is out on Priss and Mr Philips." Gilbert whispered to her.
"Yeah." Anne agreed her eyes looking forward not blinking.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Priss said 'a man wouldn't do it if you don't give him signals.'" She said her eyes still not blinking.
Gilbert took a quick sigh and whispered back "And what he just couldn't help himself?" Gilbert questioned sarcastically. Anne snapped out of her daze looking at Gilbert "Besides, you're no man at all if you can't show some self-restraint." He said shaking his head.
"But what she said…" she said slowly" was about the girl giving off signals." She said quietly.
He looked at her big eyed and there was something about her soul spilling over which he couldn't put his finger on "Oh she sees herself as irresistible to a man does she?" Gilbert joked before he saw the ever increasing perplexing look on her face. He then changed his tone and told her straight "She's been brainwashed." he asked her.
"Brainwashed." She whispered.
"He was in the position of power Anne, men like that are not men at all."
"Yeah." She agreed quietly. "Yeah I know."
Easter was fast approaching and Gilbert was in a pickle.
He wanted to run as student body president. He liked being class president.
Thing was whenever he ran, he ran with Charlie.
He didn't want to this year.
Charlie had the diplomacy skills of a stick of dynamite.
And lets face it, there was no one who would vote for Gilbert because Charlie was on his side. They were all voting for Gilbert in that scenario.
He did however know someone who could bring a lot to his campaign.
They were smart, focused and could actually be diplomatic. The so called 'underdogs' of the school loved her, because she wasn't one of 'them'.
For example, he was class president. And a possible issue brought to him by his own class was the dress code.
"Don't you get it?" Josie had demanded of him. "Why should we have to cover up at all?!" she exclaimed. "its not our fault the boys look." She said fluttering at him hoping for him to look at her for once. Gilbert knew what she was doing. She was wearing exactly what the guideline let her wear, the exception to the rule, her cheer uniform.
Where the school had every power to tell the girls what to wear, they had no jurisdiction over the cheer uniforms and girls were allowed to wear them in school. So Josie's skirt was exactly 13 inches short where the regular skirts allowed on the guidelines had to be just above the knee or at least 26 inches (on your average five foot three girl). And her cheer shell didn't have any sleeves to it she walked the line of modesty.
"Your cheer uniform was made for people to look at." Gilbert said with a knowing smile. "Or do you cheer on the sideline for no one to look at you?" he asked her.
"I cheer…" she fluttered, "For you to look at."
He shrugged "I like the ones with the sleeves." He shrugged. "and those leggings things which Ruby wears with hers."
Josie physically laughed before she stopped abruptly. "You can't be serious!" she exclaimed
"Some people Josie, like things left to our imagination." He said with a wink and closing his locker he had walked away.
Josie had harped on about it so much he had gone to the council meeting with it as an issue for the student council.
He did in principle agree with the idea that people should get to wear what they want and shouldn't be sexualised for it.
However, if a boy turned up for school in a 16-inch shirt and a top short enough to show his mid drift he hoped he would be sent home to find something more appropriate to wear. But not before everyone had the chance to laugh at him first. A grin had came to his lips as he imagined Charlie in said outfit. That would be a sight to see… and weirdly enough Charlie really did have the legs to pull it off.
It wasn't until weeks later he found out the big band didn't have the funds to buy new music that year.
He could have organised a fundraising event.
He liked big band music.
Anne would have known because she is friends with Diana who is in with the music bunch.
Anne was his perfect vice.
He took a sigh and looked at Charlie. "So I was thinking of running for student body president."
"Oh?" Charlie asked as they walked down the corridor. "You need your name in by the end April" he said it being mid-march "and that of your vice, You want me as vice?" he asked him.
"Um…." Gilbert started. "Well here's the thing…". He had explained tactfully why he needed someone else, he hadn't mentioned 'the' someone else by name. "But I bet if you ran as senior class president you'd make it. I'd back you up 100%" Gilbert suggested. At this the initially confrontment of not being Gilbert's vice melted away.
