AHEAD BY A CENTURY - ANNE WITH AN E

9. I will not kiss you

"I'm sorry Josie. I can't kiss you.." Gilbert took a step back, turning to face the door, longing for Anne.
Josie face turned sour, she flicked her hair in frustration. Waiting for someone to come to the rescue and save her from embarrassment that Gilbert Blythe, the most perfect boy in Avonlea didn't want to kiss her.
"Why the hell not." Billy shoved Gilbert hard, but Gilbert remained strongly on his two feet.
"Because it's not right." Gilbert stated painfully.
"Everyone says your such the gentleman, Blythe. But it's not true."
"A gentleman would not kiss a girl when there is no romance between them." Gilbert said, disgusted by the fact that he was going to kiss Josie, a girl he was only briefly acquainted with.
"You've been hanging around that ugly orphan for too long. Come to think of it, I came to your house last night. You weren't there. I wouldn't be surprised if you were playing spin the bottle with her!" Billy smirked, the class laughing along.
Gilbert punched Billy in the face leaving the entire class in shock. Billy stepped back and hesitated for a moment before grabbing the cane that sat, dusty, leaning against the wall, abandoned. Billy took a swing at Gilbert ferociously, striking at his head and Stomach blindly. Billy was just swinging it like a maniac, not caring where it hit him.
Billy probably wouldn't kiss Josie either but he wanted to show off and have the girls fawning over him, adoringly.
"Your gonna learn. Blythe. That I'm the real man here, your-" *hit* "Just-" *hit* "A stupid." *hit* "boy." *hit*
Gilbert had backed into the corner, his face bruised and bloody. His limbs had given up the fight and his clothes ripped.
~~~✿
As Anne rushed to the school building. To Gilbert. The rose had escaped her hand, tumbling across the grass, the petals abandoning it.
Ruby and Diana chased after her, Moody too. "Anne" they screamed but Anne couldn't hear. Her mind was too focused on Gilbert.
As anne entered the school building she discovered Gilbert in the corner, no tears, no anger, no happiness. Just a blank expression as though he were lifeless. Of course he was very much alive. But he didn't want to be at that moment. Anne hurried over to him, attempting to soak the blood with her coat, Diana and ruby cane to a halt at the door, seeing Gilbert in his state. It nauseated them how Billy could mess up his dreamy face.
"Gilbert." Anne sobbed on him. Gilbert's once blank face grew concerned as he pulled Anne in to his chest, patting her head calmly.
At that point the teacher had departed way before spin the bottle had begun, meaning there were no adults for a short distance.
"Go fetch the adults!" Diana yelled at the dumbfounded students.
"Where does it hurt." Anne whispered to him, trying her best to be calm, but her hands trembled as she stroked his cheek.
Her ashen hands where cold against his face, he shivered at her touch, but Anne assumed that it was paining him so she removed her hand.
~~~✿
"There was a fight at the school. There's been an injury." One of the blunter students had been sent, unaware of the exact details besides what he had stated.
Mr Barry, Matthew Cuthbert, Mr and Mrs Gillis and Marilla had entered the school, rushing to their children protectively.
Matthew and Marilla spotted Anne, attending to Gilbert's injury's, tears streaming down her frustrated face.
"Anne!" gasped the Cuthbert siblings, rushing to her side.
"Whatever happened?" Marilla inquired.
"I was outside w-with Ruby and Diana and Moody Came out stating that Gilbert had been in a fight, but it doesn't seem like a fight, more a beating up." Anne sobbed into Matthews shoulder.
"Quick somebody get the doctor! The boy is badly injured!" Marilla shouted amongst the chatter of students recounting the events in each of their perspectives. A group of adults and students left to either go home or call at the doctors house as it was after work hours.
"That Billy Andrews is out of control!" Ruby told Diana.
~~~✿
Some time later, the doctor arrived and pushed his way through,
"Gilbert Blythe!" The Doctor was familiar with Gilbert as Gilbert was aspiring in medicine himself. Anne was pulled back by Matthew to which Anne did not react kindly about!
"Come one Anne. Let's be going home!" Marilla pulled her hand,
"We can't! We must go with Gilbert, he has no family we can't just leave him!"
"She has a point." Matthew said to Marilla.

After what seemed like hours of waiting as the doctor examined Gilbert, he finally walked over to Marilla and Matthew and muttered to them Gilbert's diagnosis. Anne tried to eavesdrop but was unsuccessful.
"Please doctor. I must know. Is he okay?" Anne begged, practically down on her knees.
"There doesn't seem to be any serious damage to him, mostly cuts and bruises."
"Mostly?" Anne exclaimed, the doctor neglected Anne's questioning, "he should be okay but it is necessary that he doesn't attend school or does any walking or moving really for a few days. He is on bedrest for the week." Marilla sighed and nodded, Matthew stroked Anne's back in sympathy,
"As far as I know he lives alone, am I correct?"
"Unfortunately, yes." The doctor sighed,
"Would he be able to take up temporary residence at your abode? Until he has healed completely?" The doctor practically forced Gilbert upon them as she couldn't deprive a bed-bound child her hospitality.
"I suppose he'll have to."
"Oh please Marilla, allow me to stay from school to watch over him!" Anne pleaded, Marilla's face remained stern, "absolutely not. You will go to school and bring Gilbert work so that he can keep up." Marilla instructed.
Through the glass window in the door, Gilbert sat up, and gazed at Anne. Anne turned to see his gaze and returned it to him, smiling at him, assuring him that everything was going to be just fine.

A/N
This chapter is awful sorry. But I hadn't updated in a while. And it was essential to the plot so I had to. Please inform me if anything is incorrectly spelt or if I can improve In any way. 💕 thank you for 900+ reads 💗💗