hello again...

I promise I can explain...

okay I cant explain. but here's chapter five in case u still care :)))

Anne wasn't supposed to be there. She just wasn't. Her being there… sitting with the people he hung out with everyday and saw everyday, everyone gathered around her, gawking at her like she was some old artifact at a museum locked behind a glass case. Like if they stared at her a little longer she'd reveal all of life's answers to them. They were just two very different parts of his life that he would much rather keep separate, but he's always known this happening would be inevitable. He just thought he'd have a little more time to be with her and just her.

He knew Anne didn't belong to him, and he really had no right to decide for her who she should and shouldn't spend her time with. But, how could he possibly be expected to NOT feel protective of her? He had discovered a new light to brighten up his incredibly boring and gloomy life and he didn't want to share her with anyone else. They didn't deserve her, and if she hung out with them long enough, he was sure her light would start to dim. Then what would he do?

The words fell out of his lips without him thinking about it and regretted them as soon as he heard them aloud: "What the hell are you doing here?"

Everyone in the table froze, and the normally noisy cafeteria seemed to fall into complete silence. Even Anne looked shocked as if she were wondering if it were really her he was talking to. He was sure she was moments away from slamming both hands on the table as she stood up, and looking him dead in the eye, telling him she could sit wherever the hell she wanted and that if he had a problem with it, he could leave.

But Anne said nothing. Nobody did, until Winnie finally spoke up, "What's your problem?! Anne's my friend and I won't have you talking to her this way-!"

"No, Winifred, that's okay." Anne said quietly as she stood up, "Thanks so much for having me here, but I should probably go."

"Don't be ridiculous, I haven't even convinced you to join the cheerleading squad, yet! I just couldn't live with myself if I don't get you to join the team!"

"No need, I'm convinced." She said dryly, "I'll see you at tryouts this Friday." She added as if trying to prove she really was committed to trying out. She waved at everyone at the table and left, her eyes stayed glued to the floor and she walked by him without sparing him a glance, but what else was new, right?

He had never seen Anne seem so small. Like the things people say actually affected her in any way, shape, or form. The way she carried herself just reeked of confidence, but now it seemed like her confidence had been shattered. Seeing her this way made him wish so badly he wasn't such a jackass.

He used to think nothing could break Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, but maybe she was more fragile than he thought.

Gilbert watched her walk away all the way until she walked through the doors exiting the cafeteria, then sighed to himself in deep regret.

shit, he really fucked up.

He did his best to ignore all the eyes staring at him as he took his seat next to Winifred and stared down at his food, bracing himself for the lecture he was about to receive.

"I can't even believe you right now." The blonde said to him, obviously not anywhere near ready to let this go. "You had no right!"

"Not cool, man." Charlie said in the same tone as he said everything else: as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Well, what the hell do you care?" Gilbert snapped at him in annoyance. He already felt like the biggest asshole on the planet, and he didn't need Charlie deciding this was going to be the time for him to actually act like he actually gave a shit.

Charlie crossed his arms and puffed out his chest, ready to defend himself, "I care about the fact that you're treating this girl like shit who you supposedly have feelings for."

"Can everyone calm the fuck down? We should be thanking the guy." Billy chimed in, suddenly having an appetite and shoveling a forkload of pasta into his mouth, "That bitch never shuts up. It's been hell having to sit next to her in class everyday but now having to endure her shit during lunch is just torture."

Gilbert slammed his fist on the table and stood up, making the whole table jump and stare at him, "What the fuck did you just say?"

"Anne hadn't even said a word since the whole time she was here, Billy. You're literally always trying to pick a fight with her, and it's getting old. Just stop talking now while you're ahead." Moody defended, trying to ease the tension, but Gilbert still felt as if he were going to burst into flames.

"You're all so full of shit you're coming at me for actually stating what literally everyone at this school is thinking?" Billy argued, "And Gilbert, are you just going to pretend you didn't just try to kick her out of the table? Two seconds ago you were telling her to get the hell away from you and now you're acting like you care about her and shit? You're the biggest poser here!"

Gilbert just didn't have enough will power in him to restrain himself from reaching over the table and strangling that asshole. Billy was always spewing shit, but this time he went too far, and he wasn't about to let him get away with it. Especially now that he knew it was his fault she was soaking wet yesterday, and that he was just barely drying up today.

He practically jumped across the table, grabbing Billy by his collar and pulling him close so he could look at him dead in the eye, "Say that shit again," He dared him, "Say it!"

"Dude, what the fuck?!" He yelled in struggle, "Get the hell off me!"

