Chapter 6
"You cracked your slate on his head?" Marilla demanded aghast. Anne miserably nodded her head. "And you hit him, Henry?" At this Henry stoically nodded his head. "And you tried to bite him?" Marilla asked Tommy in dismay.
"Jumped on him to," Tommy said proudly.
"Tommy," rebuked Henry.
"Sorry," Tommy said twisting his foot into the floor.
"You'll have to apologize," Marilla said crisply. "No doubt Gilbert Blythe will wish to avoid you three, but it must be done."
"Doubt that," Henry said softly with a snort, remembering Gilbert's fascination with Anne.
"But-" Anne started to protest at the same time.
"After the incident with Mrs. Lynde didn't you promise not to fly into a rage when someone provoked you about your hair? And this time you've dragged Tommy and Henry into it with you. Your going to apologize this evening when the chores are done, Anne and then you and Gilbert Blythe can avoid each other to your hearts content," Marilla said with determination.
"It won't be so bad," Henry said encouragingly as Marilla took Tommy aside to clean him up from the tussle with Gilbert, while Anne helped Henry. He had learned how to deal with Anne in the years they spent in the orphanage and knew that she could be brought round. "Just imagine it Anne, if you don't go with us to say sorry he might show up here," he said quietly
"What?" Anne asked in disbelief.
"I certainly lost that fight and he pulled your hair. What if he comes here and says sorry and then hangs around? If we go there we can say sorry and leave real quick like."
"Why would he bother to apologize," Anne ask with a toss of her head.
Rather then point out that had likely been exactly what he planned on doing when they were leaving the school yard, and that Gilbert had in fact offered to help them home, Henry said, "Why would we go there?" with a pointed look toward Marilla.
"His parents won't think he needs to apologize to three lowly orphans," Anne said scornfully.
"You don't know that Anne," Henry pointed out. "Unlikelyier things have happened or we wouldn't all be standing here. Besides Anne can you imagine the surprise on his face when we do so? And then you can go right on ignoring him like you intend to as much as you want, just like Marilla said."
"True," Anne mussed. Then she said, "I'll do it. For you and Tommy. Mrs. Lynde would say it was Providence we have managed to cobble us together for so long at the orphanage and see us released from it together. I will do my part to see that we aren't separated. Providence could use a little help. I'd hate for my stubborness to seen us all thrown out. We are here on trial and I'm not even a boy like I was supposed to be."
"I'm right glad your a girl, otherwise me and Tommy wouldn't be here," Henry reminded her.
"Me too," Anne said flashing him a smile.
Silently Henry added that he would just bet Gilbert Blythe was glad she was a girl too. All the Avonlea boys had talked about Gilbert Blythe with awe and Henry had been looking forward to meeting Avonlea's most popular boy, right up until he had seen where that boy's attention was locked on. Anne was the closest thing to a sister Henry had ever had and he had decided that day at the orphanage when her and Tommy arrived that he would protect them both when she had been attempting to protect the smaller red haired boy as the other children jeered at them for their bright red hair.
It had been disappointing to learn the boy hero of Avonlea wasn't much better than those cruel orphans. Though Gilbert had at least tried to do the decent thing and try to apologize to Anne, Henry thought upon reflection. And he had offered to help. Henry had felt a bit of a victory glancing back seeing Gilbert gape in astonishment, mostly at Anne, with what Henry recognized as an unmistakable gleam of admiration in his eyes, knowing that Anne, while a sweet forgiving sort of person, was perfectly capable of holding a grudge that could last forever.
…
Gilbert felt a wide smile light his face as he caught sight of Anne. It dimmed upon seeing she was accompanied by Henry, Tommy and Marilla. Gilbert had nothing agaist Marilla, but he was not best pleased to see the two red headed boys.
Seeing Gilbert sitting on the fence to his family's farm, Marilla urged her charges to go on. Resolutely Anne lead them forward. Henry smirked at how Gilbert's attention had honed in on Anne. He had been throughly angry earlier, but his anger had burned itself out and now he was eager for what would surely be a highly amusing performance by Anne.
"Marilla says we must apologize for our actions today," Anne said determinedly.
"I'm awful sorry I made fun on your hair, Anne" Gilbert said jumping down from the fence post eager to make up with her. He was perfectly willing to apologize to the other two as well, as long as doing so came along with Anne's forgiveness and friendship. He did feel guilty for his actions that day. He hadn't meant to hurt Anne's feelings like he had. He had never dreamed getting her attention like he had would cause her to react the way she had. As he had walked home he had considered again the moment his eyes had met Anne's as she brought the slate down on his head and had finally identified the other elusive emotion that had been in them other than that brilliant sparkling anger, hurt. He had hurt Anne. Inflicted pain on her and it made him feel awful. He never wanted to hurt her again.
"I apologize for using your head to break my slate. I had not realized it would be so hard," Anne said gravely.
"That's okay," Gilbert said with a wide grin at her. It never once occuring to him that Anne had apologized for his head breaking her slate, not for breaking her slate on his head, a key difference he would realize once she was gone, her presence no longer clouding his thinking.
Henry though caught the difference and smoothered a snort, least Marilla come closer. Speaking up he said, "I'm sorry I tried to fight you. I shouldn't have hit you like I did without any warning like that."
