What Could Have Been- Anne with an E

Chapter Seven: The Heart Want what it Wants

"Why did you say all those things to him, Diana? You hurt him." Anne was trying to control her temper which was threatening to erupt on account of the urge she felt to right the wrongs that have been done to him.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean those things, I was afraid. And I would say that to him, if I could" Diana pleaded, her eyes glossy with tears.

"Afraid of what?"

"Of possibility. I was scared to spread my wings and soar. I was afraid of all the things you told me to do when I got into queens and was scared to tell my parents. Everything you said then, applies to this as well, and it is my biggest regret that I hadn't spoken to him before I left Avonlea." Claimed the raven haired beauty, tears now flowing freely down her rosy cheeks. Anne could see the regret in Diana's eyes. She also knew how influenced she used to be by her parents. But moreover, she saw her bosom friend, crying, broken. And whatever anger she was feeling could wait, because no matter what happened, when Diana's in need Anne will be there, as she knows Diana will too. She walked over and embraced the crying girl into her loving arms. Love is not all heart-eyes and flowers, they both learned that the hard way.

"Diana, you have to write to him." Anne said to the bundle of sobs and black curls in her arms.

"But he's fit to never want to hear from me again." Diana wept.

"Perhaps that's true, but he also has the right to know you're immensely sorry, that the words you said to him were not meant to harm him as they did. He deserves that, don't you think?" Anne saw the head of curls bounce up and down in agreement. "And maybe, just maybe he will write you back. What have you got to lose?" Diana slowly lifted herself from Anne's embrace and looked meaningfully into her eyes.

"Thank you, for helping me even though I was terrible. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways and not trying to paint me as a saint no matter what, like my parents had done all my life. Thank you for not taking sides even though you wanted to stand up for Jerry. I'll never have a friend that compares to you in the slightest." And with that, they embraced into another long hug. This time a hug of friendship and possibility.

The next day after school, Anne and Stella decided to go study in the Queens college library. They slowly walked over from where the class had taken place to the other side of campus where the library was located. As they walked in, they realised they were the only people there. 'That's odd' Anne thought but brushed it off. They sat down at a table and took out their work. Slowly but surely, Anne was seeing improvement in Stella's work. She felt accomplished, like she could be a good teacher after all. To Stella, who was also happy to be improving, it seemed as though with every question she managed to answer, she and Anne were becoming better friends. She would never admit it, but Anne was her first real friend. The poor girl had a rough, lonely childhood. Even though Stella was tremendously jealous of her tutor, for managing to escape the orphan life and find a family, there was something in Anne that made Stella feel like they were meant to be friends. Anne, who was much less desperate for friends, still found that talking to Stella about certain things was much easier than talking to Matthew or Marilla and even Diana and Gilbert. Stella solved a problem correctly, and both girls were over the moon.

"Well done, Stella!" Anne cried much louder than anyone should in a library. But as she recalled they were alone. Or so she thought.

"Did you hear that?" Stella asked, clearly troubled by a sound that was heard in between the bookshelves. Anne nodded and held her finger to her lips signifying to stay quiet. She then stood up and motioned for Stella to join her. Anne, being the imaginative person that she was, let her head run wild with the worst possible explanations. She had decided that the noises they heard were book thieves, who had come to rid the library of many of its treasured books, and that they were the library's only hope of being saved. Or perhaps, the noises they heard were the Queen's espionage troops coming to falsely accuse them of a crime. Or maybe a magi-

"It's just some students using the library as well, right?" Stella became nervous after she saw Anne's face turn serious and her breath quickening. Anne was pulled out of her imagination.

"Oh, of course." She said, sounding slightly disappointed.

Quietly, the two girls tip-toed across the library. As they got closer, they heard people. Stella was right in a way, but not even Anne's overactive imagination could have prepared her for what she saw.

"Is that-?" Stella whispered to the shocked girl beside her.

"Josie Pye!?" Anne said loudly, startling the blonde girl who was previously kissing a boy. Josie Pye! With a boy, unchaperoned, KISSING! It was so very unladylike. Something Josie would scold the other girl on. The frightened girl's face turned a vibrant shade of pink.

"Anne, listen to me, this is not what it looks like." Josie said.

"It looks like you were kissing that man." Anne said plainly.

"Okay, maybe it's a little bit what it looks like," Josie admitted. "But you can't tell anyone." Anne gave her a questioning look. "I don't want them to know I'm engaged in such unladylike affairs." Josie explained as if it were completely obvious.

"But couldn't you two just go courting?" Anne asked. Slowly starting to recognise the young man.

"We are, but I'd still prefer if you kept this on the sly." Josie said, urgency oozing from her voice. "Oh and you too" She added nodding in Stella's direction, who nodded nervously and uncomfortably.

"I know where I know you from!" Anne suddenly said excitedly, shifting the entire mood of the room. "You're Louis Brown, you helped us on our first day. Oh, we all knew you had eyes for each other, how splendid!" Josie looked irritated, although the young man next to her was looking at her with such admiration. The blonde girl pulled Anne and Stella away from Louis and into a different aisle of the library.

"I really like him, Anne please don't ruin this for me." Josie begged, she didn't mean to offend Anne but she was never too good at politeness. "And you, I don't know you but if you tell anybody,-"

"Josie, sometimes a kind approach is the right approach. Stella and I won't say anything" Anne cut the girl off before her words would bring Anne back to a time in which Josie was a terrible person to Anne. Specifically, because she was an orphan. Josie nodded, she was fond of Anne now. Although she would never say it out loud.

"We should get back to studying, and you I suppose, should find a less public place to engage in such affairs." Anne said and started to walk away, secretly happy she had a secret with Josie Pye. A way to become closer friends. That girl had strong walls up around her heart that Anne has been determined to break down ever since the incident with Billy Andrews at the fair last year. And she just made the first step.

A/N: An eventful chapter! 

Any theories to what will happen next? 

please vote and comment I really appreciate feedback.

Thanks for reading :)