"A literature club?" Miss Stacy said smiling at Anne.
"That's right." Anne confirmed. "The clubs are varied here and I do know a number of them have extra credit for going to them. "Mr Hamilton agreed that we could attach extra credit to it, with his approval of course on the pieces handed in, they had to be up to quality but he didn't mind us writing and critiquing each other's work, he says it always helps. He said a facility member had to be present two meetings a month to ensure the quality and he would happily do one. Miss Rennie said she would do the other and all I needed to do was to come and ask you if we could form it."
"Well I think it's a simply wonderful idea! If its not too much trouble I would like to attend some of the meetings myself?"
"Oh of course Miss Stacy!" she exclaimed happily.
Miss Stacy looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "You know it would be open to all students don't you?" She asked Anne. Anne looked at her confused for a moment and nodded her head "even the likes of Gilbert Blythe if he wanted to."
Anne swallowed for a moment. "I can work with Gilbert, when I'm required to do it, we work rather well together… unfortunately." She ended in a whisper. "Gilbert would be more then welcome, although it does require some imagination." She said her nose going in the air.
Miss Stacy repressed a giggle. "Alright then, form away."
"I am so excited!" Anne said putting out the papers in the classroom with Diana. "The chance to expand our minds, our imaginations…." Anne said smiling.
"Some of us need it more then others." Diana said looking at Anne her own nose upturned before Anne made contact with her and they burst into giggles.
"Don't you think it'll be wonderful!" Anne exclaimed her hands clasping in front of her as she got a far off look in her eyes. "We could study all the greats, Austen, the Bronte.."
"I hope we get to write something more exciting then that!" she heard Josie's drawl at the door.
Anne stood shell shocked for a moment before she answered Josie. "What are you doing here?" She asked Josie. "You don't even like literature class."
"I need the extra credit, or I wouldn't be here." Josie responded slipping into a desk.
Soon after a few of the other class members came in Prissy and Ruby. The club mainly contained girls though to Anne's surprise a few boys attended, one of which was Gilbert Blythe.
"Gil?" She said in surprise.
"Oh hey Anne." He said looking at her. "Was this club your idea?" he asked her almost too politely.
"Um yes." She said her mouth suddenly tongue tied. "I'm sorry but aren't you already busy with your other clubs?" she asked him. "I mean you have football practice on Monday, debate on Thursdays student council every other Friday…"
Gilbert chuckled a little "Why do you care how many clubs I go to?" he asked her almost flirting.
"I do not!" She protested. "It…its…" she sighed "Its just an observation." She said coolly.
Gilbert's bottom lip protruded as he nodded for a moment "Just needed a way to fill my Wednesday." He told her and as she looked at him a tested teasing smile spread across his lips as he winked at her, for some reason Anne looked at him and couldn't take her eyes off him for a moment or two. He left her standing rather dumbly as he took a seat on the other side of the classroom.
Gilbert had known fine well what he had done, the effect was completely a matter of chance, he knew she hated it when he played 'as cool as a cucumber' and that was what he was playing. In truth he had known exactly who had formed the new group the minute the posters went up around school he had decided there and then to go to it. Debate was fun, but he knew fine they might not be her actual opinions, he wanted to know her, not how well she could debate.
"Urgh!" Josie exclaimed as she hurried down the corridor with Anne and Gilbert "Coach Rennie can't half talk, and I don't see how it was so important that he had to speak to ALL the Presidents of the clubs that it couldn't wait until after my French class!" she exclaimed.
"Since when have you been so interested in learning French Josie?" Gilbert said with a teasing smile to her which made Anne smile, at least on the inside.
"Moi?" Josie exclaimed. "Paris is the most romantic place in the world!" she exclaimed.
Gilbert who was still in the mood for a little teasing went right ahead and did it. "I always thought Venice or Rome was far more romantic." He said with a smile.
"Lets ask Anne, she is the most romantic person in the whole school!" Josie said half teasing half hoping just because it was Gilbert, Anne would automatically side with her.
"Well it really depends on what is being said in each language." Anne observed.
"Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" Josie said flirting with Gilbert.
Anne rolled her eyes in an almost synchronisation with Gilbert.
"Nice!" Gilbert said sarcastically.
"That isn't romantic." Anne said straight. "Its raw and passionate but its not way to start a relationship." She said her nose going a little in the air.
"Sei la mia anima gemella. Voglio passare il resto della mia vita con te." Gilbert said in flawless Italian.
"Ahhh." Anne sounded. "Vous êtes mon âme soeur, je veux passer le reste de ma vie avec vous." "Yeah it's the sentiment." Gilbert said with a sigh. "No!" Anne laughed. "Du bist mein Seelenverwandter, ich will den Rest meines Lebens mit dir verbringen" "Ah German!" he said with a smile "such a romantic sounding language! " "what they lack romantically they more then make up for in efficiency! " Anne said which Gilbert promptly agreed to.
"What?" Josie asked them.
"You are my soulmate, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She translated.
Anne and Gilbert exchanged a look Josie didn't like jealousy stirring in her, before she glanced in a classroom they were passing then did a double take. "Oh My God!" Josie exclaimed her eyes wide at the scene before her. The total shock in Josie's voice was enough for both Anne and Gilbert to follow her eyeline. Their eyes both widening at the scene. It was several seconds before Gilbert took both girls by their arms and hid them immediately next to the window.
