𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 ~ 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐲-𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen:
"Anne, I Must Confess Something."
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Mabel felt like a liar. She felt like she was lying to anyone and everyone she had come across.

And that's because she has been. She acted like she was like the other girls in her class, like Josie Pye and Ruby Gillis.

But she wasn't. She wasn't like them. No, she didn't fawn over Gilbert Blythe or Billy Andrews.

She fawned, in silence of course, over Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. She so desperately wished Anne felt the same, but unfortunately.. she knew it would never be true.

It was driving her to the brink of maddness. Complete and utter maddness to hide this any longer.

She had to tell someone! She simply had to.

Anne had begun to sense something was wrong, and continued to grill her until she was satisfied with an answer.

Which for Anne, was not exactly the easiest task to accomplish. Anne was never satisfied with whatever excuse Mabel had managed to come up with.

"I didn't sleep much last night."

Anne didn't look amused. "Well, sleep better tonight."

Excuse after excuse.. Anne accepted none of them. She knew Mabel far too well to believe any of the obviously made up on the spot excuses.

Slept in, or not at all. Didn't eat breakfast or ate too much. On her time of the month or feeling under the weather.

Mabel was beginning to run out of excuses. She had known she would have to tell Anne soon, and had finally decided that today was that day.

Mabel nervously brushed her hands against the light red fabric of her dress. Staring herself in the mirror, she quietly practiced what she would say to Anne once she arrived.

She mumbled the words to herself, trying to avoid the waterfall of tears threatening to spill.

"Mabel! I'm here!" Anne spoke in a singsong tone as the door opened, slowly this time.

Mabel felt her blood run cold as she slowly took her teary eyes off of her reflection to Anne.

"A-Anne." Mabel murmured, causing Anne to drop what she was holding and rush over.

"Mabel? Mabel, what's wrong?" Anne took her now tearstained face into her hands. "Mabel, say something. What happened?"

"I-I-" Mabel let out a choked sob as Anne pulled her into a tight hug. "I-"

"Sh, sh, sh." Anne carefully sat her on the bed. She continued to comfortingly rub Mabel's back, patiently waiting for her to speak.

"Anne.. There's something I must confess." Mabel spoke slowly.

"Well, what is it?"

"Be-Before I do.. I ask that you be as understanding as you were with Aunt Jo and Gertie."

Anne furrowed her eyebrows, going to speak. "I-I don't.. I don't think I understand."