AS BELLA LISTENED TO RUBYS 
endless babble about Gilbert, a man finally entered the room. He was wearing a plain professor's suit and a thick mustache covered is upper lip. He wore a stern and strict expression on his face which already showed Bella that his lessons were gonna be absolutely boring and no fun. But it wasn't like she had expected it any differently.

"Quiet! Sit down." He called out and the rest of the students took their seats. The room turned quiet as he stood in front of the tables and let his eyes wander around the room. They then stopped on Amybella.

"You. You're new. Get up!" He said to Amybella. The girl didn't like his harsh tone, but did as he said and stood up from her bench. She stepped into the little passing between the tables and folded her hands behind her back, daring herself to hold her tongue.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Amybella McCurthy." She answered and looked at him waiting.

"And?" he asked.

"And?" she repeated his question, unsure of what else to say.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

"From England, sir." She answered.

"Do I have to pull everything out of your nose? Where in England?" She said and Amybella already grew annoyed by him. She heard the snickers of the students behind her.

"Whitby, sir." She answered and he nodded.

"Small town,  it too special,  it too much fuss." He looked her up and down.

"Sit down." He then said and she did as he said.

"Come forward." He then suddenly said and the blonde girl looked at him, confused. A feeling of distaste for him gathered in her stomach and she suppressed an annoyed sigh.
She rose from her seat again and stepped out of her pew. She stood forward in front of the board.

"The Atlantean provinces." He said tapping with his stick on the table.
Amybella opened her mouth to reply.

"Name them." he said, interrupting her.

"New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island-."

"Stop." He said and Bella closed her mouth.

"Coming from England I'm not sure if they may let students run around doing whatever they want to but in my class I demand discipline and structured work in every aspect. Do you understand that?"

"Yes sir." The girl responded.

"Are you doing the lessons?" He asked.

"No?" She said.

"Keep that in mind. You missed a few provinces." He said.
If he hadn't interrupted her she wouldn't have. She thought and opened her mouth.

"Yes its-.." But she was interrupted again.

"Turn to page 34 in your books!" He then called out walking in front of her.
Bella looked at him in disbelief. She had never met such a rude person.

"You can sit down now." He said mockingly while he looked over his shoulder. The class started laughing and Bella swallowed the upwelling anger inside of her. She took a deep breath through her nose and walked back to her seat.

The rest of the school day didn't go much better. Mr. Phillips annoyed her, calling her out incessantly, and her dislike for him only grew.

"Mr. Phillips just wanted to test you. He wanted to know where your horizon was," Anne said as Amybella put on her coat, a little too annoyed.

"I don't know what preconceptions he has that all people from England are highly educated," she said, then ran out and made her way home.

"I hope you know the way home, do you?" a familiar voice called out which made Bella roll her eyes.

"Yes I do, I'm not stupid." She quickened her steps. Gilbert caught up with her.

"So for the coffee at yours tomorrow.. do you need help? My father won't be able to make it, but I can come and I can help you later with the preparations," Gilbert suggested.

"No, thank you, we're doing very well on our own." She nodded, raising her chin.

"Is it because of me or what's your problem with a kind gesture?" Gilbert asked and Amybella looked at him in surprise. She didn't expect him to be so forward.

"I'm not opposed to a kind gesture unless it's from you, because I don't need your help and your rude comments." She turned off towards her home and thought she heard him laugh.

"Rude?" Gilbert asked.

"Yes. Rude." Bella said, raising her chin, as she turned to the left path while Gilbert had to split from her to get to his house.

"See you this afternoon then!" he waved to her and turned off in the direction of his house.

•

In the afternoon, as Bella walked down the stairs to the living room, she saw someone standing at the door. She frowned at who this might be and then paused her steps in shock.
An almost heavenly perfect looking and broadly smiling Gilbert stood in front of her. He wore his shirt without his sleeveless sweater this time.

"Look, Mr. Blythe's son came here to help." She heard the voice of her mother, before she came into sight.

"Why didn't you invite him earlier? You hardly find a gentleman these days." She said and
Amybella turned to her. Marissa regarded her appearance with a reproving look. She had said her words a little too loudly for Bella's taste and she was sure, Gilbert had heard every bit of it, because he grinned even wider now.
Her mother nodded to Gilbert and turned around to walk towards the kitchen.

"So I'm a gentleman now?" Gilbert whispered to the girl when she reached him. 

"Only in your dreams." Bella replied and Gilbered responded with a chuckle and a charming smile.
The Blythe-boy was admittedly a great help to Bella and her Mother. He helped them set and lay all the tables and brought them enough wood for the fire.

The next day, the first guests arrived a few hours later. Amybella had put on her best dress and fixed her hair as usual.

"Your dress is heavenly Bella." Anne gushed.

