▷ You're so cool - Jonathan Bree

«Eyes on the prize»

___

September 17th

THE REDHEADED GIRL's high ponytail bounces against the air of a September evening. Sweat is running down her forehead to her collarbone. She is breathing heavily.

Fuck. She should definetely exercise more. Or quit smoking. Or both. This desperate attempt of trying to follow a healthier lifestyle is going to be the death of her.

She stops on her tracks for a minute to get some air to get to her lungs; hands on her knees in a resting position and music blasting through her airpods.

Body so fit
So full of spark
With affirmations
As your wall art
You were driven
Eyes on the prize
A yoga routine
Home exercise

"Body so fit, hah!" she says outloud, without even noticing, shaking her head "Ironic much?"

"I would say so, yeah" a voice suddenly startles her. It's getting dark by now, and the streets of Avonlea are usually rather lonely at this time of the day, especially during the fall. She takes a look around until she spots a figure sitting on the nearest bench.

She approaches the figure until she can see him.

It's just a boy.

He must be about her age. Dark curls, rosy cheeks and long eyelashes that she is already jealous of. She had never seen him before, and that's odd, considering how much of a small town Avonlea is.

She removes her airpods, shoving them into her pockets. "You shouldn't be spying on people, you know" she says roughly. "It's creepy"

"Sorry" the boy removes his headphones as well, putting something aside. A walkman?

"Who the hell uses a Walkman these days?" she asks, pointing her finger at the device. "We're in fucking 2017"

"Who the hell talks to herself these days?" the boy asks in return, raising both his eyebrows, perhaps surprised at the girl's outspokenness.

She blinks twice, trying to think of an answer to outsmart the boy. "Fair point" she says, placing both of her hands on her hips. "Smart people think out loud"

"That's true" he says. Then he remains silent for a few seconds.

He is staring at her.

Then, he talks. "To answer your question, I like old stuff — that includes this old thing" he smiles.

"Good"

"Don't you want to know what I was listening to?"

She kinda does.

But admitting that would not go with her tough-girl armor, so instead of saying "Yes! I love old stuff too!" she just mouths: "No?"

"That's a shame, 'cause I wanted to know what you were listening to" he says with a sly smirk on his face. He is handsome, and he knows it. The girl can tell. He is one of those boys.

"You're so cool, by Jonathan Bree" she says. It's not a famous song, so what are the odds that he knows which song she means?

"Oh" he mutters, and then hums the melody of the song. "Eyes on the prize" he sings, looking at her directly and with zero discretion.

"Right" she rolls her eyes at the insinuation before turning her back at him. She really doesn't have time for a attempt-of-a-flirt childish boy now.

"Hey, I didn't quite catch your name" he shouts.

"I didn't throw it!" she barks as she starts jogging back home, leaving Walkman-boy behind.

"Alright, cool girl!"

Somehow, although she tries to fight it, there's a short smile curving in her face as soon has she hears the nickname.

___

September 24th

Flash forward to a week later and all you can hear at Avonlea High's parking is the roaring tyres of Josie Pye's brand new car. Josie is one of those girls that you either love or hate. Drop-dead gorgeous, good grades in school, popular, and most importantly: she is a potential future Mrs. Lynde — gossiping is her favourite hobby. So when she breaks the news to her friends that there is a new boy in school this fine September morning as they wait for classes to begin, all the girls squeal in excitement.

It is the first day of school in the monotonous town of Avonlea – but a hell of a good-looking distraction is about to walk through those school doors. If Anne Shirley-Cuthbert had not woken up so awfully late, she would be walking to school with her friends in this precise moment.

And she could know that there is a new boy in school, or so Josie says. You can't really trust the girl on stuff like this, since she likes to make things up most of the time.

"My mom told me this morning, and I've heard he is super handsome"

"Really?" a raven haired girl says. Diana Barry is a long-haired, petite, dark-eyed, walking beauty. Every boy in school would want to have the chance to take her out on a date, but she is not interested in the kind of boys she knows from class. They are immature, stupid and ridiculous. Her prince charming could wait, that is what she always tells her friends, who are desperate for their most ravishing friend to get a boyfriend.

What her friends don't know is that Diana wants to be loved, or at least, liked, for something more than her looks. How she wants to be artistic like that Nicole girl, sweet like Ruby or incredibly smart like Anne.

Anne.

Talking about Anne, she's late, Diana thinks.

"Yes" the blonde girl replies "Apparently he came here because his father's illness, or at least that's what Mrs. Lynde told my mom"

"His father is sick?" a tiny blonde haired girl asks from the other side of the group. She is Ruby Gillis, and she is known for being extremelly dramatic. She does not even know the boy yet, but there are pools of tears forming in her eyes. She can't help being like that, it is part of her sweet personality. "He must be so sad!"

"You don't even know him yet, Rubs" a girl called Tillie Boutler says, making all the other girls giggle in response. She is the quietest of the group, but she is their "glue" as Diana pointed out once. She is the one that keeps the squad together, no matter what.

