Me Myself and I: I feel I should clarify something when I say 'My Girls' they are girls I am particularly close to on here, not my daughters, although I wouldn't be ashamed to have them as my daughters, but all the same... my daughter is 6 and my son is half a month off 1.(don't worry I'm not insulted, I love those girls I would be proud if they were my daughters) But I do agree with you 'my girls' are definitely very talented. I tend to upload sometime on Tuesday afternoon BST or UTC (Because I'm in England so which ever one England is in I'm in currently BST or Tuesday evening...) I'm a mother with young children its basically whenever I get to sit down for five minutes!
Forget-Me-Not Writing: I think I did inbox you... if I didn't I meant to, yes I have watched and loved Green Gables Fables, the first line when Charlie calls Gilbert 'Gil-man' was a nod to Tanner Gilman who plays Gilbert in that series, see how many other nods to the other Anne additions I've put in here! Thank you so much, I tried so very hard to keep it close to the original text Its not always easy!
Mip123: You know I imagine that she sat and cried into his shoulder in the hospital for that night, I just didn't want to write too much about it. She is devastated I just decided not to go there!
Yes I made Gilbert a chatterbox, I never saw him as a silent type, I don't think he would know how to handle Anne if he was quiet. He's just a bit enthusiastic to have Anne as a friend...
So I depart a little from Canon here, but its to watch their friendship grow
hope you all enjoy
Carrots
"I don't think the campaign should be aimed at girls or boys." Gilbert said with a shrug to Anne. "Its about time everyone realizes it's about politics not gender."
Anne wriggled a smile. "I agree." She told him. "but you have to admit other people might not see it that way. I am going to be your vice president you know?" she teased him.
"It's just a title, as far as I'm concerned you'll be my co-president, you know that."
Anne physically chuckled "You really believe I'm your equal don't you?" she asked him.
He looked at her shocked "of course I do Anne!" he exclaimed. "my superior in far more then I care admit to either."
"For your masculinity?" She half mocked.
"More like my pride." He said a pet lip going out "I'm very used to being the smartest person in school by far." He told her "you're challenging me left right and centre!"
She laughed at him "You're far ahead of me in maths." She said shaking her head.
"And you in English." He said with a shrug.
"Isn't it lovely..." Anne said lying back in the grass "that we all have our strengths and our weaknesses. That no two of us is the same." She said her eyes closing.
"Yes it is." He agreed. "isn't it... " he trailed "our year group has such vast talents if we work together it could be the best senior year." He said turning in the grass so his stomach was on the grass his arms crossed his head resting in them.
"hey Gil?" she started.
"yeah?" He asked her.
"is your Dad really okay?" she asked him.
He turned his head to look at her one eye still closed. "how do you mean?" He asked.
"Just you were gone and I know you were at the hospital with him."
"That was weeks ago!" he exclaimed.
"It doesn't mean you aren't worrying about it." She said quietly.
He lay quietly for a moment collecting what it was he was going to say. "He's having trouble breathing again." Gilbert said slowly. "Mam was concerned so we were off again. Dad says its nothing to worry about, but that's what he said when I was thirteen too." He said.
"Its always on your mind isn't it?" she asked him.
"Yeah it is." He sighed heavily. "I don't know why I can talk to you about it though." He said honestly.
"I noticed you don't talk to the others about it." She said quietly. There was silence between them before she said "You can always talk to me about it Gil." She said honestly. "No matter what happens."
"I know I can." He replied. The smiled sweetly at each other before he said "They looked and couldn't find anything but they are still worried, he's still going in monthly for checks anyway, we just have to see how they go." He told her. There again was a silence between them before he gave her a lopsided grin. "Thanks."
"What for?" she asked him.
"For not saying 'everything will be fine'." He told her. She looked completely confused at him, "For the first couple of years all that anyone kept saying was 'everything will be fine' or 'it'll be okay', I got so tired of hearing it I stopped…" he blushed quietly. "not just that but its stuff that just, I can't always verbalise it to people's satisfaction." He took a sigh and looked at her "I don't need to with you. You accept it, I like it." He said with a shrug. "Hey come over later." He told her "we can work on that end of year Maths project together, then we can plan more for this?" He suggested meaning the election.
"Your parents won't mind?" she asked him.
"Course not." He assured her.
"Okay sure." She agreed. "I still think the cupcake idea is good, stimulate the senses a bit."
"You think Diana will be up for baking 300 cupcakes?" He asked her.
"It'll be a project!" Anne exclaimed. "For the home economy class." She smiled "we can go in and get them all on side, ask the teachers for the extra time in the classroom. Class of 15, three hundred cupcakes that's only twenty each and we if we get them all on side that's 5% of the student body." She said logically with laugh "Plus Diana said the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
"Oh is that why my receiver is getting a little pot belly on him!" Gilbert laughed with her. "So we're going to get up to 50% of the vote too?"
"It's a win win." She smiled. "It doesn't mean we shouldn't canvass those voters again though." She told him seriously.
"That's what a campaign is all about." He smiled.
