Upon entered the classroom Anne sat quietly next to Gilbert. She looked with doleful eyes in front of her at Diana who looked back in her chair, Diana turned around to look forwards in the class. Anne looked to Gilbert who gave her an encouraging smile he pulled a Strawberry apple from inside his desk and gave it to her. His hand slipped onto her knee. He whispered gently "it'll be okay." And moved his hand immediately in the hope no one saw the act of intimacy between them. Anne smiled gently at the act. Only a true friend would remember to try and lift her spirits as he did. They heard the door close behind them as Mr Phillips entered the room. Anne dropped the apple into her basket for later, and started to pull out her books.
"Don't get too comfortable." He told the class. "Due to recent events..." He said he seemed to be glaring at Anne. Gilbert noticed and looked to Anne's face which had drained immediately of colour ,he wondered if he reached over to her knee again if anyone would see, he gently moved the outside of his leg next to hers, trying to comfort her in a way no one would notice but remind her that he was still next to her.. "we will need to move round the class." He gleefully scowled "Diana move forward to sit next to Girtie Pie. Anne,.." He looked directly and glaring at her "back there next to Minnie Andrews." Both Anne's a Gilbert's faces dropped. The looked at each other with a sorry expression as Anne moved her things next to Minnie. Anne now at the very back right corner of the class closest to the isle and Diana bottom left of the classroom, short of sitting Diana in the infant classes tables He really had moved them as far apart as possible and it escaped no one's notice that they were the only two moved. Although the leap from Gilbert and Anne was just an isle away (Anne and Gilbert having already been on the back row) the small space which now occupied between them seemed a thousand miles firstly to Gilbert because Anne was so far away he couldn't comfort her but secondly to Anne, she'd been deliberately moved away from the two people in the class she liked the most. Only that seemed to satisfy Mr Phillips resentful behaviour.
They all quickly went to work as Mr Phillips busied himself with Prissy Andrews. Anne saw Gilbert's hand reach across the aisle with a slip of paper in it., she carefully without being seen slipped the paper out of Gilbert's hand she quietly read the paper.
I don't see why we had to be punished. I'm sorry.
Do you want to see who can finish these sums first? Gil
That was all it read She immediately cheered up. So you want to beat me to the finish line do you Mr Blythe! She thought. She looked up and looked at him, nodded and smiled. He immediately felt better. He looked down at his work then back at Anne then winked at her. There was no blush to her cheeks as she smiled, but for the first time he didn't want a girl to blush at him, he only wanted her happy and he had done so, satisfied with his actions they both simultaneously went to work.
Over the course of the next week he noticed things were being given to Anne by other class members. He was glad for the most part, having spent most lunch times with him reading he began to worry the rest of the class may start to find their behaviour aloof from the rest of the group. There was one which he didn't like Charlie Slone giving her his slate pencil. Anne had accepted it gracefully and had smiled at him! Actually smiled! Gilbert didn't fail to notice Charilie seemed so happy his work had been sorely affected.
Serves him right. Gilbert thought bitterly to himself. He had no right trying to swoop in and take Anne from him. As soon as the thought had formed he cursed himself for it. No that was unkind, he thought. Charlie was simply being a friend like everyone else, there was nothing about Anne taking the gift which implied she liked Charlie any better, And anyway she is sharing her apples with me. Gilbert thought smugly.
"Mrs Barry I wonder if I might have a word?" Gilbert had thought of a plan and he was about the execute it.
"Hallo Gilbert, why what a young man you are growing into, you must be 2 inches taller than the last time we spoke."
Everyone had always loved Gilbert, even since a little boy he was able to charm adults his mother had often said she was wrapped around his little finger. Maybe just maybe this once it would work in Anne's favour. He had noticed Mrs Barry had come every day after school the past week to pick up Diana from school. Being so close to Green Gables she had no guarantee Anne and Diana weren't walking home together so she had taken the time out to come and get Diana herself. The whole thing seemed ridicules to Gilbert, it must put her whole evening back by at least an hour, such a terrible inconvenience. Maybe he could lighten her load.
"Thank you Mrs Barry, I was 14 last month, I think the age may be improving me."
"What would you like to ask dear?" She asked him, fiddling with Diana's scarf
"Well I was just thinking that you take a big chunk of your day out walking back and forth from school every day, I'm sure you have other things you need to do being a busy housewife and all. If you would like I wouldn't mind walking Diana. I know you mean to keep her and Anne apart and I respect that but, I could walk Diana to the end of the lane, make sure they don't talk and you could meet us there. That way you will have only left the house half an hour tops each day rather than the round hour and a half trip you must be taking each day."
