Whenever Cordelia Belle Kingsley received letters from Gilbert Blythe she could always expect a part on Billy's daily Mishaps. She knew Billy wasn't the nice boy she once knew. but rather a boy full of a great feeling of disdain for others.
Even with the knowledge of his knew way of acting she had never expected to see Billy Andrews, her second most beloved friend, and his newer friends currently laughing in the face of a poor young boy.
The boy in question had curly black brown hair matched with a fair complexion that had been covered in star like freckles and brown doe shaped eyes. He looked eleven, maybe twelve, way younger than Billy and any of his friends. Her blood was boiling and with a quick look at Anne she knew hers was also.
"Billy?" Her normally kind voice questioned in a much harsher tone.
He turns to the direction of her voice, a cocky unattractive smirk plastered on his face.
"That's my name beautiful," he says with a wink, his voice sickly sweet, " I don't think I've ever seen you here. What's your name."
"Cordelia. Cordelia Belle Kingsley." she deadpans, no sign of amusement in her tone.
His smirk drops immediately panic etched his face.
"Belle!" He exclaims. "When did you-," he notices the confused look on his friends faces and his demeanor changes.
He walks up to her with fake confidence. An arrogant look of pride is on his face as he leans down to kiss her hand before she quickly pulls it away.
"Feisty." He says with a smirk as his friends laugh.
She scoffs and shakes her head disappointedly. "What on earth happened to you?"
"What do you mean happened to me princess? Still the same Billy." He says with a laugh.
Not feeling like waisting her time on an arrogant bootlicker she walks over to the young boy.
Now while making Belle mad may not entirely easy but it is nothing compared to making her use vulgar language. Not that she was all high and mighty, but she was taught to at least be civil with others until they earned her respect. So doing something that would cause her to call you a bootlicker within the span of a minute, if that, was nothing short of a miracle.
Yes, yes bootlicker was a relatively old insult but the knowledge of knowing you'd leave the person confused after addressing them that way was satisfying to her.
Belle slightly bends down to get to the eye level of the boy. Looking at him she could see his eyes were red rimmed and his cheeks were wet from tears.
She grabs a cloth handkerchief from the pocket her maid has installed into her dress. She looks at him with a soft smile, silently asking for permission to wipe the tears that had escaped his eyes.
He responds with a slight nod, a bashful but also thankful look on his face.
"Hello there." She says softly while gently dabbing his face.
"Hello." He mumbles quietly, a slight Scottish accent poking through as he nervously played with the sleeve of his shirt.
"I'm Belle, what's you name?"
"Malcolm miss." He says his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Well that is just a beautiful name," she says with a smile as she puts away her handkerchief, "no need to call me miss I'm barely your senior. Now, I know not like those don't exactly need to a reason to bully but you have any idea why?"
"It's because I'm Scottish miss— sorry."
Her sweet smile falters as the anger that had subsided quickly arises once more.
"You seem too young to be in this classroom."
"I've been told by my father that I'm far to small for my age." He says with a small sniffle.
"And what age would that be?" She says with a quick glance at a nonchalant appearing Billy.
"Twelve, almost thirteen. That's why they've put me here. Say I'm old enough for it. My family came here early summer. I know no one, have no friends."
"Well you have one friend if you'll take me." She says with a bright smile.
He lifts his head and looks at her through his curly bangs, a smile plastered on his face.
"Thank you Miss." he says gratefully.
As she goes in for a hug his body noticeably stiffens at the sudden movement before relaxing slowly. His arms that were originally on both sides of his body were quickly wrapped tightly around her torso.
"Here, how about for lunch break I'll find you and we can sit together and I can walk you home too if you would like."
"Thank you Miss."
All during that conversation Anne had been pulled aside by the young Diana Barry to be introduced to the girls of the school.
The conversation filled with Anne related insults had been cut short after Belle made her way to the group.
"—or did they just send you to a special orphan school?" Josie Pye says rudely.
"Well Josie Pye it's been years and you haven't changed a bit have you? Still as ignorant as ever." Belle says not caring if it seemed unladylike.
Josie has never looked more scandalized before in her life but before anything else could happen Diana Berry quickly pulled both her and Anne away.
"Come, I'll show you where to put your milk and things." She says with a weary glance at Belle.
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It was there, by the lake that Diana Berry finally acknowledged Belle's existence.
"Belle Kingsley? Is that really you? I haven't seen you in years!" She says a bright smile plastered on her face.
"I haven't been here in years." Belle says with a grin as she's pulled into a great big hug.
"Oh, Anne you can place your milk here in the stream. It'll keep it cool." Diana says noticing Belle already doing the same.
"What is like in London dear Belle?" Diana asks.
"Well the class rooms are somewhat larger than this but I think it's relatively the same. I really cannot say much seeing as how I haven't even had a full school day." She says with a thinking expression on her face.
"I must of done something wrong just then but I don't know what it was." Anne says joining in on the conversation.
Diana, with a weary face skips over her comment moving on to something else. "Here Anne why don't I tell you everything you must know about lunch."
Not having much interest in the topic, seeing as how she has plans for lunch. Belle retains little information from the conversation. Something about Josie sitting with her sister prissy.
Belle having dissociated from the conversation comes back when she realizes they had started walking.
"Avonlea schooling is very progressive. We have a second room for the youngsters." Diana states as she points to another building.
The old teacher waved at them as he tells the children to be in their seats.
"Diana," Anne says a bit nervously, "What kind of sums are those?"
"Oh well that's long division of course."
"Long division?" With the way Anne had said this Belle could easily tell she had absolutely no idea what this is or how to do it.
"So easy right? Those were the days, I miss it." Diana says not picking up on her weary tone.
