On my first day of school, midway through reading a poem, I caught Gilbert Blythe staring. He had a charming expression, in a confident way. As if he was a prince from a faraway kingdom who knew a princess would be easy to attain.

I thought, he couldn't think of me as his princess? With my red hair and freckles and gangly stature, no one could.

Apparently, Gilbert was popular. Smart, determined, and . . . charming, too. I couldn't fathom why a boy holding hopes and dreams made him more attractive to the eye.

I had hopes and dreams, too. Yet I was the one who needed to be brought down to earth. Therefore, Gilbert was everything I despised.

When class ended for the day, I rushed to gather my belongings. Eager to return to Green Gables. But, as I turned to face the door, there he was. Leaning with one arm against the doorway.

"I haven't seen you before," Gilbert stated, as if it was a fact, not observation.

"Likewise." I moved to exit, but he blocked my path. 

Other students funneled through the entryway, ducking underneath Gilbert's taller frame. They each said goodbye as they went, as if their day was not complete without an acknowledgement. Some teased me. Others advised Gilbert to stay away from me.

I prayed he'd heed the suggestions. He ignored them.

"You're new. The orphan?"

I nodded. "Yes. The orphan. Anything else you'd like to know?"

His hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. A bad idea was at the forefront of his mind. "No, but I do have a proposition for you. One I think you'd like."

"I think it'd be best if I do not take a proposition from a strange man." I clutched my bag tighter before I lost my temper. Marilla warned me about that very thing happening at school. I did not seek to disappoint.

Gilbert chuckled at that, which made me angrier. He must've noticed: he cleared his throat and continued, "What if you and I were to . . . pretend to fancy each other?"

Heat rushed to my cheeks. My features flustered. Who did Gilbert think he was to propose this?

"Think of it this way: you wouldn't get teased, and me 'fancying' you would convince everyone that you're nice," Gilbert explained. He dared a step closer, grin widening at my perplexed expression.

"Why would you submit yourself to . . . that?"

Gilbert gave one of my braids a light tug. "I just want to help. What do you say?"

As I thought more, I realized I could manage this arrangement. My imagination was a deep cavern in the depths of the ocean. Vast, and something not many others could traverse.

"What would this entail?" I asked.

Gilbert beamed. "I'll walk you to school tomorrow from Green Gables. See you at seven!" He bound out of the school.

I wondered . . . what had I got myself tangled up in with Gilbert Blythe?