Dreams Crash and Burn
Title: Dreams Crash and Burn
Rating: G
Word count: 2,001
Prompt: Pain @
50scenes
Why did he like her? She had a way of making him want to apologize one moment and annoyed him the next. He didn't have much of a temper, but she was the only one he would be overly blunt with. More than once did he snap at her out of frustration. And yet. . .even at 16 he knew he loved her. He should have known that teasing her would be wrong. He should have known better than to have winked at her. But he was a schoolboy. Even as he knew that she was different, he couldn't change himself. He knew that to win her he should have approached her as a gentleman. He should have tried to woo her. But what sixteen year old boy does that? What sixteen year old boy approaches a strange girl and introduces himself, offering to help her with anything she wanted? No. Sixteen year old boys tease girls, and the girls swoon at that. Not this girl. That was why she was different. That was why he loved her.
When he saw her fall off of Moody's kitchen roof, his heart stopped. What if she had died? Josie was so stupid to dare her to do something so dangerous. But then, of course Josie was jealous. She had every right to be. He was supposed to be her boyfriend of some sort, and yet he obviously didn't care about her. Josie didn't understand what it was that Gilbert liked better about Anne than her. How couldn't she see it? She was strong, and determined. . .and unlike all those other girls he had ever met. While he did act much like his peers, it was just the result of being 16 in a class of 14 year olds. Maybe it was because he felt the pressures to conform to a certain behavior. Or maybe it's because all 16 year old boys act the same way.
Each of us has a moment when we pass from childhood into adulthood. For many it's a blurred line. For Gilbert, he knew the exact moment. It was when he saw the fire flash in those beautiful grey-green eyes. He realized then that not all girls were alike, and that that was why he was in love with her. He longed to hear her dreams, he longed to be in them.
"Gilbert, I've never seen you so wrapped up in your thoughts. May I ask what they are?" Diana greeted him.
"Oh, hello Diana," he replied, snapping out of his reverie. Diana was nice enough, but
like all the other girls in their class, she did not seem to be much more than
someone to hang on your arm.
"What. . .or who. . .was possessing your thoughts?" Gilbert suddenly looked uncomfortable. Diana raised her eyebrow in interest.
"Okay. . .what or who?" Gilbert looked at his hands in embarrassment.
"I don't really want to get into it."
"Are you sure? Sometimes talking with people allows you to work out any questions you may have."
"Sometimes it hurts friendships."
"Whose?"
"Some secrets are meant to stay that way."
"Please Gil?
"Promise you won't tell anyone?"
"Who would I tell? My mother has prevented me from speaking to Anne."
"Why? What happened?" Diana furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"Are you concerned for me or Anne?"
"Both, of course," Gilbert answered hurriedly.
"Would the subject of your thoughts be a redheaded girl we both know?" Gilbert gave in and nodded.
"And were your thoughts directed at how you feel about her?"
"It doesn't matter, because she hates me and always will."
"Gilbert, don't be like that. Don't say 'always'. She's only 13. She might grow out of it. She has her ideals."
"So I have no chance. She won't ever care for anyone who doesn't fit in her ideals. But she doesn't even want me to be her friend."
Anne paused in her walk. She didn't know what it was, but there was something about him sitting there that caused her to stop. His face showed the evident
pain he was feeling. She still found him handsome like she had told Diana two years previous. And now that she was 16 and he was 18. . .she was able to see him from a different point of view. He was by no means her dream man, but he was smart and he hadn't made fun of her in years. Maybe getting to know him wouldn't be a horrible thing.
"Is something wrong?" she asked approaching him. He jerked, having not realized anyone was near him.
"You looked like you were thinking of something painful. Is everything alright?"
"I, uh, no. Not really."
"Gilbert, I, I, uh, we should, no, that's not how I meant to word that," Anne sighed in frustration. "You've expressed interest before, but I was always too
stubborn to accept. So now, in what may seem a bit forward, I ask: would you still like to be friends?"
"Really? You want to be my friend?"
"Yes." Gilbert smiled easily.
"You promise?" Anne laughed.
"Yes, Gilbert Blythe. I promise to be your friend. I can't promise I won't get mad at you. But I do promise that I'll be here for you when you need me."
"Well, since we've seen to have come to our senses, tell me about yourself."
"What don't you know about me?" Anne asked laughing. "You've known me most of my life."
"Three years? I've known you three years."
"Well yes, but what is there really before 13 that determines who we are? And all worth knowing about me from that age you already know. My parents died of
the fever when I was three, I've been in and out of orphanages and homes since then."
"Actually I only knew you were an orphan. I didn't know since when or that you had been in and out of orphanages and such. Are they as horrible as they are
portrayed?" Anne nodded.
"No one wanted me. And they wondered why I made up friends."
"I can't imagine why they wouldn't want you."