"I don't." Belle states honestly.
Diana looks at her and she raises her hands in as if to say 'Don't blame me'.
"My brother would help me on the dinning table when he could and I remember always leaving it crying out of frustration. Twas. Not. Fun." She states matter of factly.
With a laugh, Diana pulls them away to the spot where Belle remembered as the supply closet.
Looking into the window a look shock lays over Diana's face.
"Bloody hell," Belle says beside her, "Is that Prissy Andrews with the teacher?" She asks with a surprised laugh.
"Are they married?" Anne asks.
"I would think not." Belle says.
"Of course they aren't! She's a student and he's old!" Diana says surprised.
"They're touching! They must be making a baby." Anne says innocently.
Belle's eyes widen in surprise and opens her mouth to say something when Diana's scandalized 'what!' Rings through the air.
"Well, if they're touching that means they're having intimate relations."
"Oh Anne-" Belle starts before she interrupted again.
"It seems to me a lot of husbands have a pet mouse."
"Pet mouse?" Diana questions.
"That's what I've been told anyways. So I expect
Mr. Philips has one, too in his front pants pocket. I expect Prissy Andrews has made its acquaintance." She says as Diana pulls them both to a more secluded area.
"Mrs. Hammond, she's a lady I used to work for, she said she always had twins after she pet Mr. Hammond's mouse."
Diana grins and Belle winces as they all walk back into the school house.
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Belle sits in the back, along side Prissy Andrews, watching as Mr.Phillips gave her a look that she had seen far too many times from her brother to other women.
After a torturously long conversation with her brother, Belle knew all about the female reproductive system and how children came to be. It had only happened because she came to him for advice after getting her menstrual cycle. Which had been one of the worst ideas she had ever had.
Belle, noticing that all the girls were whispering and giggling, shook her head.
"What's the matter?" The kind voice of Prissy Andrews asks.
"Huh? Oh nothing just seemed to have misplace my chalk."
"Oh I always have a spare with me just in case, here you go." She says handing her one.
"Oh thank you," She says with a smile, "I'm Belle, Belle Kingsley."
"Prissy Andrews, I remember you, you moved years ago Billy was heartbroken, though he hides it now."
"Yes well—"
"Moody, stand and deliver." The old teacher Mr. Philips says suddenly.
Obediently Mood stands up and begins to write dreadful but he misses the a.
With a small clatter, Anne drops her chalk and stands up.
"Moody, it has an "A" in it, right after the "E" but the "A" is silent." She says as Mr. Phillips looks at her in annoyance.
"Yes the "A" is silent, as you should be," he says as he walks over to her, "Your the orphan, yes?"
"My name is Anne Shirley Cuthbert— please spell Anne with an E."
"Did I call on you?" He asks exasperated.
"Y-You asked me a question." She says her smile wavering.
"Did. I. Call. On. You?"
A small "No" rings through the air.
"Then sit down." He says harshly.
The class laughs as the red head sits back down feeling as though there was no air. A feeling Belle could very easily recognize.
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It was not long before lunch came around and the young Belle found herself sitting near the corner where the girls were on the opposite side of the wall with little Malcolm by her side.
She had declined the offer to sit with them saying she would the next day, with the intentions of never sitting there at all.
Belle had quickly learned the brown haired boy had no food and did not hesitate to give him her slice of Shepard's pie, fully content with just her apple and a bit of milk.
"I though lunch time would never arrive." She hears Josie Pye's voice say from inside the classroom.
"I feel the same way." Anne replies, Belle didn't even have to see her to know there was a smile plastered upon her face.
"I'm just so excited to hear about everything you saw!" Josie states.
"Me too!"
"Me three!" The girls agree.
"What do you mean?" Anne asks with a giggle.
"Prissy and Mr. Philips silly, in the supply room." Josie says causing Belle to inwardly groan, conceded for what was about to come.
It wasn't long till Anne's explanation have begun to be to much for the girls, them all leaving and Diana making the choice too also.
The words Josie Pye had used to describe dear Anne were "dirty trash." And along with that she had said for them to leave so that that wouldn't become "tarnished."
It hadn't been until the end of the school day that Diana went over to apologize, beckoning her to walk home together.
Belle had been grabbing her coat when she was suddenly grabbed by the waist and pulled back, her backside fitting uncomfortably flush with the person holding her.
"Cmon Rose, let me walk you home just like old times." Billy says as the scent of sweat and dirt burns her nose.
She quickly stomps on his foot, the grip on waist loosening as she pulls away.
"What on earth ever compelled you to think that was the right way to get a woman to talk to you. Oh how much you've changed."
"Of course I've change it's been years since we've seen each other in person Rose. Your coming must be the reasoning of my mother's planning of a great dinner. I was wondering who was so important for my mother to get new table cloth—"
Belle huffs and walks away not wanting to converse with him.
"H-hey! Princess cmon let me walk you home."
"No."
"Cmon please I haven't your father in years it's be nice."
"I said no William."
"Cmon—"
"Billy I said no! Now please leave me alone." She says as she walks away to the path leading towards her house.
He hadn't left her alone of course, insisting she needed her prince to watch over her. At the the door of her house her father had opened the door, immediately greeting Billy as if he were his own son.
Billy had let it slip that Belle hadn't wanted Billy to walk with her and it was at that exact moment that she wish Billy could stay the night, for the moment that he left would begin her pain.
Word count: 2364
This was long! Hope y'all had a great thanksgiving if you celebrate it. Malcolm is a sweet heart and I love him <3
NOT EDITED
Please inform me of any spelling or wording errors so that I can immediately fix it
Again I DO NOT own anything except for my characters
Dialogue comes from the Netflix show