Idiosyncratic {Gilbert Blythe}

Chapter 16

Caspienne sat in various spots on the floor as Mrs. Cuthbert and Anne conversed with Miss Stacy. Soon everyone gathered around a table as Miss Stacy set random objects down on the table; wire, nails, lightbulbs, and... potatoes? Cas wondered where in the world this was going, and what they were going to do with potatoes.. 
Miss Stacy asked if anyone knew what electricity was, and Caspienne had sort of heard of it, her parents told her about all of the crazy mechanics in various parts of the world they had been to. Though, she didn't exactly know how it worked. Anne and Gilbert seemed to have a bit of a rivalry still going, she wasn't sure what happened between them, but Anne appeared more tense than usual, and almost angry at Gilbert. Miss Stacy went on to talk about lightning and atoms, saying they made up matter, which made up everything, the walls, the school, chocolate cake, and that they were going to use this to light up a lightbulb using the potatoes, which Caspienne still didn't understand. 
Anne continued to try to one-up Gilbert, saying that she had also seen lightbulbs before. Cas had seen them too, on one of the very few trips her parents had taken her with them on, which was London. As Miss Stacy stuck the nails into the potatoes and wrapped wire around them, she screwed the lightbulb into one of the potatoes, and it lit up! But just then, the progressive mothers walked in and wanted to talk with Miss Stacy. After she left the table to talk with them, Moody picked up one of the wired potatoes and looked at it, "but does it taste like chocolate cake?" and then proceeded to lick the wire, burning himself and dropping everything. The lightbulb shattered as everyone jumped back, Moody's mother hysterically calling "my child! my child!". Dramatic much? Caspienne thought, it was just a small burn, not like he lost an arm. 

The mothers scolded Miss Stacy, saying that education should be in a chair, at the desks, and safe. If only they understood that no one learned that way and stuck with it, it would just go in one ear and out the other. 
"Education should be interesting and attention-catching, at least I'll remember what I learn with lessons like these. I want to remember the lesson, and not how bored I was when I learned it." Caspienne jumped to her defense, and Gilbert and Anne chimed in too,
"Miss Stacy is a dedicated, capable teacher."
"I hope to be exactly like her someday, she is a smart, lovely career woman, who is a superior educator, despite overcoming a tragical romance." Anne said, sharing a little bit too much, but her point still stood. 
"The progressive mothers worked hard to get the first female teacher in Avonlea, don't ruin this opportunity." For a group called the progressive mothers, they don't seem all that progressive, Caspienne thought, disappointed. 

Caspienne made her way home, again, though Anne seemed to go off in a different direction. When she got home she proceeded to kick off her boots and get dinner ready, which was some cooked rabbit with potatoes and bread. Later, she got ready for bed, as she took off her dress she looked in the mirror and traced her fingers over her scar. It didn't hurt much anymore, just the muscle did, the scar was deep but small, just a little round welt, as the bullet wasn't all that big. Pushing back the memory, she brushed out her hair and got under the covers. In the middle of the night, she was woken by gunshots that rattled her to her core, the memory of the year before playing over again in her mind and she began to panic. Where were they coming from? How close were they? What were they shooting? Tears streamed down her cheeks as she jumped out of bed and threw some spare clothes in a bag and wrapped her shawl around her as she set off to the only place she felt safe: Gilbert's house. 
Halfway there she heard more shots, making her stomach knot up and her arms squeeze her shawl closer to her. Once she made it to the steps of his house she thought for a second, what if he wasn't there? or if Sebastian opened the door instead, confused? she shook her head of the thoughts and knocked on the door. After a minute or so she knocked again, until she heard shuffling and the sound of the doorknob turning, revealing a very tired Gilbert. Once he saw the state she was in he woke up a bit more,
"Caspienne? What happened, are you alright?" concern written all over his face,
She took a deep shaky breath, "I-I heard gunshots and... and it brought me back to that night.. I don't feel safe alone at home" she tearfully said,
"Of course, I understand, I told you that you can come here whenever you need to. I'll get you a blanket" he said warmly. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and closed the door behind him, bringing her over to the couch before going to get a blanket,
"Please, don't go, I just need comfort. I haven't felt scared like this in a very long time" she said softly, 
"Okay, I'll stay then," he said as he sat next to her, once again wrapping his arm around her shoulder in a comforting manner, "do you mind.. telling me what happened? I've heard rumors saying you were shot, is that true?" he said worriedly
"Yes. That night, I was on my way home, those frauds were at their mine near the path home, they were arguing over something... I don't remember what, but I saw Jerry on the ground, and then one of the men shoved his friend down the well, taking his gun... then he saw me, and panicked.. and then it happened. He shot me and took off with the town's money." 
"Oh God... that is horrifying, Cas. I can't believe you had to go through that..." Gilbert was at a loss for words, but who could blame him? People usually don't see someone's arm in a cast and think gunshot wound. He pulled her a little closer, a pit in his stomach, terrified to think of how much worse that could have gone, what if he had arrived home to find out she didn't make it... he couldn't bear to think of it. As he pulled himself out of his thoughts, he noticed she had gone quiet, and he looked down to see she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Gently, he rested his head on hers, and fell back asleep. 

AN: EEEEEE FINALLY SOME MORE FLUFF!!! passed some of the nitty-gritty filler!!! I hope to have a nice, ripe chapter ready for y'all next week. As always, please comment and vote! it helps so much!