Chapter Twenty-Four:
Oh, How She Longed To Freely Dance With Her Fire Haired Love
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Today, we're going to be learning about the birds and the bees." Ms. Stacy folded her hands together as she spoke

Mabel giggled, turning to Anne. "Finally!"

Ms. Stacy sighed, shaking her head. "The bee collects pollen and nectar to feed the hive and create honey. The flower receives pollen, which it needs to bear fruit. I assure you, the lesson will be illuminated all the same. And then we have the birds. Take the red-breasted nuthatch, its main source of food is the spruce budworm, which is a conifer pest. So while the red-breast-"

Mabel swallowed thickly, glancing over at Anne as she tried to control her breathing. Ms. Stacy led the class through the forest, combining to explain the lesson as Mabel began to zone out on the sky. She glanced over at Moody as he began to step onto a mossy rock.

A terrible scream left his mouth, causing Mabel to turn her head. "Moody!"

She left Anne's side, rushing forward to see the wound. Mabel stumbled back at the sight, her breath catching in her throat as she looked away.

"Oh.. my word.. that's blood." Mabel felt the world spin around her as flashes from the previous winter flashed through her mind. Her vision became spotty as she heard Josie's voice faintly calling out for her. Her eyes shut and her body hit the ground.

~~

Mabel stared in jealousy at the board. Not only had more notes appeared, more notes for Anne, but more than one of Mabel's anonymous notes had been clearly ripped off.

"I'm going to go get Anne." Diana said excitedly. Mabel hummed in response, folding her arms as she glared at the board.

"Hmph." Mabel huffed shaking her head as she pulled herself from her trance on the board at the sound of Anne's voice.

"Mabel! Come along. They're beginning the dance lessons." Anne rushed over to Mabel, slipping her hand into Mabel's. "Don't worry about some little notice me board."

Anne dropped their connected hands as the school house door closed behind them. "As promise, today we'll be praying for the county-fair barn dance. Mr. and Mrs. Lynde have kindly consented to help us in this endeavor."

The door opened, causing Mabel to lean over and peer over Ms. Stacy's shoulder. "Since The Dashing White Sergeant needs a set of six, I thought we'd better do so. Oh, you remember my son."

Mabel giggled as a grimace crossed her teacher's face, clearing her throat when she earned a warning look from the woman. "Yes, of course."

"It's very nice to see you again." The man said nervously, clutching his hat in front of him.

"Thank you... all for coming to help. Shall we?" Ms Stacy cleared her throat awkwardly, stepping to the side.

"We shall!" Mrs. Lynde stepped to the side, "Pay particular attention to the patterns. Ready?"

"Ready when you are, Mrs. Lynde." Mr. Lynde grinned, stepping in front of her.

"Please clap out the rhythm." Mrs. Lynde clapping her hands together to show the correct rhythm. She nodded to herself, joining hands with the people beside her. "And right steps round. Five, six, seven, and eight, and back the other way!"

Mabel turned her head, Mrs. Lynde's words and demonstrations becoming a distant thought as she focused her eyes on Anne's concentrated face.

Anne looked over at Mabel, causing the girl to inhale sharply and look away. "It's our turn. Please join me, I simply cannot bare to face Gilbert alone."

Pain hit Mabel's heart as she cleared her throat, "Y-Yes, of course, Anne."

She stood in a line across from Anne, facing Charlie Sloan. "Ready? Here we go. And one and two and three and four and five and six and-"

Mabel stumbled over her feet, her eyes trailing over Anne as she laughed nervously while apologizing to Gilbert. Mabel struggled to follow the direction Mrs. Lynde called out as she bumped into Charlie. "Sorry."

"To your right!" Mabel quickly spun, her heart skipping a beat when she saw that it was Anne. "Uh.."

Anne shrugged, laughing and interlocking their hands as she spun her around joyfully.

"Stop! Stop. Stop.. Stop! That was.. a start." Mrs. Lynde said, clearly becoming unsure if this was a good idea or not. "Yeah, that's.. let's take a little break."

Ruby quickly rushed away at the sound of that, causing Mabel to follow her in concern. "Ruby? Are you alright?"

"What's the matter, Ruby?" Diana asked, folding her hands together in front of her.

"Are you feeling faint again?" Anne leaned forward, assessing the girl's state.

"She's shaking.." Tilly said, concern lacing her tone.

"You can tell us." Josie nodded in reassurance.

"I-" Ruby inhaled sharply, "What if I'm pregnant?"

Panic flooded Mabel's body, "Pregnant?"

"Yes! My mother said if I so much as go near a boy, I might become pregnant, and if a boy touches me, then I'll certainly get pregnant. So I must be! You all could be."

"How could this be?" Anne looked horrified, turning her head to Mabel.

"But who's the father?" Tilly looked down at her hands, disgusted.

"I bumped into four!" Mabel panicked, "My parents will certain disown me now!"

"How could you let this happen?" Josie angrily turned around, glaring at Ms Stacy.

"Girls, girls, please calm yourselves." Ms Stacy tried to calm the panicked girls. "I can assure you, no one will become pregnant by dancing."

"But there was so much.. touching!"

Mabel nodded in agreement, "So much!"

"That's not how it works.. It's not, uh.. topical."

"Then how?" Mabel shook her head, looking over at Anne, "I don't wanna be pregnant!"

"There are.. many steps to conceiving. First, courtship. Then, of course, marriage. Then you and your husband-" Mabel flinched at the word "-M-may... will, with your consent, go down that cherished path to parenthood together.. Is that clear? Good."

"I'm afraid to dance.."

"You don't have to. You may sit this out if you wish."

Mabel sighed, "Anne, I need tell you something."

"What is it?" Anne smiled at her, glancing at the girls as they reentered the larger room.

Mabel inhaled sharply, speaking before her mind could take over. "My parents.. they're refused to let me attend queens." Mabel looked down at her boots. "I am to attend finishing school.. in Germany."

"What?" Anne's voice was loud as she crossed her arms. "And you're just telling me this now?"

Mabel bit her lip as Anne walked away in a huff to talk to Gilbert. Pain hit her heart song tears stung in her eyes as she looked away.

She tried and tried to reason with her family, but either of them would have it. She spent hours lying awake at night, crying to fight out how to break the news to Anne.

Mabel watched with jealousy as Anne happily talked to Gilbert, her mood changing almost instantly, a bright grin adorning her face.

Oh, how she longed to dance freely with her fire haired love.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

{ Word Count: 1198 }

{ A/n: ahaha these gays be gay tho }

{ Edited: No }