As usual, there was a lot on Gilbert's mind.

He had started school again, but only part time as he looked for a new job on the docks in town. He needed money.

Mrs Grey was an old friend of his father's and had been keeping his house since Gilbert went away and she had been looking after him all week. Gilbert knew she was doing it out of the kindness of her heart and a loyalty to his late father but he still felt that he better give her something towards the upkeep.

Gil still hadn't seen Anne, despite being home in Avonlea a week. Every time he thought of going to the library and seeing her, something made him hesitate. The confidence he'd felt initially had gone and he was shy again.

Anne was the only person who made him shy.

On Gilbert's first day back at school, he felt optimistic for the first time in a while. He was good at school, and he used to have a lot of friends. He was a little behind in class but he was smart, so he'd soon catch up.

Gilbert ascended the steps to the school building and took a breath. He put a pleasant smile on his face and opened the door. He scanned the pews. Nearly everyone he remembered was here, he saw a lot of familiar faces and a few new ones.

He expected a cry of "Gilbert!" like there used to be when he'd return home from a trip. Instead, he was greeted by idle chatter. Nobody noticed him.

Gilbert frowned, taking off his scarf and hat off and placing it on his old peg. He found a hat and scarf already there. Gilbert shrugged it off and found a spare hook to place his things.

Gilbert walked slowly into the main room and looked around. The teacher was new - a tall, stocky man in his fifties, writing the lesson out on the board. Gilbert saw Diana, Anne's best friend. She was sitting near the back.

Gilbert noticed all of his old friends, most of which he'd fallen out with around the time his father died. They were gathered around the desk of a new boy. The new boy had a head of golden curls like an angel. The crowd seemed besotted with him, roaring with laughter at everything he said and listening to his every word raptly.

Gilbert thought fleetingly that this was how they used to be with him at school.

Gilbert wasn't jealous, he was more mature than he used to be and he never even put much stock in popularity in the first place. There were more important things, he'd learned.

Gilbert walked up the aisle to the teacher and spoke with him. The teacher was expecting him, as Mrs Grey had arranged Gilbert's return to school. The teacher gave Gilbert a book to help him with the new lessons that he'd not learnt and told him to sit at the back.

Gilbert heard students whispering about him now that they'd noticed him. Gilbert's back. Look, it's Gilbert. He's really back! Everybody was whispering, but nobody was greeting him.

Gil suddenly felt a rush of empathy for Anne that day he had humiliated her in front of everybody by pulling her hair and he thought again, how dreadful it was when everyone was laughing about you or talking about you.

He shrugged it off best he could and made his way down the pews towards the back, his mouth feeling dry. He wasn't used to being the odd one out.

As he was walking, girl stood up on his right and he glanced up. It was Ruby Gillis, a quiet, sweet girl who used to be friends with Anne and Diana. She always seemed nice, a bit hysterical sometimes, but Gilbert always put it down to her being one of the youngest.

"Gilbert! Welcome home." She said in a rush. She blushed and smiled, looking pleased and embarrassed at the same time.

Gilbert smiled at her, gratitude lifting his heavy heart. Somebody finally acknowledged him like a human being, not whispering behind his back!

"Thank you, Ruby." He said softly.

She flushed even darker pink than before and sat down. He heard her say to her friend, "He knows my name!" Which he thought odd, as they'd gone to school together for years as children.

Gilbert reached the back, a few more students saying hello to him and welcoming him back. They must have been spurred on by Ruby's words. They had seemed to remember him somewhat. Gil looked down at Diana Barry.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked, gesturing to the space beside her.

She smiled. "No, please sit."

Gilbert sank onto the bench, and took his things out. "So, everyone's forgotten me, huh?" He joked, raising an eyebrow.

Diana laughed, shaking her head. "Not at all, they're just shocked. Nobody knew you were back! They'll warm up to you soon enough."

"So, who's the new guy?" He asked, looking over at the popular blond boy. "He seems pretty... friendly."

"Oh, that's Joseph Bines." Diana told him. "He's new in town, moved here a week or two ago... Apparently his father used to live in Avonlea! They're living on the edge of town. He seems nice, he's a bit of a bragger though."

"A bragger? What's he been saying?" Gil asked curiously.

"That he's travelled all over and has seen all kinds of things... He's a little older than most of us, so naturally the boys all think he's practically a king." She said, looking at Joseph disaprovingly.

There was a pause, then -

"Apparently he's kissed dozens of girls." Diana added, rolling her eyes.

"Dozens?" Gilbert looked over at the boy.

