By the time the Summer ended, all of Avonlea knew of the friendship between Anne and Gilbert. Anne courted adventure wherever she roamed, and Gilbert's mischievous nature was saved only by the Blythe charm. Together, the pair were unstoppable and the residents of Avonlea were in a constant state of flux as to what they would do next.

"Oh, Gil! That was not a fair race! If the fox hadn't jumped out at me, I would have beaten you to the school!" Anne was breathless as much from laughter as from the footrace through the Haunted Woods.

"Surely you jest! My legs are longer than yours! It was only a matter of time before you stumbled on a tree root!"

They collapsed onto the stairs of the school, taking a moment to rest. The school did not re-open for two more days so there was no-one else around.

Anne sighed. "Are you excited about teaching here?"

Gilbert looked up at the door. "To be honest with you, Anne… I'm kind of excited but also a little anxious. I mean, I know these kids. Some of them are my old classmates. They have seen most of the trouble I caused in class. Part of me is downright terrified of the ideas I have inspired in them."

"Oh, I don't know. Ms Stacy did a fairly good job of keeping you in line. Follow in her footsteps and you can't go wrong."

Gilbert smiled. "And if all else fails, hide the slates?"

Anne's face turned pink as she remembered the infamous day when she smacked Gilbert's head with her chalkboard slate. Although he still thought he deserved it, she was still embarrassed by her temper so many years earlier. "Am I ever going to be forgiven for that?"

"Of course you are forgiven!", Gilbert proclaimed with an absent rub to his head. "However, may I suggest you keep a slate handy at Carmody. I'm sure your reputation precedes you, and the mere presence of one on your desk may be enough to deter any wayward students in your class." He laughed as his comment garnered the exact response he was looking for: an exasperated groan.

"C'mon Anne. I have a key to the school and I want one last look at our room before I take on the mantle of teacher. Come with me?" In that moment, Anne glimpsed the uncertainty in Gilbert's eyes. She had never known him to be uncertain. In all the years of their rivalry, Gilbert had always been confident and sure - annoyingly so. However, in this brief moment, Anne thought she saw a shadow of vulnerability.

"Of course, Gil. Have we not become best friends in this short time? Let's do this. Together!" As she stood up, Anne offered her hand to Gilbert. He grabbed it with a grin and turned to unlock the door.

As they stepped into the room, they shared a collective gasp of nostalgia. Both Anne and Gilbert looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

"Look at us! It's like we are envisioning our ghosts of yesteryear." Anne walked towards the front of the classroom, delicately trailing her hand along the desks.

Gilbert watched Anne as she walked, trying to picture the young girl-ghost she mentioned but only able to see the young woman in front of him. He had a sudden realisation of how much had changed in the last month but he quickly quietened the thought. Right now, Gilbert wanted nothing more than to share this moment with his friend… and hopefully, shake out a few bad memories along the way.

Gilbert went to his seat. Well, it was his seat from years ago. "Anne, do you have any good memories from school?"

She looked back at him with surprise. "Of course I do. Ms Stacy was my favourite teacher of all time! She is the reason I want to teach and share with others. I mean, Mr Phillips was definitely not my favourite but he still gave me some education. More than I had before coming to Green Gables… And here! Here is where I sat with Diana and Ruby and Jane! Of course, I have good memories!"

Gilbert sat down quietly at the desk. "But do you remember anything of me? I didn't spoil it for you, did I?"

Anne was stunned at Gilbert's words. Before she had a chance to respond, he stumbled out with more rambling.

"I mean, think of me as a teacher! What if … well, what if one of the boys goes and pulls one of the girls' plaits and I don't see it? Will she be okay? Will she too feel the very iron pierce her heart and devastate her? Am I then not responsible, as her teacher, for her well-being? What if she doesn't recover for five-years? It's not like they taught any of this kind of stuff to us at Queens…"

Ohhhh, Anne realised. Is he feeling guilty? Anne wasn't sure how to handle this; their friendship was wonderous but still fairly new in experience. Rather than add to the emotion, Anne opted for her new "school-marm" approach.

"Well, Mr Blythe, I would suggest you need to step up to this position and all the authority it entails. You are absolutely right! You ARE responsible for these children. You WILL set the example of how they are to behave in YOUR classroom."

Anne had found her element and grandly paraded to the front of the class with her head held high. She spun around to face Gilbert and continued with her speech. At that moment, he was entranced. He had watched her as a classmate, with her commanding presence dominating the room during many of their assessments. Right now, however, Anne had a sense of authority to her. It took very little to imagine her as a teacher.

"When you stand here in front of your students, you will be very clear on your expectations. You, Mr Blythe, are their teacher. And you will teach. Not just their reading and writing and arithmetic. YOU will teach them courtesy, etiquette, expected behaviour in society, and most of all respect. You forget, Mr Blythe, I have seen you in action. I know exactly the type of teacher you will be. Because you will show the children respect and in turn, they will respect you."

With his characteristic grin, Gilbert replied "Oh, and Miss Shirley! How do you know I can achieve all of this?"

Anne walked back to Gilbert and sat down next to him. "Because you showed that same respect to me. You recognised you had aggrieved me and you worked to remedy that. You forgave me, no matter how petulant or stubborn I was. You tried so hard to help me and swap our teaching positions. And despite all of our rivalry, you offered your hand in friendship. That says far more about you than any hair-pulling."

Anne reached over to hug Gilbert, who happily met her halfway. It was a hug between two kindred spirits who had overcome their own adversity and found new strength together. After a few moments, they both reluctantly pulled away. Anne's eyes glistened with emotion and Gilbert's throat was a little husky as well. However, he was still the first to speak.

"Well, Anne. I think you have definitely thrown any second-thoughts out the window. I do believe I am ready to be a teacher. And you are going to be spectacular at Carmody." Anne blushed under his praise, still wary to voice her own concerns. Although, her speech to Gilbert had shared a little confidence with herself as well.

The two friends walked out of the schoolhouse and Gilbert locked the door behind him. He turned to Anne and offered his arm to walk her home. Anne happily wound her arm into his as they headed towards the Haunted Wood.

"Anne, I know you will be able to drive the buggy to and from school each day during the warmer months but what will you do when the weather turns cold?"

"Oh, I plan to board during the school week and then ride home on the weekends. It's not that far, and it will only be a problem during the winter months."

Gilbert stopped and turned to Anne. "That can still be quite risky at night. Is there any way I can help? Perhaps I could come and travel with you on Fridays? I could pick you up after school and then see you back on Sunday night?"

"Oh, Gil! I couldn't ask that of you! I am sure you would want to enjoy your free time after school on Fridays!"

"Well, I would enjoy the time with you. And think, we could use the time together to study for Redmond! Or compare notes on our students! Or come up with dastardly plans to thwart the efforts of Mrs Lynde to make a young lady out of you yet!"

Anne burst forth with laughter that almost tripped her over. "Now THAT is a splendid idea! Then yes. I would definitely appreciate your company during the winter months. Until then, I promise to make time for such mischief-making on our weekends. But first... I demand a rematch. First to Green Gables wins an extra plum puff!"

Without any warning, Anne took off through the Haunted Wood. And Gilbert Blythe was left in her dust thinking this year might not be so bad after all.