Tailor Made


„I dare you to kiss Charlie Sloane", Julia Bell crossed her arms with a sly grin on her face and looked challenging at Anne.

For one moment it seemed as if everyone was holding their breath.

Diana spun her head immediately around to face Gilbert Blythe, fast enough to see how he clenched his fists at his sides.

Even though her bosom friend was blind on this point, Diana knew that Gilbert was in love with her.

She couldn't deny that she had felt a little bit of envy at the beginning. After all it was Gilbert Blythe. Gilbert who was three years older and the most handsome boy in whole Avonlea. Every girl dreamt of him.

But it hadn't taken her long to realize that Anne was tailor made for him and Diana herself probably wouldn't have much to talk with him anyway.

Right now their whole class was standing on the dock of the 'Lake of Shining Waters' – how her best friend used to call it – celebrating that their school-year (the first one with Miss Stacy as new teacher) would be over in one week.

Somehow – which idea was it in the first place? – they ended up playing 'Truth or Dare'.

"I certainly won't kiss Charlie Sloane! I won't kiss anybody!" Anne replied disgusted and crossed her arms to underline her statement. It was one thing to walk the ridgepole of a roof and risk one's life but she certainly wouldn't give her first kiss away to just anybody.

"I bet she wouldn't mind kissing Gilbert Blythe", Josie Pye interjected with a diabolic smile on her face as she looked around to enjoy the giggle of the girls and the laughter of the boys.

"You take that back, Josie Pye!" an angry Anne hissed, while a flush of anger was creeping on her face.

"Why should I? It's only the truth", she replied arrogantly.

Everyone watched the scene before them completely entranced. They all knew Josie had cast an eye on Gilbert Blythe since the year one. And that she couldn't stand Anne Shirley since her first day at school – ever since it had become pretty obvious that between her and Gilbert there was something really special.

They didn't really know what exactly it was, but something it was definitely.

Anne took a step towards Josie and poked her finger into Josie's chest.

"It. Is. Not."

"Of course it is", the blonde girl replied and pushed Anne angrily away from her.

Anne, who stood less than three feet away from the edge, lost her balance at this shove and fell backwards in the lake.

Even before one could hear the impact into the water, Diana screamed ear-shattering: "SHE CAN'T SWIM! ANNE CAN'T SWIM!"

Gilbert didn't hear anything of this. As soon as Anne had fallen down, he jumped after her.

He hadn't even thought about it. He didn't have a choice.

Probably it was the same force that had caused him to be stupid enough to pull her hair. And probably it was the same force that had caused him to apologize for the very first time in his life to a girl after teasing her.

He never had a choice concerning Anne.

It was like an invisible bond that attached Gilbert to her.

Completely shocked and in panic, Anne tried to paddle somehow under water. Desperately she panted for breath, but there wasn't any air. Instead she swallowed water and felt as if a hand was wrapped around her throat and chest and suffocated her.

'And I always imagined how romantic it would be to drown…' was the last thought that crossed her mind before she surrendered and stopped fighting against the water.

Just in that moment two arms grasped her and pulled her upwards.

Anne witnessed all of this only as if through a mysterious veil, which made everything so unreal and blurred as if she were captured in a dream.

The arms brought her to the surface, where she desperately gasped for air and coughed. She clung on these arms as if it would be a matter of life and death. As if she would die if she would loosen her hold for just one second.

When Gil reached the surface, he turned his head to look back. The dock was way too high. He would never be able to lift her up.

He looked forwards, seeing that the other side of the lake was maybe twenty yards away. Than he looked down at Anne, who seemed as if she was in a state of shock and had put her arms around his neck.

Gilbert took one arm off her so he was able to swim towards land.

As soon as he had land under his feet, Gilbert gently put her down on the grass, but Anne wouldn't let go of him.

Her lips were blue and trembling, her skin as white as a ghost.

Bent over her, he tried to catch his breath.

"Anne", he finally panted, "Anne!"

She opened her grey-green eyes and looked straight into his hazel ones.

"G-Gil?" she asked confused through chattering teeth.

It seemed as if she really was in a state of shock, it went through his mind.

He managed a faint smile, "I'll bring you home, alright Anne?"

All she could do was to nod.

Then he lifted her up in his arms – hers still around his neck – and started walking towards Green Gables.

Anne leaned her head against his wet shirt and reinforced her grasp, searching for any kind of warmth.

The whole time he spoke soothingly to her, as if she would be some small child, telling her that they soon would reach home.

To be honest, Gilbert was completely over-challenged by this situation.


When Marilla saw someone coming towards their house, realizing that person was carrying another one, her warning bells shrilled immediately and she started running towards them.

After a few yards she realized that it was Anne and who it was who held her.

"Gilbert Blythe!" she cried, as she nearly reached them.

He nodded breathing heavily, "Anne… fell in the lake. She… needs dry clothes". Of course he knew that Miss Cuthbert understood that herself.

But the boy was stretched thin and she understood that. Marilla simply nodded and pondered if she should take Anne from him, but she didn't believe Gilbert would even want that.

So she waited until they'd reached the parlor and Gilbert had put her down on the sofa, and after glancing one last time worryingly at the shivering girl, she looked at the boy in front of her.

"But you're soaked to the skin, Gilbert Blythe! You need to change too!"

