Green Eyed Beauty

Chapter 2

The dark-haired girl sighed. "You can't let Ruby stop you from allowing yourself happiness, Anne. If you have feelings for Gilbert, you must tell him or he'll get tired of beating around the bush and look for some other girl's attention."

The thought of Gilbert holding hands or fooling around with another girl made Anne's heart clench as she mulled over Diana's words. Did she like him? Or did she like the attention he gave her? She quickly shook her head, there was no way she would have feelings for Gilbert Blythe, she forbade it.

"Then that's alright because I have no feelings for him whatsoever." Anne said, a tone of finality to her statement, making Diana stop pushing the topic. "Enough of Gilbert Blythe, are you excited to meet the new student? Oh, I do hope she's a kindred spirit and we all become the closest of bosom friends." She gushed.

The schoolhouse came into view and Anne and Diana went to place their lunches in the creek. Anne kept her eyes out for any new faces as more students arrived and began to feel self-conscious.

"Diana, do I look alright?" She stressed, tugging at the ends of her braids. "You don't think she'll call me homely or an ugly orphan, do you?"

Diana grabbed Anne's and gently led her into the school. "You look as radiant as ever, Anne. I don't think she'll call you anything of the sort based on what I've heard about her family." She soothed.

Anne nodded and smiled. "Thank you, dearest Diana. What would I do without you?"

She smiled as Jane, Tilly, Ruby, and Josie ran up to the two girls. "The new student is here!" Ruby squealed.

Anne's eyes widened. "Where?"

The blonde pointed to the front of the classroom where a long-haired girl was talking to a smiling Ms. Stacey. "Should we go say hello?" Jane asked, looking around the group of girls.

Josie flipped a piece of hair over her shoulder and began walking towards the front of the classroom, with the girls all trailing after her. As they neared the girl, Ms. Stacey nodded and gestured to the group of the girls.

"These are some of your new classmates, it appears they're anxious to meet you." She commented amusedly. The girl turned around and Anne gasped softly.

One of the most beautiful girls Anne had ever laid eyes on was carefully looking at the gathering of girls and offered a small smile. "Hello, I'm Jade Peyton." She greeted politely.

The girls all began to introduce themselves, one talking over the other in an attempt to make themselves heard. Anne did not say anything and rather took in the girl's appearance. She had silky curls that were the color of coffee and a face that could only be that of a princess's. She laughed lightly at the girls' eagerness, showing off her brilliant smile.

"I'm Anne Shirley-Cuthbert." She greeted proudly as the girl's green gaze met her blue one. Jade smiled.

"Jade Peyton, it's wonderful to have met all of you lovely ladies." She complimented, fixing the skirt of her light green pinafore dress.

Anne opened her mouth to compliment Jade's inhumane beauty but did not get the chance as the gruff voice of Billy Andrews carried across the classroom. "New girl! You got anyone to walk you home? Because I volunteer if no has yet!" He yelled out smugly.

Automatically, the stares quickly shifted between a now irritated Josie Pye who was glaring at Billy, and Jade whose smile quickly slipped off her face and was replaced with a look of annoyance.

"This 'new girl'," Jade replied, using air quotations, "Has a name that I recommend you learn, Mr. Andrews. I am perfectly capable of walking myself home if it means not being in your company."

The girls gasped as Billy's face flushed red in embarrassment and the class all looked to stare at Jade in astonishment. Anne's face broke out in a brilliant grin at the girl's quick reply. No one had ever shut Billy down so quickly and she wished she could burn the image of his humiliated face into her mind forever.

"Jade!" Diana whispered in mock horror as she turned to look at the girls again.

"Yes?" She answered sweetly.

"You just sassed Billy Andrews! Do you even know anything about him?" Josie scoffed, glancing at the boy and back at the green-eyed girl.

"I'm well aware of what I just did, Josie. I have no interest in learning anything about him if he is consistently that rude." She answered easily. Josie rolled her eyes and marched back to her seat as the girls burst into giggles and began to gush over how swiftly she had retaliated to Billy's remarks.

Jade smiled and blew the stray curl that was in her eye out of the way. "Growing up with 2 older siblings has its perks, I assume."

Ms. Stacey walked out of the storage room and clapped her hands together, grabbing the class's attention. "Alright, everyone to your seats! Jade, you may sit beside Ruby."

The class all shuffled into their seats, some still looking over at Jade and whispering as she took her seat in front of Anne and Diana, next to Ruby. Anne stared at the beautiful dark curls that cascaded down her back and sighed, fiddling with the ends of her red braids.

"Isn't she wonderful, Diana?" Anne mused, admiring Jade's freckled face and gentle smile as she listened to Ruby talk. "I believe she and I will make wonderful friends, seeing as we both hold a distaste for Billy Andrews." She rambled.

Diana giggled. "I think we're going to have a great year with Jade."

The friends both nodded in confirmation and turned their attention back to the board. Oh, what a year it was going to be.