Wildly Acceptable

Where the hell is Gilbert Blythe?

(Quick note, anything italicized is from the past a.k.a the dance)

1 hour until curtain
"No, I haven't seen him!"
"He was supposed to be here an hour ago, Diana!"
"I'll try calling him again, Ms. Stacy"

I sat in my wardrobe chair, looking at myself in the mirror. It was surrounded by lights and made my hair look a brighter shade of red than it has ever been. I sighed and turned around, "I'm sure he'll be here soon." My reassurance was enough to calm them down temporarily, but I'm honestly not sure if he'll be here and I believe it's all my fault.

"You broke up with him?" Diana asked, nearly yelling. I nodded, "I don't like him. I don't feel the same things you do towards him. Di, I am so sorry I did that to you."

"Oh. I'm fine, it's just that for the past week we've been wondering if he was going to ask you to the dance and you just break up with him." I sighed. I lead him on for a bit. Talking about the dance with him since Monday, trying to get him to ask me, only to break up with him 3 days later when he does. "Hey I gotta go. You know since it's way after midnight." Diana smiled, "Officially, 41 hours until the dance." I smiled in response, "And 65 until curtain."

45 minutes until curtain
"Hey Moody, you ready." I sat next to him as he spoke and tried to listen, but my mind was on what happened last night at the dance. How I may have messed everything up. Ruby walked by and smiled. She still doesn't know. "Anyways, have you spoken to Gilbert today, he hasn't responded to anyone's messages." I shook my head, "Not since yesterday." Moody nodded, "Yeah, you guys did disappear for a bit." Please lord do not let Moody connect those dots.

I don't want to do anything special to my appearance for the dance, but Diana came over to curl my hair and do my makeup. "This is going to be so much fun, Anne." I sighed, "Tons." I was subconsciously looking forward to this all year, but now that the time is here and it's nothing like I expected, I just want to curl up under the covers and watch movies all night.

Diana stepped back and looked at me, "Wow. This is truly some of my best work." We both laughed, mine being more of a nervous laugh than anything. We both put on our shoes and walked into my living room where Marilla was waiting, "Wow. My gorgeous girl."

35 minutes until curtain
Ruby and Josie were making TikToks while I sat on a random couch in fetal position, Ms. Stacy zoomed by, "Have any of you girls seen Gilbert." We all replied no, but she stopped, "What's wrong, Anne?" She crouched down next to me allowing me to whisper, "Cramps." in response. She sighed, "Legally, I can't give you this Midol, but desperate times call for desperate measures." She handed be a small tablet and walked away muttering, "Juliet has cramps, Romeo is missing. The universe is against us right now."

"This party is loud." I tried to say to Diana, but her lack of response only meant that she didn't hear me. She did however have my wrist in her hand as she pulled me throughout the room looking for our friends. Supposedly they were here, but we've circled the room 3 times and no luck. We exit the main room to a smaller room primarily for eating, where we finally find our friends. Diana glared at Tilly, "You said you were dancing." Tilly shrugged, "Hey, I don't have to be on the dance floor to dance."

Josie sighed, "I don't like party dancing. It feels unnatural." I sat next to her and gave her small smile, "Me too. I don't really like parties in general, they're really loud." I looked around the table and saw everyone smiling or laughing and engaged in conversation. Including Gilbert who was engaged in a conversation with Ruby and Charlie.

30 minutes until curtain
Periods suck. They suck fat butts. There is no moral reason I should be in this much pain right now. The universe doesn't have morals: confirmed. But seriously who came up with this concept that in order to dispose of unfertilized eggs it has to be so painful. Clearly they had no respect or regard for all the females they would affect.

"Here." I looked up to see Ruby handing me a Motrin. "Thanks, Ruby." I sat up and grabbed my water bottle to take the pill. "Anne? You wouldn't happen to have spoken to him today, would you?" Ruby's blue eyes looked into mine, searching for any scrap of an answer she could possibly get. Hopefully my face didn't give her any. "No. I just really hope he would get here already." None of that was a lie. I hadn't spoken to Gilbert today and I really do hope he makes it here. Sure we have understudies, but Gilbert is my Romeo.

I walked out into the semi-quiet hallway, but after determining it was still too loud, I made my way to a classroom. The room was dark, with only the moonlight shining through the windows. I sat on the floor with my back to the door, watching the slight amount of clouds move across the sky. I heard footsteps enter the room, is it bad I knew exactly whose steps they were? "Look, Gil. The clouds are moving faster than normal tonight."

25 minutes until curtain
It was time for me to put on my first costume. I can't worry about Gilbert anymore. In fact, I shouldn't even think his name. "Please enter name here" had an understudy, a sophomore who very well knows the lines and could hold his own. "Please enter name here" does not get to ruin this because things got a little messy.

All of the girls shared a changing room, but we each had our own rack, mine with the most dresses on it. "Can someone help me tie the back to this one?" I called out. Everyone stopped talking for a moment and looked at me. They had heard the strained tone in my voice too, it made me sound almost helpless. "Anne? Are you okay?" Diana crossed the room to me. Just the look on her face was enough to make me cry. The moment one tear rolled down my cheek everyone was by my side, wondering what happened.

He was sitting next to me. Why? We've had our run at things. Why are we going in circles? "Why haven't we given this up yet?" I asked, my voice small. Gilbert didn't meet my eyes, just kept his on the moon and clouds. He didn't answer, so I continued, "Is this the universes sick way at torture because this, all this, is really truly starting to feel like torture. I like you. Like a lot. I dated my one other person, so why are we still torturing each other?" Ruby. I knew why, I just couldn't bring myself to say it. I don't want to hurt her again. We started off on the wrong foot and now we're on the right one, but Gilbert. "Say something, please."

15 minutes until curtain
"Ruby, I am so sorry. Please just say something." She was passing the span of the dressing room, not saying a word. "I didn't want to hurt you again. I honestly just want to be friends." She stopped and looked directly at me, "Then why have we continuously made it back right here. Why are we going in circles or some sick psycho loop de loop."

She's right. I know she is because I said almost the exact same thing to him last night. "Ruby, if you want me to lie and say it meant nothing, I will do that. We can all go back to the way things were before yesterday. We'll rewind and-" She shook her head, "I want someone to choose me. I can't be second choice, not the way I've been this entire year. If you want him you can have him, but I am done with this madness."

His lips were on mine. It was a complete shock, to both of us, we tensed up as we gave in a little more. I pulled away and looked at him. Gilbert Blythe. Diana's brother. One of my best friends. Boyfriend. "Ruby." I muttered. He shifted back a bit and just stared at me. It was a few moments before he finally spoke, "I like you too Shirley."

5 minutes until curtain
I sat down next to Ruby in the hallway, "I am seriously sorry." She sighed and stared at the wall in front of us for a few seconds, "I am too. As much as I try to blame you, we all know I'm truly the one who started all of this. You and Gilbert were together, and you were really cute and I messed it all up." She looked at me and gave a small smile, "You guys should be together. I mean it, you two make much more sense that he and I." Before I could respond, rushed footsteps rounded the corner. A sweaty Gilbert approached and then stopped a few feet away from us, "Where's my costume?"