Becoming Anne Again

Chapter Ten

Hello Lovelies! I am going to post this chapter early because tomorrow I am literally going to have no time to. If you like it, don't forget to like, comment, and follow so you can stay updated! 

Alexander Spencer had not expected the transition to be easy, and in truth, despite the fact that Anne had attempted to give a boy a concussion and then decided to knee him especially hard, he considered that it had gone fairly well. And just because he was sitting outside a therapist's office leant nothing to his diagnostic, in fact, if anything, the worried looks of Matthew and Samantha only served to confirm his feeling that Anne would be okay. Well, not okay. Okay was relative. In normal terms, Anne would never be okay. But she could be okay in her own terms, and as much as that pained Alexander, there was nothing truly that he could do about that.

Thus, it was truly no surprise that he found himself sitting at the Cuthbert's table, with Anne sullenly staring down at the placemats. Both Cuthberts looked anxiously at her, a welcome change of events, and Anne herself wasn't quite the Anne who had lived in the group home.

"Anne?" Alexander said, willing the girl to meet his eyes. "Anne, it's okay to not be okay."

"Well that's a relief," Anne said, although she found that she didn't have the energy for sarcasm anymore. She laid her head down in her arms, her eyes barely visible. "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have hit the kid."

"Gilbert's fine," Matthew said gently, resting a hand on Anne's back. "He's not who we're worried about."

"Anne, I think we should talk about what happened. Are you comfortable with that?"

Shame built up inside her, and her cheeks burned red. "I can't."

"Anne," Samantha whispered, getting up from her chair and kneeling beside her. "There is nothing that could have happened that would change the way I feel about you. I love you, Anne."

Love. It pulsed through her, a word that was empty and full all at the same time. She looked at her for a long moment, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "No you don't," she said hoarsely.

"What do you mean?" Samantha began to cry too, Matthew was getting misty eyes, and even Alexander had to choke back his own emotions. "I do love you. And I know, what you said, about how sometimes it does need saying. So I'm saying it now. I know I only know a little about what hell you went through, but Anne, I need to make sure you're safe."

Anne looked away, her back pressed against the back of the chair. "I don't know what love is. It all got twisted somehow." She took a deep breath, clenching her fists and unclenching them. "I'm sorry, but if you're expecting me to say something, I can't."

And that was how it ended. Well, there was an appointment set up with a therapist, and Alexander advised the Cuthberts to keep an eye on Anne. But for the most part, very little progress was made. But that was okay, change didn't happen in a day.

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"You're right. This cove is amazing," Anne said, grinning as she looked out over the ocean. It was the perfect day, according to her. Cold, the ocean fierce, and the stones freezing and rough underneath her feet. They were hidden away from the main beach by a pile of rocks, a small stretch of beach before grass overtook the landscape. It was the kind where all sorts of nooks could be found, and all sorts of stories could be invented among those rocks.

"It's a great place to be alone. Except in summer. Stupid tourists," Diana said, wrinkling her nose.

Anne laughed, but her eyes quickly fell to the ground. "Listen, I'm sorry about that whole Gilbert thing."

"Don't worry about it. Between you and me, the Canadian boy can be really annoying," Diana said, smiling and scooting a little closer to Anne. She did not enjoy the pain that came with the cold like Anne did, and getting warmth from Anne's body was the only way she could protect herself from the elements.

"Yeah, you can say that again," Anne said, jumping from rock to rock. "He's incorrigible."

"Incorrigible?"

"Yeah," Anne said, her eyes lighting up as she said the word. "Isn't that such a great word? Incorrigible," she said, rolling the word on her tongue as she jumped closer to the ocean. "People should use it more often."

"I guess," Diana replied, her heart leaping as she saw Anne's response. Even though it was Mrs. Cuthbert that reached out to her to befriend Anne, Diana had a good heart that wanted nothing more than everyone to be happy. Well, almost every one. She did have the mischievous streak in her.

And so did Anne. Whether or not it was innate or a product of her past was besides the point. She laughed, dancing on top of the rocks.

"Careful," Diana said, but despite the warning she still jumped up with Anne, hopping after her with the deftness of a native. Anne was light on her feet, but she was not quite used to the rocks, and Diana caught up with her.

"Dance with me," Anne asked, stretching out her arms and grabbing Diana by the waist. It caught Diana by surprise, but still she complied with her with a laugh. She grabbed Anne's hand off her waists and shimmied with her on the rock, preferring the less intimate connection. Anne didn't, she craved the intimate touch, but she didn't let it bother her. Instead, she danced more vigorously, drawing Diana closer before pushing her apart, the two spinning on the rock.

"Hey, hold on," Diana grinned, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. "What songs do you like?"

"I don't know." She paused, her fingers stilling. "How about Elvis Presley?"

"Okay," Diana said. I can't help falling in love with you started playing from the speakers, and Anne dramatically put her arms over Diana's shoulders, beginning to sing the song as she swayed. "Wise men say, only fools rush in," she trilled, her terrible singing voice causing Diana to break off into a peal of laughter. But Diana joined in nonetheless, and the two danced on the cliffs, voices joined together.

The song ended, and Anne fell over in laughter. "You know," she said, eyes twinkling at Diana, "when I was little, I thought everyone had a kindred spirit. I kind of held onto that, and I don't know. Maybe I just found mine."

"Yeah," Diana grinned, her hand enveloping Anne's. "Maybe you just did."

Thanks for sticking with me through another chapter! I'd love to hear what you think :)