"Gil, let him go!" Winnie begged, tugging on his jacket, "Stop this! This isn't you!"

"None of y'all have a single clue who the fuck I am!" He yelled out, finally letting Billy go, "Not a single fucking clue! I'm the only one who gets to decide who I do and don't care about so stop trying to decide for me!"

The whole school was looking at him now, but Gilbert didn't notice nor care. He looked at Billy as he rubbed his neck and winced in pain, then looked around at the faces of his peers who were all watching him as if they feared him, anticipating what he would do next.

Gilbert couldn't be there any longer. He was tired of being judged and analized by people he didn't even know, along with the people who thought they did know him. The Gilbert Blythe they thought they knew was an illusion, one that they created themselves and he used to think he would always have to comply with. But he wouldn't do it any longer. Not ever again.

…

Anne was grateful to be out of there. Really, she was. She had been planning her escape from that table the second she sat down. She hadn't even realized that it was where Gilbert usually sat, and if she had she never would have let Winifred drag her over to their table.

What bothered her was that Gilbert didn't seem to want her there either. It wasn't because she felt anything for Gilbert at all, because she honestly didn't. She just knew all too well what it was like when someone acted like they cared for you, only to suddenly be reminded that nobody could really care for someone like her. And it hurt, no matter how much she liked to pretend nothing did.

Anne didn't want to think about Gilbert anymore. He had been on her mind ever since she met him, and inexplicably, it was starting to get painful. It would be easier if she hadn't gotten so used to him looking at her like she was the only person who existed, rather than someone he wanted to disappear. Even though she hated him more than she could express, no one had ever looked at her like that, and it was nice. While it lasted, anyway.

She was only able to finally stop thinking about Gilbert when she felt herself crash into someone else. The body was tall and muscular, and he wore a dark jacket with silver chains around his neck. He let out a grunt upon contact and his hands flew up to hold her below the shoulders in order to keep her from falling any further.

"Are you alright, Anne?" The voice asked her in deep concern. She would've wondered why he seemed to care so much about her if she weren't already wondering why he already knew her name. But she really shouldn't be all that surprised since it seemed everyone knew who she was, and she had Gilbert Blythe to thank for that.

"With an E." She finished for him as she regained her composure and tried to pretend she wasn't utterly humiliated just then.

When she was able to get a better look at him her stomach did a little flip as she noted how beautiful he was. It was the kind of beauty you'd read in a fairytale. The part of the sad and handsome young knight. One with the darkest eyes she'd ever seen with a dark past to go along with them. A stare was so intense any girl could melt behind them, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out how to look away. This seemed to amuse him, because he let out a huff of air as his lips curled into a smile.

"My apologies, Anne with an E."

Anne shook herself out of whatever she had trapped herself in and tried to speak, but how exactly was she supposed to reply to that? Was she supposed to leave now? Maybe she would have, if he wasn't still holding on to her. What was it with the guys at this school trying to keep her still? But for some reason, she didn't mind it so much when it was him. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, like he didn't want her to leave either. She felt… wanted.

Logically, it made sense to just think it was all in her head. Life wasn't a fairytale, and no grand love story begins with two people bumping into each other in a highschool hallway. But something told her not to rule him out completely.

…

Being able to finally say what he had always been thinking sent a rush through his veins. It felt freeing to finally not have to care what people thought of him. What was the point? He had already shown his true self and he was honestly done pretending he was anyone else.

As soon as he was out of the cafeteria, the first thing he thought about was Anne. He had to find her. She was the reason he had the courage to speak out in the first place. She was the reason he was finally free, and she needed to know that. She needed to know that without her, this would never even be possible. She had to know to know that he needed her.

He made his way through the hallways so fast, if he went any faster he would be running. With every turn he made, he was even more excited to reach her. He knew he was supposed to suppress his feelings, but maybe he didn't want to anymore. Maybe the reason he never saw the appeal when it came to love and dating was because this whole time he had been waiting for someone like her to come into his life. Someone that was literally born to stand out above the rest. Someone that made pushing boundaries and battling insecurities not as scary. He knew he didn't want to live his life in regret, wondering what could have been if he were only brave enough to admit his feelings not only to her, but to himself.

But first he had to find her. He had to tell her how sorry he was, for everything. For the way he acted the first day he met and everything after. He had to tell her how sorry he was for being so stupid he couldn't see what was right in front of him. But he wasn't afraid or confused anymore. He knew what he wanted and there was nothing stopping him any more.

