????? ?? ? ?????? | ????????

j - i don't know... he seems interested

She didn't know Gilbert would have raised his hand because there was, indeed, a girl he wanted to ask in the deep bottoms of his mind and heart, but he didn't have the courage, because this girl, he thought, hated him in some way, so he didn't think she would accept. 

Anne didn't raise her hand either but she had a proper reason. 

Unlike mister Blythe, she thought. 

At first, she was ready to learn, who of the boys can offer the best dance, but then she realized: 

Who would want to dance with me? Certainly, not even two boys... What am I saying? Not even one! 

These icebergs between them were actually unbelievable.

,,And who would like to have the second choice,  the 'shall we' evening?" a bigger half raised their hands. 

Anne turned at Gilbert and Gilbert turned at Anne at the same time. Their eyes met, their hearts missed a beat. They looked at each other's raised hands and Anne suddenly panicked and looked away, back at Miss Stacey, taking a deep, anxious, and confused breath, Gilbert still looking at her. Miss Stacey gave both of them a smirk, the 'hiding smile' look, and continued her lesson.

At the lunch break, the girls were obviously talking about the dance.

,,Miss Stacey should have done the first choice. I mean, that is how the balls for teenagers are supposed to be," Josie said, doubting Miss Stacey's methods about democracy.

,,I think, the second one is better. You have the choice to dance with whoever you want, or with all the boys, one by one!" Tillie giggled. 

,,Exactly!" Ruby said in agreement. 

,,That way, if Gilbert wouldn't ask me to be his date, which I highly doubt, I think some other boy would definitely notice and come comfort me," she announced with raised eyebrows. ¨

,,Then he would certainly be jealous."

,,Perhaps, Moody would ask?" Diana said and the girls all giggled. ,,Well, Ruby, you were quite staring at him while the dance practice."

,,I did not! I was staring at Gilbert the whole time!"

,,Right," Jane laughed, sharing an amused look with everyone else.

Anne was walking home with Diana, as always. They were walking by that lovely path trough the woods.

,,Anne, you were so quiet during the lunch break. Did something happen?" Diana asked, her face frowned..

,,I don't know, Diana, I was probably worried, if I say something, Josie would make some nasty comment about me, that I am longing for attention or something, like before. I was so excited about the dance, but I didn't think about the fact, that no boy would want to dance with me... Yes, I raised the hand to the second choice, but not because I was scared that no one would ask me to be their date, which now seems like an actual possible scenario, but because I wanted to dance with all the boys, except of Billy and Gilbert obviously, to learn, who offers the best dance, but no one will ask me anyway, so it's absolutely pointless to even go there now, but I can't not go, because I would seem weak and scared and weird-..." Anne wanted to continue but didn't know how, so she sighed.

,,I must say, Anne, I think someone would surely ask you to dance, but somewhere else, perhaps at the school backyard, where no one would see, while the music penetrates there trough the window," Diana said, smiling at the picture of Anne and the boy dancing in a dirty school backyard.

,,That's ridiculous, Diana, I am telling you, no one would ask me and... in the backyard? You mean, he would be ashamed of dancing with me? What's new..."

,,No Anne..." she sighed. 

She meant it like he wouldn't want to ruin her the night and Anne's life because everyone would obviously see, and be jealous. And then Josie would make her life hell for a while for betraying Ruby.

The intention of the boy would be not to be ashamed of her but not to ruin Anne's life. But she probably made a bad example so she explained it to the redhead again. But Anne just sighed and Diana continued:

,,What I am trying to say, that there is actually someone obviously interested and you keep on rejecting him in almost every way, even though you are friends now..."

,,Diana, who are you talking about?" Anne stopped her. Of course, she knew, she knew very well.

∆
~~~
∆

,,Have you ever been to a school dance, Matthew?" Anne asked him when she was helping him in the barn. He suddenly seemed uncertain.

,,Well, uhm..."

,,I mean, how bad could it be? I'll just go there and be there... and wait... and wait... till no one asks me... for... a dance..."

,,I am sure someone, umm, would ask... Uhmm... there are many boys, aren't there?"

,,Yes, of course, there are, but no one wants to dance with an ugly orphan, with a dog."

Matthew was confused. She always says she is doing well at school, besides Josie and Gilbert. She hasn't ever mentioned these nicknames. 

,,And... uhm... what about that... Blythe boy?" 

Anne looked at him shocked, and Matthew didn't know, what to do or say under her indecipherable look. 

,,Why does everyone think that? He is just a boy in my class and we are even maybe something less than friends, there is no chance he would save me from the embarrassment of being lonely at the dance. Not that i want him to save me!" she said, averted that look and continued her work.

,,Well, I don't know... he seems interested," he shrugged his shoulders.

,,Diana said the same thing, but no! There has never been anything and never will be anything between us! It is kind of ridiculous since he is the popular and I am just... well me. Not that I care!"

<~~~~~>
1591