Y/N POV:
5 months passed since Gilbert left. I didn't know why every time I saw his empty seat I would feel my heart shatter just a little bit. I steadily grew moodier and my bad temper got me kicked out of school at least twice a month. The fact that my mensural cycle became heavier and more painful didn't help. I walked to school, trying to get the warm so that my stomach doesn't hurt as much. I enter the school house and put my light coat up along with my scarf. I put my milk jar in the stream for it to keep cool. I walked in and sat on my respective seat.
"Pssst! Pssst! Hey brit!" I heard the annoying voice as usual. I put on a fake smile and turned around.
"Yes, darling?" I mocked.
"Stop calling me that! I wonder if you'll stop acting all high and mighty if your Queen were dead" He snorted.
I stood up, infuriated. I walked over to his desk and slammed my hands on it. I glared at him through my brows, causing him to lean back in intimidation. Then I chuckled.
"Oh, my darling Billy! Lay a single finger on my Queen and I'll slice off your genitals and feed it to my dogs" I hissed.
"Pssht! You wouldn't do that!" He said, trying to laugh it off but I saw the cold sweat breaking out.
"hmmm? and what makes you so sure of that?" I asked, pushing my hair back and laughing.
"w-well-"
"Stop trying to argue with me Billy. It's clear you're losing" I spat, and walked back to my seat. I caught Anne looking at me with wide eyes. I quickly averted my gaze and calmed myself dow. When I looked back up, I noticed Anne was still staring at me. I sighed and nodded for her to come over.
"Tommy! That was terrifyingly intimidating! I'm sure Billy won't even think about picking a fight with you!" She gushed.
"Why thank you, Princess Cordelia" I said, bowing down respectfully. Over the time Gil wasn't here we would hang out. I joined Anne and her friends with the book club and I learned many more things about Anne than I initially knew.
"Sir Roberts" she said, curtseying.
I heard Billy snort and when I looked over, I saw him pointing at us and laughing. I grinned and snapped towards Billy. When I caught his attention I used my middle and pointer finger to make a scissor motion. He gulped knowing I was threatening him and his testicles. Before anything else could happen, Mr. Phillips walked in.
"We will read from page 68 to page 78. Get your books out and ready" He said, already having his book open.
Thats how life was every day. Dealing with Billy's constant teasing, Mr. Phillips' ignorance and defending anyone from bullies. I was basically the guardian student. If anyone got hurt, I would be the one to patch them up. If anyone was sad, I'd be the one to cheer them up. If anyone was in a fight, I'd be the one in the middle getting the punches to defend the weaker. I don't mind it though. People have less conflict because of it. However I didn't like it when I got punched in the chest area. My growing bosom was constantly aching from the rapid growth, and I'd always had to make up excuses for it when I cried out in pain.
It was starting to get cold again. A whole summer passed without Gilbert and soon fall would turn to Winter. I saw the girls walking towards the school. They were chatting and were placing their milk jar into the water when Billy and his 3 friends running towards them.
"Anne! Tillie! Ruby! Diana! Watch out!" I shouted. They looked up confused but it was too late. Billy and his friends pulled their skirts up. I gasped in shock as they ran past, but slowed down a few yards. All the squeaked in shock and pulled their skirts back down. When they covered themselves, they started giggling. All but one. Anne looked shaken, her face pale.
"Keep your hands OFF of me!" She roared.
"woah" They mocked. I got pissed at their lack of reaction. Have they no remorse? Before I knew it, I tackled Billy. I straddled him, and started bringing my fist down onto his face. I hit his nose, jaw, and his temple. I tried to cause as much pain to him as possible.
"a skirt is not an invita- Tommy!" Anne cried, stopping her sentence half way.
"EXPOSING A WOMAN LIKE THAT! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" I shouted, bringing another fist down. I got off of him and kicked him where the sun doesn't shine.
"We were just playing" One of them said
"well it doesn't seem like a fin game, now does it?" I asked, wiping the blood off of my knuckles.
"Just because Anne was sensiti-"
"Anne has a right to be sensitive! How would you feel if I pantsed you right here? Exposing your briefs" I hissed.
"w-well-"
"JUST SHUT UP AND APOLOGISE! GOD HOW HARD IS IT TO BE A DECENT PERSON FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE?" I shouted getting sick and tired of their weak protests.
"S-sorry girls"
"Louder" I ordered.
