▷ Pleaser - Wallows

«If only I could please her»

___

October 1st

RUBY GILLIS has decided she likes Gilbert Blythe. It's not the kind of intense crush, but he's hot, he's kind, he's smart and he's single, so, why not? She's always been a hopeless romantic and Gilbert could be the perfect choice for her high school romance.

She just hopes the attraction is mutual.

As for Gilbert, he is surely enjoying the girl's attention. Ruby's been all over him for a week now, but he doesn't want her to get the wrong impression. She's cute and all, but definitely not his type. Maybe he could just make out with her, just for fun, but Ruby seems nice and a bit too... innocent? She would certainly catch feelings.

Talking about Ruby, she is approaching his locker. It's Friday and Gilbert Blythe has survived his first week at his new high school. "Gilbert, hey!" the girl greets him cheerfully. "Hi, Ruby" he replies, shotting her a casual smile.

"You forgot your notebook in class!" she says handing him a blue notebook. "Oh, yeah" he says. "Thanks, Rubs, you're a lifesaver". She smiles warmly at him, touching the boy's arm, trying to get all flirty. It works with other guys. "See you on Monday?"

"Yeah, have a good weekend" he says as he watches the blonde girl leave the building. He keeps fixing his locker when he notices somebody else's presence beside him.

"Hey"

"Hi?" he turns around to face a brunette boy. He is wearing an oversized Star Wars T-shirt that makes him look even skinnier and his hair looks messy, as if he has just woken up. "Need anything?"

Out of all the people that want to talk to him, no one is cool girl — the redhead he met about a two weeks ago, named Anne Shirley. She is the only one that's been ignoring him, something that is quite odd, considering that Gilbert Blythe is quite the attention catcher.

That girl was definetely something else.

She could be a challenge.

"Uh, no, well, yes?" the boy says. Gilbert knows him from English and History. He's the French boy. "I'm Jerry, we-we have a few classes together"

"Gilbert" he says, closing his locker and leaning his back against it, focusing now all his attention on the other boy. Jerry has every sign of nervousness all over his body: sweaty hands, eyes locked on the floor and some nonsensical mumbling is leaving his lips.

"Yeah, Gilbert, I need to... damn, I don't know how to say this"

"Say what?"

The boy sighs. "Look, I really... really like this girl and..."

Gilbert furrows his eyebrows in confusion. He just got here a week ago, he barely knows this guy, why is he talking to him about this? Doesn't he have any friends?

"I think she likes you" Jerry admits. "I really think the Ruby Gillis likes you and I've been in love with her since the fifth grade, so could you please... not... makeoutwithher?" he says his last words very, very quickly, as if he was scared or ashamed of them.

Oh. So this is about Ruby, Gilbert thinks.

"Dude" Gilbert replies. "Sure, don't worry"

"Oh, my god" the boy sighs in relief and leans against another locker, right next to Gilbert's. They are about the same height, so Jerry can look at him directly. "Thank god, I was scared that you were an evil jock or something!"

"A jock? Me?" Gilbert says. "I'm a huge nerd" He lets out a chuckle that helps Jerry be more relaxed about the situation.

"Yea, I'm a nerd too" Jerry says. He is now smiling. "Do you like Call of duty?"

"I fucking love Call of Duty"

___

After school, later that afternoon, Anne Shirley is doing what she truly believes it's the best part of her week: binging some stupid show with her best friend. Activities like these help her relax and drift away from other problems.

She really needs plans like these.

However, the idyllic atmosphere won't last any much longer when she checks her phone.

She stares at the screen, eyes wide open and a disgusted frown on her face. Unbelievable!

"Why on earth are you frowning now?" Diana pauses Netflix and looks at her friend with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Look who just followed me on Instagram!"

gilblythe started following you

Anne almost blinds Diana by putting her phone screen right in front of her eyes. "So? He followed all of us"

"Uh, yeah, because you gave him all your users!" Anne says "I didn't"

"Do you even know how childish you sound?" Diana says. "He must have found you via one of us, that's all"

"Maybe I didn't because I didn't want him to find me!" Anne has been like this all week. Diana knows why. Her best friend finds it very difficult to... connect with new people. After all, their group of friends is very reduced, and Anne is friends with all of them thanks to Diana — she is basically the only person she can trust. Sure, there's also Ruby or Jane, but it's not the same. They have been recently hanging out with other boys from class since Josie and Billy started dating, but Anne's social awkwardness is still there, and it doesn't seem like it will go away any soon, especially not after last spring's events.

"Anne, stop" Diana sighs. "Can you tell me how you two met again?"

