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chapter thirty six

|the sketch|

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father's dead, sir," ben loudly said as millie heard it and look at him with a concerned look.

"yes. well... the metaphor still plays," mister phillips said and he gestured to the blythe brothers to sit down in their seats.

millie saw ben was gonna say something but gilbert whispered something to him to calm him down.

millie follows the two in her eyes as the blythe brothers furiously sat down and opens their books.

suddenly, diana comes in hurrying, "where were you? we waited," anne told to her as millie still looking to ben.

"father has a cold. we're not going to aunt josephine's party," diana told to millie and anne as soon she sat down to her seat. millie finally turned to her friends.

"marilla didn't allow us. it is kind of disappointing 'cause i'm really looking forward to meeting your aunt josephine," millie sadly said.

"what? but..." anne tried to protest but mister phillips interrupt her.

"alright, bright little minds, open your readers. let's pick up from where we last left off," mister phillips announced as the class started.

millie sent a sympathetic look to cole, who's examining his broken wrist before she turned to her reader.

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"isn't it the point of life to seek what excites you? i mean, what happens? does one smile to death?" anne ranted.

she, diana, millie, and cole are on the clubhouse. diana and anne are having a conversation while millie silently watched cole tried to sketch with his wounded hand.

"my parents and i have never even been invited before! but god forbid father had gone out with the world's tiniest sniffle!" diana exclaimed.

"it's absurd that ladies aren't allowed to travel without a male companion!"

"agreed. and did i mention, aunt josephine is having a world-renowned pianist perform?"

"what?!"

"yes! a world..."

diana and anne didn't continue their conversation as cole stood up. millie, who was now listening to diana and anne, lost focus on cole.

"ugh!"

"cole... are you alright?" millie asked to him, she knew that he was struggling with art by now he has a broken wrist.

"cole, what are you do...? what are you doing?!" anne exclaimed.

cole didn't answer the girl's questions and just drow his sketchbook by the fire.

"cole! goodness!" millie exclaimed as she tried to find something that can take out cole's notebook in the fire.

"what are you doing?!"

"goodness me!"

millie find a wood stick and tried to put it in the fire to catch cole's sketchbook.

"leave it!" cole exclaimed.

"no! just wait!" millie said.

"i said to leave it!" cole said, tears rolling down to his face.

millie finally catch his sketchbook and lay it to the cold ground as she stomps his feet to the notebook to put the fire's out.

"cole, why would you do such a thing?" diana questioned.

cole let out a sigh before speaking, "it should've been better by now."

millie examines cole's sketch as she notices a familiar face.

"it will be. you just need time..." anne said.

"i got my splint off weeks ago, anne, it's just not the same. i can't draw anymore!" cole cried out.

"cole, please..." millie said but cut off when cole shoves them and walked out to the clubhouse.

they quickly packed their things to catch up on cole.

"cole, you can't just walk away from your art---"

"i don't want to talk about it. just..." cole said, lost for words.

"could this day be any colder to match to out wintry moods?" anne questioned.

"that's precisely why aunt josephine has her party. a summer-themed party to chase away the winter gloom," diana explained.

"oh, could it be more perfect? it's what we all need. cole especially." anne said.

"hey, i love winters!" millie exclaimed causing the girls to laugh.

anne suddenly stop walking, "cole is a man... cole is a man!"

millie looked at her sister weirdly, not understanding what she meant.

"diana, what if we could convince your parents to let cole accompany us to charlottetown? marilla would have to relent! how can she say a party isn't for children if you're both going?!" anne said as she let out a laugh.

millie excitedly agreed, "and cole is very tall!"

"cole, you need to get away from your distress even in such a short time. it is the excellent timing?" millie asks her friend as diana and anne nodded, agreeing to millie's statement.

"to attend a party... in a room filled with strangers?" cole questioned.

"a change of scenery, cole. besides, sometimes, strangers can be a very good listener," millie reasoned.

cole let out a sigh before speaking, "my folks would never let me miss a saturday on the farm."

anne seems to think for a moment.

"if i come up with a plan... will you do it?" anne asked to him.

cole didn't answer for a seconds before sighing, "alright."

the girls smiled widely before letting out a small laugh.

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it is already an evening. the supper just ended. millie and anne are their rooms as anne is thinking for a plan while millie is staring in the paper where her face was sketched by cole.

the drawing was extremely glamorous. she was very impressed at cole's drawing skills. cole was very talented in her eyes and she was very lucky to have a friend like him.

millie let out a soft smile before she put the sketch in her closet as she turned to anne.

"what was the plan?" millie asked her sister.

anne was holding a pen, "the pen of duplicity. the perfect tool for concocting a most perfect lie."

millie widens her eyes, "what? we're gonna lie? anne, i want marilla to allow us to the party... but not with lying!"

"it is going to be fine, millie. it is our first party! millie this our opportunity! come and help me? you're good with words, too," anne said.

millie let out a sigh before nodding and help anne to form a plan to marilla allowed them to attend the party.