"Eleanor hurry! We don't want to be caught!" Anne yelled as she held her hands out towards her running friend.
Eleanor glanced over to the train shed, the conductor of the train was finishing off his smoke before he tossed it too the ground and smashed it with his foot.
She gasped before quickly jumping into the boxcar, Moody quickly slammed the door shut as everyone let out a shaky breath of relief.
"That was close." Ruby giggled.
"Tell me about it." Diana said as she leaned back.
"Well at least we made it, I can feel the train taking off!" Moody grinned.
The group cheered and high fives as the large train kicked off with a start, the smell of coal and smoke quickly wafted past their nose as they chugged along the tracks.
"If the coast is clear, I'm going to open the door slightly for some breeze. I'm sweating like a sinner in church." Eleanor said as she fanned her face.
The group nodded in response, Eleanor walked over to the door and gently slid it back, allowing enough room for her to sit down and kick her feet out into the open.
A soft and warm breeze quickly filled the cart, the entire group sighed in relaxation as they all were instantly cooled down.
"So what do we do when we get there?" Eleanor asked as she swung her legs back and forth, which were surprisingly close to the tracks whisking past her down below.
"Me and Anne will go try to change these items for some lightbulbs while you and Ruby go buy potatoes and wire. We have to be quick about this, the town meeting is in less than four hours and the train ride will take up half of that time." Diana explained.
"Got it, Ruby?" Eleanor asked as she waved her hand infront of the girls face.
Ruby snapped out of her daydream and cocked her head to the side, ready to listen to whatever Eleanor had to say.
"You get the potatoes, I'll find the wire. Stay close." Eleanor stated, Ruby nodded before going back to daydreaming.
"Great, we're all good with the plan." Anne beamed.
"Hey wait! What do I do?" Moody asked.
"Uh...you go with us and you can carry the lightbulbs." Diana shrugged.
Eleanor glanced at Anne, the two made eye contact before giving each other a "maybe it isn't a good idea to let Moody carry the lightbulbs" kind of look. A look that only two good friends would be able to share, a look that held so many words with such a simple look.
"Cool! I'll be sure to not drop them." Moody grinned.
"Let's hope so." Eleanor mumbled, making the group laugh.
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"Alright, coast is clear. We jump on my command, ready?" Eleanor asked as she was crouched by the door.
"Ready!" the group whispered.
"3, 2, 1!" Eleanor yelled and pulled the door open.
"Going somewhere?" Gilbert's voice made the entire group scream and jump back.
Eleanor held onto her heart as she was still crouched, ready in jumping position along with the rest of the group.
"Gilbert! Why on Earth would you do that?" Eleanor sighed out as she grabbed his shoulders.
He chuckled before grabbing her waist and helping her out of the compartment, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead as she smiled.
"Sorry darling, I wasn't expecting a group of my friends, let along my girlfriend, to be train hoppers but here we are." he shrugged.
The rest of the group had composed themselves before they jumped from the compartment as well, a smile on their faces.
"What are you doing in Charlottetown anyways Gilbert?" Moody asked.
"I'm here for my job at the doctors office, just down the road here. I'm an assistant." Gilbert beamed proudly.
"He sure is, a bright young man he is too." Eleanor giggled as Gilbert's cheeks went red, making the group laugh.
"That's wonderful Gilbert, but we must be leaving now. We have a lot to do." Anne stated.
"Right, I'll see you tonight at the meeting right?" Eleanor asked as her friends glided past her, waving a quick goodbye to Gilbert.
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Now off you go, don't want to get left behind." Gilbert chuckled.
Eleanor nodded and gently slipped her hand into his, he gave it a reassuring squeeze as Eleanor slowly turned to run after her friends.
"Be careful! Don't let Moody carry the lightbulbs!" Gilbert yelled as her hand left his.
"Hey!" Moody yelled.
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Eleanor was shuffling around of box of old wires that the general store owner had stowed away for parts on a vehicle. He allowed her to pick some out and would only charge her a penny for two.
Ruby was flipping through some cookbooks on a shelf as she waited for Eleanor, a sack of potatoes held tightly in her hands.
"That should just about do it! What's that? Ten pennies?" Eleanor asked as she handed the man two dimes.
"Good doing business with you lovely ladies, now head on out. The grown folk will be getting here soon." the man nodded as he ran a hand over his mustache.
"Thank you!" Eleanor smiled before grabbing Ruby's arm and walking out of the store.
"Alright, so we've gotten everything we were supposed to get. I wonder how the others are getting along?" Eleanor wondered aloud.