"I was jogging down his street and he heard me talking to myself" Anne explains "Then he asked what was I listening to, and he knew the song!"

"Really? Have you finally met someone who matches your taste in music? That's great!"

"I have!" Anne says with excitement, although she suddenly regrets it. "But he turned out to be a dickhead! The other day in class, he said "You're my kind of girl", like, that's a lyric from the song" Anne says, getting angrier and angrier. "Who does he think he is?"

"I think he was just trying to be nice, you know? Just sharing interests" Diana says. Usually, she is the voice of reason. "Don't go harsh on him, he's new and doesn't know anyone. He just want to make some friends" she says calmly. "Remember you were the new kid not long ago"

Anne truly knows what it feels like to be alone in a new place.

"I think he was trying to flirt" the redhead rolls her eyes. "That Gilbert Blythe, thinking he's charming and smooth"

"Wanna know what I think?" Diana says "You can't stand him because he's the male version of you, if you think about it. You two are so similar and considering that most of the time you can't even stand yourself, you can't stand him either"

Shit, that might actually be true.

"So?"

"So I think you should give him a chance. You two could really work as friends" Diana says "Do it for Ruby"

"For Ruby?"

"Yeah, she likes him"

"Oh, yeah" Anne nods before letting herself fall on top of her bed. "I forgot about that"

"Will you please try to be nice to him?"

"Yeah, sorry, Di"

Anne really adores Diana. Sometimes she acts like a mom towards her, but she is thankful. She is like a little lighthouse in the darkness of her life. She is her guide and most of the time she helps her with social stuff.

"How are you feeling lately?" Diana asks out of the blue.

"Meh. Better, I guess"

"Nightmares?"

"Not anymore" Anne sighs. How could she have nightmares if she doesn't even get three fucking hours of sleep a day? "I just miss him and seeing Marilla so... broken is not of much help"

"I know"

Anne knows that Diana means well. Of course she does! But she doesn't know. She doesn't know anything. Diana's father is alive.

Hers died last spring.

She could never understand.

"Anne!" Marilla's voice calls her from the kitchen. "Could you please get the door?"

The girl groans in response.

She walks down the stairs in her pajamas with her usual annoyed face. Her brother has probably forgotten his keys again.

"What the hell?" she can't believe her eyes when she opens the door. There he is, his brother and right behind him, he boy she has just been told to be nice to.

"Shirley? What are you doing here?"

"I figure I should be the one asking you that question considering you are in my house" she says, emphasizing the words "you" and "my".

"Oh, but..."

"Wait, you know my sister?" Jerry asks.

"She's your sister?" Gilbert looks at Anne, then at Jerry, then back at Anne. "Wait, are you French?"

"You two are friends?" Anne asks, completely ignoring Gilbert's question. Although she really wants to slap him and tell "Do I look French to you?" she doesn't feel like explaining to him how Jerry and her are "siblings".

"Oh, god, YES" Diana yells from upstairs. She is usually quite calm, but not when she's watching Netflix and someone interrupts. "YES, Anne and Jerry are siblings, Anne and Gilbert know each other and Gilbert and Jerry are friends, or so it seems!" she yells, making the three others laugh. "SO ANNE, CAN YOU COME BACK HERE NOW? BECAUSE SERENA AND BLAIR ARE FIGHTING AGAIN AND I LOVE DRAMA"

Anne looks back at Gilbert. He is staring at her, just like he did the day they first met. She realizes now that she is on her oversized pajamas of her absolute favourite movie. She turns around to go back to her room after mumbling an "I should go back to Diana.

She could just leave and he could just shut up, but then, Gilbert Blythe realizes how much he loves a challenge.

"Nice pajamas, Shirley" he says after closing the house door after him. He is standing in the hall, with his new friend Jerry right beside him, who watches the scene with an amused grin. "I love The Breakfast Club"

Be nice. Be nice. Be nice.

"Thanks" she says, standing at the foot of the stairs.

"You actually remind me of her"

"Who?"

"Claire, I mean. Redhead, fiery temper but with a soft side, I'm sure" 

Jerry covers his o-shaped mouth with his hand. This new kid clearly doesn't know Anne.

She's going to end him.

"Fuck off" she scoffs.

"You're pretty sexy when you're angry" Gilbert says. There's a sly smirk on his face that makes Anne want to punch him in the throat. "Didn't Bender say that?"

"For your own sake, I'll ignore your stupid remark"

"Am I dreaming or are you actually desperately trying to being nice?"

Shit, he's noticed.

"Don't make me regret it" she says, making her way back to her room.