"Hey Anne." Gilbert said with a smile as he greeted her that evening opening the front door for her. "Come in." he said cheerfully. "Welcome to Blythe Farm."
"Gilbert the farm is huge!" Anne informed him like he didn't know. "Your dad does it all by himself?" she asked him.
"We have a couple of hands on help." Gilbert smiled. "It's a dying trade," he admitted "I help out where I can." He said as they went through the hallway into the living room.
When they came into the room in an old rocking chair sat a women with long greying hair which curled down her back reading a book her eyes looked up, they were the same colour and shape as Gilbert's.
"Hello dear." She said with a smile to Anne. "You must be the lovely young lady Gilbert won't stop talki…"
"ahem." Gilbert said clearing his throat, his mother looked at him and he shook his head. As they sat on the sofa opposite her.
"…I mean, he talks about…" his mother said still looking at Gilbert as he continued to shake his head, Anne smiled as they continued to look at each other "…I mean he's mentioned…" she sighed "Can I at least tell her I know her name!?" She quipped.
"Its nice to meet you Mrs Blythe." Anne said sweetly. "And to make it easy on your son I'm An-"
"Oh don't do that dear." She said with a smile to him "far too many young a lady makes it far too easy for him." She said looking back at Anne "I have very high hopes you'll be quite different." She said with a teasing tone which made Anne smile.
"I should have known you'd take her side." Gilbert faked a huff to his mother.
"Well she stood up to you." Her father said coming in the room. Anne looked at him her eyes wide. The exception of the eyes and the curl in his hair (not that there was an awful lot on his head) it remained the same chocolate brown colour as his son's, the older man was the double, or rather Gilbert was the double of his father. The same strong chin the same roguish look to his eyes and the same twist to his teasing smile. "He needed the sense knocking into him."
Anne closed her eyes shamefully "You told them about the slate?!" she asked him.
"Oh we wanted to know about the pieces of slate we found in his hair that night." Mrs Blythe smiled.
"And the bump." John finished.
She looked at Gilbert with wide eyes. "I am so…"
"Forget about it!" he smiled to Anne.
"Oh never apologise for it." Mrs Blythe laughed "You should have seen his face." She said with a smile "You were the first girl to ever make any sort of impression on him." She looked between them "And now you're, best friends?" she asked her "or so my son says."
"Oh yes, he really is." Anne agreed quickly. "When my world was at its darkest he was there for me, he sacrificed so much just to help me."
"We are sorry about Matthew Anne." John said quietly "I knew him once upon a time he was shy but one of the kindest men I ever knew."
Anne looked up and smiled at John "You knew Matthew!?" she exclaimed.
"It was a long time ago." John said with a nod.
Mrs Blythe got up out of the chair "I'll make you some snacks for studying."
"Oh but…" Anne started.
Gilbert nudged her and shook his head "don't bother." He whispered. "no one leaves the house hungry, she makes sure of it, the more you protest I swear the more she makes."
John smiled and stood up "I best get out to that barn got work to do." He said moving towards the door. "You were right son." He said again to tease his son "her hair really is the most beautiful colour of red."
When Anne left that night Gilbert went back into the living room and sat crossed legged on the floor and opened a book, his mother came in and sat in the rocking chair and smiled at him.
"So that was Anne." she said with grin.
Gilbert looked up and looked at his mother,. "Um, yeah, that was Anne." he said quietly.
"She seems a nice girl." She commented.
Gilbert grinned not looking at her. "She is." he admitted.
"Is she a girlfriend?" she asked him.
Gilbert swallowed for a moment and took a sigh. "No mom, not a girlfriend."
"Oh." She said her head rising in acknowledgement of what he said. "A friend with benefits?" she asked him.
He looked up in shock "Mother!" he exclaimed "where did you learn that phrase!?"
"I was young once." she said with a laugh to him.
Gilbert took a deep breath "I wouldn't treat a girl like that." he told her.
"Just you bring this beautiful smart girl here and you look like her as if she's a goddess... what am I meant to think?"
Gilbert swallowed "Is it that obvious?" he asked. He took a sigh and looked at his mother putting his book down "There are a great deal many a benefit to being friends with Anne..." He stood up and walked over to his mother and kissed her on the head "...Just not that one." he moved towards the door and said to her "and you've taught me better then that." he said to her with a wink to his mother he left the room.
"I don't get it." Josie whined to Ruby as they exited the assembly. "I mean of course I'll vote for Gilbert, but a vote for him is a vote for her." She whispered quietly. "And we all know he only wants her his vice so he can win over the nerds, why would he want their votes anyway?" she questioned.
"The more people who vote for you is the least people against you." Ruby said thoughtfully "besides he said he wanted to unify senior class so we didn't have cliques." She said.
"But why?!" Josie whined again.
"I don't know Josie, I think it's kind of nice." She said dreamily looking over to a boy "Don't you think boys in other groups are cute?" she said with a wave to the boy once he looked over. The boy was Tall and lean (but not skinny) his black hair loosely gelled in a quiff with big blue eyes hiding behind his Buddy Holly glasses. He often worn a flannel shirt with jeans and braces, smiled at her shyly.