He took a gulp then looked at his two companions. "Did anyone else see what I did?" Gilbert questioned them
Anne coming out of her daze swallowed "I can barely believe it though I think I did, the image is burnt onto my retinas!" she exclaimed as she covered her eyes with her hand rubbing them slightly. The action made Gilbert grin.
"I know what I have to do." Josie said with a malicious grin. "I've been trying to find a way to get back at that little cheat since she copied my chemistry paper. She got an 'B-' and I got a measly 'C+'…"
"I don't think you'd like her way of getting an 'A' Josie." Anne said as now the two girls synchronised their shudders.
"But this, is the perfect blackmailing tool." Josie continued "Now I can get back at that little lying cheating 'little miss perfect Prissy Andrews!"
"No, this is worth thinking about." Gilbert said seriously to her. "If this gets out and its found that we knew about it we could get into trouble."
"Goody two shoes!" Josie exclaimed to Gilbert. "What's wrong with a little bit of blackmail!"
"Josie he is a teacher!" Gilbert whispered. "In a position where he is trusted by parents with their children. Even if this is a one off thing, what will happen to Mr Phillips once word gets out he was… was…"
"You can't even say it can you?" Josie mocked Gilbert.
"kissing a student?" Anne put forward.
"Making out more like." Josie snorted. "With heavy petting!" she said with a twisted smile which didn't even suit Josie.
"You don't think they are…" Anne started.
"Urgh!" Gilbert interrupted her. "please, don't even finish that sentence." He took a breath then looked at Anne. "What do we do?" he asked her.
"Miss Stacy?" Anne asked him.
"No fun." Josie whined.
"But it's the proper authority to deal with it, and if its done through her rather than through the school board it might just be done with a little bit of dignity for Mr Phillips." Gilbert reminded Josie. "I think that's best." Gilbert agreed looking at Anne.
"You two are so boring!" She exclaimed taking out her phone. "Blackmail…." She started then Gilbert took her phone from her.
"You're coming with us." He told her taking her by the arm. "Three witnesses are better then two."
"Then let me take them as proof for Miss Stacy!" Josie exclaimed.
Gilbert sighed and took out his phone. "You may have a point." He said quietly leaning back to the glass taking a couple of select photos on his phone as Anne looked shocked. "I will delete them as soon as we've shown Miss Stacy Anne, I promise." He whispered. "Come on we best get to Miss Stacy's office now." He told them.
They walked towards Miss Stacy's office and into the secretary's office first.
"What are you three doing out of lessons?" Beverly demanded of them.
"We have hall passes!" Josie defended.
Gilbert nudged her and shook his head slightly before he said "We'd like to see Miss Stacy please, it's a matter of some urgency."
The Principles office door then opened and two very official looking men came out of the room and looked at the three students. "Speaking of outstanding pupils…" Miss Stacy said with a smile "Gentlemen this is Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley our two highest ranking pupils of their year group, and their friend Josie Pye she's head of our cheerleading squad. Anne Gilbert Josie these are Mr Pringle and Mr Smyth they are on the committee for choosing which schools get the Avery Scholarship."
"The Avery?" Gilbert smiled looking at the two men. "Here?"
"They would be looking to place it with someone your senior year." Miss Stacy said with a smile. "But nothing is a certain yet."
"And why can we ask are the two highest ranking pupils doing out of their lesson?" One man asked with a teasing smile.
"We need to speak with Miss Stacy." Anne said with a smile to him.
"Urgently." Gilbert finished.
Miss Stacy looked surprised but then sighed "Well I suppose gentlemen I have some urgent business to attend to."
"Are you three sure of what you saw?" Miss Stacy questioned them.
"Miss Stacy believe me, we wish we weren't certain." Anne said.
"They were definitely…" Gilbert trailed blushing slightly.
"Else he has a very odd way to help her with her French which isn't on the curriculum." Josie said with a snort to which Gilbert's hand went his face almost facepalming himself as he shook his head.
"Thank you for that visual Josie." Miss Stacy said.
"Gilbert got photos as proof." Josie said nodding at her own genius. "His phone, show her your phone." She nudged Gilbert.
Gilbert got his phone out and showed Miss Stacy the pictures. Miss Stacy's eyes widened as much as they did when they had told her the situation in the first place. "Did you share these with anyone yet Gilbert?" she questioned him.
"No Miss Stacy, my pictures only back up on Wifi and its switched off because its lesson time in school." He said obediently. "I keep it on silent the rest of the time." He said quickly.
Miss Stacy smiled and looked at him "Do me a favour and e-mail me those pictures, and I want all three of you to e-mail me what you saw today and how it was you were honourably in that corridor." She looked to them. "And I want all three of you to promise me you will not breathe a word of this to the student body until you hear otherwise and you will hear of it, no doubt in a gossiped manner."
"Oh!" Josie whined.
"Miss Pye." Miss Stacy said sternly.
Josie sighed and crossed her arms in front of her. "Yes Miss Stacy." She looked to Miss Stacy, "Can I go now, I want to learn French the honest way." She said. Miss Stacy sighed the note and dismissed her as turned on her heal and walked out.
Miss Stacy looked at her two remaining students with a raised eyebrow. "I wonder at that girl…" Miss Stacy trailed shaking her head.
"She won't say anything." Gilbert replied.
"I trust you two won't either."
"No Miss Stacy." They said in unison.
"Very well." She said writing them both a note. "You both in English now?" she asked them
"Yes Miss Stacy." Gilbert replied.
She gave them the note, "you may go."