circles 𖧷 gilbert blythe

7th chapter „love changes people"

Surprisingly I was able to sleep very well on my second night here in Avonlea.

I didn't think much about Gilbert and how I might feel about him. I didn't care. I was just happy to be able to see him today and go to school again. Dressed up, I walked downstairs, when it suddenly knocked on our front door. „That's Gilbert", I said, hurrying to the door. I opened it and it was actually Gilbert standing in front of me. „Good Morning Jules", he said and hugged me before he entered the house. „Good Morning Gilbert! How nice to have you here", grandmother greeted him, while standing in the kitchen and making our food for school. I looked over to Blayke, who was nervously playing around with his shoes again. „I'll do that", I said to him and started tying his shoes. Meanwhile, Gilbert went to our grandmother and started talking with her for a while.

„I'm glad, I could help you with the leftovers of the casserole. I hope it tasted good?", she asked him, as she started packing the food into our bags. „It tasted wonderful, Miss Rae River", Gilbert replied. „I'm glad. So Blayke and Jules, it's time for school, here are your bags", grandmother said smiling while giving us our school bags. „See you later!", I said and left the house together with Blayke and Gilbert. We made our way to school and it turned out that it had been quite good to have Gilbert accompany us to school, because otherwise we would have gotten lost again. Just as we arrived at school , we met Anne. „Hello Anne!", we greeted her as Gilbert pushed himself through Blayke and me. „Hello Blayke, Jules and Gilbert!", she shouted and hugged him.

And immediately Gilbert had only eyes for her and completely forgot about us. „Jules? Come on Jules, let's bring our milk bottles to the river for lunch break, later", Blayke said , pulling my sleeve. „Jules?", he asked when I didn't reacted. I shook my head and looked at Blayke. „Oh.. I'm sorry, I was daydreaming. I didn't hear you, what were you saying?", I asked him. „I said, let's go to the river to lay our milkbottles in there, for later", he repeated himself and we walked together to the river. When we were done we walked to the front door of the school, where Blayke already went inside and I turned around to Anne and Gilbert again. They stood there, talking and laughing together.

Shouldn't I be happy for them that they get along so well? instead, I was angry?

He had just left Blayke and me standing there, ignoring us, even when he had accompanied us to school voluntarily. Why did he acted like that, when he saw Anne? Is that how you act, when you fall in love? if yes I don't want it. You ignore your friends to spend more time with the person you love? That isn't right or was I just overreacting? I turned around and went to my seat, where I sat down and unpacked my things. The rest of the day, however, nothing changed in Gilbert's attitude towards me or Blayke. He almost ignored us completely and only spoke with me in class when we were suppose to work together. He spent the breaks with Anne, laughing and talking. Then when school was finally over I hurried to be finished before Gilbert. I rushed out of school, when I heard someone shouting behind me: „Jules? Jules?! Wait!".

I turned around and saw it was Gilbert. I turned around again and continued walking as I heard footsteps behind me. „What?!", I shouted at him as he stepped back. „Well, I just wanted to say that I'm going to Anne today and wanted to ask, if it's okay? Because of our homework", he said with a confused look in his face. „Yeah, why should that be a problem?", I asked him with a serious expression. „Are you sure?", he asked me and I nodded, grabbed my brothers arm and walked towards the woods. „Jules?!", Gilbert shouted again and I turned around, one last time. „Is everything okay?", he asked me. „Everything's alright.. Just please don't come to us later or something and tomorrow I want to go alone to school, together with Blayke. We don't need your help", I replied.

„Why?", he asked me, still with a confused look. „It's better this way", I answered, continuing walking with my brother.

After a while Blayke suddenly asked me: „Is everything all right between you and Gilbert? What happened?". I looked at him in surprise as I lifted my shoulders reluctantly. „You can talk to me, can't you? I'm your brother, twin brother", he said with a smile. „It bothers me that people change , when they are in love, you know?", I said, not staring at my brother. „Is Gilbert such a person?", Blayke asked. „Yes and how he is. He only has eyes for Anne and forgets his friends, that's what annoys me and I don't want that", I replied. „Does he understand and know that you see it that way?", he asked me, immediately after my answer. „I don't know.. I think so", I said. „I think so? have you talked to him about it?", he asked me surprised. „No and I don't want to. I don't want to talk to him and I don't want to see him", I answered, angrily.

„Okay okay I accept your decision. I'm just saying it would be better to talk about it", Blayke said as I interrupted him. „Stop it.. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I don't want the day to get any worse than it already is", I said, walking faster to escape the talk with my brother. When we got home I did my homework first before I decided to help Grandpa. Grandpa always needed help , so I went to him and asked: „Hey Grandpa, can I help you with something?". „Oh Jules You're coming just in fine. I could really use your help right now. Could you please put some food for the horses in their horse boxes and then carve some arrows for my bow. I wanted to go hunting later", Grandpa said and I nodded. „Of course, I can do that", I replied and went to the barn.

There I distributed the food in the horse boxes and filled up their water. Afterwards, I climbed up the attic and started carving some arrows. It was getting dark outside when I just heard footsteps coming into the barn. I thought it was Grandpa or Blayke, who wanted to call me for dinner, but when I looked down, Gilbert was standing there.. „Gilbert? What are you doing here? I told you not to come today", I said angrily. „I know, I know.. it's just that I know you are mad at me and I don't know why. I asked Blayke, but he didn't tell me anything about it. He just said that I should go talk to you", Gilbert said, desperately and I stared at him as I put my carving things aside and climbed down the ladder. „We're friends. You can talk to me about anything. Please tell me what I did wrong, that you're so angry with me", he said, looking me in the eye.

I sat down in the hay and he sat down in front of me. „Well..", I started but stopped.

„Yeah?", he asked me with a timid smile. „Love changes people and I don't like it. Today.. today in school you only had eyes for Anne and that makes me happy, of course, really it does, but you completely ignored me. I felt really stupid , you know? I don't know how to change this problem either, but maybe you are just like that when you're in love. But I don't like it. I don't have a problem with you loving Anne or spending time with her, it's just that you shouldn't forget me or ignore me. We are friends..", I explained my problem to him and he listened to me understandingly, for which I was very grateful.

„Oh I didn't realize that at all. I'm sorry Jules, that wasn't right from me. You're right that I shouldn't forget my friends , especially not you, but I really didn't do it on purpose. I care about you and I try to not let that happen again, okay? Our friendship is very important to me and I don't want to lose you,
I'm sorry..", he said and pulled me into a tight hug. I had to smile and wasn't so angry about him anymore.

All of this showed me how important my friendship is to him and that it should never end.