cordelia

trees

    Anne's favorite pastime had always been imagining. She could flop into a grass-bedded field and just absorb the sweet flowers and feel the vibrations of the wind and birds passing overhead and slip into her imagination for hours at a time. Having friends who delighted in pretending and indulging in imagination with her was one of the most wonderful things, and she still couldn't quite grasp the realization that they were hers, and she theirs. Here were people who loved to spend time with her, in a sharp contrast to the torturous girls back at the orphanage. Anne still shuddered to think of the nightmares she would sometimes have about them, waking up in a sobbing sweat as Marilla would rush into her bedroom, clutching a candle.

  This led up to her teaching a group of classmates all about her beautiful Princess Cordelia, with her lovely dark locks and doll-like, smooth skin free of freckles. Anne exaggerated her every movement when playing the Princess, slipping off her apron and tying it around her waist like a gown, while carefully arranging flowers in the ribbon on her hat. She briefly recalled the odd looks she had been given on her first day of school for this same style, but now ignored any type of strange look that came her way.

  Anne danced around her circle of friends, all of whom were gazing at her with expressions of half-bewilderment and half-giddiness. Diana and Cole, of course, was laughing along with the game; Tillie and Jane were looking confused but admiring, and Ruby was giggling.

  "Oh, Miss Adelaide, I need a knight in shining armor to save from his certain death!" Anne twirled around Diana, who sprang up and played along.

  "I'll fetch you one, Princess Cordelia!" Diana began stage searching around the tiny courtyard just as Moody Spurgeon and Gilbert Blythe came around the corner, carrying lunch baskets and laughing about something. Moody promptly tripped over a large rock jutting out in the grass, and fell flat in the mud. Anne ran to him.

  "Moody, are you in need of help?" Her green eyes lit up with excitement as she pulled Moody by the hand to his feet, giggling. Gilbert caught her eye and smiled; his blue-gray ones stayed on hers for a moment, and Anne caught herself noticing the way his dimples showed even with the slightest of smiles, and how his curls tumbled out around his cap. Stop it, Anne, she told herself firmly and internally, but couldn't help but remember the last time they had a full conversation. "Tragical romance and all?" he had asked her of her future. She had replied with, "Remains to be seen," and then he had gazed at her for what felt like an eternity.

  "Good day, Princess Cordelia." He gave her a little bow, bringing her out of her daydreaming, and Anne found herself wondering how Gilbert even knew about her imaginings as Princess Cordelia. She certainly didn't recall revealing them to him, and decided to question him thoroughly on the topic in the future.

  "Good day..." She trailed off, pointedly waiting for him to introduce his character.

  "Sir Alexander, of course." Gilbert smiled seriously. Anne drew her attention away from him to look over at the rest of her friends. They had discovered a tree further back in the schoolyard whilst the two had been conversing, and it seemed they had come to the conclusion that it was perfect for climbing, as Diana was seated in one of its higher branches. Anne dashed over to the tree, alive with anticipation, and followed Diana into its vibrant, sunshine-filled green leaves, expecting to go as high as she possibly could. She dangled off a branch two above Diana's, letting her arms stretch out behind her, fully aware that her stockings were showing quite a bit. And then she fell.

  She let out a little shriek when she lost her balance, and tumbled off the tree branch, seeing the world coming towards her in slow-motion. And then she heard someone screaming and Gilbert calling out her name and someone else running. And then she stopped falling suddenly. She turned her head to see her catcher and found Gilbert Blythe smiling right back at her. Their faces were so close, she could have kissed him...that is, if she had wanted to, because she most definitely did not.

  "Anne, I thought you said it is always a rule to kiss the person that saves your life," Diana chirped from the tree.

  "Do you want to?" Gilbert's voice was so soft that Anne was certain she was the only one who could properly decipher his words, but she also was certain, in that moment, that she absolutely did.