Freeze This Moment

Music and laughter filled the air as Anne stood beside her bosom friend, watching the dancing couples in front of them.

Anne looked around to find Gilbert standing next to Charlie Sloane, obviously trapped in one of his boring monologues. When his hazel eyes met her green ones, he rolled his eyes before glancing at Charlie, then back at her. She laughed and sent him her compassion through twinkling eyes.

Diana, who silently observed their small exchange, couldn't help but sigh. In her entire life she had never met two people more meant to be than Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. And yet she didn't know what she could do to finally bring them together…

"So you yet decided to come with Gilbert?" she carefully broached the subject.

Anne turned her head to look at her. "Yes, why not? He asked me and I didn't have anybody else to come with. Not that I could really think of anybody I'd rather go with. Gil's really the best chum you could wish for. He's saving me from any possible invitations by Charlie." Anne chuckled.

Diana smirked. "And what about Moody?" she asked mockingly.

Anne simply made a face.

The ravenblack girl laughed, "I know, I know. A minister-to-be probably isn't really what you'd call wicked."

Anne slapped her playfully on the shoulder, "Drop it, Diana!"

"Who is wicked?" Jane Andrews asked curiously as she came towards her friends, a glass of bowl in her hand.

"Oh, no one!" Anne rolled her eyes and tried to close the topic.

"You know Jane, Anne dreams of a wicked man." Diana explained meaningfully.

"Not a wicked man!" Anne looked indignantly at her.

"Anne Shirley! I would have never thought something like that of you!" Jane laughed surprised.

"Oh, you two! I never said I wanted a wicked man!" By now a blush graced her cheeks. "I only said that it would be rather nice to marry a man, who could be wicked and wouldn't be."

"But then how would you know that he's wicked if he isn't supposed to be so?" Jane asked mischievously.

Before Anne could answer, Josie Pye's piercing voice caught their attention. "Why hello Diana! And Jane! Oh and Anne, you're here too! I wouldn't have thought someone would actually bring you."

Foaming with rage, Anne crossed her arms to reply something just as nasty but before she could, Josie bent forward to examine her face it seemed.

"Anne, is it just me or are there even more freckles on your nose than last week?" She grinned diabolically at the red-head, knowing exactly how to hit her raw point.

Her face now fully covered with a flush of anger, Anne was about to bawl at her, just as a male voice forestalled her.

"Seven freckles it was last week, seven freckles it is today. One would think you've learned how to count by now, Josie. Maybe you should yet get some extra lessons."

Josie Pye looked fumingly at Gilbert, trying to find anything clever to counter, while Diana and Jane had to cover their mouths to keep from laughing and Anne looked utterly confused at Gilbert.

When she couldn't find anything bright to reply, Josie only groaned before stamping offended away, fists clenched at her sides.

"Well," Gilbert smirked before looking down at Anne, placing a hand on her back, "I actually came to ask if you'd care to dance. Do you?" he asked hopefully.

Anne simply nodded, still puzzled about what had just occurred.

As they started moving to the music, his hand gently on her waist, hers on his shoulder, she finally met his eyes, "Gilbert, you really shouldn't have said this. It's one thing if I say nasty things, but you never do such things. Don't change on my behalf."

"Who says I'm changing? Wasn't I the one who pulled your hair?" He smirked teasingly down at her, "I can be wicked you know, I'm just not showing it off."

Anne caught her breath at his unexpected words and dropped her gaze. Her loud heart was hammering against her chest.

No, it didn't mean anything, she said to herself and bravely met his eyes again.

His very hazel… very soft… and very mischievous eyes.

Tomorrow everything would be normal again between them.

'I can be wicked, you know', his words resounded in her mind over and over again.

Today, Anne decided, she would just let her heart beat as fast as it wanted to.

"Just when did Gilbert have the opportunity to count her freckles?" Jane whispered baffled to Diana while they watched them dancing.

"Don't ask me, Jane. If there's one thing in this world I don't understand - it's those two."

She shook her head but couldn't help but smile nonetheless. Diana wished she could freeze this image in front of her and frame it.

And then, someday, she would have shown it to her best friend...