Behind the Lilac Bushes

        Anne hissed tiredly as her mum pulled open her curtains letting sunlight hit her in the face. Her very sun-deprived face. 

   "Whhhhhhhhhyyyyyy too bright!!!" Anne complained pulling her pillow over her face.  Which her mum instantly pulled away. 

   "Alright that's it, you've been moping in your room all summer, what's going on?" Jane demanded sharply as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the floor. Anne groaned again, turning towards the wall with a heavy sigh. "Anne I'm worried about you? I haven't even seen Cathy over here since May, or I guess your birthday but still!" Her mum reasoned and Anne scowled when she felt the bed dip. 

   "I've been busy," Anne muttered bitterly too upset to explain that she'd seen Thomas go over to Cathy's house more than once, if Anne was positive about anything it was she knew when she wasn't wanted. Plus Anne didn't want to be the third wheel.  

   "That's a lie! You've been in your room or Kitty's all summer, did something happen? Are you and Cathy fighting?"  Her mum placed a gentle hand on the small of Anne's back.  

  "We're not fighting," Anne grumbled rubbing her eyes tiredly as her mum scooted closer, running a hand through her hair soothingly.  

   "Then what's going on lambchop?" Jane cooed softly just as Anne's phone dinged from its near-permanent spot on her side table. 

    "Nothing's going on!" She grumped pulling the blankets over her head. Jane sighed heavily, parenting use to be so easy, a bandage and a kiss fixed everything back when Anne and Kitty were little.  Slowly Jane slipped the phone off the side table and clicked it on, she frowned seeing Cathy's name at the top of the screen. 

   'Hey Anne, I know you've been, like super busy this summer and everything but I miss you?'

   'Anne please come over or I can come see you!' 

    That was just two of what seemed like a dozen texts, suddenly a pale hand reached out and snatched the phone out of her mum's hands. 

   "Mum that's my phone!" Anne complained shoving it under the blankets and Jane was beyond concerned now. 

   "You've been lying to Cathy, you've been lying to me. Anne, what's going on with you?" Jane probed giving Anne this sad look. 

  "Fine! I'll go over to Cathy's, just stop harassing me!" The fourteen-year-old snapped throwing off her covers and snatching clothes and tugging them on.

  "I'm not harassing you, I'm concerned for your wellbeing! But I'll tell you one thing this attitude better clear up right quick or else you'll lose the phone I pay for!" Jane threatened and Anne laughed mockingly as she put her choker on. 

   "Go ahead the only one who texts me is Cathy, Kitty, and you!" She exclaimed sharply as she grabbed her black leggings from her bottom drawer. 

    "Anne talk to me? I can't understand unless you tell me what's going on?" Jane practically begged as she stopped Anne's pursuit by grasping her shoulders and trying to look into her eyes.  

   "It's nothing. I'm fine." She deadpanned bitterly as she tugged on her combat boots, and shoved out of her room. 

      Anne honestly had no intention of going over to Cathy's house, but of course the minute she steps outside and starts down the sidewalk, Catherine Aragon pulled into her driveway, catching Anne's attention. She watched her open her trunk while struggling to get all of her groceries inside, Anne relented slowly approaching her friend's mother.  

   "Hey, Aragon need some help?" She forced a cheerful smile and Catherine looked surprised to see her, but then relieved as she nodded. 

  "I'd appreciate it, love." She said kindly before carefully Anne took three of the bags from her and hesitantly followed the woman inside. Her plan was to drop the groceries in the kitchen than make a run for it. However, Anna ruined that plan because the minute she caught sight of Anne, who was just about to put the bags down, she jumped from her seat rushing to Cathy's friend. Anne had become like a kid sister to her over the years and so she was incredibly relieved to see her. 

  "Anne? Well, well, well  look who our mum dragged in!" She exclaimed rather loudly making Anne cringe slightly as Catherine shook her head at Anna. 

  "Nobody dragged anyone anywhere, Anne offered to help me, unlike my own lazy brood of hooligans." She snarked before taking Anne's bags and returning to the kitchen. 

   "Anne?!" Cathy exclaimed coming down the hallway and Anne cursed herself for being helpful. 

   "Uhh h-hey Cathy." Anne waved awkwardly and the shorter girl narrowed her eyes at Anne before grabbing her wrist and tugged her down the hallway towards her bedroom.  Though Anne was certainly surprised when Cathy basically threw herself into Anne. 

   "I've missed you so so much!" She sniffed burying her face against Cathy's shoulder and wrapping her legs around Anne's waist. Anne felt her face heating up dreadfully but she couldn't help but hug Cathy back, because she had missed her too. Anne let her eyes close as she relished in being with Cathy, even if it was just for a moment. Suddenly overcome with emotion, Anne shook herself mentally. What was she doing? This is Cathy? Cathy would understand, Cathy is her best friend.  Convinced this couldn't go wrong Anne cleared her throat as she rubbed Cathy's back and softly tried to find her courage. 