"It's a truce, Shirley!" is all she can hear before closing her bedroom's door with a slam.

"Well, after this terrifying yet thrilling verbal fight, let's go fight some soldiers on Call of Duty" Jerry says, excitedly. This is the first time he's brought a friend over to play video games, so he is dying to know about this new experience.

Well, this is the first time he has a friend.

Him and Gilbert go to his room and sit in front of his Xbox. "So, about Ruby" Gilbert says after a few rounds. "Does she know you like her?"

"I don't know how she hasn't noticed yet but no, I don't think she does" Jerry replies, kicking his controller's buttons with such ease a speed makes Gilbert look like the worst video game player in the world.

"You could just ask her out, y'know"

"ARE YOU INSANE?" Jerry cries out. "She's like a goddess and I'm... I'm like... nothing"

Gilbert laughs, putting the game on pause and standing up the floor. "I think I can help you with the Ruby Gillis situation"

___

Flash forward to the next week and Gilbert and Jerry are ready to start with the so called Ruby Gillis project.

It's Monday now, lunch time, and Gilbert walks into the cafeteria alone. The plan is to talk to Ruby about Jerry now, but when he finds the girls, the blonde is nowhere to be seen. However, he spots a cascade of red hair tat instantly makes his lips curve up into a smile. Tillie and Jane are also there with her.

"Alright, Tillie, the central theme of the play is love" Anne explains, writing something down in Tillie's notes. "All the other themes derive from love"

"Hey girls, what are you doing?" he says whilst approaching them.

"Anne is tutoring me on English" Tillie says, placing her hand on Anne's shoulder with a proud and thankful smile. "She's super smart"

Anne remains silent. For now. Maybe the only way to be nice to Walkman-boy is not talking to him, since he seems to get on her nerves every time they talk.

"What does the heartless and cold Shirley know about love?" Gilbert says, sliding into the seat right in front of her.

"She has a boyfriend, so she knows how it feels" Jane adds. "To be in love, I mean"

For some unknown reason, Anne doesn't like the fact that Jane brings her boyfriend out. She doesn't usually talk about her relationship, but now it feels... weird. She doesn't know how to explain it, but it just feels wrong to talk about her boyfriend in front of Gilbert.

"Really? Where is he?" Gilbert asks, frowning a bit. She doesn't seem like the type of romantic girl.

"Charlie is a year older than me, so he moved in to college" she answers quietly, not looking at him. She is still writing something down for Tillie.

"Oh, nice" Gilbert says. And he actually sounds interested. "What are your plans for next year?"

Jane and Tillie are engaged in a conversation about an upcoming biology test, so it's just the two of them. Gilbert is staring at her but the girl is still focused on Tillie's notes.

"I'll move in with him, I guess"

"You guess?"

That's when she looks at him.

"Any problem with that? Not all of us have found our vocation like Dr Blythe"

She remembers how he told Ms. Stacy last week how he wanted to become a doctor in the future after giving some stupid speech about his vocation which nobody asked for.

Annoying boy.

Anne is frustrated. She really doesn't need another person in her life lecturing her about the future.

"Shirley, hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Actually, since you're so sure of your fucking vocation, why don't you change your username to drblythe?" she says, remembering how he followed her on Instagram last Friday.

"But Shirley, I-"

And just when she thought he couldn't get any more annoying, he keeps calling her by her surname! He couldn't be more cliché.

"Look, don't even bother" she stands up and gathers her things, aiming to leave. "I couldn't care less"

"Anne!" Jane calls for her from the table.

"You keep talking to Dr. Blythe, I'm going somewhere else!"

But "Dr. Blythe" stands up too and grabs her arm to make her look at him.

"Why?" he whispers. Thank god, at least now no one in the cafeteria can hear them.

She rolls her eyes.

"Don't do that" he says, still whispering.

"Do what?"

"Don't roll your eyes at me"

"I didn't"

"You just did"

"I did not"

"Whatever. Please, just listen to me"

He is still grabbing her arm. She raises her eyebrows, inviting him to say whatever he wanted to say.

"I didn't mean to... look, I just think you're super smart, okay? So, that 'I guess' sounded a bit too... conformist for me. I think you could do great things"

She thinks about Diana's words. Maybe he's nice. Maybe he's just like her. Maybe they could be friends.

"Please, let's just talk" he pleads, holding onto the sleeve of her sweater.

Maybe.

But maybe not.

"No, thanks" she says before getting rid of her grip and walking out of the cafeteria, leaving Gilbert Blythe standing in the middle of it, watching her disappear into the crowd of students and staring like a fool.