When he turned a corner he felt the large smile he didn't know he was wearing fade away. She couldn't see him, because she was too busy standing way too close to some guy, and staring into his eyes. They were smiling and looking at each other, and he could already tell what was happening. They weren't saying anything to each other because they didn't need to. He recognized the way he was looking at her, the same way he did, but he was too much of a dumbass to realize what was happening, and now it was too late.

"I'll see you around, My Anne with an E." The guy said into her ear, as if the whole damn hallway couldn't hear him. Not that there was anyone else there at that moment, just the two of them and the biggest jackass on the planet stalking them behind some lockers.

Both Gilbert and Anne were watching him as he walked away, until Gil's phone began buzzing like crazy with notifications. Anne turned around to see where the noise was coming from and He ran out of there as fast as he could. He kept running without a destination in mind until he found himself outside of the building and standing in front of the tree he hadn't seen since the day he met Anne.

He leaned his back against the tree and let himself fall to the ground. The roughness of the bark scratched and poked his back as he dragged himself against it, but he barely noticed it. He closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the sky, attempting to catch his breath. But he couldn't even do that because his phone was blowing up in his pocket.

He growled under his breath and dug the phone out of his pocket.He had no intention of finding out what people were saying about him now. He just didn't have the energy to even pretend he cared anymore. He hoped his phone cracks so he'd never have to look at it again.

Or, you know, the world could just swallow him whole. He wasn't picky.

…

Anne's attention span took a serious downfall after she met "Dream Boy" (Yes, that is what she is calling him now, as it is the only name that fits and correctly describes just how perfect he was) She'd been looking through the crowd of students between classes ever since, and was deeply disappointed every time she had to report to her next class without finding him anywhere. She just wished she could have a do over. Maybe this time she'd do more than just stare at him like an idiot and ask him for his name. That would make finding him a lot easier.

There was no way she'd give up on him though. She could never conjure a boy so perfect even in her imagination, and she wasn't about to miss the opportunity of the high school romance she's always dreamed of. She was beginning to think those things happened in movies, and no high school boy was mature enough to be capable of something like love, but something told her he deserved a chance.

She was entering English now, her last class of the day, and still found no trace of him. She sighed out of disappointment before entering, and there, sitting in all his glory, was DB. He was even better than she remembered (if that were even possible). Something about seeing him in real life and not just in her head made him just that much more perfect.

They made eye contact as soon as she walked in and his lips instantly curled into a smile as soon as he spotted her, giving her the courage she needed to approach him. She began to move towards him, hugging her books tighter for self comfort and mentally preparing herself to say more than three words to him this time, when-

"Anne! Anne, I've been looking for you ALL LUNCH PERIOD! Where the hell were you?!" Diana exclaimed, appearing out of nowhere, and blocking her view of DB.

"Huh?" Was all she could respond with, as she was still trying to look around her to where Dream Boy was sitting.

"Focus, Anne!" She scolded her, wrapping her hand tightly around her wrist to attain her full attention, "What happened when you sat with Winifred today at lunch?"

"Ladies." Ms Stacey interrupted from the front of the classroom, "If you could please postpone the cafeteria gossip for AFTER class and find your seats?"

Anne had instantly become embarrassed to be called out by the teacher (especially in front of DB), but Diana seemed completely unphased. If anything, she became even more determined to get the truth out of her, and dragged her to sit in the seat next to her.

Anne tried to steal a glance from Dream Boy, but he was already paying careful attention to Ms Stacey's lesson, and she decided she should probably do the same.

At least that's what she tried to do when Diana tossed a piece of paper with a single word sprawled at the top:

Spill.

Spill what?

Don't act dumb, Anne. WHAT HAPPENED AT LUNCH?!

Nothing really out of the ordinary.

Are you REALLY going to deny you have nothing to do with Gilbert almost beating the crap out of Billy Andrews?

Diana, I was gone as soon as Gilbert came to the lunch table, I don't even know what you're talking about.

…

Your for real?

*You're

And yes, I really don't know anything.

Well that's disappointing.

Is that why neither of them are here?

Billy's probably gone home crying to his parents and no one knows where Gilbert went.

He's probably hiding so that he could escape punishment.

I kind of assumed he's gone to talk to you.

Anne snorted loudly when she read that sentence, bringing everyone's eyes to her, luckily excluding Ms Stacy, who was reading a poem to the class too passionately to notice.

And, WHY would he do that?

Oh, drop the act, Anne. You know why.

No, actually, I don't. I don't see why this would have anything to do with me…?

