Disclaimer: I do not own Anne with An E, nor do I own anything to do with Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne Of Green Gables books. All rights and credits go to the creators of the show, the movies, and the books!
Enjoy it! And don't forget to always: READ AND REVIEW! Now enough about me! Get on to the story!
The heavy wooden door of the Avonlea schoolhouse burst open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Billy Andrews stormed through the entrance, his face twisted with anger and a determination that made the air inside the room feel electric. The students froze in place, their pencils hovering over their work, wide eyes darting toward him.
Anne looked up from her notebook, startled. She'd barely had time to process the destruction of her hideaway, her private sanctuary where she let her imagination run wild, where her thoughts could soar. It had been cruelly reduced to rubble by none other than Billy Andrews. That sacred space had held her precious book, her heart poured into the pages. All of it was gone.
Billy's glare swept across the room, landing on Cole. "You think you can just hide behind your friends? You think I'm gonna let this slide?"
Cole, sitting beside Anne, stood up swiftly, his face set with a calm defiance. "You destroyed Anne's hideaway, Billy. What did you think was gonna happen? That we'd just sit back and let you bully her?"
Billy's lip curled in disgust. "You don't know a thing about what I was doing."
Without another word, Billy lunged at Cole. The two boys clashed with a force that sent desks screeching backward, students gasping in alarm. Billy swung wildly, but Cole was quick, ducking out of his way. Anne's heart pounded in her chest as she leapt to her feet, trying to intervene.
"Stop it! Both of you!" Anne shouted, her voice strained with panic. She grabbed onto Cole's arm, trying to pull him back before things escalated further. Too much further.
But in the chaos, Cole, attempting to shrug Anne off, pushed harder than he meant to. His arm knocked her backward, and she stumbled, her hands flailing as she fell toward the stove. Anne's forehead collided with the hot coal stove, a searing pain instantly blossoming across her skin. A blood-curdling scream tore from her throat.
"Anne!" Cole cried, his eyes wide with horror.
At the same moment, Billy had been knocked into the stove, his ear making contact with the scorching surface. He let out a guttural yell, clutching his ear as blood and blisters formed instantly.
The classroom was silent except for their cries of pain. The students sat in stunned stillness, their faces pale with shock.
Anne's head spun, the pain throbbing in her forehead as she struggled to sit up. Her eyes, blurred with tears, met Billy's across the room. He was cradling his ear, his face contorted with pain, but through it, there was something else in his expression. Regret? Guilt?
She couldn't understand it. What had happened? Why had he done it?
"Billy…" she croaked, her voice hoarse from the pain. "Why did you destroy it? What did I ever do to you?"
Billy looked down at the floor, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. His voice was shaky when he finally spoke. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. I swear, I didn't know it was yours."
Anne blinked through the tears, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Billy winced, both from the pain and from what he had to admit. "I thought someone was hiding the fox there. That place—I thought it was where they were keeping it safe. I didn't know it was your hideaway until Cole told me.
"The fox?" Anne repeated, her mind spinning. That wild fox she had seen roaming near the woods? He had done all this because of that?
Billy nodded, avoiding her eyes. "I've been tracking it for weeks. It's been stealing from our traps, and I thought someone was protecting it. I didn't know…"
The realization washed over Anne like a cold wave. He hadn't been trying to hurt her. It was a misunderstanding, a terrible one, but it didn't change the fact that her beloved hideaway—her private escape—was destroyed. And her favorite book...
"My book," Anne whispered, her voice barely audible. "My favorite book was in there. It's gone now."
Billy's face fell, and for the first time, Anne saw real guilt in his eyes. "I didn't know. If I had known…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. There was no way to fix what had been done.
Before they could speak any further, the teacher hurried over, her face pale with concern. "Anne, Billy, you need to go to the doctor immediately."
A few days later, after the burns on Anne's forehead and Billy's ear had started to heal, Anne found herself walking toward Billy Andrews' house. They had been paired together for a homework assignment, and though things were still awkward between them, Anne had agreed to meet him at his home. Part of her was still processing everything, trying to come to terms with what had happened.
When Billy opened the door, he looked different—quieter, more subdued. His ear was still bandaged, and there was a wariness in his eyes, as if he wasn't sure how to approach the situation either.
"Hey," Billy said, stepping aside to let her in.
"Hi," Anne replied, her voice soft.
They settled at the kitchen table, books and papers spread out in front of them. For a long while, they worked in silence, the only sound the scratch of pencils against paper. But there was an unspoken tension in the air, something neither of them could ignore forever.
Billy finally broke the silence, his voice quiet. "Can I ask you something?"
Anne glanced up, surprised by the uncertainty in his tone. "Sure."
He hesitated, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of his notebook. "What was it like… at the orphanage?"
Anne's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't a question she was expecting. Memories she had tried so hard to keep buried came flooding back—dark, cold nights, the loneliness, the constant feeling of being unwanted. Her chest tightened, and her throat felt dry.
"I don't really like talking about it," Anne said, her voice small.
Billy nodded, sensing her discomfort. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something painful. I just… I was curious."
Anne bit her lip, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. But she had been asked. She couldn't keep it in forever.
"It was horrible," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was always alone. Always waiting for someone to come, for someone to want me. But they never did. Not for a long time."
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away, embarrassed to be crying in front of Billy Andrews of all people. But before she could hide her face, Billy's hand reached out and gently brushed her cheek, wiping away a tear.
"I'm sorry, Anne," he whispered, his voice filled with an unexpected softness. "I didn't know. I didn't realize how much you went through."
Anne sniffled, trying to pull herself together. "It's okay. I don't like thinking about it, but I guess it's a part of who I am."
Billy didn't say anything for a moment, his hand still resting on her cheek. Then, before Anne could fully process what was happening, he leaned in and kissed her.
It was gentle, tentative, as if he wasn't entirely sure it was the right thing to do. But Anne definitely didn't pull away. Instead, she let herself sink into the moment, the warmth of his lips against hers, the unexpected tenderness in the boy who had once been her tormentor.
When they finally pulled apart, Billy looked at her with an expression she had never seen before—soft, vulnerable. "I didn't mean to make you cry," he said quietly. "But I want you to know, you're not alone anymore. You have people who care about you. I care."
Anne's heart swelled, and for a brief moment, she felt something shift between them—something that couldn't easily be put into words.
Liitle did they know, the door to Billy's room was slightly ajar, and from the hallway, Prissy and Jane Andrews were peeking in, their eyes wide with surprise.
"Did you see that?" Prissy whispered, her grin spreading across her face.
Jane nodded, her expression just as shocked. "I didn't know Billy and Anne were… like that."
Prissy stifled a giggle. "I always thought he'd end up with Josie Pye. But now... now I'm not too sure."
Jane smirked. "I guess we were wrong." She laughed.
As the two sisters tiptoed away from Billy's bedroom door, they continued whispering about what they had just witnessed, leaving Anne and Billy in their own world, unaware that their secret was no longer so secret.
Back in the room, Anne and Billy exchanged a shy smile, their connection deeper than it had ever been before. Whatever came next, they knew they would face it together.
