'Live right now, yeah, just be yourself
It doesn't matter if it's good enough
For someone else'
--
"You must be Anne Shirley-Cuthbert."
Anne walked into a classroom at least four times as big as the one in Avonlea when a tiny red head woman addressed her.
"I'm Elizabeth, welcome to University of Toronto."
"You're Elizabeth?" Anne gasped.
Anne expected the female intellect books always described to her. Straight brown hair, sometimes pulled into a bun. Tall but not too tall. A long skirt with undergarments to cover the remainder of her legs. Everything a woman was told to avoid in fear of becoming "boring" or "unappetizing to men" while still abiding by societal standards.
But Anne couldn't be more wrong.
Elizabeth stood proudly in a loud pink top with wild auburn curly hair riding down her back. She couldn't be more than 5 feet tall naturally, but she had an indescribable energy that screamed confidence.
"Call me Liz." She held out her hand and Anne took it excitedly.
"You're remarkable," Anne's eyes lit up, "I knew you would be great because the fantastical Miss Stacy told me all about you but...." She trailed off, feeling faint with excitement.
Anne was rarely speechless.
"I heard you were quite theatrical, and I can see Muriel wasn't lying." Liz smiled politely and pulled her hand away, "Let me show you around."
--
Anne watched the class in silent amazement. The room was mostly male students, with a few girls in a clump near the front of the room. They looked intensely focused and always raised their hands when Liz needed someone to answer a question.
"Tell me Maggie," Liz sat on her desk, "What did you write about for today?"
She glanced back at Anne for context, "They write three pieces a week. Monday, Wednesday, and here we are on Friday."
Anne's eyes widened, "Three?"
"Whenever you enter the profession, you'll be writing much more than three pieces a week. It'll be three a day, if you're working somewhere prominent." Liz left Maggie behind.
Anne knew she should complain about doing so much work, but the proposition made her excited. She had the opportunity to grow and improve. Right now, she was writing maybe once a week with the newspaper. But three? It was remarkable.
"That's scrumptious." She murmured quietly.
Liz couldn't help but smile. Anne was much more...special than she expected. She was bright and fiercely intelligent. She was going to change the world. Liz would stop at nothing to get her in this classroom.
"Anne, what have you written about recently?" Liz walked to the back where Anne was seated, "What's happening in the mystical Avonlea?"
Anne could feel herself blush. She had at least 40 eyes on her now. Eyes of college kids who were probably smarter than she was.
But she remembered when she first came to Avonlea and walked into the schoolhouse knowing she may be behind the other students. She remembered the triumph of winning spelling contests over Gilbert. She remembered sitting at her desk at home for hours until she could do long division.
She could do anything.
"Avonlea is home." She stated firmly, "But it has a long way to go before it's as accepting as it should be."
The room fell silent.
"When I came to Avonlea, it took a while for people to accept me. I was a 'dirty orphan' and 'trash.' They wanted to get rid of me, but I wasn't willing to go. I finally had people who let me be a child, I wasn't about to let that go."
Someone coughed.
"It took a while, but now I have friends who I wouldn't trade for the world. I'm exploring the issues in Avonlea with them by my side."
"And what have you found?" Liz took a curious step towards her.
Anne stood, "Women. And our equality in society. It's disgusting how little power we actually have and I'm tired of being pigeonholed because I'm a girl."
There was a shift in the room. The girls sat up straighter.
"Women in Avonlea are scandalized for actions a boy would be cheered for. One of my friends abandoned a courtship that would have destroyed her chance to thrive in society and now she's considered some sort of un-marriable heathen. My best friend's parents are denying her dreams of getting an education because they rather she'd waste her talent in finishing school."
Anne felt a wave of frustration she had been repressing for months, "And Gil- another friend is considering marrying a girl just so he can go to his dream university. Women are traded like cattle and I'm exposing it."
Anne noticed Maggie perk up. There was no doubt she caught her slip-up
Liz shook her head in happy disbelief, "Welcome to Toronto, Anne. I think you're going to fit in here really well."
Anne couldn't help but smile.
--
While Anne was trying to deny her newfound love of Toronto, Gilbert was anxiously awaiting finding his own.
He, like Anne and Maggie, followed Charlie to a class. Innovations in Medical Technology with Dr. James Brenker.
Dr. Brenker, as he insisted being addressed as, was younger than what Gilbert expected. He couldn't be more than 30, but he acted as if he was 60.
