silent storms | AWAE

shirley and blythe

anne

"Yellow, definitely yellow," Diana Barry says, pointing over Ruby Gillis' shoulder at the architectural model she was coloring in for a project. Anne Shirley was sitting on her bed, a book in her hand.

"Really? I was thinking a light blue," Ruby asks, tilting her head up to look at Diana. Anne pulls her book down, staring at the two girls. The two hold a gaze and Anne narrows her eyes, watching them more closely. Diana's dark eyes were deeply focused on Ruby's light ones. The two stopped talking completely and just stared, not blinking.

"Guys?" Anne asks, tilting her head to one side. "Are you okay?"

Diana and Ruby immediately go back to the model, still not speaking. Anne noticed Ruby picked up the yellow pencil and she smiled to herself, nestling back into her book.

The quiet didn't last for much longer.

"Anne!" Elliot yells, popping his head into her room. Anne looks up, rolling her eyes. "Professor Valdez put up the partner assignments!"

Diana turns and looks at Anne, a smile on her face. Anne sighs, sliding off her bed and walking over to Elliot, "If I get Gilbert Blythe I swear."

-

Anne tries to push past the crowd of twenty or so kids trying to see their partner assignments. She ends up making her way to the front, her eyes scanning for "Shirley".

She feels her heart sink as she finds her name. "Shirley and Blythe," she says quietly, backing up out of the crowd and leans her back against the wall. She waits for Elliot to finish finding his partner, staring down at the hardwood floor the entire time.

"I can't believe Josie Pye is my partner," Elliot says angrily, slamming his back against the wall next to Anne.

"I have Gilbert Blythe," Anne says, crossing her arms across her chest, obviously angry.

Elliot stares down at her, shaking his head with a small smile, "You really don't like this guy?"

"It's confusing," Anne says, dismissing the subject with a wave of her hand. Elliot stays persistent, wanting to hear the story.

"Tell me!" Elliot says, grabbing Anne's wrist and pulling her to the dining hall. It was mostly empty except for a couple kids eating an early dinner.

"It's not exciting Elliot," Anne starts, refusing to make eye contact with him. "I just don't want to swoon over him. I don't want to get played by him. I don't want to be known as the fool."

Elliot immediately softens, his eyes searching for hers. "Anne, you refuse to be friends because you don't want to like him?" Anne nods her head and he continues, "Gilbert is a really kind guy. He would never play someone. It's not his fault every girl seems to like him. Speaking from a friend's perspective, he would never hurt anyone, especially not you Anne."

Anne takes in this information and stands up, saying a quick goodbye to Elliot. She walks out of the dining hall and to the first floor.

As she's about to walk into Gilbert's room, she sees a tall figure appear out of his face and start walking at a fast pace towards her. She cannot seem to move her feet and the figure doesn't see her.