"We're sorry! We'll never do it again!" They all said in unison and ran inside. When I turned around, I saw Anne shaking. I ran over to her and offered her a side hug. I stopped giving people normal hugs because of my growing bosom.
I walked us into the school house and placed her onto her seat. I stayed with her until she was back to normal.
"Thanks Tommy, I needed that" She said, smiling up at me.
"It's nothing Anne. They needed to be put into place" I said.
I walked to my seat as the bathroom door opened. My eyes followed Billy and his friends. When I caught their eye, I smirked and sized them up for a second causing them to flinch even though they were a good 10 feet away from me. I snorted causing them to scowl but didn't act upon it. I looked around the classroom and saw Cole sitting some few tables back and I realised that I haven't talked to him much after Gilbert left, even though we held each other's biggest secrets. During lunch, I walked over to the girls, and Cole.
"Can I borrow him for a second?" I asked the girls. They nodded and he stood up following me to the cloak room.
"Cole" I said
"Tommy" He replied nervously.
"I know I haven't talked to you in a while, since Gil left. But I wanted to rekindle our friendship! After all, you know my biggest secret, and it would be terrible if we fell apart" i said sadly.
"Actually, me too. But you know me. I'm too shy to confront. I'm glad you spoke up to me first" he said happily.
"Thats wonderful! Do you want to hang out at my place after school?" I asked. he suddenly frowned.
"I don't know Tommy. My family needs me to work on the farm" He said sadly.
"Thats fine! I can just give you money, and can say you were helping my family with some farm work" I said happily.
"are you sure?" He asked. I nodded, grinning madly.
"Alright then. Should we invite Anne and Diana?" He asked. I gasped and nodded excitedly.
"alright, let's go back to them" He chuckled. I grinned and asked if I could join them. They all nodded excitedly, which confused me. Out of all the people in my class, I was closest to Cole, Anne and Diana. I was contemplating on telling them I was a girl, but I didn't want to ruin our friendship. School ended without me getting into trouble which was a win for me.
"Hey, guys! Wanna come over to my house? Cole and I were going to hang out, but we thought it would be a fun if you guys joined us" I said smiling.
"Of course! Let me go tell Marilla" Anne said and ran home.
"Me too, I'll tell my parents its for business" Diana said laughing.
Cole and I walked back to my house. I opened our door, and in the living area was my mother doing needle point ever so elegantly. I cleared my throat, causing her to look up and pause her work. She smiled and walked over to me and hugged me tight.
"Hello y/-Tommy! How was school my child" She asked kissing the top of my head
"Its alright mother, Cole knows my secret" I said giggling like a girl (finally)
"I see. Hello Cole! I'm delighted to hear that my daughter trusts you with this heavy secret" She said jokingly.
"No problem Mrs. Roberts" he said politely.
I laughed and grabbed Cole by the hand, dragging him up to my room. I pulled him though the door and let go.
"Welcome to the woman cave" I said laughing.
"Not a room I'd have expected from a rich boy" he teased.
"You think it's much to girly for a gentleman like me?" I played along, bowing down deeply.
"Of course" He snorted.
Suddenly I hear a knock on my door. I heard my mother stand up, but ushered her to sit down again. I opened the front door, and let them into my parlour to set their stuff down. They admired my house with an awe filled sigh.
"Tommy! Your house is deliciously beautiful!" Anne gushed with sparkles in her eyes.
"why thank you, but I'm convinced your castle is much more magnificent, o' wise princess Cordelia, Madam Diana" I said bowing.
"Why! You're too humble dear Prince" she said, curtseying in return.
"Your words are too kind your grace" Diana giggled.
"Lets go to my room ladies" I said, grabbing them both by their hands. But I stopped right before I opened my door.
"Girls, as soon as we enter my room, please do not comment about anything until I explain" I asked them pleadingly.
"Of course Tommy" they replied reassuringly. I nodded and grinned. I pushed the door open to reveal my light green bedroom with pink bedsheets and white furnitures. They gasped and looked at my room in awe like they did my house.
"So, what did you want to explain? Why your room is so girly?" Diana asked.
"Yes. I am actually not a boy. I am a girl" I said rushed.
"Come again?"
"I am a girl but disguised as a boy" I explained.
"really?! Thats magnificent! Well maybe not for Josie" Anne laughed
"I trust you to keep this a secret until you go to the grave, or I expose my self" I said, staring deeply into their eyes. They nodded and motioned them locking their lips.
"So is that why you stopped giving full hugs? Your growing Bosom?" Anne asked. I flushed red but nodded none the less. Diana turned to Cole who didn't look surprised one bit but continued sketching.
