𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝘨. 𝘣𝘭𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘦

VIII.

As I get to Baddeck, I have only one thing on my mind – How Gilbert chased after me, how he called my name. I loved him. Auntie watches me, waiting for a reaction, but I only have a straight face. We stay with some family, and I start a new life there.

I would be starting a new school, one that's more advanced. I put on a dress and braided my hair. The school is large, much bigger than the one in Avonlea. However, I meet and make some new friends – Ophelia, Jane, and Pierre. Ophelia is outgoing and bubbly, while Jane is a bit quieter. Pierre is...tall, handsome, but no Gilbert. We have advanced Arithmetic, English, History, Geography, Arts, and a class we can pick. I chose Poetry, of course, and surprisingly, so did Jane.

Poetry is a simple class, we make poems, and share them. I share the one that Gilbert first heard as well. "Life is too short for all the lives I have dreamt of living" I say, remembering our walk through the forest. "That was great," Jane whispers. "Thank you," I say with a smile. Even though Poetry is great, my favorite class is English, which is taught by Ms. Muriel Stacy. She wears trousers which seems to be common here, and I tell myself to buy some later. We also do poetry in this class, but Ms. Stacy is outgoing, and creates a great aura in the classroom.

As class ends, I walk back to the place we are staying. "How was school?" Auntie asks. "Pretty good, I learn a lot," I say and head towards the stairs. "Good, now, dinner will be ready soon, you may do schoolwork now," Auntie says, and I nod. I go upstairs and find the stack of letters tied with a ribbon. I re-read through each one, and tears fill my eyes. I tie them back up and place them in a drawer, locked away.

Gilbert's POV:

I go back to the school, where Anne waits expectedly. "Well Did she come back with you?" She asks. I sigh and built up anger bursts. "No, Anne, this isn't one of your beautiful stories, okay? Real-life doesn't always have happy endings," I say harshly. Anne looks at me. "I-, I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated," I say. "No, it's okay, I understand," She says softly.

I walk back to the boys, where Moody is telling everyone something. "Yeah, I heard we're getting a new teacher from a different town," He says. "Who?" I ask. "Uh, I don't know who, just a different teacher, at least that's what Mother says," He replies. "Oh, Alright," I say quietly.

Rosalie's POV:

Time flies by, and I've already been here two-and-a-half months. Dreadful news arrived a few days ago, Ms. Stacy would be leaving to teach somewhere else. I start to wear trousers, which are much more comfortable than dresses, and I don't understand why women didn't start wearing them earlier. The day that Ms. Stacy leaves, I wear a beige blouse, brown trousers, and a brown coat. "Well, Today is my last day, as many of you know," She says. We all look sad; Ms. Stacy left an impact upon us all. "This has been an amazing class to teach, and I will miss you all dearly." She says. "We'll miss you too!" Ophelia calls out and we all nod in agreement. Another exciting day passes, and I go back home again.

~

Another month passes by, and Auntie has been receiving letters, each one brings a worried look to her face. One day, she sighs and looks at me. "Rosalie, we're going to have to go back to Avonlea. The farm is there, and It needs to be taken care of, we must go," She says. "Oh-, I understand," I say softly. I would see Anne, Diana, and most importantly, Gilbert. "We should try to leave as soon as possible, so perhaps in a few days," She says. I nod and head upstairs.

I pack all my belongings into a big brown bag and place it by the door on our last day. Good-byes were already said to Ophelia, Jane, and Pierre. The house looks empty as I stand by the door looking around. "Ready?" Auntie asks. "Yep," I say, and we leave behind a house once more.