xvii.

"Hurry now, come on." Eleanor whispered as she slowly removed her shoes to keep from making too much noise.

Gilbert waited patiently as he helped the others climb up the stairs with their potato lights, not yet activated.

"Eleanor, hurry up." Gilbert muttered as he grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs.

She grumbled but followed as she quietly and quickly climbed the stairs of the large meeting hall.

Parents and grandparents were sitting in rows of chairs as they watched the conversation of Miss Stacey being tossed around. Most were agreeing that she was unfit to be teaching the "young minds of Avonlea" but Eleanor simply scoffed in response.

Just then, a large boom was heard as the hall's doors were slammed open. And in walked Miss Stacey.

"Miss Stacey! We did not call upon your request, you shouldn't be here." Rachel's voice was shrill and Judgy as she glared at the teacher.

"This meeting just so happens to be about me, so I'm going to stay. Continue." Miss Stacey stated before standing at the back with her arms crossed, a heavy eye glare towards Rachel.

The two seemed to glare at each other for another minute before one of the members of the council began to speak again.

"Okay guys, now's our time. They're about to make their final decision." Eleanor whispered.

"Make sure your potato is in line, and all of the wires are correct." Anne stated.

Everyone quickly checked their potato, Eleanor was handed one from Moody as he prepared one for her earlier. She gave a quick head nod thanks before she took a few deep breaths.

"We got this, for Miss Stacey." Gilbert smiled.

"For Miss Stacey." they all repeated.

"So the council has come to an agreement then? Miss Stacey will no longer be able to teach at the Avonlea school for adolescents-"

"Excuse me! I don't think we've had a say in this." Anne's voice rang over the hall.

Parents and council members gasped as they all turned to look up at the balcony above. The students had all jumped up and were holding their potato's high in the air, the lightbulb shining bright.

"Is that potato creating...electricity?" a lady asked.

"Why...I think it is!" another yelled.

The students slowly walked down the stairs and to the front of the hall, covering the council members as they all yelled and opposed the kids.

"This is madness! Get these children out of here!" an older council member yelled.

"Sit down gramps." Eleanor hissed, the man slowly sat down as he gritted his teeth.

"You all may be wondering why we're here, well....we're here on Miss Stacey's behalf." Gilbert spoke clearly.

Eleanor glanced over at him, his brows were furrowed in concentration as he spoke. His hand jolting in the air a few times as he explained how good Miss Stacey is at being a teacher.

"She belongs here just as much as you and I, so who are we to tell her she cannot stay?" Gilbert's strong voice made Eleanor blink a few times.

"Yeah!" the other students yelled.

The parents didn't seem convinced as they all eyed the students, the kids looked at each other as they all had run out of things to say. Eleanor took a deep breath before stepping forward and holding her potato up for all to see, her lightbulb shining brightly.

"This potato tells a story, it might not look like it from the outside but it's what is on the inside that counts." Eleanor began.

"Everyone always looks from the outside when they wish to judge a person or object, but who are we to judge based off appearance? Teaching your kid to stay away from another kid because of how they dress is wrong, and it's an awful way of teaching your children." Eleanor explained.

A few parents murmered in agreeance as they turned back towards Eleanor, who was at a loss of words at the many pairs of eyes stared at her.

She turned and looked at Gilbert, who was biting his lip and giving her the thumbs up.

"You got this, speak your truth." Gilbert mouthed.

Eleanor nodded before inhaling and exhaling, she spun back around and lifted her head up to speak again.

"That's what you all have been doing to Miss Stacey, you've judged her before you've got to know her as a person. Take Marilla for example, she used to think it was barbaric for a women to not wear a corset, and now here she is! Being a close friend of Miss Stacey, isn't that right Mrs Cuthburt?"

"I-I suppose so yes." Marilla blushed slightly.

"If Marilla can look past Miss Stacey not wearing a corset why can't you all look past her odd ways of teaching? I've learned more from Miss Stacey than I have ever learned from any teacher I've ever had in the past, even when I was living in New York. She's created such a good atmosphere and impact on my life, she was the mother figure I always wanted." Eleanor smiled as she met eyes with the teacher.

Miss Stacey had her hand on her mouth and the other on her chest as her eyes watered, she slowly made her way to the front as she pulled Eleanor in for a hug.

Eleanor slowly handed the potato to Miss Stacey as she smiled, she turned back around and held it up. The entire hall went into a frenzy of cheers and claps as the teacher beamed.

Eleanor turned around and ran straight for Gilbert, he slowly put his potato on the ground before holding his arms out. His hands found Eleanor's waist as she jumped into his arms, he picked her up and spun her around. The two's laughs filled the hall as the parents cheered for Miss Stacey.

"We did it! We really did it!" Eleanor giggled.

"Of course we did, it was an amazing plan." Gilbert smiled as he tucked a hair behind Eleanor's ear.

