My Beginning
Not yet beta-read
Title: My Beginning
Prompt: Beginnings @ fanfic100
Rating: G (slight violence, but the original version of this scene was rated G)
Who really knows where a story begins? Aren’t all of our stories just an interaction with each other? Isn’t my story the continuation of my parents? Doesn’t each story have many beginnings? Aren’t our lives a series of short stories? We all seem to have a moment, when we find out who we are; when who we will be begins to be shaped.
I had been your stereotypical boy. I liked the attention of females almost as much as they liked my attention: which often came in the form of teasing. I was quite popular with the males, and quite bright. I was top of my class when I had to take a three year leave. My dear father had gotten very sick, and we had to go out west so he could get better. I was young and didn’t understand the details. But it broke my heart to stay and to leave. Leaving meant leaving behind all those who meant anything to me (though looking back, I know they didn’t mean that much), and it meant leaving behind playmates, and school. I loved school. But staying threatened my father’s life. I would do anything for my father; us Blythes are very clannish. When we came back, I was two classes lower. I would be the oldest one. Certainly none of these girls would be half as fun to tease as those in my class had been. Sure there was Josie Pye. She was pretty and was always making eyes at me. But she was after all a Pye, and they always thought themselves better than everyone else.
My first day back, I had no idea what awaited me. If I had, I would have worn a helmet.
“Class, we have a new student. This is Anne Shirley,” Mr. Phillips announced to the class. This new girl struck me. She was awfully skinny with the palest skin I had ever seen, dotted with freckles. And her hair braided into pigtails was the brightest red I had ever seen. It was practically orange! I was never one to believe in “love at first sight,” but there was something about this girl; I sensed it immediately. She was by no sense of the word pretty, but. . .there was some sort of beauty to this girl that outshone it. And when she talked back to Mr. Phillips, “Make sure to spell my name with an E,” I knew I was taken. I had never developed a schoolboy crush like I had at that moment. I had to get to know this girl! Luck had it that she was assigned to sit next to Diana Barry who was across the aisle from me. Apparently “Diana Barry is my bosom friend!”
“Hey!” I whispered, checking over my shoulder to make sure that Mr. Phillips was indeed enrapt with Prissy Andrews. But she ignored me. Why did she ignore me so? What had I done? I hadn’t even gotten to know her yet! I just wanted to be friends! I threw a little piece of paper at her. She turned only to glare at me. My heart skipped a beat (if, that is indeed possible). Her eyes. . .they were beautiful. A grey that was tinted with green. They were beautiful, no doubt about it.
“Hey! Hey!” Why was she ignoring me? Every other girl would have looked by now. And that was when fate created itself.
“Carrots! Carrots!” Too late, I saw the fury in her face that she tried so desperately to hide. I had already grabbed a braid and gave it a little tug. Not enough to hurt her of course, just enough to get her attention. Then she said those words that would echo in my heart for years to come:
“You mean hateful boy! How dare you!” And her eyes flashed brilliantly, as she picked up her slate and smashed it along her head. I thought, I should be in pain. I should hate her. But all I can notice is how gorgeous her eyes are, how I’d love to lose myself in them, and how her face flushes when she’s angry.
“Anne Shirley!” Sure, now Mr. Phillips paid attention to his class. I suddenly felt dread filling me. She was going to get punished for my crime.
“Sir, it’s not her fault. I teased her.” But he ignored me, as he pushed her towards the board.
“Ann Shirley has a very bad temper. And she will learn to control it if she hopes to remain in my class room. Write this 100 times.” She glared at his back before indignantly adding the “e” to her name.
I went up to Mr. Phillips after class.
“Why did you punish Anne and not me? I teased her. I should be punished too.”
“You didn’t cause a ruckus.”
“She didn’t do it on her own. You just don’t like her because she’s new,” I said vindictively and walked away bitter. I saw her outside walking with Diana Barry. I hurried up to the girls.
“Anne, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Really, I’m sorry.” But she just pushed ahead, completely ignoring me. So this was how it would be. This was the beginning of the rest of my life.