"You want me to be class president?" he said at this his eye lit up.
"Sure." He agreed. "Has a ring to it doesn't it? Senior class president?" he said glad of this victory. "You'd back me as student body president all the same?" he asked Charlie.
"Sure." Charlie agreed. They walked for a few steps in silence before Charlie said "You want Anne as vice, don't you?" he asked him.
"Um…" Gilbert started.
"Its okay." Charlie said with a nod. "Pretty face to lure the boys." He said with a wink to Gilbert.
Gilbert's kneejerk reaction was to object. But he knew it was a waste of time with Charlie.
That was one side placated, he now just needed her on side.
"I was wondering if you'd consider something?" he asked her that day walking into detention. He put his bag down to see her eyes come over the top of her book "Wow," he said looking at amazement at the thick book "War and Peace?" he questioned. "Ambitious."
"Have you read it?" she asked him thinking she knew the answer.
"Um, yeah, last year while dad was in hospital, I had nothing else to do but read, I thought I might as well make a legacy of it." He said with as shrug.
"Oh." She said with an angry blush snapping the book shut glaring at him. "What do you want me to consider?" she asked him.
"I want to run as student body president." He told her straight. "The nominations need to be in until the end of April."
"I don't want to run as president, what does it have to do with me?" she asked him.
He took a deep breath. "Before you dismiss the idea, I want you to consider something." He started. "You and I, between us, we make a difference, we are smart Anne, really really smart, and instead of competing for things I want you to consider how well we work together." He said barely stopping for breath. "Remember that science project?" He asked her. "Imagine what a difference we could make, if…" he slowed down and stopped for a moment.
"if?" she asked him.
"If you would be my vice student body president." He told her.
"What?!" Anne asked him her eyes widening even Miss Stacy stopped her work and looked in wonder at the young man who hadn't taken the opportunity to sit or draw breath.
"I know I'm insufferable to you, I know you don't like me, but I'm telling you if we worked together, we could do this!" he exclaimed. "I want you to consider as well, how good it would look on your transcript for college too, they love their student council members." Anne actually looked as though she was considering it. "Names don't have to be in before the end of April, just, promise to think about it. Don't dismiss the idea okay?" he asked her.
"Okay." She said quietly. She took a sigh and looked at him "I…" she started "I don't find you completely insufferable." She said quietly. "You are…" she swallowed and looked at him for a moment "Very… very…" she seemed to struggle.
"Yes?" he asked her.
"intelligent." She said barely above a whisper.
His jaw dropped slightly at the compliment "Okay." Gilbert said finally sitting down. "Good." He said.
'She thinks I'm intelligent, intelligent… that's me' he thought to himself.
And he knew it was true.
Because Anne Shirley said so.
"Miss Stacy said that when we act something out it gives us something physical to remember." Anne stated to the other girls that weekend, the middle of the day seemed such a romantic time to play it out. "Ruby you are the fairest of us, you should be Elaine."
"That's not fair Anne, this is your idea." Diana stated matter of factly. "You should be Elaine."
Anne took a heavy sigh.
"and I don't know the poem Anne, it wouldn't be half as romantic since I don't know Elaine like you do." Ruby said to Anne.
"But my hair is red, Elaine was fair."
"by complexion," Ruby commented "I tan and my hair is dyed blonde." She sighed "I'm afraid you are the fairest Anne."
Anne sighed and got in the boat. "Alright, if you say so." She said.
Gilbert thought it was best if he rowed the Andrews boat back to them. After all he had no idea when he would be able to return it now. He yanked the oars in a way he knew he shouldn't but it felt good to do. Well not good exactly, rather better then the emotions he was trying to ignore right then. He could feel the tears returning to his eyes so he yanked again and again. It was when he got to the bridge he saw a tiny wet figure clinging to a post.
"Anne?" he said looking at her then the post wondering if she had fallen from the bridge wondering how on earth she had done it. "How?!" he exclaimed.
