Gilbert and Anne

TWO.

  With help from Diana, Anne had hung up her twinkling fairy lights around her bed and the window. She had also finished putting her covers, blanket and pillows on her bed, accompanied by her life-long buddy, her Dumbo teddy, given by Matthew and Marilla on her first birthday with them.
   Anne had barely begun with sorting out her desk/vanity, let alone putting her clothes into their places in the wardrobe. Diana however worked much faster than Anne and was just about halfway done putting her clothes away.
   Diana's phone buzzed as it sat on her bed. Checking it, she smiled, "everyone's waiting for us at lunch." Diana grabbed Anne's hand, dragging her from her desk and out the room.
   "Who exactly is 'everyone'? Other than Gilbert." Anne asks as they walk down the hallway.
   "Okay, So we have me, Gilbert," Diana begins, "Ruby, Cole and Jerry. And now we have you Anne." Anne smiles at the sentiment, but feels a wave of anxiety as they reach the bottom floor, what if they don't like me?
   Diana seemed to sense this, "chill, you got this. They'll love you."

   The canteen was filled with kids ranging from 14-18 years old, Anne felt it was impossible trying to find anyone, but Diana pushed through the teens with no problem, and made her way into the far corner of the maze of beings. As the crowd seemed to clear Anne saw Gilbert's head appear in between two heads of gold. She could only assume one of the heads belonged to Ruby as the hair fell past her shoulders in curls and half was held back with bobby pins. Gilbert saw Anne and smiled, ending his conversation with the golden haired boy. He turned to match Gilbert's gaze, his eyes falling on Anne and Diana. He stood and quickly embraced Diana in a hug. His movement alerted the other two strangers sat at the table alongside Gilbert. They ran at Diana, greeting her again after a summer apart.

   The golden haired boy's gaze fell on Anne, "you must be Anne, Gilbert told us all about you." He opened his mouth to continue but he revived a jab in the side from said boy, "I'm Cole." He reaches to shake her hand, but is interrupted by the other unknown boy - who Anne can only assume was Jerry - .
   "Hello, I'm Jerry, it's nice to meet you." His accent screamed French, and she took his hand, and then returned to Coke to shake his.
   It's not long before she's greeted by Ruby, "Anne it's so nice to meet you!" She may be short, but she was strong, and pulled Anne into a hug within seconds.
   "It's so nice to meet you too, Ruby right?" She nods, smiling brightly revealing dimples on both her cheeks.
   "Hello again New." Gilbert smiles lopsidedly, Anne cringes at her own stupidity being relived in her head. Placing a hand on the small of her back he leads her to a seat at the table and takes a seat next to her.

  The next hour or so seems to fly by for the six teens seemed to fly by. A healthy dose of catching up and getting to know Anne and her getting to know everyone, mixed with an unhealthy dose of Gilbert watching Anne's every move and junk food made for a very amusing hour or so. It got to about 1:25pm when Ruby's phone buzzed.
"Agh. Josie needs my help in the room. I should go." She gets up and hugs everyone from behind starting with Jerry, Cole, Gilbert, Anne, and Diana.
She began to walk through the nearly empty canteen when Cole shouted after her, "meet at 5 outside! Don't forget!"
She spins around grinning, "I won't!"
"Wait. What's happening at 5 outside?" Anne looks around confused.
"After we come back from the holidays we all dress up nicely and go for dinner at this Italian place in the town not far from here. And then we get ice cream." Gilbert explains to her.
"That sounds like such a nice tradition. I hope you guys have fun." Anne says genuinely.
"Erm, well I hope you have fun, because your obviously coming with us." Cole explains as if it were as simple as 2+2.
"I don't want to impose."
"Are you kidding? It would be imposing if you were Josie Pye and invited yourself. But you're Anne and we want you to come." Jerry adds smiling at Anne.
"Are you sure? Because..." but Anne was cut off by hands on top of her own.
"Anne." He looks into her light blue eyes softly, "we want you to join us for dinner, and every single dinner after that."
"Thank you, Gilbert." She whispered, she watched him watching her lips move slowly.

Jerry, Cole and Diana all stare at each other in bewilderment at the sight in front of them. Clearing her throat Diana stands and taps Anne on the shoulder, taking her out of her Blythe filled daze.
"We should probably get back and unpack so we can start getting ready." Anne turns back to her, moving her hands out from under Gilbert's, in turn pulling him out of his daze.

   Cole and Jerry watched Gilbert as he watched Anne walk away. He watched as her hair shifted from left to right as she followed Diana. As the light created a silhouette around her at all times. "Isn't she perfect?"
   "Oh Diana. Definitely. In the if "I weren't gay I'd totally marry Diana" sort of way." Cole jokes.
   "Fuck you dude." Gilbert laughs.