First of all, thanks so much to puffysleeves for the review! I'm sure I don't deserve one so good, but it made me glow with happiness!

CHAPTER 4

A month later, the first day at Queens Academy

Rose looked about her, the school rising up in the front, though it didn't look quite as formidable as it did on that first day, she chilled when she thought of that, that day when every minute was tense and those horrendous exams, though she knew it was worth it now. The building almost smiled at her, for she knew she belonged now, she was officially a Queens Girl. She'd gotten through the entrance, which seemed like to test to prove herself worthy. She'd passed that – so what next? She really had no idea, it was an uncharted path before her, but she felt like she could run straight into it, an adventure at her fingertips.

In all that time waiting agonisingly at home for the result, she could hardly forget the girl with the red hair and vivacious eyes, she'd try to sketch her, but something in those eyes escaped her, they were deep, like a grey ocean, calm on the surface but you could only guess at what was underneath.

There were only scatterings of people trudging up the steps. Ted had been puzzled by her request to get there early, "Darl, there'll be enough time all term to be at that place", but she was firm, she could never get over that fear of being late to things. It had happened at church once, and she shuddered every time she thought of it, every head turned to her, eyes accusing, 'how dare she be late', the glare so cold as they scrutinised her. So she always would beg to be early, and when Ted protested she'd quip, "It's better to be early than late", he'd usually give in; his kind heart couldn't deny her anything.

But she couldn't go in just yet, though there was no one to wait for, she doodled in her notebook while she stood there, the steam of people becoming more and more fast. That tall boy – Gilbert, gave smiled and gave her a nod as he passed her, she laughed, she couldn't exactly forget that either. Her eyes wandered over the people, most of them looking at the ground, until she saw a flash of red hair – it was the girl! If only she would look her way! She didn't know why she wanted to know the girl so much, later on Anne would say that it was her kindred spirit radar.

The girl looked up, looked her straight in the eye and smiled! She smiled! Rose clapped her hands, and seemed to glow all over, she thought of nothing else as the crowd pushed her down the hall way and as she stumbled into her classroom. The girl was already there, next to the window, gazing out, oblivious to everyone else. Rose was about to sit next to her when the teacher boomed, "Students!" Rose swung around and tripped over a chair into a girl's lap. She looked up, the girl had blonde hair and was laughing, her eyes dancing with fun, Rose hastily got up, the teacher, scary enough with his thick eyebrows and commanding voice glared at her,

"Once we're all settled and seated, we shall begin" Rose gulped and sat in the nearest seat possible, next to the blonde haired girl. She felt like she could shrivel up with shame, but the girl simply turned and winked.

"I will be your English professor, my name is Mr. Matchet. My past students know me as the Machete, so I wont expect anything from you but proper and courteous behaviour." he closed his eyes "Manners cost little and give much", he grinned triumphantly when he'd finished and opened his eyes, "Now you know my name, but I don't know yours, stand up and recite for me your favourite verse of poetry" Some of the boys groaned, Rose looked to the red haired girl, whose eyes lit up at the word poetry. Rose remembered a verse from the cloth hanging in her aunties room which she always read. Mr. Matchet read down the list of names, and everyone recited rhymes, she recognised the name "Gilbert Blythe" who read, eyes glancing now and then to the red haired girl,

"There is another, - not a sister: in happy days gone by

You'd have known her by the merriment that sparkled in her eye,

Too innocent for coquetry, - to fond her idle scorning,

O friend! I fear the lightest heart makes sometimes-heaviest mourning!

Tell her the last night of my life (for ere the moon be risen,

My body will be out of pain, my soul out of prison), -

I dreamed I stood with her, and saw the yellow sunlight shine

On the vine-clad hills of Bingen – fair Bingen on the Rhine"

It all flowed without hitch until Mr. Matchet read out "Priscilla Grant" and the girl next to her said, with a twinkle to her voice,

"Oh that I was where I would be

Then I would be where I am not,

But where I am I still must be

And where I would be I cannot" Priscilla said it all with such a droll look on her face that the class could hardly keep from laughing, but Mr. Matchet's abrupt look over his glasses wiped it away. There was silence for a minute or two then Mr. Matchet started up again. Rose waited for the red haired girl's name, but when Mr. Matchet finally got to "Anne Shirley" she gasped. Anne's voice was low and mesmerising, sending chills up Rose's spine,

"A long drawn carol, mournful, holy,

She chanted loudly, chanted lowly,

Till her eyes were darkened wholly

And her smooth face sharpen'd slowly,

Turn'd to towered Camelot:

For ere she reach'd upon the tide,

The first house by the waterside,

Singing in her song she died,

The Lay of Shalott" The class paused, then started to spontaneously clap, Rose the heartiest. Mr. Matchet's eyes glimmered, and then read "Rose Shirly", Rose started but Mr. Matchet interrupted, "Are you two related?" Rose and Anne looked at each other, smiled but shook their heads, Mr. Matchet thought, but said "Go on" Rose took a breath,

"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings – nor loose the common touch

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you

If all me count with you, but none too much

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds worth of distance run –

Yours is the earth and everything in it,

And – what is more – you'll be a Man my son!" Anne looked over to her, her eyes shining and mouth expressive, she mouth to her "I love that poem"

Once he'd finished the list of names, Mr. Matchet eyed them all, "Now we know each other names, but we still don't know each other. So, for your first assignment you're going to pair up with someone you've never met in your life and you're going to work together on a report about yourselves – there will be three sections: "A quick look on the inside", "Family & Family history" and "The future", so you'll cover now, yesterday and tomorrow. Any questions? No? Well, you can start pairing up."

Rose and Anne looked at each other, their thoughts exactly the same.

CHAPTER 6 "Getting to know you"

Rose sat by the window next to Anne, who looked at her, her eyes shining,

"I think this is the best spot in the whole classroom, I really do pity you, sitting up the front as the teachers loom over and you gaze up at their nostrils…but here, by the window" Anne patted the seat next to her, "there is so much scope for imagination" Anne paused, waiting for Rose to screw up her face at that, for she learnt to be wary of strange people who just didn't get it about imagination, and would laugh scornfully at her fancies, but Rose laughed, not scornfully, but playfully 'like fairy bells tinkling in the wind' thought Anne

"I have to say that you're wrong though, there is plenty of scope in the teachers nostrils, why, I explored them in my mind all the way through Mr. Matchet's introduction" Anne laughed and clapped her hands

"You know I'm so glad we're doing this together, I knew from the moment I saw you, that you were a kindred spirit" Rose tilted her head and look quizzedly at her,

"You know, like a soul twin, someone made from the same kind of dust as you" Rose nodded,

"You and I, we're made from star dust" Rose waited for a laugh, but instead Anne looked anxiously up, Rose turned around and faced a Mr. Matchet glowering over them,

"Three words, and I hope you can understand them, Get To Work" Rose gulped as Mr. Matchet turned and stalked away, but Anne looked inspired,

"Hey, let's start there, three words to describe yourself" Rose smiled, "Artistic, witty, and a terrible temper!" Anne grinned, "imaginative, dreamy and a terrible temper too!"

And from there, an assignment and a long lasting friendship was started.