"I was on the Pye's dory when it sprung a leak, its currently down there somewhere." She swallowed slightly as he put his hand out for her.
"Come on." He said gently.
She sighed heavily and got on board the boat with him. As he started to row she managed a small but resentful "Thank you."
He grinned slightly before he said almost sarcastically "Anything for milady in destress."
Anne didn't miss the sound in his voice. "If you're going to be like that its better not to say anything at all." she told him straight.
"Fine then." He agreed. "I won't." he took a big sigh and said "I'll take you to the landing just there." It didn't take long for them to get to the landing, when Anne sprung up from the boat and scrambled onto land. "Anne." He called to her. She turned around and looked at him.
"I'm sorry about just then." He said quietly. "I didn't mean to sound sarcastic."
"Its fine Gil." She said,
"No, it really isn't." he stepped out of the boat himself and came equal to her. "Anne please?" he questioned. "can we not just be friends, when we talk we really talk, and I don't do that with anyone else. Please can't we put this childishness behind us…"
"Childishness?!" Anne exclaimed. "childishness?!" she repeated. "You know what is childish Gilbert?" she asked him. "when a boy tugs on your hair and calls you carrots, humiliates you in front of the whole class…"
"I've apologised for that so many times Anne, we would be great friends can't you see that?" he asked her.
She looked at him and there was a sincerity to his words. He hadn't spoken a word of lies, the few occasions they had opened up to each other, they really opened up and each time afterwards he fell back into his comfortable rivalry roll. They were rivals for a reason! Couldn't he see that and he was the reason. "I don't want to be friends with you, why can't you see that?!" she objected.
She expected him to ask again, or maybe say nothing and submissively get back in the boat, she wasn't expecting what did happen. "You know what?" he said plainly. "Fine! I quit! I give up, you got me!" he said a bit more assertively. "I am sick of trying to meet your approval! I'm sick of the fact that every time I think I make some leeway with you, you to knock me back. I've apologised to you I don't know how many times! I've had enough of your silly, little school girl temper tantrums and antics!" he said the final bit he physical shouted "So be like that see if I care!" he finished and jumped in the boat and rowed away.
Anne stood for a moment watching him row away and something heavy hit her heart. She turned and blushed. That behaviour was not like Gilbert.
Anne didn't have another thought about it until she turned up for detention the following Monday at school. She sat at the desk in Miss Stacy's office a look from Miss Stacy told her everything wasn't okay. In fact, she couldn't recall seeing Gilbert that day at all, she usually avoided his gaze during school and some days it had felt like she never saw him until she had to sit opposite him in that room, but today it really had felt like she hadn't seen Gilbert.
"Where is he?" she asked Miss Stacy.
"You mean you don't know?" Miss Stacy asked her.
"Know what?" Anne asked.
"I thought the corridors were alight with gossip." Miss Stacy said honestly.
"I don't listen to gossip." Anne said truthfully.
Miss Stacy nodded. "I got a rather distressed answering machine message left on the schools answer phone over the weekend." Miss Stacy told her. "From Gilbert."
Anne looked to Miss Stacy thinking she knew what was coming but dreading the truth. "And?" she asked.
"He said only that his dad had been called back up to the hospital in Toronto and he was going up there with him, apparently, they found need to run some more tests."
Anne's eyes widen "A relapse?" she asked.
"I really don't know yet, Gilbert hasn't been back in touch, but I think that's what he feared." Miss Stacy told her.
"When did he leave the message?" she asked wondering if she had stumbled across the reason for their heated counter by the lakeside.
"About 11:30 in the morning on Saturday, he mumbled something about returning a boat and running some errands before they had to go." Miss Stacy sighed, "I don't think he was thinking straight." Miss Stacy said.
As soon as Miss Stacy looked away Anne shut her eyes in shame.
'your silly, little school girl temper tantrums and antics' He had said.
No wonder he had said it. No wonder he had lost his temper. What was really on his mind was his father, possibly relapsing.
