Chapter 7

Anne sank gratefully down next to Phillipa and Diana and said, "He's in my creative writtigng class now. He signed up for it after I dumped tea on him."

"Wait, what?" Phillipa said in disbelief as Diana gaped at Anne.

"Gilbert Blythe is in my creative writing class," Anne said patiently.

"Yea, I heard that part. Why is Gilbert taking creative writing?" Phillipa asked.

"That's what I wanted to know. Of course, I think I preferred not to know the answer."

"I think we all know why Gilbert is taking creative writing," Diana said with a giggle. "It is totally sweet that he wanted to take a class just to spend more time with you."

"Gil really isn't the stalker type, " Phillipa said with a laugh. "Though he may seem to be doing a good impression of one. It was coincidence that you two live in the same dorm and he went to Di's high school and knows me and Jo. And he was assigned to the same History lecture and Geometry lecture before he knew you were in them. I mean one could almost argue fate was determined you two meet and have a chance to get to know each other. The creative writting thing really is kind of sweet. The poor boy has absolutely no idea how to chase a girl, so he maybe went a bit overboard."

"But I don't want to be chased by him. I want to meet my soulmate.

Who is thoughtful, kind and understanding. He's who I want to meet and fall in love with. Not some flirty Don Juan that pulled my hair and called me carrots," Anne said with a huff.

"Who says Gilbert under all the umm flirty Don Juan-ness isn't your soulmate?" Phillipa said sympathetically.

"If I just keep ignoring him he will eventually go away, right?" Anne asked hopefully, ignoring Phillipa's suggestion.

"He isn't like your average high school boy with a crush. Most of them would give up."

"You could give him a chance, Anne. He's Gilbert Blythe for crying out loud," Diana said. "By the way you still have to accept his friend request, you said you would."

"The fact that he is Gilbert Blythe means absolutely nothing to me, Di. I have a soulmate out there, how could you want me to give anyone other than my soulmate a chance?" Anne said in exasperation.

"I want you to meet your soulmate and fall in love, you know I do.

I'm gonna go refill this," Diana said rising and grabbing her mug.

"He isn't a bad guy, Anne," Phillipa said gently once they were alone. "He's. Not, ya know."

"I'm not scared of him," Anne said realizing Phillipa thought he might have scared Anne with his latest manoeuvre. That if one wasn't interpreting it as sweet could be seen as stalkerish or desperate. "Annoyed with him. Exasperated by him, but I've never been scared of him."

"That's good," Phillipa said sitting back smiling. She wondered how long it would take Anne to realize the significance of the fact that she hadn't been scared of Gilbert at all. Since she was 16 Anne hadn't met a guy, the exception being Matthew, she wasn't slightly scared of until she got to know them. There appeared to be only three guys around her age she was comfortable with, Jonas, Stella's brother James, and now Gilbert Blythe. To Phillipa that told her all she needed to know. She had to some degree understood and sympathazied with Anne's need to dream up what she wanted her soulmate to be like. The idea of meeting him someday had certainly helped Anne in confidence to venture out into the world, but now Phillipa worried that her fictitious soulmate was hindering Anne from actually developing a relationship with someone else. That her support had become a crutch to hid behind rather than a goal to strive for.

….

"Guess what, Anne!" Priscilla announced as her and Stella entered Anne and Diana's room to meet for dinner.

"What?" Anne asked smiling at her oldest friends.

"Nope, you have to guess," Stella said, her eyes shinning with excitement.

"Do I get any hints?" Anne asked excitedly.

"Martial Arts," Priscilla said seriously.

"There's a karate class on campus and you guys want us to sign up!" Anne said enthusiastically.

"No," Stella said.

"Tae kwan do?"

"No," Priscilla said.

"We can have a sparring match?" Anne asked hopefully.

"I refuse to spar with you, Anne Shirley. Who knew you'd be such a natural at it? Now there is one person always willing to spar with you," Stella said trailing off.

"James!" Anne squealed excitedly. "Oh please say James is coming to visit. Please, please, please." Gilbert scowled at her obvious enthusiasm for another male.

"He is!" Stella confirmed with a grin. "I told him he had to let me tell you in person. He will be here for a mixed martial arts tournament in two weeks and he said you had better be ready to end up on your back on the mat."

"Ha," Anne said contemptuously. "We'll see who ends up on their back on the mat."

"Mat?" Charlie asked confused as Fred at the same time said, "Mixed Martial Arts?" in confusion.

"Is he hot?" Ruby asked.

"Gorgeous," Priscilla said laughing. "Not that is makes much a of a difference." Pointing to one of Anne's pictures she said,"That's him senior year. He's twenty now, but still. "

Gilbert saw it was the prom picture that Jonas wasn't in and looked at the picture with disgust, mindful of the fact that Anne was bouncing on her toes with excitement to see this James fellow and giddily talking to Stella about how excited she was.

"Ooooo," Ruby said looking at the picture. "Say we can meet him."

"Of course," Stella said overhearing her.

"You can meet him as soon as I'm done throwing him around the mat," Anne said with satisfaction.

"How about we let my brother meet everyone before you haul him straight to the mat," Stella said laughing. "And then you can get your pretty little hands on him, Anne."