"Not too well I don't think." Ruby stated as she pointed down the path.
Eleanor followed her point all the way down the street to see Moody, Anne, and Diana all crowded around a box on the ground. Moody was whimpering about something as Anne tried to calm him down, Diana was massaging the brink of her nose as she watched it all unfold.
"What happened here?" Eleanor asked as she joined the group.
"I-I dropped the lightbulbs! My one job, and I already screwed it up!" he whined.
"Oh Moody, it's alright! I'm sure we can take them inside and get them traded-" Anne started but was stopped as Diana cleared her throat.
The group looked up to see her pointing to a sign in the window of the shop stating "All sales are final, no returns or exchanges" written in bold lettering.
"Well this is just great!" Anne scoffed.
"I'm sure there's another way we can get lightbulbs, Eleanor? Do you have any money on you?" Ruby asked.
"Uh..." she cleared her throat as her friends around her stared at her in anticipation.
"No...ever since I moved out my mother has stopped giving me money for spending." Eleanor stated.
"I see...well maybe there's one last person who could help."
"Who?"
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"Aunt Josephine!" Diana smiled as she noticed her aunt sitting in the living area of her giant mansion.
"Ah! Hello Diana, Anne, Eleanor. What are you lot doing here on a Saturday? Where's your parents?" Josephine asked as she neatly sat down the book she was reading.
"That's not important, what's important is we need your help finding some lightbulbs." Anne stated.
"Lightbulbs?" Josephine asked.
Moody nodded and gently showed her the box, the broken shards of glass chimed against one another as they were tossed around in the wooden box.
"I see...and just what are you doing with all of these lightbulbs?" Josephine asked.
"We're trying to save Miss Stacey, and this is the only way we know how." Eleanor interjected.
"Hm...well I just might be able to help. Alfred! Get the ladder!" Josephine yelled.
The kids looked at each other, a smile growing on their face.
"Anne? Diana? Eleanor?" Cole's voice made the group jump slightly as Alfred and Josephine walked off to look for a ladder.
"Cole!" the three girls squealed in unison before attacking him into a hug.
"Well hey to you lot as well." he chuckled.
"Oh Cole, we've missed you!" Diana beamed.
"I've missed you all too, Moody, Ruby, lovely to see you all again." Cole smiled and nodded towards them.
"You as well Cole." Moody nodded, Ruby smiled in agreement.
Eleanor smiled as she watched all of her friends converse, Alfred and Josephine arrived moments later with a box full of lightbulbs. Moody was not allowed near it as Diana carried it safely under her arms.
Josephine refused to allow the kids to train hop again as she bought them all train tickets and gave them all each a dollar to spend on "whatever kids need now-a-days" as she said.
Eleanor was seated happily next to Gilbert, he went on and on about his day as he told her all about the patients and a girl that started working there earlier that day.
She felt a twang of jealousy as Gilbert told her all about Winnifred, she was a full year older than her. Winnifred was a successful woman with the body of a goddess, at least...that's what Eleanor pictured her as.
"She was really cool, I bet you two would get along well." Gilbert smiled.
"I suppose." Eleanor nodded.
"Everything alright?" Gilbert asked as he grabbed her hand, running his thumb across the back of hers.
She let out a deep sigh before nodding and lying her head on his shoulder, he placed a kiss to her forehead.
"I promise nothing is going to happen between me and Winnifred, she's just a person I work with. You're the only girl for me." he whispered to her.
She smiled and gently bit her lip as she glanced back up at him, he always knew exactly what to say.
"I love you." she whispered.
"I love you more." he said without a moments hesitation.
Eleanor gently placed her hand to his cheek as she brought him in for a kiss, the kiss was sweet and passionate as the two just shared their first "I love you's" to each other.
"Now get some rest, the train ride is an hour and we have a lot of work ahead of us." Gilbert exclaimed as he pulled away.
"You try to as well." Eleanor yawned and went back to lying on his shoulder.
He stared down at her as he watched her chest rise and fall in a pattern. Her breathing becoming heavy as sleep whisked her away into dream land, all while he watched her nose twitch slightly at her dreams.
A sigh escaped his lips as he placed his head atop of hers and tried to get a little rest in before they had to try and save one of his favorite teachers.
"I love you." the words repeating over and over again in his head as he smiled.
Both Eleanor and Gilbert fell asleep with a smile on their face, and their hearts full of love for one another so big it couldn't be broken.
Or so they thought.
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Sorry for the short chapter this time guys, I just thought this was a good place to end it! Next chapter will be a lot longer, and more drama!
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