As I showed up at school I saw everyone at the board. I grew increasingly nervous, but if I was going to pull this off I had to act natural.
"What's going on?" I asked, rushing over.
"One of the boys took notice of MISS STACY!" Josie said, and there were more whispers, wondering who it was.
"Maybe it was Gilbert, he hasn't posted for anybody else," Tillie suggested.
"That's not like him. Maybe it's just a prank, and the boys thought it would be funny," I suggested.
"But what If it isn't? What if one of them actually has a crush on Miss Stacy?" Jane said, looking between all of us.
"Then oh well, right? I just don't see the big deal here. Prissy was courting Mr. Phillips and nobody cared, why is this such a big deal?" Anne said. I wanted to hug her. She was annoying at times, but was a saving angel when people were in trouble.
"Because, Anne, men can't court women who are older than them," Josie said.
"We should go ask them, maybe someone will admit to it," Diana said. Josie nodded, and all of the girls headed inside, going up to the boys.
"Who posted it?" Josie asked, crossing her arms.
"Posted what?" Gilbert asked, looking up from his book.
"One of you took notice of Miss Stacy, who was it?" She said louder.
I mentally hit my head on a wall.
"Josie what was that?"
She turned, looking at Miss Stacy.
"Go check the take notice board, you'll see it," she said before going back to interrogate the boys. Of course, none of them cared, or knew what she was talking about for that matter. Lucky for me, If they ever suspected a girl of posting it, which they wouldn't, Anne was much closer to Miss Stacy during class than I was.
Though, I had no clue how Miss Stacy herself would react to it.
She stormed in from the closet.
"Everyone at your seats now!" She instructed. We were all surprised, never having seen her so angry.
I began to regret posting it.
"Please get out your notebooks, you're going to write my name in your handwriting," she said. Everyone murmured, confused. But I understood well why she was making us do this.
"Please, just do it. You will then write your name at the top of the paper and rip it from your notebook. Then you'll hand it into me," she said.
She gave us a minute, and everyone did as she instructed, turning it in.
"Does anyone know why I've done this?" She asked.
I raised my hand.
"(Y/N)?"
"Someone posted on the take notice board for you. You want to match the handwriting," I said, and she nodded.
"Precisely. Whoever did it, it was highly inappropriate to be posting public things about your teacher. I'm not necessarily angry, but when you are discovered, you will be talked to, and your parents will be told," she said.
"So, if you don't want your parents to be told, you should admit to it now. Please raise your hand if the note belongs to you," she said, looking over at the boys.
Nobody raised a hand.
She sighed, looking back at the papers as she straightened them out.
For a moment she looked up, she looked straight at me. I thought I was about to throw up. It felt like she could see straight through me. Her beautiful blue eyes pierced me.
I know it was you, they said.
I know you posted that note. But I'm not going to tell anybody.
I returned the words.
If you know it was me who did it, why are you pretending not to know?
She looked away, and I felt shaken. I wondered if I'd just imagined the whole conversation in my head, or if she'd really said that. Well of course, it was her eyes that said it, not her, but it still felt like I was making it up.
"Now, back to the lesson I'd ACTUALLY planned for today," she said, and we all got to work.
I sighed, wishing things weren't so difficult.
As Gil and I walked home he looked over at me.
"I wonder who posted that, about Miss Stacy. I mean she's a lovely woman, I just didn't think any of the guys in our class felt like that," he said.
I bit my lip.
"Cuz they don't," I said, and he looked over, confused.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"It wasn't a guy who wrote the note," I said. He paused.
"Wait- you're saying a girl wrote that? One of the girls in our class is- I- who?" He asked.
I stopped walking, and I looked over at him with tears in my eyes.
He understood, embracing me and rubbing my back as I cried.
"What's wrong with me Gilby?" I asked, sobbing into his shoulder.
"Nothing, nothing, nothing is wrong with you, (Y/N). You posted the note?" He asked, and I nodded.
"You- you love Miss Stacy," he said softly, and I nodded once more. He cupped my cheek.
"I think Anne is gonna be a little jealous if she finds out," he said, and we both laughed.
"You really don't care?" I asked, and he shook his head.
"Life is too short to care about who someone loves," he said, and I smiled, holding his hand the rest of the way home.
Gilbert Blythe how I adore you.
—————
Again, Miss Stacy was accompanied by a suitor. Only this time the man was twice her size, and certainly handsome. She however looked unamused, and walked faster than he did despite being so short.
It was another laughable scene that was outweighed by my jealousy.
Oh how I wished I could be a suitor showing up at her door.
She told him to leave, and he awkwardly did so.
"Rachel still hasn't given up?" I questioned, and she sighed, nodding.
"Unfortunately. I'm tired of it," she said, and I smiled, getting up.
"I feel bad. Rachel Lynde terrifies me," I said, and she looked over.
"And also, I'm sorry that you had to witness that day in the barn, I know you only needed to give her a letter," she said. I shook my head.
"I'm sorry you had to be talked to that way. It's awkward, but a bit disrespectful towards you," I said, opening the door for her.
"Like you said, Rachel Lynde is terrifying. I wouldn't have expected any less from her," she said, and I smiled.
"Have you figured out who posted the notice yet?" I asked.
She turned, looking at me for a moment.
"No, I haven't," she said. I nodded slowly.
"Are we still going to go on that field trip, or whatever you'd like to call it?" I asked. She nodded.
"I believe we'll go next week. The weather will be perfect for it," she said. I nodded.
I sat at my desk, pulling out my notebook.
Hair the color of the sun
Strands like rays shining through the window
Lips like the petals of roses
Eyes of the purest waters, the bluest oceans
It was something I'd written before bed a few nights ago. There was a drawing of her next to it.
I smiled softly, flipping a few pages to take notes.
—————
"Alright, please turn in your journals, bookmark the pages you took notes on so I can make sure you're being thorough," she said.
We all followed her instructions, handing her out notebooks as she walked past.
She dismissed us, and I walked home with Gil.
"You should come out today, I'm going to collect some honey. I bet the bees would love to see you," he said, and I shook my head.
"They'll sting me more like," I said, and he laughed. I felt my bag, surprised by how light it was.
"My bag feels too light without my journal. I'm so used to having it that I-"
My eyes went wide with realization.
"Oh god, oh god oh god," I said, and Gil looked over.
"(Y/N)? What's wrong?" He asked.
"I had a poem, I had a poem about her in my journal. What if she sees it?" I said, shaking.
"She's only going to look at our notes, I doubt she'd find it," he said. I nodded, he was right.
"Nevertheless, it's terrifying," I said, and he grabbed my hand.
"If she finds it, (Y/N). I'll take the blame. I'll say I accidentally did it in your notebook and I'm the one who's in love with her. There will be no consequences for me," he said, and I swallowed, hugging him.
"Thank you, Gilby, thank you."
—————
I shook as she handed the journals back.
"(Y/N), please come see me," she said, opening the closet door. I tried not to cry.
I joined her, sitting down.
"Good job, you've probably got the most legible handwriting in the whole class. However, I removed a page," she said, handing it to me.
"Miss Stacy-" I said, and she stopped me.
"It was a lovely poem, and a good drawing. I want to keep it," she said.
I paused, and we made eye contact for a moment.
"I'm glad you like it. It was never intended to be seen by you but I- the day we talked at Mary's funeral. You made me happy, and I felt so grateful that the words just poured out," I said. She nodded, touching my hand.
"Of course. I understand. Here, get back to work," she said, smiling at me. I nodded, getting up and going back to my desk.
Well, that certainly could've gone much worse.