Gilbert's POV
I had to make it up to Anne, so I started at once. I went to school early, hoping nobody else would, with a pack of chalk in my bag. After a few glances over my shoulder, I got out a chalk and wrote as big as I could Anne Shirley Cuthbert is the cleverest girl in all of Avonlea. I smirked. Anne wouldn't settle for the cleverest girl. She just had to be the cleverest person. I rubbed girl out, and replaced it with person. This would really improve her ego, a smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I sneaked out of the classroom and through the woods.
Anne's POV
I dared to show my face again at school, but only so I could take Gilbert Blythe down. Diana told me it was the annual Spelling Bee today, and Gilbert Blythe always won. Gilbert Blythe you better kiss that trophy goodbye, I thought while walking school, taking a shortcut through the woods. "Speak of the devil," I muttered under my breath as I saw him walking away from school, which was peculiar, but I didn't question it. I only talked to civilised people, and Gilbert Blythe did not fall under that category. As soon as he saw me, his face flushed, but it was cold so I don't blame him. Actually I do blame him. I blame him for everything. With that sorted I pushed past him, my head held high, and trudged across the forest floor
"May I walk with you to school?" he shouted from behind.
"I'm perfectly capable myself." I swung on my heel to face him, he looked slightly disappointed, but I pushed that to the back of my head and said "Isn't it funny that some carrots are more capable than some humans?" I continued on my way to school.
"Yes. They are extremely capable of beating said humans in the head with a slate" he smirked at me.
"They are even more capable at beating said humans at Spelling Bees, believe it or not," I snapped, and continued my way to school, feeling quite satisfied.
Gilbert's POV
How very Anne to say that, I thought as made my way to school, without Anne, as she was 'perfectly capable herself'. I kept my distance, but I was still close enough to see Anne's reaction when she saw the board. As soon as Anne opened the door, a flurry of giggles swept into the cold Winter air, but Anne stuck her nose in the air, and walked in looking as if she had not a care in the world. She halted, staring ahead, and the once reasonably loud classroom became an uproar of laughs. I rushed in to see her rub my carefully written words out, silent tears running down her cheeks as children taunted her, "You got a lover, Anne", "How does it feel to be the cleverest in all of Avonlea, Anne?", "Surely, Anne, you're the cleverest in the world?". The guilt, shame and sympathy I felt for Anne was higher than I ever felt, and I had to constrict myself from hugging her and begging for her forgiveness.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!" Anne screamed at the top of her voice, and rushed to the door, her hands covering her face. Just as she opened the door, there stood Mr Phillips, his moustache quaking with anger.
"Anne Shirley Cuthbert. You, little girl, have been disrupting this class and disgracing my name from day one! So help me, I would expel you on the spot if it weren't your first week! You will be required to stay in for an extra 1 hour and 30 minutes after school repenting for your sinful deeds."
I didn't think it possible but I felt even more guilty. I knew what I had to do to even slightly ease the shame I felt.
Anne's POV
Embarrassment. I stood in front of Mr Phillips, staring at the floorboards, wishing for it all to be over, yet still it felt like hours til he had finished. I felt the glare of what felt like 1000 eyes. If I could've, I would've ran out of that door before he even said 'Anne Shirley Cuthbert'! But I didn't. I mumbled an incoherent apology, then shuffled to my chair and slumped down next to Diana, and put my head in my hands.
"Oh Anne! Don't be disheartened. Remember the spelling bee! You will beat Gilbert Blythe, I'm sure," she whispered while Mr Phillip wrote 'Spelling Bee'. I tried to obliterate the recent events out of my head and replaced it with pure determination. He called everybody to the front of the room. I stood on the end, hoping to be first.
"Anne, spell obey" This was the most easiest of all.
"O-B-E-Y" I said, as sure as ever, feeling the need to redeem myself and the only way of doing so was winning the Spelling Bee.
Gilbert's POV
One by one, everybody was sent back to their seats with a disappointed face and an insolent remark from Mr Phillips. Everybody, that was, except Anne. I stared at her with admiration. She truly was the cleverest in all of Avonlea. After me, obviously. She isn't that clever. I broke out of my daydream as Mr Phillip said,
"Gilbert! Spell courting."
I couldn't help staring at Anne and saying, "C-O-U-R-T-I-N-G".
"Correct. Anne, spell marriage"
"M-A-R-R-I-A-G-E" I smiled at her while she said it. She didn't return it.
"Correct. Gilbert. Your word is 'beauty'"
"B-E-A-U-T-Y"
"Correct. Anne spell onomatopoeia"
"I'm sorry?"
"Onomatopoeia. Spell it. Preferably today"
"O-N-O-M-A-T-O-P-O-I-A"
"You forgot the E, ironic. Congratulations, Gilbert, you are the winner of the annual spelling bee" A roar from the boy's side filled the class room. "As for you, Anne Shirley Cuthbert, your stay has extended to 2 hours for your inexcusable stupidity. Now go back to your seat at once, I always knew you were too stupid for this class"
"But, sir, that's not fair! She is easily the cleverest person in Avonlea! You gave her such a complex word, I wouldn't be able to spell that either That's so unju-"
"Mr Blythe! Are you questioning my teaching methods? If you care so much about this Anne, then you can spend 2 hours with her after school. Now go back to your seat and think about what you've done!"
For the first time in my life, I felt sympathy for Gilbert Blythe. Mind you, it was only a little. It wasn't like I wanted to run up and hug him, no, that would just be absurd...
Author's note: You're still here. Wow. Thought everyone would've gone by now