Joseph Bines was leaning back in his chair confidently, an easy smile on his face as he spoke. His eyes were flashing around at everyone, seeming to take in everyone's reaction before he said anything more. He was handsome and had a winning smile, but Gilbert had a strange feeling about him. He was familiar.

"It's all talk, of course. You can't believe it." Diana said.

"I have a feeling that I know him from somewhere." Gil confessed.

"Really?" Diana was surprised. "Well perhaps he was staying in the same place as you? If he truly has travelled a lot, it's possible that you crossed paths."

They both looked at the new boy for a while in silence. It had to be five minutes but stretched on longer as they were lost in thought.

"Where did you go, Gilbert?" Diana asked.

"I got work on a steamer. I had to see the world, I had to get out of this town for a while... I went to New York and worked for my Uncle."

"New York? That's terribly exciting!" She smiled. "Everyone missed you. Anne especially--"

She stopped suddenly. Gilbert looked up, his ears pricking up at the sound of Anne's name.

"Well, she missed the competition of course." Diana hastily amended. "When she was in school, I mean."

Gilbert frowned. "She doesn't go anymore? Marilla said--"

"Marilla mustn't know. Anne made me promise not to tell." Diana's face was dead serious suddenly.

"Tell her what?"

"You must keep it a secret." She looked grave.

"I promise." Gilbert said hastily.

"Well, Anne doesn't attend school at all anymore... she skips and works full time at the library. She keeps up her studies as best she can, I take her lessons in secret so she can keep up the front. Oh, but I miss her dreadfully--"

"Why doesn't she come anymore?" Gilbert frowned.

"Oh, Gilbert. She needs the money desperately. The Cuthberts are still in debted with the bank." Diana was sad. "Also, Anne... well, Matthew's not fully recovered yet. He needs medicines daily. His heart is weak. Didn't you know? He had a heart attack."

Gilbert's heart felt heavy. Anne was in worse trouble than he realised. Marilla made things out to be better than they were.

"You should go to see her." Diana said.

Gilbert looked at her doubtfully.

"Gilbert, it would cheer her up." She told him.

Gilbert was hesitant, but he promised he'd go if he found the time. Truthfully, he was afraid she'd have gone back to hating him like she had for so long. They'd only been friends for a short time. What if she had decided that she could never forgive him after all for that day he teased her?

...

Gilbert was in town that weekend when he heard the shouts that there was a fire. It was a big office up the high street that had caught ablaze. Gilbert's heart dropped as he remembered that the offices were stationed directly next to the library where Anne worked!

Gilbert had never run so fast as he did in that moment. The desperation to reach the library in time to ensure Anne was safe drove his legs harder as he sped through town, calling to everyone he passed that there was a fire and help was needed urgently.

His mind flashed with images from the Gillis family's house going up in smoke and seeing Anne inside the burning building, coughing and oxygen deprived, her clothes spoiled with soot as she rushed through the house closing all the windows. He had been so afraid for her that night.

Anne was so brave.

By the time Gilbert arrived at the offices, they were almost entirely engulfed in flames. It was a great fire, sparks flying high into the sky almost reaching the clouds. The danger was terrible and there were crowds of people pumping water and carrying buckets. Everybody was in a desperate hurry and panic was thick in the air like smoke.

Gilbert's eyes flickered to the library along the pavement. The flames had not reached them, yet... Dread rose in his chest and clouded his mind.

People were calling for him to help, yet Gilbert knew he would be no use until he knew that Anne was safe. He rushed towards the library, his heart hammering. Dark smoke was filling the air. There were cries coming from the crowds. It was dangerous to be this near to a burning building.

Gilbert barely hesitated, pulling his scarf over his mouth and running headfirst into the library that was starting to smoke and catch from all the sparks on the wooden roof. The library was tidy and dark, the lamps snuffed out by all the smoke. There was a lamp on the floor, wax spewn on the shiny wooden boards. It had been dropped in a hurry.

Gilbert's heart thundered in his chest.

He searched the whole building urgently, screaming Anne's name at the top of his lung but nobody was to be there. Choking from smoke, he fled the library. He couldn't do anything more. Anne was gone. People were yelling at him to assist with the fire so he began helping to dampen the houses and nearby shops so the fire wouldn't spread. The library would be saved.

Gilbert was so worried. The streets were filling with even more smoke, even more people. Everybody was shouting or crying or panicking or barking orders. It was hectic. Heat was coming from the offices in waves and Gilbert couldn't think straight.

Where had Anne gone?