Your first day flew by, and you had decided while sitting in that class that you will never speak unless spoken to. So, at the end of the day, you packed up your things and raced out the door as fast as you could. Problem was, was that you were in such a hurry to get out the door, that you fell down the stairs of the schoolhouse and landed flat on your face.

Everyone saw it.

You lifted yourself up on your elbows, that were now all scraped. You heard the girls laughing and the boys making awful cow noises behind you.

Suddenly a hand came to your aid with all your books in the other, "Hey- uh, are you okay?"

You looked up and saw Gilbert Blythe. He was even nicer to look at up close. But you couldn't possibly stay around to find out, you were supposed to be going under the radar. Talking to Gilbert Blythe would definitely put you on Ruby and her friends radar.

"No, thank you." You said quickly, refusing his hand for help but accepting your books.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Are you alright?" He called after you but you already were running to meet Henry at the edge of the forest. "Miss, uh-" he turned around to ask another boy for your name. Billy was the closest option.

"Who cares? She's our clumsy cow now!" Billy said, mooing again.

Gilbert rolled his eyes and returned his eyes to the forest to see if you were still there. But just like that you were gone, leaving Gilbert Blythe alone with his classmates who he pitied. The girls especially unhappy that you had gotten Gilbert's attention.

But you could care less. In fact, you wanted less of his attention. If you could just go back to school and be unbothered that would be amazing to say the very least.

"How was your first day?" You asked Henry to get your mind off of it.

"It was ok." He sighed, grabbing your hand as you walked. You looked at his hands, and saw they were empty.

"Where's your book?" You asked.

"I, um, I left it in the classroom." He said, picking a flower off of the ground and pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Oh, are you thinking of starting a new one? I hear The Awakening is another good read. " You asked.

"I've already read that.. I think I should take a break for a little bit." He said.

"Oh alright, I suppose reading 24/7 is quite exhausting." You smiled, "Did you make any friends."

"No." He said.

"Me either. I know this place isn't like Alberta, but it sure is pretty, isn't it?" You commented, trying to lighten the mood, "The trees are so tall that if you climbed up one, maybe a giant would be waiting for you in the clouds like Jack & the Beanstalk."

He laughed, and you kept trying to make references like that to distract you from the horrendous day you just had. When you got home your mother was in bed.

You took it upon yourself to start dinner. Everything was great until you dropped a tea cup. It seemed as though the whole world stopped, if only for a second as the pieces spun around, and around, and around, and around. You hardly even noticed the pounding feet coming down the stairs. You knew what this meant.

Mother pushed you onto the floor, away from the glass thankfully. She grabbed the dustpan and broom, grabbing you by the collar and shoving you onto all fours to pick it up as if you were 3 years old. Your hands were shoved into some of the glass. But still you picked it all up, as she muttered behind you that you were incapable. That she wished you'd just stay at school, that she ought to send you off.

And a part of you agreed, as you were a complete dunce at housework. You'd make a horrible wife. Your only option will be school.

She threw you out that night, to sleep with the cattle in the barn. You washed the blood out of your hands in the pigs water pale, then threw out the water. You laid down in the hay. Staring up at the sky, still bright from the sunsetting. How times had changed from your days of being a little girl. Granted, you still were a little girl physically. But mentally it seemed you were wise beyond your years.

The only option seemingly fit was to drive all attention into school. You tried social life, not for you. So, books it is.

~⸰~

Next day you practically ran to school, skipping with your brother. So happy that today was a day where no mistakes have been made yet. Breathing in the clean, crisp air of the woods that isn't filled with manure. That was, until Billy came by with his friends. You held your brothers hand.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Billy smiled, his friends laughing behind him. First he looked at your brother, "Whats this?" He grabbed his books and threw them into a tree,

"Hey!" You yelled, you may be unable to stand up for yourself but you would not let anyone hurt your brother, "Give him his books back, now!"

"What are you going to do?" Billy turned to you.

"Henry, go to school. I'll bring you your books-" You started to say, but as Henry started running, one of the older boys held him back.

"Didn't anyone tell you cattle stays in the barn? Well I'm the shepherd dog, so woof woof. Back. Off. Or we'll just have bite."

He's in your face, pushing you when another voice approached, "Hey guys."

The hold the older boy had on Henry loosened, and you rose up on your elbows to look who it was. Gilbert Blythe of all people was walking past and decided to step in. The boy who helped you up yesterday when everyone was laughing at you.

"Hi, Gilbert." Billy said shyly, followed by other hello's of the same fashion.

"Hey, uh, hows it goin', buddy?" Gilbert asked, shaking Billy's hand politely.

"Good, uh, good to see you." Billy kept his eyes down.

"Good, good. So, uh, you guys playing a game or something? Right?" Gilbert looked between you on the ground and the three boys and your brother, "Well, it looks fun but we ought to get to class. Hate to be tardy, Mr. Filks sure gets his dander up about that."

"Yeah, yeah.. yeah." Billy tucked his tail between his legs, "We were just about to get going.. see you there."

Him and his friends started leaving. The boy who held Henry pushed him to the ground in disappointment. Gilbert helped him up while you picked yourself up to grab his books out of the tree.

"Are you alright?" You heard Gilbert ask Henry.

"Yeah." He said, rubbing his elbows.

"What's your name?" Gilbert asked, kneeling down to be eye to eye.

"Henry." He replied, "Henry (Y/L/N)."

"Nice to meet you Henry, I'm Gilbert Blythe." Gilbert shook his tiny hand, "Don't mind those boys, they won't hurt you anymore."

Henry didn't say anything, but he hugged Gilbert. That was when you came back down from the tree. You threw your own books over your shoulder, and stood there for Henry to see you. You felt so incompetent, almost offended that you couldn't save your brother from those boys. Well, maybe you could've done it if Gilbert didn't come.

When the hug ended, Gilberts eyes flashed to you, "Are you alright, Miss?"

"C'mon Henry, I have to get you to school." You said, giving Henry his books and starting to walk quickly past Gilbert and towards school.

"You're welcome." Gilbert said as you past, but already you had been trained not to talk to any boys, especially Gilbert Blythe, "Need anything else? Any dragons that need slaying?"

"Don't be rude." Henry called you out.

"No, thank you!" You kept moving but hated to be rude.

"Wait, uh, what's your name?" And you knew he was still following you. It made sense as he was going to the same place. But you just prayed and prayed that nobody would see, or he would give up. You didn't want any kind of interactions with anyone. Good or Bad.

Which, of course, included Gilbert Blythe.