"And we all did it together." Eleanor beamed as her friends gathered around them for a hug.

Gilbert and Eleanor laughed as they were squeezed to death by their friends, their eyes linking as they pressed their foreheads together and smiled.

"We really did it." Eleanor whispered.

"Yeah we did." Gilbert whispered back before kissing her gently.

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The church bells rang loudly as they clicked past each other, signaling a new marriage promise had just been read.

Eleanor was sitting with Gilbert as they watched Mary and Sebastian share their first kiss as a legally married couple. A single tear ran down Eleanor's face as she clapped for her friends, both of them smiling brightly.

"Mary looks so beautiful doesn't she?" Gilbert whispered.

"Yes! And Bash looks so handsome, I'm so incredibly excited for them." Eleanor sighed dreamily as Bash and Mary took off down the aisle with people throwing rice upon their heads.

"Now it's time for our wedding next." Gilbert whispered into Eleanor's ear before standing and following the crowd of people outside.

Eleanor's cheeks were bright red as she sat in the pew and stared at the ground, the feeling of two people sitting on either sides of her made her glance up.

"You alright Elle Belle? You look as though you've just been told you look pretty by Ulysseus S. Grant!" Anne giggled.

"I-I just...nothing never mind. Though, I really do wish you would stop calling me that horrendous nickname Anne, it makes me sound like a cow." Eleanor giggled.

"A cute cow." Diana beamed, making the group laugh.

"Don't you just love weddings?" Eleanor sighed dreamily as she stood up and plucked three flowers from a vase, sticking one in each girls hair before tucking a daisy behind hers.

"This is my first ever wedding I've been too, and I must say...it's quite something." Anne giggled.

"Yes I agree Elle, wedding's are magical." Diana agreed.

"I simply cannot wait till I get married, hopefully it'll be soon." Anne huffed.

"Why on Earth do you wish to be married so soon Anne? You still have your whole life to live!" Eleanor stated.

"Well...it sounds nice to be with someone for eternity. Someone who you love, cherish, and adore with you every step of the way." Anne sighed.

"Anne, you don't need someone to be by your side to live your life the way you want. Be independent, make your own money, your own morals, and make all the men stare while you're at it." Eleanor winked, making the girls laugh.

"Excuse me ladies, but can I please have a word with Mrs Park here?" a tall woman with bright blonde hair asked.

"Um...that would be me." Eleanor shuttered as the lady stared cold glares at her.

"Follow me." the lady exclaimed

Eleanor glanced back at Anne and Diana, they both seemed just as confused as Eleanor was. She gave them a small smile and a shrug before turning around and following the lady.

"You're probably wondering who I am, my name is Madam Macneal from "Winchester's home for children" just down the road from here." she introduced herself as Eleanor stared.

"I've come here to give you a few items, your mother and father thought of it best not to make you any more upset that what you are already. So that's why I'm here, it seems as though you've left your residence at an age that is unfitting for excelling."

Eleanor's eyebrow raised slightly as she stared at the woman, unsure of what she meant.

The lady dug into her purse and pulled out a small brown box, she handed it to Eleanor. Eleanor was quick to open it and stare at the insides, most of it was legal papers and a few of her old childhood things except for one paper.

"Emancipation? What on Earth is that?" Eleanor asked as she flipped through the little booklet.

"Most see Emancipation of a minor as divorcing one's parents, you would be free'd from their legal hold on you and be sent off into the world as a child without parents. It's not very known here recently, but they wanted to offer it to you. They would still be obliged to send you a paycheck every week for legal reasons, but they wouldn't be counted as your legal guardian."

Eleanor's eyes widened slightly as her fist tightened around the brochure, her mind was racing a million miles a second.

"I wouldn't be able to see Alvin and Harvey anymore, would I?" Eleanor asked.

"No, but how is that any different from now?" The lady asked.

"Well...could I still see them with visitation rights?"

"I suppose, most people don't ask for that so I would have to check. You would be able to see them as friends or strangers, but not as siblings."

Eleanor's heart felt like it shattered, she couldn't imagine living without Alvin and Harvey as her brothers at all. But on the other hand, she would be legally free from her parents and would be sent money to survive.

"I-I'll think about it."

"Alrighty then, here's my postal address. Send me a letter when you have everything looked through and throughly checked. I'm hoping to keep in touch with you, Miss Parks." and with that, the lady turned and started down a trail.

Eleanor clutched the little box of papers in her hand as her eyes slightly watered, unsure of what to do with this new information.

"Hello beautiful." Gilbert greeted as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Oh hello." she jumped slightly.

"Are you alright? Who was that?" he asked as he placed a kiss on her neck.

"I'll tell you later, it's a lot to take it." she smiled and placed a kiss to his cheek.

He twirled her around and pressed his hands to the small of her back, planting her face with kisses as she giggled and tried to push him away.

"Gilbert! We're in public." Eleanor giggled.

"Even better." he chuckled.

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words:2011