"RUBY, THIS IS SERIOUS, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE STUDYING EACH OTHER'S LIPS.". . .

Anne's words caused Ruby to giggle even more.

"I think yours are delicate and inviting." She added.

"Really?" Ruby asked and Anne smiled then moved onto Tillie.

"And Tillie's are soft, even to the eye. And Jane's are shaped like a rosebud that's beginning to bloom." The girls laughed. "Mine are awful. Like fat caterpillars that live in our old willow tree." Magnolia held back a snort, Anne's descriptions always made her laugh. However, Anne's lips looked nothing like fat caterpillars.

"They do look a bit swollen." Jane pointed out and earned a glare from Magnolia.

Anne ignored the harshness of her remark and agreed. "It's my own fault, I have a terrible habit of chewing on my bottom lip when I'm thinking." The redhead smiled, she thought she was the only one who bit her lip when she was deep in thought or nervous. "The trouble is, I'm always thinking. Are they unpleasant to look at?" Anne questioned.

"They are perfectly pink and luscious." Magnolia complemented and placed her small hand on Anne's shoulder.

"Magnolia, you without a doubt have the best, most kissable, and plump lips. The brightest smile to light any heart." A smile fell over her face, Anne really had a way with words.

"Thank you--" She started to say.

"Do you think Prissy and Mr. Phillips have kissed?" Ruby inquired as everyone turned their heads to her.

Laughter filled the room, and Magnolia felt tears come to her eyes because she was laughing so hard. She couldn't imagine anyone kissing him, he looked like a small rat to the redhead.

"Not yet," Jane speaks up, then giggles. "But soon, I imagine. Prissy is studying for her Queen's entrance exams and sometimes Mr. Phillips stops by our house to give her extra help." Prissy could do so much better, she was pretty and sweet, and Mr. Phillips was ugly and mean. She had no clue why Prissy even fancied him.

"Prissy is only two years older than us."

"I mean to have an official beau by the time I'm fifteen. I hope Gilbert will be back by then." Magnolia felt a twinge of jealousy stir inside of her, but she pushed it back down and grinned at Ruby instead. She did not like Gilbert, so why was she jealous?

"You think of nothing but beaus, Ruby." Anne said.

"Well, what's wrong with that?" Ruby retorted.

"I've never seen a real kiss before." Tille admitted, and Magnolia brought her attention to her. "My parents don't go in for that kind of thing."

"I once overheard Mrs. Lynde and her husband share a kiss. It sounded like a cow dragging its hind hoof out of a swamp!" Jane exclaimed and everyone laughed again while scrunching their eyebrows in disgust.

"If someone were to kiss me, I'm afraid I would do something silly, or, forget to do something I should do. What are the rules? Why don't they teach kissing etiquette?" Diana asked frantically. The redhead began to worry, she didn't know there was a wrong way to kiss.

Suddenly, Anne stood and spoke, "We could make a game, to see who could conduct the most romantic courtship. With brave knights, and enchanted princesses, and sorcerers and desperadoes! It'd be great practice." She paused then starting talking again. "Diana, you can play the gallant young man."

Diana stood up then knelt on one knee. She bowed her head and waited for Anne to knight her.

"Prince Wisteria, wilt thou let fly the feather of fortune and choose thy heart-pure maiden?" Anne handed her a feather and Diana stood up again. She held the feather up and dropped it onto the other girls.

It landed in Tillie's lap, so she got up from her seat and walked over to the raven-haired girl. "What should I do, Diana?"

"Tillie, you shouldn't talk to Prince Wisteria as though he were our friend, it spoils the effect."

Tillie nodded. "I-I'm waiting for my handsome young prince to come and claim me." Magnolia laughed, Tillie wasn't a very good actress.

"Ahem, why, who is this fair and noble maiden?" Diana asked while tapping her shoulder. She then turned her around, dipped her, and kissed her on the cheek.

They all cheered and clapped loudly, and the two girls sat back down.

"Why must the girl wait for the boy?--"

"--What?"

"Are you mad?" Ruby questioned and leaned closer to Anne to hear what she had to say.

"If I wanted to kiss a boy, couldn't I just," She paused. "kiss him?"