"Thank you." Amybella smiled and was flattered by Anne's choice of words. She felt Diana's hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were fixed on something behind the blonde and she began to grin.

"You caught someone's eye." Diana whispered. Amybella turned and followed the girl's gaze. Gilbert had just walked in the door and was now approaching her.

"Come on Anne, let's get a piece of the cake, our kitchen-made baked." Diana winked at the blonde girl and then pulled Anne with her.
Amybella looked after them, being outraged that they had abandoned her so quickly.

"You look pretty." Gilbert's voice sounded behind her and she got a sinking feeling in her stomach. She turned to him and eyed him.

"You don't look bad yourself, so serious." she replied. He was wearing a plain shirt with a vest on top and had fixed his hair. He looked distinguished and nothing like the Gilbert she knew so far with a sweater and wild black curls.

The rest of the day was boring. Chit-chat and more tea here, more coffee there.
As the day drew to a close, the guests left and Anne and Diana also had to say goodbye. Gilbert helped Amybella and her mother with the dismantling and then said goodbye.

"I'll see you at school?" he asked when she nodded.

"Yes. And thank you again for the help." she said and he grinned.

"Wow. You can be nice." He said and then turned around. Bella rolled her eyes and closed the door.

•

"Anne!" Amybella caught up with the redhead, smiling. The girl smiled back, surprisingly shyly, and they walked side by side to the school building, talking about books. Well, it was rather Anne talking and Bella listening to her, because she had no clue about literature.
Bella really liked Anne, although she did talk a lot and used ridiculous words.

"Open the reading books, we are reading aloud the poem 'The fisherman' Diana Berry. Get up and start." Diana began to read. She read a little stick-like, but was probably better than some.

"Dangerous indeed! Sit down. Anne Sherly. Stand up and continue." Anne stood up and began to read. She read very powerfully, somewhat exaggeratedly. She dramatically clarified the poem and threw her hands theatrically in the air.

Her classmates began to laugh and Anne laughed along until she realized that her classmates were laughing at her instead of with her.
Her smile disappeared and suddenly, she looked insecure.
Her courage was suddenly gone and she slumped down on the bench, tense.
Amybella poked Ruby in the side next to her and with that, stopped her from laughing.
During the break, Anne sat alone outside by the stream. Amybella was about to join her when she saw Gilbert walking towards the redhead.
He seemed to be trying to talk to Anne, but she suddenly stood up, said something and then walked away, annoyed.
She walked past Amybella, then the blonde girl looked at the confused Gilbert.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked.

"Are you annoying every girl who gets in your way?" She asked, tilting her head and Gilbert looked at her slyly.

"No, actually just you." He answered and Amybella laughed lightly, giving the brunette a sense of satisfaction.

"What did you want from her?" She tried to sound as normal as possible, but didn't quite succeed.

"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to her. She seems lonely." he then said.

Gilbert shrugged and walked back into the school house, from which Josie Pye and her group of other girls plus a blubbering Ruby were now marching towards them. Josie looked at her angrily.

"How dare you talk to Gilbert Blythe?!"
Her tone sounded harsh and unnerving in Amybella's ear.
The girl looked at her with a blank face.

"Pardon?" She asked irritably.

"You didn't know because you're new, but Ruby has liked him for three years she has privileges." Amybella stifled a giggle. A moment of silence ensued.

"Okay?" Amybella asked with a wry smile, not quite sure what to say.

"Okay?! Don't. let it happen again!" said Josie and Ruby sobbed in her arms.
Amybella nodded slowly and then raised an index finger upwards.

"Just so I know. Is breathing in a radius of 10 feet around him allowed?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. She put a sarcastic tone in her voice and then threw up her hands defensively when she saw Josie's scowl.

"Let it go Josie." Anne appeared at Bella's side and the girls marched away. Anne stayed with the blonde girl.

"They did that to me when I was just walking next to Gilbert!" Anne said and Diana came beside them. She nodded in agreement.

"Why does she hate everyone?" Amybella asked, shaking her head as she looked after Josie and her friends.

"Josie is like that, but it will get better," said Diana.

"She doesn't get to decide what anyone should or shouldn't do." Amybella turned back to the girls and crossed her arms.

"I wish I was like you Bella! You're so.. intrepid." Said Anne, Diana nodded affirmatively. Amybella looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Intrepid?" she asked, confused.

"Confident, bold, fearless!" Anne answered with a loud laugh.

"How come you use those big words?" Amybella asked with a light grin.

"Oh. Well.." Anne suddenly got nervous as if Bella reminded her of something tragic.

"To express big ideas you need big words." She shrugged her shoulders.

"I just read a lot. That's all!" She said and Diana smiled at her.

"Well I admire it about you Anne!" She said and Amybella nodded appreciatively, then they walked back to the school building because the next period started.

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