"Oh, they all had their reasons. Mainly, I think, they didn't want to be bothered with me. I was just there to take care of their children. They weren't interested
in me as anything more than the hired help."
"You were so young. You shouldn't have been there for help. You needed a family."
"I survived," Anne said laughing a little bit, slightly nervous at how intense Gilbert was. So serious. . .but why?
"Yes you did. So what do you dream of?"
"You know me. I'm always daydreaming. Fairies, and nymphs. . .silly schoolgirl things."
"It'll keep you young. What about non-silly schoolgirl dreams? What do you see in your future?"
"I'd like to be a writer. I don't know if I have the talent for it. So I imagine I'll teach until I get married and raise a family."
"What's your dream man like?"
"Tall, dark, handsome, melancholy. Writes poetry.
"Why do you have me talking about myself? What about you?"
"Me? You mean, what's my dream man like?" Anne laughed.
"No, silly. You know perfectly well what I mean. Tell me about yourself. What do you dream of? What's your dream woman like?"
"Hmm. Well, I don't think I was much unlike any typical boy. I liked dirt and bugs, and teasing girls. But you knew that last part. I'm still very sorry for that
Anne."
"I forgive you. I think I understand now why you said it. Though, now that you know it's a sore spot, do you promise not to tease me about it?"
"Absolutely. I won't say anything about your hair unless it's in good nature and I know you know that."
"What do you dream of?"
"Mostly the future."
"Like marriage or jobs?"
"Well, I'd like to be a doctor. But yes, I do dream about being married."
"Wow, that's impressive. I think you'll make a great doctor."
"Thank you."
"What's your dream woman like?" Gilbert nervously cleared his throat.
"Is she beautiful?"
"Very."
"Is she smart?"
"Yes."
"Will she hang on your arm and be the perfect little housewife?"
"Absolutely not."
"Will you never fight with her?"
"I doubt it," Gilbert answered, laughing.
"Does she like to dream?"
"One of her wonderful qualities."
"Does she talk a lot?"
"Yes, but so do I sometimes. Besides, I like listening to her talk."
"Is she confident?"
"In many ways. Though in others she is insecure."
"Do you know her?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Unfortunately? If I knew my dream guy I would consider myself lucky."
"Even if he was in love with another woman?"
"Oh Gil, that's horrible!"
"Now, now. Let's not get into that now. Maybe later. But now, our conversation should be full of joyous topics, not dreary ones."
"Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like if things had happened differently?"
"Not really. You?"
"Yes. I always wonder what my life would have been like if my parents had lived." Gilbert bit his tongue so he wouldn’t shout out, "But if they had then I never
would have met you!"
"Have you come to a consensus?" he asked instead.
"Well, I think my life for sure would have been easier, but. . .I think being an orphan has made me stronger. If my parents had lived I might not have had so many dreams. Oh, perhaps I still would have wanted a dress with puffed sleeves, and my ideal man, but I don't know if I would have been so desperate for a bosom friend. Oh sure, I would have wanted friends, but I think I would have had an easier time at gaining them; you'd be surprised at the persecution an orphan suffers."
"Anne. . .I don't know how to ask this, but if a man loved you, really loved you, yet didn't fit your ideal to the t. . .would you still jilt him?"
"Oh Gil, do you think I'd 'jilt' someone?" How could he answer that? He loved her dearly and did not want to hurt her, and she already looked like she had been hurt, apparently she felt the word "jilt" to be too strong.
"Oh Anne. . .I'm sorry. Forget I said anything." Anne suddenly furrowed her brow as though something had just occurred to her.
"Have I jilted you?" Gilbert nervously cleared his throat, and realized immediately that was the only answer he had to give to reveal himself. He thoroughly failed at preventing Anne from knowing.
"I didn't want you to know. I've tried so hard to keep it from you because you wouldn't even be my friend. You finally agree to be my friend, and now I've ruined everything." Gilbert's face flushed in embarrassment. He had been through enough, why couldn't he just leave before she began to ridicule him?
"You and me?" she asked thoughtfully, biting her lip. "I don't know. . .We both get annoyed with each other, and. . .I'm sure I'd regret it."
"Anne, I said forget it," he said a little more forcefully than he meant to.
"See?" She looked hurt and it broke his heart.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so mean. I just didn't want you to find out because I knew you wouldn't allow me to court you even if we were the last two people in the world."
"Well, maybe if we were the last two. . ." she teased, attempting to lighten the mood.
"I should probably be going before I make a complete jerk of myself. But. . .are we still friends?" He stood up, readying himself to leave.
"Yes." A bit unsure of herself, she stood up and hugged him.
"I'm sorry, Gil. But you'll find someone else and you'll be glad I denied you."
"Don't break too many hearts," he whispered, pulling away and heading back to his house. Anne sighed, watching him leave. Things certainly were interesting now.
