Rose Shirly chapter 11

Aftermath

When Rose woke up that morning she had no idea of what would happen that day, if she had, she would of stayed in bed the whole day. But ignorant her went to school, traipsing down the roads with Anne, talking excitedly about softball – they had scheduled a practise for the girls the next week and there was so much to be done and to get excited about! She was so engrossed that she didn't notice the glares people gave her as she skipped by. She gave Mr. Mooney the butcher a hearty wave, but instead of the typical grin and good morning, he turned his back on her. She turned to Anne, puzzled,

"Why, he's normally so cheerful that the sun couldn't out shine him!"

"Maybe he didn't see you, or he's busy or maybe he's got the Monday blues" Anne reassured. So they went on, Rose smiling at the people, but they either skittled by without a glance or snickered darkly. 'Has the whole world been affected by Mondayitis?' she wondered, but was so determined not to let that drag her down she bounced instead, making her mind up that she would get a smile out of someone or die trying! She spotted Jane and Ruby at the entrance of Queens and bounded up to them, flashing her biggest smile yet,

"Hey Jane! Ruby! It's so good to be back again, I feel like diving right into the school, or standing on the roof singing my heart how"

Ruby scowled and muttered, "Please don't, you've done enough already" Jane nudged her and whispered, "She doesn't know yet", "No?" said Ruby with unusual sarcasm, "Is she blind, cant she read?" hurried off. Rose looked over at Jane, eyes stinging, "What got into her that she has to be so…" Poisonous?" Anne suggested, Rose nodded, her heart sagging. She looked to Jane, who said nothing, but eyes fixed on the ground, and handed her a sheet of paper. Rose scanned the page and cried out as if stabbed, she started to run, oh she had to get away, everyone looking at her in that way, they must of read it! She didn't blame Ruby, not one bit, the shame of it, she would never live it down, she would have to move far away from here, get out of there, get away from the eyes, from the horrible piece of newspaper.

Anne came over and out her arms around her shoulder, "Show me" she said, voice firm. Rose sobbed and handed her the sheet, the hateful sheet, now Anne would probably be ashamed of her and never be able to look at her in the face again, and without her she probably would pine away or have to live as a hermit, grow all shaggy and uncivilised…

Anne read the sheet; her eyes losing all twinkle as the read the poisonous words:

GENDER CONFUSED? OR INSANE?

Read the blazing headline of the Charlottetown Herald

"Rose Shirly, a Queens student had a moment of gender confusion yesterday when she insisted on trying out for a boys softball team, when knocked back, she in a blaze of passion set about to start up her own softball team, of all girls! …..does she really think that girls could play against the boys in a fair game….Watch in two weeks time as the girls fight against the boys if you feel like adding a bit of comedy"

And underneath, in bold black ink was a grotesque looking cartoon of Rose in a boys softball get up, set up for bat while the boys behind her were in hysterics.

Rose looked at it again, "You could never call that art!" She spat at it and sobbed stormily on Anne's shoulder.

"Rose look at me"

"I can't, they've slandered my name all around town, I am mud! Ted and Eleanor will here of it and turf me out, I will be alone, a repulsive hermit – cant you see I've got to get away" she spun out of Anne's arms and started to run, smack! Right into Thomas who looked at her sympathetically,

"Rose, I heard, I mean read, I know that it's…" Her voice burst out in anger, he had come here to gloat at her,

"I'm humiliated enough don't you think without you dancing in victory over me!" she raged, he tried to protest, but she couldn't hear anyone properly,

"Why, you probably drew it and sent it in! that would be right, satisfied, I'll leave town, that will make you happy – happy? You've got what you wanted, I'm outta here" and she fled out the gates with Thomas calling after here, "No Rose! You've got me all wrong!"

Anne ran after Rose and caught her as she knelt on the sidewalk with tears gushing out. Anne looked at her with empathy, she could imagine just what it would be like at that moment!

"Rose, if you're going to turn away everyone sympathetic there wont be anyone left to root for you!"

"He wasn't sympathetic, he was enjoying it, and you saw it Anne!"

"Rose, you can't see out tear filled eyes"

"Don't be so blasted philosophic while I'm in the very depths of despair! My life is ruined in case you didn't notice"

"You did give Thomas a hard time, you read him all wrong! He was…"

"Like you do to Gilbert?" Rose cut in, Anne shot her a furious look,

"That's different!" Rose almost smiled,

"Okay, well I'll leave both of them to you, I am leaving town, if anyone asks tell them I died of shame"

"Rose, that's impossible, listen to me in a few days time this will be yesterday's news, they may laugh now but they'll forget, they don't have that much brainpower in their miniscule heads. But if you leave, they will think that they were right, and that you couldn't stand up to them. Why, you're just handing them over a victory if you leave!" Rose had stopped crying and looked at Anne in the face with her blotchy eyes,

"And besides" Anne added, "What will our girl team do without a captain?" Rose smiled at her, her eyes filled with a different sort of fire.

"You are right Anne, oh so right! This abdominal knock against us, it will only fuel my fire - for when we will beat them, and show them!" Rose said and marched right back through the gates resolutely. And that is how she got through the worst day of her life with dignity.

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