Your joking right? I mean, at first I played along with the notion that maybe Gilbert's just trying to get a rise out of you (although I always believed it to be highly unlikely) But now there's no denying it. HE WAS PREPARED TO BEAT SOMEONE UP FOR YOU.

Your: belonging to or associated with any person in general

*You're: You are

Billy has always been an asshole, long before I even moved here. My guess is Billy deserved more than what he had coming, and It has nothing whatsoever to do with me /

Diana didn't bother writing back, and Anne assumed it was because she realized she had a point. She understood her concern, but she knew she wouldn't have even considered it if she had seen the way Gilbert had looked at her when she saw her sitting at his table. It didn't make sense for someone to treat the person they actually consider their "future wife" like that.

Anne tried to focus on the reading, but no matter how hard she tried to pay attention, the words that Ms Stacey was reading were sounding like just a jumble of words instead of sentences with actual meaning. She felt guilty everytime she glanced at the clock to check how much longer this class would last, but was just itching for it to end so that she could get a chance to talk to DB before he disappeared and she'd have to wait until after the weekend, and that was if she even found him, since he had a nasty habit of disappearing out of thin air.

After what felt like forever, the Dismission Bell finally rang. The whole class was packing up their things and heading out of the door before Ms Stacey could finish saying "Have a good weekend." Anne noticed DB was still putting things in his backpack by the time everyone else was out of the door, and Anne figured this was her chance to say something to him. Maybe she could ask him why he didn't leave his bag in his locker like everyone else did. Or more importantly whether he was dating anyone. Or-

"Anne! Good, you haven't left yet, I need to speak to you before I forget."

She stared blankly at Ms Stacey, trying to come up with different ways to ask her if there was ANY way this could wait until after she's retrieved DB's name, but when she looked again, Dream Boy had slung his bag over his shoulders and was walking out of the classroom, not even looking her way before he exited.

She felt crushed watching him leave, but then remembered who she was. She was never the type to go chasing after a guy, especially not this hard, and she had no means to start now. Besides, she was pretty sure that love wasn't supposed to be this hard. If it were meant to be, she wouldn't have to work this hard just to get his NAME.

"Yes, Ms Stacy?" She said when they were alone.

"Do you have any idea why Gilbert didn't show up to class today?"

That seemed to be the recurring question. For the life of her, ANne just could npt understand why it was that she was suddenly expected to know what it was that was going on in that senile head of his, But she blamed Gilbert entirely.

Anne took a deep breath before responding, "I don't know much more than anyone else. I was told he disappeared shortly after something that happened at lunch."

"Well that I knew, I just thought- you know what? Nevermind." Ms Stacey said, thankfully dismissing the whole subject entirely. Anne was getting bored of having the same conversation over and over again.

"What I really wanted to talk to you about was about the studying between you two."

You know what? She takes it all back. She would LOVE to have the same conversation a hundred times over if it meant not having to admit she had COMPLETELY forgotten all about that.

How could she have forgotten? It's not like she was having much else going on. As much as it pained her to admit (and it really was painful), her life seemed to revolve around Gilbert Blythe these days.

"I have to say, I'm a bit surprised you haven't come running to me with a list of complaints and reasons you just couldn't work with him." She said, half jokingly, "I know this is difficult for you (understatement of the year), but I'm proud of you for making it work."

Well now she just HAD to lie, didn't she?

…

It was clear Gilbert wasn't going to make it to tenth period, so after throwing himself the world's loneliest pity party, He dusted himself off and headed for home.

Gilbert didn't do these things. He didn't skip class, He didn't just disappear, and most importantly, He wasn't really known for feeling anything. Ever since he lost his father, he buried himself into school work and friends, much too busy to be emotional, He obviously knew this couldn't be healthy, that's why he was so eager to get into university. So eager to get a fresh start.

But all that was before Anne. His feelings overflew every second he was with her. He could never take the time to actually realize what he was feeling, but he knew that he liked it. Loved it even. And he knew he was beginning to sound like a broken record, but he wasn't anywhere ready to give it up.

His phone buzzed in his pocket as he walked, and he was begging to wish he had just left it on the ground where he had thrown it. But he knew eventually he would have to open it, and face the reality HE created. Might as well rip the band-aid off now.

As expected, his phone had blown up with at least 20 notifications per social media platform, even ones he didn't remember even downloading. But there was a particular message that caught his eye from a number he didn't recognize.

2 messages from (416) *-*67

Hey, Dipshit.

We need to talk.

Hey guys, thanks so much for reading!

I do want to apologize, I know i've done better but I am trying.

pls let me know what you think, it gives me the motivation i need to keep going!