And she had given him a hard time, over pulling her hair. Just to get her attention.
She bit her bottom lip and unknown to her, her cheeks coloured.
That was the moment she knew it really didn't matter anymore, she should have forgiven him.
And she was sorry.
"I don't think these detentions were doing any good." Miss Stacy pretended to admit, although she knew they had been. "When Gilbert gets back, I'll let him know they've come to an end."
"Really?" Anne asked.
"It's a shame really." Miss Stacy sighed. "I always though you two would make very good friends."
"Gil-my-man!" Charlie exclaimed as Gilbert walked into registration a week later. "We weren't expecting you back so soon."
Anne burned as she watched him past though she noticed a decided coolness to his behaviour as he walked past her desk to sit on the one directly behind her.
"Yeah." He said.
"Is your dad alright man? You had us all scared?" Moody asked.
Anne noticed the pause Gilbert gave before answering. It was plainly obvious to her but no one around her. "Yeah." He said quietly. "All is well." He said.
Anne turned to Diana and whispered to her "he doesn't talk much about his dad to other people."
"Gilbert?" Diana asked and shrugged. "He doesn't really open up to anyone."
"Really?" Anne asked surprised.
"You seem surprised Anne." Diana stated.
"Nothing its just…" she trailed. "Never mind." She said shaking her head.
Her stomach turned inside of her. He had opened up, to one person. To her. He'd talked about his dad that night when he'd came to Green Gables. He had said how it hurt and she'd heard him at the time, but had she listened she would have realised how personal it was to him. And what had she done? Push him away until he had no choice but to remove himself from her. She turned and looked at him, they had eye contact for a moment before Gilbert looked own for a second set his jaw firm and looked the other way.
"Alright everyone we have a little bit of a problem." He said coming into the debate club a week later. "It seems the big game is on the same night as the debate between us and white Sands high."
The whole room groaned. At least half of the select team were members of either the football team or the cheerleading squad.
"Is it true they'll be coaches there from the university of Redmond? I heard they are looking for the best players for their scholarship to university for this year and next." Charlie asked.
"Um, Yeah." Gilbert confirmed. "That's what coach just told me." He sighed "which means boys any one of us juniors could get it, if we kept up our grade point average."
"What are we going to do then?" Josie voiced. "Just lose the debate?" she asked.
"I don't think that's necessary. If the team has a strong enough member captaining it on the night, then they can carry the team through to victory." He said firmly and knowing it.
"I suppose you want me head it?" Charlie asked Gilbert.
"I was actually hoping Anne would do it?" Gilbert said hopefully looking towards Anne, praying his display of impatience a couple of weeks ago hadn't ruined the chances of her saying yes.
"Oh of course its Anne." Josie exclaimed quietly to Ruby.
"I dare you to debate her then?" Gilbert said rather huffed at the insinuation, had he really had his feelings so obviously on display?
"I could win a debate just as well as she could." She tried to defend.
"Really?" Gilbert asked sarcastically. "Lets see then."
With that Josie blushed slightly and slumped in her seat.
Gilbert's eyes rolled as he said "No? Thought not."
"what about me?" Charlie asked clearly offended. "I'm the next in line, not Anne." He said still clearly slighted from Anne's rejection at Christmas.
"I was assuming you would want to be at the football game Charles." Gilbert said with a roll of the eyes. "Last time I checked the scholarship was there for anyone's taking."
"Oh." Charlie said with a slight blush. "That's thoughtful." He admitted.
"Right any other objections?" Gilbert asked to which he got no answer. "Good, then Anne, if you would?" he asked her. His eyes searching, praying she would say yes.
She looked at him confused as to why he would give her such a responsibility. It was as if, did he like her? Despite her unwillingness to forgive, despite the fact she always chose to debate the opposite side to him, despite the short and unwilling answers to their actual conversations, he had grown to like her? And that day by the lake she really should have forgiven him, was this her second chance? "Thank you." She said quietly. "Yes of course I will."