   "C-Cathy I -" 

   "Oh uh hope I'm not interrupting!" A cheerful yet unrecognizable voice proclaimed. Anne stiffened up instantly, her hands dropped to her sides, slowly Cathy let go and stepped back. She gave Anne this confused kicked puppy look, but Anne was eyeing the tall blonde boy in her best friend's doorway. Thomas Somerset. Cathy's crush. 

  "No it's fine I was just leaving." Anne lied trying to sidestep around Cathy so she could make her escape. She would've never helped if she'd known he was here. Not that she had anything against him, the guy was painfully nice, so it was really hard to hate him. 

  "What? You just got here! You can't just leave!" Cathy exclaimed stepping in whichever direction Anne stepped, blocking her escape. 

   "Yeah, Anne you should totally hang with us." Thomas encouraged and Anne bit her lip to keep from scowling.

  "No boys alone in your room Catherine  Parr Aragon. " her mama called and Cathy looked to Anne tearfully, Anne mistook her sadness for not wanting to be separated from Thomas and not for her genuinely missing her best friend. 

   "Fine." That was all Anne said before hesitantly lowering her stiff form to Cathy's desk chair.  Thomas beamed lumbering into the room and dropping onto Cathy's bed with a wide smile.  

  "So what's kept you busy all summer?" Cathy questioned as she climbed up next to Thomas and tried to engage her best friend in a conversation. 

   "Not much, just family things." Was the vague answer Anne gave and Cathy frowned because she had a sinking feeling Anne was lying to her face or more accurately to her carpet since Anne had yet to look her in the eye.  

  "Are you excited for our first year of high school?!" Thomas questioned brightly and Anne smiled at his question.  

   "Definitely." She reasoned because she had to at least try to be positive about something. 

   "I'm trying out for the football team. " Thomas exclaimed excitedly and she nodded encouragingly as Cathy kept staring holes into her head. 

   "Anne, " Cathy whispered making the brunette finally meet her gaze. "And here I thought I was a mute or something!" Cathy snapped, she was just so frustrated because Anne had avoided her all summer and kept acting weird around her. Anne's eyes narrowed as she straightened looking like she was getting angry herself. 

  "Heh, so Anne you and Cathinator gonna join some club or something?" Thomas laughed awkwardly as he attempted to relieve the painful tension that filled the room. Anne's expression darkened considerably. 

  "Don't know can the mute join choir-like she wanted?" Anne mocked and Cathy jumped from the bed hands shaking in tight fists at her sides. 

    "What the bloody hell is your problem?!" Cathy cried out uncharacteristically shrill and loud. Anne stood, her height towering over Cathy as she shoved the desk chair away from her. 

    "Oh, so I'm the problem? Right because Anne is always the problem. God forbid perfect little  Cathy, be the source of the problem." She growled lowly and Cathy's face reddened with anger. 

   "W-well you're the one who ignored my texts, my calls, my visits almost the whole summer without so much as an explanation! So yes you are the problem, Anne!" Cathy growled gaining the attention of everyone in the house no doubt. Thomas slowly inched backward on the bed, trying to be invisible. 

   "Oh please like you even wanted me around, like I wanted to be your third wheel so your mama didn't chaperone you and your boyfriend" Anne mocked harshly her jaw clenched tightly. Cathy lost it, her vision clouded with rage. 

   "God, you're so damn selfish! What if I needed you! Not everything is about you Anne!" Cathy screamed and Anne's eyes widened and the fight drained from her. Cathy was too upset to notice. "You just take, you're a taker,  all you care about is yourself! I'll I've ever done is try and you just couldn't care less, God you're impossible!!!" Cathy yelled and Anne set her shoulders trying not to cry. 

    "Screw you Catherine Parr, and maybe I'll give you back the last  nine years of our friendship, sorry or maybe because I'm such a taker I'll just take them back!" Anne whirled on her heel and slammed from Cathy's room, tears were already starting to pool in her eyes as she stormed down the hallway. 

   "Fine, I don't need you! Unlike you, I have other friends!" Cathy screamed after her just as Anne reached the front door. 

  "Catherine!" Her mama snapped completely shocked at her daughter's hurtful statement.  Anne gave her a heartbreaking look before she pulled open the front door and slammed it behind her without a word. Cathy saw her older sister's disappointed expression and her mother's stern one and as she stood in the hallway, she never felt more alone. 

  "Cathy, what happened to helping you find out if Anne liked you back?" Thomas whispered and Cathy felt tears prick her eyes. 

   "What've I done?"

 Anne was a mess, she'd never cried this much in her whole lifetime,  she sat on the park bench eyeing where her and Cathy used to play house. She touched her bloody knee, where the lilac bush had caught her pants, scratching her leg in the process of her trying to run from Cathy's house and away from her own before her mum had gotten wind of her and Cathy's fight. Seemed even Anne's once-beloved lilac bush was betraying her too. 

   "Hey, pretty lady you look lost." A gruff voice interjected and Anne looked up meeting familiar gaze.

    "Henry?" She whispered in confusion, the seventeen-year-old sneered.

   "The one and only. "