Rating: G
Word count: 2,001
Prompt: Pain @
50scenes
Why did he like her? She had a way of making him want to apologize one moment and annoyed him the next. He didn't have much of a temper, but she was the only one he would be overly blunt with. More than once did he snap at her out of frustration. And yet. . .even at 16 he knew he loved her. He should have known that teasing her would be wrong. He should have known better than to have winked at her. But he was a schoolboy. Even as he knew that she was different, he couldn't change himself. He knew that to win her he should have approached her as a gentleman. He should have tried to woo her. But what sixteen year old boy does that? What sixteen year old boy approaches a strange girl and introduces himself, offering to help her with anything she wanted? No. Sixteen year old boys tease girls, and the girls swoon at that. Not this girl. That was why she was different. That was why he loved her.
When he saw her fall off of Moody's kitchen roof, his heart stopped. What if she had died? Josie was so stupid to dare her to do something so dangerous. But then, of course Josie was jealous. She had every right to be. He was supposed to be her boyfriend of some sort, and yet he obviously didn't care about her. Josie didn't understand what it was that Gilbert liked better about Anne than her. How couldn't she see it? She was strong, and determined. . .and unlike all those other girls he had ever met. While he did act much like his peers, it was just the result of being 16 in a class of 14 year olds. Maybe it was because he felt the pressures to conform to a certain behavior. Or maybe it's because all 16 year old boys act the same way.
Each of us has a moment when we pass from childhood into adulthood. For many it's a blurred line. For Gilbert, he knew the exact moment. It was when he saw the fire flash in those beautiful grey-green eyes. He realized then that not all girls were alike, and that that was why he was in love with her. He longed to hear her dreams, he longed to be in them.
"Gilbert, I've never seen you so wrapped up in your thoughts. May I ask what they are?" Diana greeted him.
"Oh, hello Diana," he replied, snapping out of his reverie. Diana was nice enough, but
like all the other girls in their class, she did not seem to be much more than
someone to hang on your arm.
"What. . .or who. . .was possessing your thoughts?" Gilbert suddenly looked uncomfortable. Diana raised her eyebrow in interest.
"Okay. . .what or who?" Gilbert looked at his hands in embarrassment.
"I don't really want to get into it."
"Are you sure? Sometimes talking with people allows you to work out any questions you may have."
"Sometimes it hurts friendships."
"Whose?"
"Some secrets are meant to stay that way."
"Please Gil?
"Promise you won't tell anyone?"
"Who would I tell? My mother has prevented me from speaking to Anne."
"Why? What happened?" Diana furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"Are you concerned for me or Anne?"
"Both, of course," Gilbert answered hurriedly.
"Would the subject of your thoughts be a redheaded girl we both know?" Gilbert gave in and nodded.
"And were your thoughts directed at how you feel about her?"
"It doesn't matter, because she hates me and always will."
"Gilbert, don't be like that. Don't say 'always'. She's only 13. She might grow out of it. She has her ideals."
"So I have no chance. She won't ever care for anyone who doesn't fit in her ideals. But she doesn't even want me to be her friend."
Anne paused in her walk. She didn't know what it was, but there was something about him sitting there that caused her to stop. His face showed the evident
pain he was feeling. She still found him handsome like she had told Diana two years previous. And now that she was 16 and he was 18. . .she was able to see him from a different point of view. He was by no means her dream man, but he was smart and he hadn't made fun of her in years. Maybe getting to know him wouldn't be a horrible thing.
"Is something wrong?" she asked approaching him. He jerked, having not realized anyone was near him.
"You looked like you were thinking of something painful. Is everything alright?"
"I, uh, no. Not really."
"Gilbert, I, I, uh, we should, no, that's not how I meant to word that," Anne sighed in frustration. "You've expressed interest before, but I was always too
stubborn to accept. So now, in what may seem a bit forward, I ask: would you still like to be friends?"
"Really? You want to be my friend?"
"Yes." Gilbert smiled easily.
"You promise?" Anne laughed.
"Yes, Gilbert Blythe. I promise to be your friend. I can't promise I won't get mad at you. But I do promise that I'll be here for you when you need me."
"Well, since we've seen to have come to our senses, tell me about yourself."
"What don't you know about me?" Anne asked laughing. "You've known me most of my life."
"Three years? I've known you three years."
"Well yes, but what is there really before 13 that determines who we are? And all worth knowing about me from that age you already know. My parents died of
the fever when I was three, I've been in and out of orphanages and homes since then."
"Actually I only knew you were an orphan. I didn't know since when or that you had been in and out of orphanages and such. Are they as horrible as they are
portrayed?" Anne nodded.
"No one wanted me. And they wondered why I made up friends."
"I can't imagine why they wouldn't want you."
