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"oh anne, i simply can not get over it!" ruby said as the two girls walked towards green gables.
"really ruby, it's nothing." the red head said, trying her hardest not to let ruby know that it wasn't nothing.
"he basically declared his love for you in front of the entire class, anne, you are so lucky!" ruby cried.
"ruby, he did not!" anne said, her mouth gaping open.
"he stood up for you, he punched billy! most beauxs don't even do that!" the dirty-blonde said.
anne couldn't help but smile a little, he had indeed stood up for her and punched billy andrews when billy wouldn't stop teasing her.
"oh anne! i will never ever be over him! even when you two are married!" ruby sobbed.
"i will not marry gilbert blythe! i have no interest in him and even if i did, i would never do that to you ruby, you are a kindred spirit." anne said, her heart dropping and tears beginning to form in her eyes, for whatever reason, at the truth behind her words.
"thank you, anne!" ruby said, flinging her arms around her redheaded friend as the two got closer to green gables.
the pair of girls were next to the barn when a boy poked his head out, making anne roll her eyes.
ruby, however, stared at the boy. he was very handsome, very handsome indeed, maybe even more handsome than even gilbert.
her brown eyes widened and her breathing stopped momentarily before she regained her composure.
"what are you doing here?" anne asked, already annoyed with jerry's presence.
"working." jerry said back, equally as annoyed with anne, he turned his head slightly from anne to ruby.
she is very pretty, the young boy thought to himself before taking his hat off and bowing slightly, which made ruby giggle and grab the bottom of her skirt to curtsy.
"who are you, miss?" jerry asked, standing up and putting his hat on his head once again.
"ruby gillis." she said, a pink blush making its way onto her cheeks.
"jerry, jerry baynard." the boy said, sticking his hand out for ruby to take.
"pleasure to meet you." ruby said, her brown eyes melting into the boy's stare.
"the pleasure is all mine." jerry said, his smile growing into a smirk.
the redhead watched the exchange happen, her eyes flitting back and forth from her two friends, not understanding what was happening.
"well, ruby and i best be getting on." anne said, interrupting the exchange.
ruby snapped out of her small trance and regained her composure before speaking again, "i suppose you are right, anne. lovely to meet you, jerry, i hope i'll see you again."
"i hope so too." he said, smiling widely at the girl, who stared at him for a minute, smiling back before anne grabbed her hand and pulled her towards green gables.
"oh anne, he is very sad and handsome!" ruby said, dreamily once the two girls were out of ear-shot from the boy.
"ruby! no he isn't! jerry is so not handsome, sad maybe, but handsome? no!" the freckled girl exclaimed.
"oh, yes! he is, anne! he is the most dreamy boy." ruby said, tilting her head slightly sideways.
"i thought gilbert was the most dreamy boy." anne said, quietly, blushing as she spoke for reasons unknown to her.
"oh he was, but now that i have met jerry, i dare say no other boy will ever compare! plus it is more than obvious i never had a chance with gilbert blythe." ruby said as the two girls entered green gables.
"what about gilbert blythe?" marilla asked as the girls walked into the house.
"nothing!" anne said quickly, grabbing ruby's hand and pulling her towards the stairs. "we were just headed upstairs!"
"well how was school?" marilla asked, growing slightly flustered as the girls ran up the stairs.
"it was magnificent!" anne called down.
•••
"i wouldn't even have to change anything i got with the initials 'r.b.' because that would sill be my initials! ruby baynard, oh doesn't that sound wonderful?" the young girl asked as she sat in a circle on the floor with her friends.
"it does have a nice ring to it." diana admitted, a smirk toying on her lips.
"so you're over gilbert?" tillie asked, still in shock.
"oh yes! it seems as if i am not the apple of his eye." ruby said, throwing a glance over at anne who was looking to the floor with a pink coat of blush over her cheeks. "and anyways, you should see jerry, he is the most handsome boy."
"so does this mean we are free to like gilbert?" josie asked, twirling a piece of her blonde hair in between her fingers.
anne stiffened and ruby shrugged, looking to her redheaded friend.
"i guess, but i wouldn't try. he is only interested in one girl." ruby said, making josie look at anne and scoff.
"i'm not threatened." josie snarled, raising an eyebrow.
"so i suppose you'll be changing the name of the boys in your stories, ruby." diana said, quickly trying to change the conversation to advert the blow-out that was inevitably about to happen.
"oh yes! i've already written one about a poor farmer boy named harry who falls in love with a beautiful princess, it's very romantical." ruby said, dreamily.
"can't wait to hear it." anne said, sarcastically.
•••
"you were all ruby could talk about today!" anne huffed as she threw herself into the hay.
"really?" jerry asked, hopefully.
"yes." anne huffed, not hearing his tone. "it was rather annoying, not as annoying as hearing her talk about gilbert." she said.
jerry smiled widely before getting back to work.
"why are you smiling like that?" anne questioned, looking at the boy, skeptically.
"smiling like what?" he asked, the smile not leaving his face.
"so happily." she said, standing up and walking towards the boy.
"i don't know." jerry shrugged, his wide smile still plastered on his lips.
anne looked at the boy, trying to figure out why he was acting so weird, when suddenly, the answer hit her.
she gasped before speaking, "you like ruby!"
the boy's smile got somehow, larger. "for someone who claims to love romance so much, i was expecting you to realize earlier."
"oh my!" anne said, happily. "you should court her! how romantic is this?"
"really, you think i should court her?" jerry asked, putting down the pitchfork to look directly at anne:
"yes! oh i'm so happy for ruby! she will be so happy!" the redhead said, clapping her hands together.
"you think?" jerry asked.
"oh jerry, i know." anne said, smiling at the boy.
"do you think you could bring her around here again soon?" jerry asked, a newfound confidence rising in him.
"yes, i will." anne said.