Young love (Gilbert Blythe)

❀𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖?❀(Edited)

CHAPTER FOUR:

<And how does that benefit you?>

I've been back at school in Avonlea for about a week and I can say that it's hard for me to keep up. In Portland, my teacher was not demanding at all. He would let you do what you want and always gave you good grades. Here, on the other hand, Mr. Phillips is strict. He wants you to read perfectly, but that was not a problem for me. He wants you to know history well, that wasn't a problem either. He wants you to know math well, and that was a big problem.

Me and mathematics are from two parallel universes.

So look at me, sitting with a sheet in front of me with the math test on it, trying to figure out what I did to deserve this.

I look around the class to see if I'm the only one who doesn't understand anything. Anne writes non-stop, Diana the same, Gilbert begins to draw a geometric figure. Do we have to draw?

I put my head in my hands and look at my colleague, Jossie. Don't ask how I ended up sitting with her, I don't know either.

I try to look a little in her sheet, trying to see something that would help me. When she sees that I'm looking at it, she kicks my feet with hers. Really? She doesn't want to help me at all?

"Evelyn, if you don't take your eyes off your classmate's paper, I will fail you on this text!" Mr. Phillips shouted.

As if I wouldn't fail the test anyway.

The class starts laughing at this warning. Thank you, Mr. Philips! Jossie looks at me with a look that says "Loser.", and I refrain from slapping her here and now. This girl is unbearable. When we were little, we were friends, but now she is mean to everyone. Anne being her main victim. It makes me want to punch her.

My gaze meets Gilbert's, who is looking at me worriedly, as if something bad has happened to me. I hate this, I hate that he looks at me as if he wants to save me. I turn my attention back to the sheet in front of me. This man will kill me one day with his tests.

_-_-_-_

Finally the break has come and I can eat! After this test I need all the vitamins in the world. I don't know how I survived.
I take my apple from the basket and take out my notebook that serves as my diary.
I got it this summer, and since then I always wrote and drew everything I felt in it. I find it liberating.
I take the pencil and start drawing, not thinking too much about the final work.
.
A girl is sitting at a desk with her hands on her head. In front of her is a sheet of paper full of numbers. Around her, the other classmates are in their desks, but they have no tests in front of them. They look at the girl, laughing. Around them are written words like: loser, dumb, inferior... Only one person doesn't laugh, one boy. He looks at the girl without any emotion. His hand is extended, as if he wants to help her. But she doesn't see him.
.
"It's a successful drawing."I hear a voice that I recognize better than I'd like to admit, and I immediately look at the person speaking. Blythe.

"Thank you."

I keep my eyes on my notebook as he sits down next to me. Yes, you can sit next to me even if you didn't asked. I move the pencil lightly over the paper further, adding details to the drawing, trying to ignore his presence.

Why doesn't he say something? I hate the uncomfortable silence that is forming. Usually there is never silence between us, we always find a reason to argue about.

"I didn't know you drew." He's talking again, and I'm glad he didn't stay silent.

"How could you? We weren't close when we were little." I look up at him to see that he is already looking at me. "I'm a real artist, don't you think?" I ask, making him smile.