He nodded. Somehow he had hoped he could stay.

One last time he looked down at Anne, wishing they would be friends so it wouldn't be always just in situations like this one where he could spend time with her.

Then he looked at Marilla and bid goodbye.

"Thank you, Gilbert", somehow in her voice resonated something that made it clear she knew how much this girl meant to him.

He nodded again and left with a heavy heart.

Just a few moments after he was gone, a whole crowd of children appeared on Green Gables' front door. When they'd seen where Gilbert was heading, they'd immediately started running towards Green Gables. In contrast to him they had to circuit the whole lake but still they'd been sure they would be faster than him.

Matthew told everyone that Anne was as good as can be expected under the circumstances and would need some rest and that they all should return home.

But Diana wouldn't leave before he promised her that she was allowed to come and visit Anne in the evening.


And that's just what she did. Hours after the incident, the ravenblack girl sat on Anne's bed where her best friend lay with her warmest pyjama and three hot water bottles to keep her warm.

"Oh Anne! I know I'm not allowed to talk about him and you will be angry with me, but I just can't help it! It was SO heroic how he rescued you!" She sighed dreamily. „I wished you could have seen it! How he dived right after you and how he carried you like NOTHING!"

The red haired girl simply stared down at her bedcovers the whole time and was tugging the fabric.

"…I'm sure he must be very strong! He is, isn't he?" Diana looked beamingly at her bosom friend.

"I suppose he is…" Anne mumbled.

She really had been rather lucky under the circumstances, since Anne didn't get anything more serious than a cold. But still she had to stay in bed for a couple of days.

Every day after school Diana would come to visit her and tell her all the news.

On the first evening she brought various little gifts from their school-friends, which should lighten up Anne's mood.

"And these…" she showed her a small but very sweet bouquet of lilies of the valley, "are from Gilbert", Diana explained hesitantly, already expecting Anne to push them away disgusted.

But Anne did nothing like that. She carefully took the bunch of flowers in her hand and for some moments buried her nose in it to absorb the lovely smell.

"He was at school?" she finally asked surprised.

"Oh yes! He was the first one who asked for you!"

"So he isn't sick?" Anne was relieved.

"He's as healthy and good-looking as always", Diana replied smirking, for the first time having the courage to make such a bold statement about him.

Immediately a blush crept to Anne's cheek and she bent her head to look at the white flowers. "I'm glad…"

Diana watched her with raised eyebrows.

"I mean, I'm glad I don't have to feel bad because of him!" Anne rushed to explain.

"Uh-huh…"


On Saturday Anne finally got Marilla's promise that she may return to school on Monday. It was so boring to lie in her bed all day long. Even her imagination couldn't help her after some time.

But there was one thing which bothered Anne. She somehow had to thank Gilbert Blythe. After all, he had saved her life.

But she didn't want to do that in front of all the others.

"Marilla?" she finally asked during lunch.

"Yes?"

"Do you suppose… May I … Could I… Do you think I could bake a cake?" she rushed to say.

"A cake?"

"Yes… as… I thought… for Gilbert Blythe. To thank him?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea, child! Of course! I'll help you."

"Oh no! I want to make it all by myself!", Anne exclaimed before blushing, "Um, please?"

Marilla and Matthew shared a secret glance as both had to contain their smirks.


On Sunday afternoon Anne started on her way to the Blythe farm - with a palpitating heart in her chest and a sweet-smelling pie in her hand.

Gilbert was just standing on a latter, leaned on an apple-tree, as he spotted someone on the way. When he realized who it was, he immediately climbed down the latter and walked towards the girl.

"Why hello Anne! It's so good to see you up and about! You gave us all quite a scare", he smiled at her.

Anne dropped her gaze under his smile as she felt how her cheeks reddened.

"Hello Gil, I… um… I wanted to thank you… for what you've done."

„Oh no, please, everyone would have done the same thing, Anne."

"But it wasn't everyone, it was you. Thank you", she met his hazel eyes and for a few moments they just stood there and looked at each other, without saying a word.

Then she handed him the cake.

Gilbert looked puzzled at the pie in her hand, then back at the girl.

"For you."

"Th-thank you", he took it from her hands.

"I…" Anne gulped and tried to gather her courage, "I came also to apologize…"

"Apologize?"

"Yes. For the way I treated you all this time. For the…" She gulped again, "...slate… for everything. It's not your fault my hair is red…." Embarrassed she moved her shoulders up and down.

Gilbert chuckled, "You really don't like your hair, do you?"

"Oh no", she sighed, "It will be my life long sorrow…"

By now he couldn't help but laugh, "Well, as long as your pretty hair is your only sorrow, you'll have a wonderful life, Anne."

Gilbert paused as he noticed that he'd just made her a compliment. Sheepishly he looked down at the ground.

"Listen, I really never meant to insult you… I just… wanted to get your attention…"

Anne looked surprised at him, before a smile started curling her lips. "Well, you did get my attention, didn't you?"

He lifted his head and laughed, "Not the way I wanted to, but… yes, I certainly did. Now tell me, is this cake poisoned?"

Anne playfully slapped his shoulder, "I can eat a piece if that eases your fear."

"It's settled then!"

With that Gilbert put one arm around her shoulder as they started walking towards the house.