"Cole, you knew this?" She asked. Cole looked up and nodded, grinning sheepishly.
"Since when?" Gasped Anne.
"Since that one day when I took Gilbert home, when he felt sick" I replied.
"AND YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SPEAKING THAT MUCH EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW YOUR SECRET?!" Anne shouted in shock.
"Well, without Gil here my mood worsened" I shrugged "I didn't want to be rude unintentionally"
"Thats understandable. But Tom- er..." She trailed off.
"Y/n. Thats what my real name is" I filled them in
" y/n, why has your mood worsened? Do you by any chance have feelings for Gilbert Blythe?" She asked.
"What?! No way! I'm sure anyone would be in a foul mood when one of their bestest friends left" I said turning away.
"You totally like him! Your face is cherry red" Diana giggled.
"I do not fancy Gilbert Blythe! And even if I did, I would have no chance with him. He thinks I'm a boy" I sighed sadly.
"Well if you told him that you are a lady, I'm sure he'll start liking you back" Diana reasoned.
"I can't! He'll feel betrayed that I lied to him about such a thing!
Gilbert's POV:
I sat on my hammock talking to Bash. Luckily there was no one else there, because Bash and I had a break.
"If you don't stop, I'll hit you over the head" He joked.
"This one girl back in Avonlea hit me with a slate once. She had fiery temper" I though aloud.
"Well she should have hit you more and harder" Bash shot back
"Oh there's no need for that! My best friend, Tommy! He has a mean punch" I laughed.
"Tell me, how many times a week would he hit you" Bash asked curiously.
"Like 3 times. All of them was because I'd make comments about the girls. He'd say 'Never speak about a woman foully without them knowing' It wasn't even bad!" I chuckled, nostalgia hitting me like a tsunami.
"You speak of him fondly. He must have been a gentleman! Popular with the ladies" Bash teased.
"Yeah, he was the go to man when the girls needed help with 'boy problems'" I chuckled
"I'd like to meet him one day! He seems like a great man to talk to" Bash said thoughtfully.
"yeah..." I trailed off in thought.
"What? A sour memory come back?" Bash asked curiously.
"Yeah, kind of. I have a feeling Tommy's keeping a big secret from me. I have my suspicions" I mumbled.
"Do, tell me!" He said gesturing me to talk.
"Well I have a feeling Tommy is actually a girl in disguise" I said. Bash looked at me and busted out laughing.
"Ah, I thought you weren't funny at all, but now I change my mind" He said. I kept a straight face the entire time.
"Wait, you're serious?" He asked. I nodded.
"Well, because when my dad died he offered me a hug. Naturally I took it, but I felt his... um..." I trailed off and gestured to my chest with a blush.
"and how hasn't anyone else found out?" He asked
"He always wore baggy clothes and overalls" I recalled, everything started falling into place.
"I must say, he is pretty smart, or should I say she" Bash teased.
"I hope you're correct about this, because you seem to have feelings for this girl/boy" Bash pointed out. My face exploded into colour and I hid my face in my pillow.
"Shut up, Bash" I grumbled. I went to sleep with the thought of Tommy in my mind.
Y/n POV
I walked into my closet, and was trailed behind by Anne, Diana and Cole. My closet was covered with rows of fancy dresses on one side and pants on the other.
"You have this many clothing?!" Anne gasped.
"Well, yeah" I grinned. Then I spread my arms out.
"Feel free to dress in any" I grinned. Anne's mouth hung open in shock. She looked for any traces of jokes in my eyes, but when she found one, she rambled about how lucky she was to have a wonderful friend like me. I laughed and lightly pushed her towards the rows of dresses. She looked indecisive about which one she should choose.
"Anne need help?" I giggled. She nodded letting out a breathless laugh.
"Well, let's see what colours go well with your wonderful hair" I said, leading her towards the darker shades. I grabbed Anne and faced her towards me. I moved her next to each dress with a darker hue to it. Then I found the perfect one. I gasped and my eyes widened.
"This is the one Anne! This is the one you have to wear!" I shouted excitedly. I ripped it off of the hanging rack and shoved it into Anne's chest. It was a deep green dress, almost like a forrest green with a plaid green collar and cuffs. It was a simple day dress but it worked magnificently with Anne's hair.
