Heart Attack • Shirbert

• 26 • punching, prodding, and permission

'I wanna get in trouble

I wanna start a fight'

--

While Anne was having her heart-to-heart with Diana, Gilbert was having a very different conversation outside with Billy.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Gilbert who started the fight. Despite him being undeniably angry, he knew Anne would be upset with violence. If she needed something, she would tell him.

Gilbert decided to wait outside for Anne, so he took a book and sat by the creek anticipating Anne and Diana might be a while.

"Hey Blythe!" Billy yelled across the yard.

Gilbert bit his lip.

If I ignore him, he'll go away.

He was wrong.

Billy and his two goons approached Gilbert, "How were your holidays, bud?"

"Billy we've been over this," Gilbert didn't look up from his book, "we aren't buds."

"My holiday was spectacular." Billy sat down next to Gilbert, "I even followed some classic holiday traditions."

"Go away."

"My favorite part was when I got really close with some new friends." Billy smirked. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Gilbert shut his book and finally glared at Billy, "I suggest you stop there."

He stood up, grabbed his bag, and started walking to the tree line. He decided to go to Green Gables so he could talk to Anne when she got home.

"It's comforting to know that this affected her so much. I must have been better than you."

Gilbert stopped in his tracks and clenched his jaw. He would not let Billy win. Not after how much he hurt Anne.

He looked up at the sky, "Ah you see the difference is she actually wanted to be near me."

Gilbert turned around and faced Billy, "You had to hold her against a tree. Does it make you feel better, Billy, that the only you get any attention is by force?"

Gilbert knew that statement got to Billy. He enjoyed the momentary look of pain Billy had on his face before it became devious. Billy was going to do the best he could to hurt Gilbert more.

It was Billy's turn to be angry, "She wanted it." He strolled towards Gilbert, "Sometimes a dog needs to be trained."

"Wanted it?" Gilbert was filling with rage. He was not about to let anyone, especially Billy, suggest that Anne gave consent to anything that happened to her.

"No need to be jealous." Billy looked at him threateningly, "It's not like I even want to look at that ugly dog again."

Gilbert was fed up, "I told you what would happen!"

Billy stepped closer to Gilbert, "What are you going to do, Blythe? Punch me again?"

Gilbert smiled, "Precisely."

And he knocked Billy to the ground with his right fist.

Last time, it was only Billy and Gilbert so their physical fight started and ended with one punch.

This time, Billy wasn't alone. Two of his friends, who Gilbert didn't even know, defended him by punching Gilbert across the jaw and knocking him to the ground.

Anne and Diana watched in horror.

Anne never wanted anything like this to happen. That's why she didn't tell Gilbert it was Billy in the first place.