"You were defending Anne. You had every right to hit me. I'd have done the same thing if somebody hurt her too. You did the right thing. I should have taken the hit like a man and not trounced you like I did," Gilbert said stealing glances at Anne. "I'm sorry about that, mate."
"Tommy," Anne's clear voice said, urging the boy from where she stood arms crossed, Tommy mimicking her posture.
"They say I have to apologize for attacking you, so I'm sorry, but if you ever treat Anne like that again, I'll lick you good. When Sammy Martin said our red hair made us fit to be no better than dogs and kept barking at Anne everytime he saw her, I bit him and I'll do the same to you."
"I'd deserve it if I said a cruel thing like that," Gilbert said in disgust that someone would have treated anyone, exspecially the girl that he was fascinated by, that way. "Once you grow a little I'll teach you to throw a real punch so the next fella that does, you can take a real whack at. I'm sorry I pushed you. I shouldn't have done that to a fella half my size."
"Would ya?" Tommy ask, his eyes shinning, all resentment magically gone at such an offer from the older boy.
"Ya," Gilbert said meeting his eyes before flicking his gaze once again back to Anne.
"Anne, ya hear that," Tommy crowed. "Gilbert said he'd teach me to punch. Are ya sure you have to hate him forever? Real sure?"
"Positive," Anne said frostily tossing her head and causing Gilbert's face to fall. "He hurt me excruciatingly, Tommy. Excruciatingly," she said drawing out the word, causing Gilbert to flinch.
"Wait, you don't forgive me?" Gilbert ask in confusion and panic.
"Marilla said I had to apologize, not that I had to forgive you," Anne said with another toss of her head before stalking back off toward the waiting Marilla, unaware what havoc the toss of her red hair as the dimming light caught it wrecked on Gilbert's equilibrium.
"See ya round, Gilbert," Tommy said enthusiastically as he headed after Anne.
"Marilla said once she apologized, you and her could ignore each other to your heart's content," Henry said helpfully with a smirk.
"Ignore her?" Gilbert ask incredulously.
"Hmmm that could be hard to do," Henry said cheerfully before turning to leave.
"What do I do?" Gilbert called out to him before he did though.
"About what?" Henry asked feigning ignorance, glancing back.
"Anne," Gilbert said in frustration.
Henry smirked and shrugged. Before loping off to catch up with the others.
When a mild curse and a glance back revealed Gilbert had thrown his cap to the ground, Henry was pretty sure he had just realized Anne apologized for her slate ending up broken, the real casualty, not his head. Henry let out a loud laugh unbale to stop himself.
...
"Oye! Anne, Henry, Tommy!" Gilbert called as he ran to catch up with the trio from Green Gables the next morning for the walk to school.
Seeing him coming their direction Anne narrowed her eyes and said, "I'm going to go wait for Diana at the turn off."
Tommy eagerly stopped to wait for Gilbert his eyes full of hero worship and Henry, smirking, waited with him.
"She won't even walk near me?" Gilbert asked in disbelief as he watched Anne's back move toward the turn off for Orchard Slope, the Barry's place.
"Doesn't wanna break her new slate, I suppose," Henry said smirking.
"I'll be sure to avoid angering her when any slate is near by," Gilbert said wryly. "How long did it really take for her to forgive Mrs. Lynde?"
"Oh Anne forgave her right quick. Anne doesn't like to be twitted about her looks, but Mrs. Lynde didn't offend her in front of everyone, just us and Marilla," Henry said cheerfully, enjoying Gilbert's repentance and confusion.
"But Mrs. Lynde is a gossip and told everyone about it," Gilbert objected.
"Don't share that fact with Anne if you value your life," Henry said chuckling.
"Well how long until she forgives me?" Gilbert demanded.
"Depends," Henry said.
Tommy in an attempt to be helpful said, "You gotta show her you're real sorry. When I heard she was back at the orphanage I hugged her real hard and threw myself at her in sorrow, telling her I hadn't meant to wish her back to the orphanage and how sorry I was and that I had missed her real bad and had only wished I could see her again. Course it turned out I hadn't wished her back to the orphanage, but us out of it."
"I suspect you'll find yourself with more than a slate cracked over your head if you throw yourself at Anne, hugging her and crying all over her," Henry said wryly.
Gilbert thinking he wouldn't mind hugging Anne despite such a consequence but knowing better then to voice so, chuckled and said, "I thank you for that advice, Tommy, but I'm not so sure I'll be taking it."
"Works every time for me with Anne," Tommy said shrugging. "She's never not forgiven me. Even when I accidentally got blood on her face."
"How'd you get blood on her face?" Gilbert asked curious.
"I thought my nose was done bleeding after Mark punched me, removed the cloth she had put there and sprayed her with blood. She went all pale and it dotted her face like some sort of paint. I hugged her, which got more blood on her, but she forgave me and didn't even faint."
The trio walked on in Anne and Diana's wake, where they were eventually joined by Fred. Gilbert couldn't help but come to think that all the red heads from Green Gables really weren't a bad sort and that he was glad they had came to Avonlea. He was curious about Anne, but refrained from asking any questions about her for the time being. What Gilbert didn't know was that if Anne hadn't been so blinded by anger for his tease, she would have identified him as a kindred spirit to her, Henry and Tommy to explain why he felt drawn to the orphans.