"Ew." Josie exclaimed. "Spencer Herbert?"
"I suppose." Ruby said with a brief and sad smile back at him before Josie pulled her away.
Gilbert headed for them with Anne closely behind. "Hey girls." He said a smile to Josie in particular "You will be voting for me won't you girls?" he said his lips upturning.
"Oh yes of course Gil." Ruby immediately agreed.
"Sureeee." Josie trailed reluctantly.
"Hey Gil!" Charlie called over.
"Oh and hey make sure you vote for Charlie for class president." He popped his hand up to indicate to Charlie he was coming "You'll take care of Anne for me girls, won't you?" he said woefully to them.
"Um yeah." Ruby said genuinely sweetly. "We're already good friends you know."
Gilbert looked at her confused for a moment.
"I tend to make friends by accidents." Anne laughed. "You know slates and nearly drowning in rivers." She said with a nudge to Gilbert.
"Oh that's right you were with her that day." Gilbert said with a knowing smile and he chuckled to Anne.
"Miss Stacy asked told us to memorise a section of the lily maid…" Ruby started.
"The lady of shallot." Anne corrected.
"Right her." Ruby shook her head. "Josie let us use their dory and Anne went in…"
"That's what you were doing in that dory!" Gilbert exclaimed. "Acting out the lily maid?"
"Wait? Were you there that day?" Ruby asked him confused.
"How did you think she got to land?" Gilbert asked Ruby. Gilbert laughed in recognition "You didn't tell them?" he asked Anne.
"I was too ashamed to admit after…" she trailed slowly to which his eyes played a merry dance. "… did I mention how sorry I was?" she said with a bite to the lower lip.
"Why Gilbert you regular Lancelot!" Ruby blushed at him.
Both Anne and Gilbert looked at her confused "Um, Ruby, Lancelot didn't rescue the lily maid." Gilbert told her.
"What? Then how did she get out the boat then?" Ruby asked.
"She died Ruby." Anne replied "That was sort of the point."
Gilbert chuckled. "Ladies if you will excuse me." He said quietly to them leaving them to talk he went over to Charlie who had managed to group together quite a few people.
"So why does everyone love Lancelot then?" Ruby said confused.
"Today on the 25 April 2017 at Avonlea High School Prince Edward Island at 0900 hours we are proud to announce the student body for the graduating class of 2018. Seniors in the class of 2018 were eligible for election and ran in no particular order as follows.
Eleanor Juliet Bouillia Class president with Jessica May James as Vice Class president. Gilbert John Blythe President, with Anne Shirley as Vice Class president and Joseph Mark Russell President and Harrison Scott as Vice President.
Eleanor Boullia 23%.
Joseph Russell, 25%
With over half the senior classes vote, Congratulations Gilbert Blythe 52%." Miss Stacy managed before the crowd burst into clapping.
Gilbert stepped forward with a smile and waited for the clapping to diminish before he started. "Thank you, Principle Stacy and members of the facility." He took a breath before he continued. "Our opponents, thank you." He acknowledged. "My Father once told me a prize was really not worth it if you didn't have to work to get it and my fellow candidates have worked hard on the politics and issues relevant to our senior class, we want them to know, we don't expect their input to end today. With only the senior class president, student president and vice president filled as per usual in our school, we would like to invite both the president elects and their vice president elects to join with us to complete the student council." There was a low and surprised murmur in the crowd followed by and instant roar of applause by most of the student body. Gilbert looked and smiled at his Vice, who in return gave a knowing raised brow, apparently her secret strategy if they won was an instant hit. He went to his former oppontants who all in turn nodded in agreement as he shook their hands in line. Gilbert then turned back to the podium and continued his speech as the class settled again. "We want you to know that we want to bridge gaps in our social groups, we want to truly represent the class of 2018. We would like to thank all those who voted for us." Gilbert acknowledged then a little in grin played at his lips as he said "And lastly I would like to leave the rest of my time open to a friend in whom, I couldn't have done this without, ladies and gentlemen my vice Anne Shirley."
The crowd was too busy cheering to notice his double meaning of Vice as she took the podium. The crowd settled and Anne smiled "A wise friend once told me to imagine what we could do if we worked together." Gilbert looked up and smiled, the only other person in the room to notice was Miss Stacy who peered at her newly elected Student Body President. "That is the kind of student government we wish to be, to represent our class, that is our vision of the next year. We look forward to serving thank you." She said then turned and sat next to Gilbert with a smile towards him.
"And now for your class president." Miss Stacy announced standing up. The candidates as follows
Ross Adamson, Clark Mosby and Charles Sloane. Class of 2018 your class president is Charles Sloane."
The room slowly clapped though the lack of enthusiasm by all but the popular group was completely lost on Charlie.
"Class of 2018…" he started. Gilbert and Anne looked to each other as if they were about to burst into laughter but contained themselves before Anne leaned over to Gilbert and whispered "Congratulations Mister Student Body President."
Gilbert grinned from ear to ear.
She'd called him wise.
He was intelligent and wise.
And he knew it was true.
Because Anne Shirley said so.
