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chapter nine

|meeting one another|

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you," ben politely thanked the man in the carriage as they reached to blythe household.

as they stared at the house, he noticed that bash was freezing. he let out a chuckle and pats bash's back as he, gilbert, and bash are walking inside.

"welcome back," gilbert said.

"welcome home," ben muttered in his breaths.

as soon as they got inside, ben insisted of getting some woods in the forest alone.

"are you sure? i can help you," gilbert said.

"yeah. you must be tired. just rest," ben said as he got out of the house, "and don't go out until i get back."

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"oh, no! marilla will be furious! i'm already late! and my stupid bonnet is stuck in a tree! why on the earth do i think to threw it for fun?!" millie exclaimed as she repeatedly jumped to the tree to reach her bonnet. she rather had a short height to reach it.

"i really despise myself right now! oh my goodness! what a childish act!" she exclaimed, once again.

she continued to jump higher as she noticed that someone was watching her. she looked at the figure and saw a boy with some woods in his hands. a rather good looking boy.

"are you alright?" the boy asked.

"no! how can you think that i'm fine?! my bonnet is stuck there!" she said as she pointed to the tree where her poor bonnet is stuck, "and curse these short legs of mine because i can't reach it even if i jump higher!"

"perhaps, i could help you?" the man offers.

"oh, you are tall. yes, please! thank you!" millie said as she took the woods out of the boy's hand. the boy reaches the tree as he took her bonnet and handed it to her.

millie quickly accept her bonnet and gave his wood to him, "oh my gosh! thank you! thank you very much! i could kiss you right now!" she exclaimed.

"why not do it?" the boy teased, making her eyes widen.

"goodness! that is just a phrase, mister! why would i kiss a stranger?!" she exclaimed.

"uh, i didn't catch your name," the boy muttered.

"oh, the name's mildred. and-- oh! i'm so late! i'm so sorry but i gotta go now! nice meeting you, mister!" she exclaimed.

"perhaps, i could see you again?" the boy hopefully asked. he was mesmerized by mildred's green eyes and blonde hair. she has an incredibly cute nose, too.

millie was already running as the girl shouts, "i really appreciated your help but i don't think we will! goodbye, mister whatever your name is!"

"it's ben. benjamin blythe," ben muttered but millie didn't hear him. ben smiled at the girl who was running very fast now. she was cute in his eyes, "wonder if i'll meet you again, mildred."

ben watched millie ran off as she disappeared out of his sight. he walked on the way to his house smiling like crazy.

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"so the girl name's mildred?" bash asked as he, ben, and gilbert are sitting in front of the fireplace.

"yes. i didn't catch her last name, though," ben said as his thoughts fly to the girl she just met.

"you're bad at ladies just like baby blythe here," bash teased as both blythe rolled their eyes on bash playfully.

"so give us some advice, mister sebastian," ben teased back as they all laugh.

"are you going to school tomorrow?" ben tried to change the topic by asking his brother.

"yeah, you going?" gilbert questioned him back as ben just nods his head.

the boys got silent as they just absorbing the fire's warmth.

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millie was running when she saw marilla walking toward the green gables.

"marilla! oh, my! i thought i was late!" millie called to marilla as marilla stops to look at her.

"my, mildred! why are you running?" marilla asked her as soon as millie reached to her.

"i thought i was late... my bonnet got stuck in a tree... and i can't reach it, " millie said between her breaths as they continued to walk towards to green gables.

"why do you have your bonnet, then?" marilla asked.

"a thoughtful boy helped me. he was tall and good look--- ah! he helped me. but i didn't catch his name because i was hurrying to get back here," millie explained as they got inside of green gables.

"anne? i'm back from rachel's," marilla called out.

"the... the expression of a certain passion..." marilla recites.

"what is it, marilla?" millie asked as they walk upstairs not noticing the hair dye in the sink.

"anne?" millie called out.

"anne? i dare say i'm prepared to settle your questions now," marilla said and knocked on anne and millie's room.

millie slowly opened the door, finding anne was laying in the bed, covered in blankets.

"kissing is a natural expression of love and its emotions..." marilla said as she noticed anne was covered in blankets, "mercy me. have you been sleeping?"

"i think something's wrong, marilla," millie told marilla, "anne!"

"no," anne tearfully muttered.

"are you ill?" marilla asked as she and millie reached to the bed.

"no, but... please, i'm in the depths of despair," anne said as she sobs, "please, millie, marilla, go away and don't look at me!"

"what's wrong, anne?" millie asked, completely concern to her sister.

"did anyone ever hear the like? whatever is the matter with you? get up right this minute and tell us. this minute, i say."

anne got up from the bed with a blanket covering her hair.

"anne shirley-cuthbert what have you done to your hair?" marilla exclaimed as she took the blanket out of anne's red hair, was now green.

"oh, my, what have you done? why... it is green," millie gasped at the crying anne.

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"oh, you little know how utterly wretched i am! i'm the unhappiest girl in prince edward island," anne cried out as millie reached her to give her a comforting hug.

"anne, it is fine. we'll make it out," millie reassured her sister. millie didn't want to see her sister sad and crying and if she can give to her sister her own hair, she would do it just to make her sister happy.

"well, if i'd decided it was worthwhile to dye my hair, i'd have dyed it a decent color at least," marilla said.

"i didn't mean to dye it green! i applied the dye as the directions said. i used up the whole bottle, and... oh, marilla, millie, it was like i'd been bewitched. when i saw myself with raven hair, i didn't want anything more than to look like myself again! i looked like a demon possessed! i tried and i tried to wash it off, but it wouldn't come out. i... i thought maybe laundry bluing would... would strip it out!" anne cries.

"well, that explains it," marilla said.

millie just stayed silent as she listen to her sister's statement. she felt bad to her sister.

"oh, what shall i do? i can never, never live this down. people gave pretty well forgotten my other mistakes, but they'll never forget this! they'll think i'm not respectable. oh, marilla, millie, 'what tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.' and that is poetry, but it is true. and, oh, how josie pye will laugh. oh, i can't face josie pye, i just can't!" anne continued to ramble.

"anne, you weren't born and living to please josie pye and the others!" millie exclaimed to her sister.

anne just walked to the mirror and covered it with a dirty cloth, "i'll never, never look at myself again."

but she quickly took out the cloth that blocking the mirror, "yes, i will, too. i'll do penance for being wicked. and i'll look at myself every time i come into this room and see how ugly i am. and i won't try to imagine it away, either. henceforth... my kiss will sit on my lips for all eternity like a rose that longs to be plucked, but never will."

millie hug her sister in the back and stroked her now green hair as they both stared their reflection, "anne, don't say that you are ugly because you're not and don't even say i'm just saying this to make you feel better. please appreciate yourself even in some gruesome situation you are in right now. marilla, matthew, and of course, i are here to support you no matter what. we are your family, anne."

anne turned to face her sister and hug her entirely, "thank you, sister. i will always appreciate your kindness. you are truly a kindred spirit."

marilla watched the two sister as she smiled contentedly, "now, now. i reckon beauty doesn't enter to it. when someone loves you... then you'll be kissed."

both sisters smiled as they faced her, "marilla, marilla, say those blessed words again?" anne excitedly requested.

"i guess once is enough to say them," marilla said, "now, are you ready?"

"oh, please cut it off at once and have it over! oh, i feel as if my heart is broken. i'm going to weep all the time you are cutting, if that won't interfere. this is such an unromantic affliction," anne said as marilla prepared the scissor.

millie stayed silent and holds anne's hand in case she need her as marilla cuts her sister's hair.