Title: My Beginning
Prompt: Beginnings @ fanfic100
Rating: G (slight violence, but the original version of this scene was rated G)
Who really knows where a story begins? Aren’t all of our stories just an interaction with each other? Isn’t my story the continuation of my parents? Doesn’t each story have many beginnings? Aren’t our lives a series of short stories? We all seem to have a moment, when we find out who we are; when who we will be begins to be shaped.
I had been your stereotypical boy. I liked the attention of females almost as much as they liked my attention: which often came in the form of teasing. I was quite popular with the males, and quite bright. I was top of my class when I had to take a three year leave. My dear father had gotten very sick, and we had to go out west so he could get better. I was young and didn’t understand the details. But it broke my heart to stay and to leave. Leaving meant leaving behind all those who meant anything to me (though looking back, I know they didn’t mean that much), and it meant leaving behind playmates, and school. I loved school. But staying threatened my father’s life. I would do anything for my father; us Blythes are very clannish. When we came back, I was two classes lower. I would be the oldest one. Certainly none of these girls would be half as fun to tease as those in my class had been. Sure there was Josie Pye. She was pretty and was always making eyes at me. But she was after all a Pye, and they always thought themselves better than everyone else.
My first day back, I had no idea what awaited me. If I had, I would have worn a helmet.
“Class, we have a new student. This is Anne Shirley,” Mr. Phillips announced to the class. This new girl struck me. She was awfully skinny with the palest skin I had ever seen, dotted with freckles. And her hair braided into pigtails was the brightest red I had ever seen. It was practically orange! I was never one to believe in “love at first sight,” but there was something about this girl; I sensed it immediately. She was by no sense of the word pretty, but. . .there was some sort of beauty to this girl that outshone it. And when she talked back to Mr. Phillips, “Make sure to spell my name with an E,” I knew I was taken. I had never developed a schoolboy crush like I had at that moment. I had to get to know this girl! Luck had it that she was assigned to sit next to Diana Barry who was across the aisle from me. Apparently “Diana Barry is my bosom friend!”
“Hey!” I whispered, checking over my shoulder to make sure that Mr. Phillips was indeed enrapt with Prissy Andrews. But she ignored me. Why did she ignore me so? What had I done? I hadn’t even gotten to know her yet! I just wanted to be friends! I threw a little piece of paper at her. She turned only to glare at me. My heart skipped a beat (if, that is indeed possible). Her eyes. . .they were beautiful. A grey that was tinted with green. They were beautiful, no doubt about it.
“Hey! Hey!” Why was she ignoring me? Every other girl would have looked by now. And that was when fate created itself.
“Carrots! Carrots!” Too late, I saw the fury in her face that she tried so desperately to hide. I had already grabbed a braid and gave it a little tug. Not enough to hurt her of course, just enough to get her attention. Then she said those words that would echo in my heart for years to come:
“You mean hateful boy! How dare you!” And her eyes flashed brilliantly, as she picked up her slate and smashed it along her head. I thought, I should be in pain. I should hate her. But all I can notice is how gorgeous her eyes are, how I’d love to lose myself in them, and how her face flushes when she’s angry.
“Anne Shirley!” Sure, now Mr. Phillips paid attention to his class. I suddenly felt dread filling me. She was going to get punished for my crime.
“Sir, it’s not her fault. I teased her.” But he ignored me, as he pushed her towards the board.
“Ann Shirley has a very bad temper. And she will learn to control it if she hopes to remain in my class room. Write this 100 times.” She glared at his back before indignantly adding the “e” to her name.
I went up to Mr. Phillips after class.
“Why did you punish Anne and not me? I teased her. I should be punished too.”
“You didn’t cause a ruckus.”
“She didn’t do it on her own. You just don’t like her because she’s new,” I said vindictively and walked away bitter. I saw her outside walking with Diana Barry. I hurried up to the girls.
“Anne, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Really, I’m sorry.” But she just pushed ahead, completely ignoring me. So this was how it would be. This was the beginning of the rest of my life.