Diana looked up in shock. Was he actually trying to keep them apart now? What had come over him?
"You are awfully pally with that girl" Mrs Barry said eyeing Gilbert up. She looked for any signs of deceit. "It's improper for a young man to be seen with a girl."
He thought that might be her initial reaction "Oh but girls and boys can be friends can't they, and there would be no cause for alarm, I am only a year older then Diana, there wouldn't be anything improper about it, you can even come and meet us at first if it pleased you."
"You would keep her away from 'that' girl?" she asked.
Inside something made him crawl to hear Anne be spoken of in such a way but he simply couldn't let it be seen. If Mrs Barry caught on… " I'd feel better knowing you were able to get on with your housework." He said, he looked up at her with the most sincere expression he could muster.
"I suppose it is taking a big chunk out of my day. I need to know I can trust you boy." She glared for a moment. "But I suppose, I can meet you at the lane for a while, to make sure you are carrying out my wishes."
"Yes Ma'am I would feel better, thank you"
"Then you can start Monday. Can you be there at half past eight? Then on afternoons half three?" She said to him. He nodded, She turned to Diana "Your lucky to have such a gentlemen as a friend."
He didn't think to tell Anne of his plan, he thought they were such kindred spirits now she wold have figured he would have a plan up his sleeve. However something was worrying him as he approached green gables the following day (a Saturday afternoon) he saw Anne coming down the lane to see him coming for her to swiftly turn her back and start walking away.
"Anne!" He called running to her to catch up wait a minute!" he called.
"Go away!" She shouted behind her, "What could make you think I want to see you?!" He was totally at a lost.
"What have I done?", he said coming within 5 yards of her.
"This!" she said holding up a letter he took if from her and saw it was from Diana.
He quickly scanned it, it was describing the conversation he had had with Diana's mother. "You want to keep us apart so you are my only friend? How could you Gilbert!"
Ow! The 'Bert' bit of his name hurt him momentarily. He enjoyed being called Gil by her, she was still the only one which did but it always sounded so natural from her. She snatched the letter from him and made to get away but he grabbed her arm. "Let go of me!" she demanded.
"Wait a minute you ninny!" he told her "I don't want to keep you apart." He said to her.
"Then why did you tell Mrs Barry that you did?"
"Yes because my plan would have worked had I said I intended to walk you both home so you could talk, that would have backfired!"
Anne heard the words but didn't comprehend them at first. "what plan?" she asked.
Confident this meant she was staying he dropped her wrist. "You know the short cut through the woods we could take that and walk to the top of the lane, you could stay behind for a few minutes, long enough to convince Mrs Barry we are walking separately then follow us down the lane, that way if we take the shortcut it only take 10 minutes to get to the end of the lane faster then 25 minutes going the road, you and Diana could have 15 minutes all to yourselves There and back, half an hour a day. I could walk behind you both you could ignore my presence altogether." He paused as he recognised the look of relief and joy which spread across Anne's face. "How could you think I would want to do this to keep you apart Anne?"
"Oh Gil!" She said throwing her arms around him "I'm so sorry!" His arms at first had no idea where to go, but slowly as she didn't let go he wrapped his arms round her mid back. "Gil, thank you." She said ,he heard her starting to sob.
"Oh Anne don't cry" he said moving her to his side so they could start to walk. "When are you going to learn Anne, I'm your friend, I will always be on your side and I will always be here for you."
"Always? you promise?" she asked rubbing her eyes.
"Promise." He said chuckling. "Come on I'll show you the route we'll take."
His plan was executed perfectly. Mrs Barry had no idea Gilbert was walking them through a short cut then allowing them those blissful 30 minutes each day. Each and every day Diana and him would join the path from the main road and come into sight of Mrs Barry, and Anne would follow a minute or two behind. Mrs Barry would thank Gilbert then when she was out of sight he and Anne would walk back to green Gables to study. As winter fast approached it would be more difficult through the woods, sometimes the 15 minutes because of the weather conditions was in fact 5 but it didn't matter to Anne or Diana and they both loved Gilbert so for keeping them a secret. Though Diana hadn't called him Gil, the three struck up an unusual sort of friendship. Gilbert had found he quite liked Diana away from her shy persona he had been used to, under it all she was a sweet girl. Still nothing compared to Anne.