Anne was very excited. So excited that she nearly tripped over her own feet twice going down the stairs!
It was Diana Barry's birthday party that day and she had been invited to the celebration along with Josie, Ruby, Jane, Fred and some of Diana's cousins. It was going to be so much fun!
"Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, would you please stop squealing!" Marilla said frustratedly. She had one of her headaches and was in no mood for loud noses.
"I should probably be off now anyway." Said the girl while walking out of the room.
Marilla glanced at the clock.
"But you're an hour too early!"
Anne helped Diana to set up a table full of food and, while Diana got herself ready, she volunteered to welcome the guests.
The first knock came not long after and she swiftly opened the door with a huge smile. But once she saw who it was on the other side, her smile faded and her mouth hung open in surprise.
"Hello Anne!" Said Gilbert Blythe holding his arm out while he watched Anne carefully.
Anne shook his hand with her suddenly trembling and sweaty one and lead him to the table out the back of the house in complete silence. She was shocked to see Gilbert so unexpectedly and she would certainly have a talk with Diana about her "surprise".
"I'm bored." Said Josie with a yawn. "Please can we do SOMETHING other than all stare at Gilbert."
More than one face went red, including Anne's.
"What do you have in mind that's better than looking at my face?" Asked Gilbert with a smirk after he finally looked away from Anne.
"We could play a daring game." Said Josie without concern.
"Okay. But you start." Said Fred.
"Sounds good."
"I dare you to walk on the fence without falling!" Diana dared believing Josie wouldn't be capable.
"Alright." Josie replied with a wink in Gilbert's direction.
Anne watched angrily as Josie climbed onto the fence and walked with ease. Everyone cheered including Gilbert which infuriated Anne even more.
"Anyone can walk on a fence. It's easy!" She said.
"If it's so easy then why don't you do it yourself?" Josie retorted.
"Because it's so easy that I would get bored!"
"Well then how about- the roof? Walk across the ridgepole of Diana's roof!" Josie pointed at a ladder leaning against one of the lower bits of Diana's roof.
"No. Anne will not walk on the roof." Gilbert said firmly with a hand resting on the redhead's shoulder.
But Anne took his words as a dare. Gilbert thought she wasn't capable and she was going to prove him wrong.
"I will!"
She climbed the ladder with her heart beating loudly in her chest and her stomach churning loudly with worry. When she reached the top she took a deep breath and started walking along the ridgepole while everyone watched on with fascinated horror, except for Gilbert who copied her every movement on the ground bellow her in case she should fall.
She was halfway across when the wind started blowing and threw her off balance. She swayed comedically with her arms flapping like wings as she tried to catch her balance. Unfortunately she ended io tumbling to the ground and landing on top of Gilbert, who had softened her fall as much as possible.
She let out a howl of pain as she tried to move her ankle and get off the handsome boy.
"Are you okay?" Said Gilbert from underneath her.
"I don't think so." She replied.
"Anne! Anne! Are you hurt?" Said Diana through tears. She threw herself on top of Anne and Gilbert while she cried.
"I- can't- breathe." Gilbert said.
Between them all they successfully moved Anne off Gilbert without touching the girl's ankle. Once he was freed, Gilbert poked and prodded the injury until he finally declared it broken.
"Broken?" Said Anne. "How am I going to get back to Green Gables?"
"I'll carry you." Gilbert offered.
Anne looked away embarrassed at having to be carried after humiliating herself so much.
"I thought you were very brave waking on that roof." Gilbert whispered in her ear in an attempt to cheer her up. Little did he know how much those words helped.
I don't like it 😯 I have writer's block so this is the best I could do.
-theunicornthequeen