"Tell me class," he eyed the room, "what modern medical technology was invented in 1895 in Wurzburg, Bavaria."
Every single student raised their hand.
"Charles."
"The X-Ray, invented by Wilhelm Roentgen." Charlie grinned triumphantly.
Gilbert felt he chest get heavier. He had no idea what the answer was. He had been worried U of T wouldn't challenge him, but it seemed like there was a lot he didn't know.
That's a good thing.
"Mr. Blythe, you may be interested to know our lab just acquired an x-ray machine." Dr. Brenker bragged.
Gilbert was interested, "And students are permitted to use it?"
"With guidance and supervision, yes."
U of T was becoming more attractive by the minute.
Dr. Brenker could sense Gilbert's racing thoughts.
"You know class," Dr. Brenker looked at his class in amusement, "Gilbert achieved a perfect score on his exams. I'm not trying to be rude, but I doubt any of you did that."
Charlie scowled. Gilbert flushed.
"Gilbert," he strolled over to where Gilbert sat quietly, "why don't you tell us about your latest medical marvel. I'm sure you know everything, considering your vast intelligence."
Gilbert couldn't tell what Dr. Brenker was trying to do.
Embarrass him? Praise him?
Even worse, his ability to think on the spot was draining. He scratched the back of his neck.
Think.
"Controlling dreams." Gilbert stuttered.
"Excuse me?" Dr. Brenker asked curiously.
"There's a Dutch psychiatrist, Frederik Van Eeden, working towards processes to help people control their dreams. A- my friend, has traumatizing memories turned into frequent nightmares, but recently successfully controlled them."
Gilbert let himself breathe again. He answered, and answered well. And it was all because of Anne.
"Sounds like he should be here instead of you." Dr. Brenker replied smoothly, purposely pushing Gilbert to reveal more about himself.
So he's trying to embarrass me.
"She got a perfect score on her exams as well. She is accepted into the journalism program here. She once beat me in a spelling contest."
As much as Gilbert knew this was a time to sell himself, he couldn't help but praise Anne, "So yes, she could thrive here."
"So what have you done?" Dr. Brenker sounded pompous and judgmental.
Gilbert felt a lump in his throat, what had he done? Everything with Dr. Ward was so mundane. The only thing he ever did was-
"A breech baby. I delivered a breech baby."
Dr. Brenker raised his eyebrow.
"By myself." Gilbert continued.
He narrowed his eyes.
"In a tent in Trinidad." Gilbert finished, allowing himself to smirk triumphantly.
Dr. Brenker looked dumbfounded, "What were you doing in Trinidad?"
"I traveled on a steamship for a year." Gilbert shrugged, intentionally playing like his adventure was ordinary.
"Why on earth would you do that?" Dr. Brenker, and all of the stunned students behind him, was flabbergasted. Some random boy from the country was worldly and intelligent. It was unseen.
"My father died," Gilbert felt a pang in his heart. He didn't know why he was telling these random people his life story, "I needed to get out of PEI, so I did for a year."
"Why did you go back?" A student in the back of the room yelled.
Gilbert could feel his heartbeat.
"The people." He mumbled, "Maybe my biological family was gone, but I still had family there."
He couldn't help but think of Matthew, "They always helped me when I needed them. I felt like I owed them."
But then he thought of Anne, "I loved them."
Gilbert made eye contact with Charlie, who raised his eyebrows knowingly.
What have I done?
"Do you regret it?" Another student spoke up.
"Not at all. I needed to get away and I needed to come back. Now that everyone is settled, it's time for me to leave again."
"And you're going to come here?" This time Charlie asked.
Gilbert wanted to avoid this conversation, "Maybe."
"I think you should." Dr. Brenker finally spoke up again, "We could use a mind like yours."
Gilbert's breath hitched. Dr. Brenker didn't seem like someone who complimented others, "Thank you, sir."
--
A/N
So I'm kinda screaming because apparently this is #2 in Shirbert, which makes me want to faint. My mom and I are watching the show together, so the inspiration and drive is coming back. My ideas are getting less jumbled, and everything is coming together again. Let's do this.
I'll be updating again tomorrow. I have more Toronto-related antics written, but I thought I should split it up so this is easier to read.
Thank you to everyone supporting and reading and commenting. You're all why I continue.
Love you all,
K