"Oh, they all had their reasons. Mainly, I think, they didn't want to be bothered with me. I was just there to take care of their children. They weren't interested
in me as anything more than the hired help."
"You were so young. You shouldn't have been there for help. You needed a family."
"I survived," Anne said laughing a little bit, slightly nervous at how intense Gilbert was. So serious. . .but why?
"Yes you did. So what do you dream of?"
"You know me. I'm always daydreaming. Fairies, and nymphs. . .silly schoolgirl things."
"It'll keep you young. What about non-silly schoolgirl dreams? What do you see in your future?"
"I'd like to be a writer. I don't know if I have the talent for it. So I imagine I'll teach until I get married and raise a family."
"What's your dream man like?"
"Tall, dark, handsome, melancholy. Writes poetry.
"Why do you have me talking about myself? What about you?"
"Me? You mean, what's my dream man like?" Anne laughed.
"No, silly. You know perfectly well what I mean. Tell me about yourself. What do you dream of? What's your dream woman like?"
"Hmm. Well, I don't think I was much unlike any typical boy. I liked dirt and bugs, and teasing girls. But you knew that last part. I'm still very sorry for that
Anne."
"I forgive you. I think I understand now why you said it. Though, now that you know it's a sore spot, do you promise not to tease me about it?"
"Absolutely. I won't say anything about your hair unless it's in good nature and I know you know that."
"What do you dream of?"
"Mostly the future."
"Like marriage or jobs?"
"Well, I'd like to be a doctor. But yes, I do dream about being married."
"Wow, that's impressive. I think you'll make a great doctor."
"Thank you."
"What's your dream woman like?" Gilbert nervously cleared his throat.
"Is she beautiful?"
"Very."
"Is she smart?"
"Yes."
"Will she hang on your arm and be the perfect little housewife?"
"Absolutely not."
"Will you never fight with her?"
"I doubt it," Gilbert answered, laughing.
"Does she like to dream?"
"One of her wonderful qualities."
"Does she talk a lot?"
"Yes, but so do I sometimes. Besides, I like listening to her talk."
"Is she confident?"
"In many ways. Though in others she is insecure."
"Do you know her?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Unfortunately? If I knew my dream guy I would consider myself lucky."
"Even if he was in love with another woman?"
"Oh Gil, that's horrible!"
"Now, now. Let's not get into that now. Maybe later. But now, our conversation should be full of joyous topics, not dreary ones."
"Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like if things had happened differently?"
"Not really. You?"
"Yes. I always wonder what my life would have been like if my parents had lived." Gilbert bit his tongue so he wouldn’t shout out, "But if they had then I never
would have met you!"
"Have you come to a consensus?" he asked instead.
"Well, I think my life for sure would have been easier, but. . .I think being an orphan has made me stronger. If my parents had lived I might not have had so many dreams. Oh, perhaps I still would have wanted a dress with puffed sleeves, and my ideal man, but I don't know if I would have been so desperate for a bosom friend. Oh sure, I would have wanted friends, but I think I would have had an easier time at gaining them; you'd be surprised at the persecution an orphan suffers."
"Anne. . .I don't know how to ask this, but if a man loved you, really loved you, yet didn't fit your ideal to the t. . .would you still jilt him?"
"Oh Gil, do you think I'd 'jilt' someone?" How could he answer that? He loved her dearly and did not want to hurt her, and she already looked like she had been hurt, apparently she felt the word "jilt" to be too strong.
"Oh Anne. . .I'm sorry. Forget I said anything." Anne suddenly furrowed her brow as though something had just occurred to her.
"Have I jilted you?" Gilbert nervously cleared his throat, and realized immediately that was the only answer he had to give to reveal himself. He thoroughly failed at preventing Anne from knowing.
"I didn't want you to know. I've tried so hard to keep it from you because you wouldn't even be my friend. You finally agree to be my friend, and now I've ruined everything." Gilbert's face flushed in embarrassment. He had been through enough, why couldn't he just leave before she began to ridicule him?
"You and me?" she asked thoughtfully, biting her lip. "I don't know. . .We both get annoyed with each other, and. . .I'm sure I'd regret it."
"Anne, I said forget it," he said a little more forcefully than he meant to.
"See?" She looked hurt and it broke his heart.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so mean. I just didn't want you to find out because I knew you wouldn't allow me to court you even if we were the last two people in the world."
"Well, maybe if we were the last two. . ." she teased, attempting to lighten the mood.
"I should probably be going before I make a complete jerk of myself. But. . .are we still friends?" He stood up, readying himself to leave.
"Yes." A bit unsure of herself, she stood up and hugged him.
"I'm sorry, Gil. But you'll find someone else and you'll be glad I denied you."
"Don't break too many hearts," he whispered, pulling away and heading back to his house. Anne sighed, watching him leave. Things certainly were interesting now.