"No!" The girls shouted, however, Magnolia stayed silent. She agreed with Anne, if a girl wanted to kiss a boy she should do it, she shouldn't have to wait for the guy to make a move. She wanted to speak up and express her opinion, but she knew she would be scolded by the other girls, so she kept her mouth shut.

♡

Magnolia walked hand in hand with Anne, Diana, and Ruby. "Have you ever noticed what cheerful things brooks are? They're always laughing." Anne said as they neared the school.

"How sweet!" Exclaimed Diana.

All the girls bent over and placed their milk bottles in the creek. Behind Magnolia, she heard the faint sound of a boy's voice saying, 'let's get them' and a 'yeah' in reply. She furrowed her eyebrows, confused as to who they were talking about and what they were going to do; she soon found out.

As she started to stand up an unknown person grabbed the hem of her skirt and lifted up, revealing her petticoat. She spun around and quickly pulled her skirt down. She blushed in embarrassment, she felt violated, and she couldn't do anything about it.

"Keep your hands off!" Anne yelled causing the redhead to look at her, she was half glad she wasn't the only one who got her skirt pulled up.

"You mustn't mind them, Anne. They're just boys being boys. They love to torment our lives out." Diana said, smiling.

"Just because they're boys doesn't mean they have the right to do that." Magnolia snapped and rolled her eyes.

"You're right." Anne agreed then turned to the boys who were laughing at them. "A skirt is not an invitation!" She shouted, but they just laughed like she was nothing.

Magnolia's face turned red in anger, so she grabbed Anne's hand and dragged her inside and away from those horrid boys.

♡

"Whoever the bottle points to, you are permitted to kiss," Josie explained. Anne had dragged her into playing this stupid game, if it were up to her she would be at home reading a book. "It needs to be boy, girl, boy, girl."

"Where does that leave Cole?" Billy joked and laughter filled the room. Magnolia gave a sympathetic look to Cole.

"Jane, go sit next to your dumb brother." Jane got up while Josie figured out where Tillie was going to sit. "Tillie, you're over there. And Anne, switch places with Charlie."

"Who would like to spin first?"

"Diana!" One of the boys said and looked to her.

She leaned forward and gave the glass bottle a spin, it landed on Moody.

"Moody."

"Me?" He questioned with wide eyes.

"Now you have to kiss. On the mouth."

The students watched as Diana and Moody stood then walked over to each other. "Good afternoon, Moody."

"Good afternoon, Diana--I'm going to kiss you now." She nodded in approval and he leaned forward. Their lips met for a second, then they pulled away from each other.

Everyone around Magnolia clapped, but she didn't feel like it. Diana sat down across from her smiling widely.

"Your turn, Anne."

"I'm out. No way." Billy stated then locked eyes with Anne. "Ugly orphan." Magnolia had to bite her lip to stop herself from yelling at Billy.

Anne's pale hand hovered over the bottle in hesitation. "What are you waiting for, Anne? I seem to recall you knowing a lot about intimate relations." Taunted Josie. Magnolia bit even harder, which caused her lip to split and blood to escape from the wound.

"This can't be your first kiss."

"Leave her alone." The redhead said sternly, Josie ignored her.

"Ever been kissed?" Suddenly, Anne stood up.

"No!" She shouted and left the room.

Magnolia ran after her, and so did Diana. "Anne!" Magnolia called as she caught up with the fuming redhead.

"Why did you run, Anne?" Diana asked when she finally caught up with them.

"That Josie Pye! For someone with such lack of imagination, she certainly knows how to invent cruel and unusual forms of torture! Why should I be forced to give an expression of tenderness to indifferent or, in some cases, repulsive person?" She huffed.

"Billy was being rude, don't let him get to you, Anne."

"Yeah, Billy wasn't very nice at all." Diana agreed with Magnolia. "I'm sorry he hurt your feelings."

"The whole thing hurts everyone's feelings. It's not conducive!"

"Conducive?" Diana looked confused, she didn't seem to know what the word meant.

"To understanding anything about romance!"

♡

AN. . .

hii, sorry about this chapter, i know it's bad but it was really hard to write Magnolia in these scenes. anyway i hope you all have a great rest of your day/night!