"It's always sad to know that someone is going through something like that!" Ruby says, frowning. "It's called being empathetic, Anne told me!"

"Shut up and let's get to class" Josie says, ruffling Ruby's hair. "Senior year awaits!" Josie is just a few months older than Ruby, but she will always act like she's her little sister. Ruby is short, innocent and adorable, and Josie can't help but being extremely over-protective towards her.

"Shouldn't we wait for Anne?" Jane Andrews asks. Jane, the party animal, always up for a drink and a party, and usually the one to drag the rest of the girls out of their respective houses on Friday nights.

"Anne's here!" Anne herself answers. She is running through the corridor, and once she reaches the girls, stops to catch some air. "Fuck, I really need to go to the gym"

"That's what you say every year" Diana says, patting her best friend's back. "What got you so late? Being the obsessive bitch over timing you are, it is weird"

"Nothing" Anne answers. She's lying of course. The rest of the girls are already making their way to class, so it's just Diana and her.

"Trouble with sleeping again?" her friend asks with a worried look on her face. Anne just nods. Diana puts her arm around her best friend's shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Just try not to fall asleep in class and blink twice if you need me"

Anne laughs. "Okay"

___

Footsteps. Quiet footsteps, actually — when you're so immersed in music, you can't really tell when you're late.

Now like the faded star
In sunset boulevard

"The most important thing about Senior Year is to find your vocation" Mr. Wheeler says, walking around the class. "Find your dreams" he adds "and follow them"

I play the devoted butler
Morning coffees by the bed

"But don't forget to have fun" he smiles. There's a reason why he's his students's favourite teacher. "This year could also be a chance of meeting-"

While all hard fought endeavours

The classroom door opens and reveals a curly-headed boy. All heads turn to him, except for one.

"... new people" Mr. Wheeler finishes his sentence as he looks at the recently arrived student.

"Uh, Sorry, sir, I'm late" he takes off his headphones and takes a look around the classroom. Shit, he's late.

"No problem" the man says calmly "I assume you're the new student" Please, please, don't make me introduce myself in front of the whole classroom, please. "You can take the spot next to Miss Shirley, next to the window, over there"

The man points at a red-headed girl that has her head turned to the window— she's probably daydreaming. She's Mr. Wheeler's favourite student, and also the smartest, so he kind of allows her to daydream in his class.

The new student takes a notebook and a pen out of his bag, which he leaves on the floor. Then he procedes to study the girl sitting at to his left. She's still looking out of the window, resting her chin on her hand, completely unbothered by his presence.

"Gilbert" he says, offering his hand "Gilbert Blythe"

The red-headed girl stifles a laugh, ignoring the hand the boy has offered. Her eyes are still fixed on whatever she finds so interesting out of the window. "What, are you from the 19th Century or something like that?"

"Anne!" a tiny voice belonging to Ruby Gillis whispers from behind, making the so called Gilbert Blythe turn round.

"So, Anne's the name, uh?" the boy says, amused. "I think I like Miss Shirley better"

The girl just rolls her eyes at his comment. She does not need another cliché flirt at school.

"Sorry, she's got quite a temper" another voice joins the conversation. Diana Barry is the one that always has to apologise for her friend's lack of social skills.

"I see" the boy muttered, looking back at the red headed girl, who is hiding a mocking smile.

"I'm Diana Barry" the raven-haired beauty sitting right behind him says "and this is Ruby Gillis"

"Why don't you join us for lunch?" Ruby adds politely.

"Oh, thanks, but I already agreed to sit with some dude named Billy"

"Billy? He always sits with us, he's Josie's boyfriend" Ruby says, pointing at the couple sitting a few rows to the left, but unable to take her eyes off the newly arrived Gilbert Blythe — he has stolen the attention of every single person in the room.

As for Anne, she hasn't even taken a proper look at him, but just by the smug tone of his voice, she already knows that he is the rare kind of guy has this sort of magnetic force that attracts everybody.

Everyone including herself, because now that the boy is engaged in a small conversation with Ruby and Diana, Anne is the one that is stealing glances at him.

The boy is wearing a The Smiths t-shirt, a pair of dark jeans and plain black sneakers. Anne notices the boy's like for older bands, how could she not? Anne herself is wearing a t-shirt of the same band. She can't see his face properly now since he is writing something down in his notebook.

"Shirley?" he suddenly lifts his face to meet her gaze.

His face. There's something familiar about it.

"Mm?" she mumbles, a bit distracted by the boy.

"You're my kind of girl" he simply says.

The girl frowns. Who the hell does this guy think he is? "What the hell?" she says, looking at Diana and Ruby to find support. They're both scrolling down Instagram.

"You don't remember me?" he laughs as he gets his backpack and looks for something in it. "I'll show you something that will refresh your memory"

"What-" she tries to say, but before she can continue, the boy places a Walkman on her lap.

"Walkman boy?!"

___