Meet me in the woods ~ Billy Andrews

Chapter 2

Ruth flipped through her book, reading the story within the pages. It was the evening and Ruth was waiting for her mother to finish preparing dinner.

There was a knock at the door and Ruth set down her book, she skipped down the stairs and opened the door seeing Billy standing in the doorway.

"Hello Billy, would you like to come in for tea?" Ruth greeted him with a smile.

"Sorry Ruth, I can't. My mother sent me over to fetch you and Mrs. Jackson to come over to our house, it's an emergency." Billy apologized.

"I'll go get her, come in." Ruth opened the door and Billy came inside, following her to the kitchen.

"Oh, hello Billy. What brings you here?" Mrs. Jackson greeted Billy.

"My mother asked me to bring you both over, it's about Prissy." Billy said in a very urgent manner. 

Mrs. Jackson was silent for a moment, looking between Billy and the stew on the stove.  "Alright."  She said at last and disappeared into the house, coming back with the maid to tend the food.  "Let's go dear."

Ruth and her mother fetched their wraps and the three set out for the Andrews house.

Prissy had cried and cried for hours to Josie Pye, Jane, Billie and Ruth. She told them about how Anne had slandered her name and made up horrific lies about her, it was the filthy things she had been talking about earlier and Prissy was most certainly upset about what people would think of her after all the lies. Ruths' mother and Mrs. Andrews had a long adult talk in the living room throughout the night, pondering what they would do to help Prissy, and how to deal with Anne. As Ruth sat with Prissy, Josie, Billy and Jane, she thought about all the crude stuff Anne had said, the more she thought the more she despised Anne, the more she hated Anne.  She had made up her mind right then that she wanted nothing to do with Anne Shirley.

Prissy, Jane and Josie had fallen asleep on Prissy's bed while Ruth and Billy sat on the floor. 

"Someone needs to teach that girl a lesson."  Billy spoke, breaking the silence between them. 

Ruth looked over at him confused, "What do you mean?"

"I mean she can't get away with the slander she said about my sister."'

"You're going to go hurt her aren't you."  Ruth looked away, imagining what Billy would do.

"Don't worry about it."  He said with a tone that scared Ruth a bit.

The two sat in silence once more, slowly falling asleep together on the floor.  The next morning Ruth was woken up by Jane and Josie, she looked around and both Prissy and Billy were gone, most likely to get ready for school. 

"Mother made us breakfast, hurry and get ready we'll leave for school soon."  Jane said. 

Ruth sat up and smoothed out her dress, she used the comb Jane had lent her to brush out her hair and putting it into a ponytail with her orange ribbon. She followed Jane and Josie downstairs to the kitchen where Mrs. Andrews was baking. "Ruth, your mom dropped off your school apron and lunch basket." Mrs. Andrews said, pointing towards the chair where her things sat.

"Thank you." Ruth nodded.  The three girls grabbed some scones from a plate on the table, along with an apple each and they set off towards school.  When they got to school Ruth joined the girls at the front of the class and Jane went to sit with Prissy.  Billy came into the school soon after, he looked annoyed by something and Ruth partly wanted to go over to see what was wrong.  She was about to walk over to him, but right then the school door opened and Anne walked in, the girls gasped when they saw Gilbert Blythe follow her in.  A frown grew on Ruths face and she looked over to see Ruby start to tear up.  Ruth quickly wrapped her arms around Ruby and turned her face towards her so no one would see Ruby crying.  Anne left to go to the creek and I let Ruby go, then all of us went after Anne.