"go! Don't look at it until you've put it on" I said, pushing her behind one of the dividers. She giggled and complied. I got put on a dress as well, but it also looked like a male's work clothes. It had a vest fitted to my body but the design based of a man's vest. I grinned at myself in the mirror, twirling in the dress completely forgetting what it felt like to be a woman. Anne then walked out slowly. She had a blush on her face adorning a smile. She spun around a little, the skirt flaring out.
"You look wonderful Anne!" I said breathlessly.
"I've always hated my red hair, but paired with this magnificent dress I hate it a little less" Anne rambled.
"You can have it!" I said instantly.
"What?!" Anne shouted in shock.
"I gift it to you, dear Anne! I've never once worn it, and you seem to love it much more than I! Take it" I said, walking up to her.
"oh thank you! Dear Tom- Y/n!" Anne cried, flinging her arms over my shoulder. I laughed and returned it.
Diana was still browsing my day dresses when she came across the lighter hues. She picked one out and held it gently. It was a simple dress, much less extravagant than her usual dresses ut she seemed entranced by it.
"Diana? You like this one?" I asked her curiously.
"Yes! It's so charming" She said, smiling greatly.
"Y/n! Can I please try this on?" She asked. I laughed and nodded. She ran over to the divider, squealing excitedly. I walked then walked over to Cole who was just standing there awkwardly.
"Good sir, would you like to try on my suits or my dresses?" I asked.
"Both" He said grinning. I gasped and grinned as well.
"You mischievous man!" I shouted and ran towards my skirts. I then ran sprinted to the folded blouses and blazers. I made them match as best I could and handed it to Cole.
"It might be a little small, but you look good in everything anyways" I said, handing Cole the combination of clothes. We Cole went behind the divider after Diana came out. Anne, Diana and I were all busy giggling to notice Cole walking out nervously. I saw him after he cleared his throat. (he was wearing a dress like Billy Porter's met oscars look)
I gasped and ran over to him.
"My Sir Cole, Dutches of Avonlea! You look magnificent" I cheered, throwing in both male and female titles.
"Why thank you, Madam Tommy" He laughed, giving a wobbly curtsey. Anne and Diana came over as well, the 4 of us sharing a laugh. We waltzed around my bedroom laughing and singing, but I heard a knock on my door. We all got silent as the door opened, revealing my mom. She stared at us, especially Cole. All 3 of my friends looked at her nervously, but I stayed completely calm knowing my mother was an open minded person. Her face broke out into a bright smile as she rushed inside closing the door.
"all 4 of you look lovely" She said kindly, twirling around my room like a girl our age.
"You're not mad Mrs. Roberts?" Cole asked tentavely.
"Angry? I could never be! You're so bold with your fashion it gives me a thrill" She laughed, grabbing onto Cole's hand and twirling him around. He relaxed a little and started to have fun again.
"I must say, men should wear skirts more often" My mom laughed as she danced with Diana. I walked over to my gramophone and played music. We all waltzed around the room until I looked out my window.
"It's getting dark! you should head home soon" i shouted in surprise.
"Oh dear! Diana, Anne! I'll help you take off your dresses! y/n, go help Cole" My mom ordered. She ushered them into my walk in closet and tossed me Cole's everyday clothes. I brought Cole to my bathroom and helped him take off all the Layers. I turned his clothes right side out for him as he redressed. I took the Blazer and skirt and threw them onto the floor of my closet. When everyone was done changing, I laughed.
"Mom! I want to give Diana and Anne the dresses they were wearing! I never wore them anyways" I told her, grabbing their dresses.
"Of course dear! And Cole, Here! Take this" She said, handing him a sack of coins. His eyes widened as he stared at it.
"Thank you Mrs. Roberts! You are such a kind woman!" Cole replied, his eyes wide.
"Oh it's nothing! Now run along!" She said, as I handed Diana and Anne their dresses all folded nicely.
"Thanks y/n! See you at school!" Anne shouted as the other 2 waved and ran home.
I closed the front door and sighed happily, twirling around our parlour and falling into one of the seats. My mom sat down with a smile continuing the needle point. Suddenly I thought of a question.
"Mother? What do you think about people who like the same gender? Boy, boy and girl, girl" I asked.
"I love them! They are the kindest people on earth! I have a feeling your friend, Cole, fancies boys" She said thoughtfully.
"Me too, and yes. Cole likes boys, but he hasn't told anyone but me" I said.
"Well, tell him he's welcome any time! He's a lovely man" She said happily.
"Alright mother!" I laughed and ran upstairs, getting ready for bed.