A New Beginning || Gilbert Blythe x Oc ||

Chapter 5

Anne's frustration was palpable as she continued to voice her grievances. "Oh, Miss Cuthbert wasn't happy to see me. She didn't care a whit," she declared, her words laced with hurt and indignation.

"But Rachel Lynde told Mother that Miss Cuthbert was torn asunder after you left," Diana interjected quickly, hoping to offer some solace to her friend.

"Not possible," Anne insisted vehemently, her disbelief evident in her tone.

"Miss Cuthbert was so upset, Rachel Lynde feared she'd take sick," Diana persisted, her eyes pleading with Anne to believe her.

"Not possible!" Anne repeated, her frustration mounting with each repetition of Diana's words.

Lydia couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the tension between her friends. She glanced back and forth between Anne and Diana, her worry growing with each passing moment. Anne's fiery temper was well-known, and Lydia feared that Diana's well-intentioned words were only serving to stoke the flames of her anger.

"Well, that's what she told Mother," Diana added, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

With a roll of her eyes, Lydia couldn't contain her frustration any longer. She had never met Miss Lynde, but the woman's meddling was already proving to be a source of annoyance.

"Then why doesn't she show it?" Anne demanded furiously, her gaze fixed on Diana with an intensity that made Lydia's heartache.

Anne came to a sudden stop in front of Diana, her eyes blazing with emotion as she confronted her friend. Lydia watched with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, torn between her loyalty to Anne and her desire to ease the tension between them.

"It's hard to believe she was sorrowful when she doesn't seem to like me at all," Anne added, her voice tinged with hurt and frustration.

"At least you're home now," Diana said calmly, her voice carrying a soothing reassurance.

Anne seemed to calm down from Diana's words, and as a result, Lydia felt a wave of relaxation wash over her. The tension that had gripped her chest slowly eased, replaced by a sense of relief at seeing her friend once more. Without hesitation, the three girls moved closer, wrapping each other in a comforting hug.

"I've missed you, both," Anne's voice was filled with genuine warmth as she embraced her friends.

The hug was a moment of shared solace, a silent acknowledgment of the bond that had brought them together. As they pulled away, their hands remained intertwined, a physical manifestation of their unspoken solidarity.

"And I don't mean to seem ungrateful," Anne continued, her tone softening. She moved towards a nearby fence post, effortlessly climbing onto it with the grace of a seasoned acrobat.

"And it did fill my heart with joy to be back in Green Gables!" Anne exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across her face.

Her spontaneous display of joy elicited giggles from Lydia and Diana, who couldn't help but be swept up in Anne's infectious enthusiasm. With synchronized movements, they joined Anne on the fence post, perched precariously but filled with a sense of camaraderie.

"But I feel they could send me away at any moment," Anne confessed, her smile faltering slightly.

"But now that it's all settled, why would they?" Diana interjected, her brow furrowing with concern as she searched Anne's eyes for answers.

Lydia's worry only deepened as Anne remained silent, her gaze distant as if lost in thoughts too heavy to share. Finally, Anne spoke, her words tinged with a vulnerability that pierced through the playful facade she had momentarily donned.