wondrous • gilbert blythe

anyone bring marshmallows?

A week had passed since Alice slapped Adelaide. They only spoke when it was necessary. Alice and George had the wedding, and Adelaide only said a few words.

It was rushed, as Adelaide had presumed it would be. Not many people came, other than a few of Alice's and George's friends, and Adelaide's aunt. But, a wedding is a wedding, and when it is your second one, it doesn't really matter how it goes, as long as you're married at the end of it.

They also finished moving into the house. Mr. Monroe's home was very nice. It was all brick and had beautiful rose bushes in the front. Adelaide enjoyed the architecture, just not the man that lived in it.

He was one of the rudest people Adelaide had ever met, next to Billy Andrews and William Smith, of course. All George did was boss her around and force her to make him meals. Adelaide was slowly beginning to go insane, being cooped up in the house with him. School was on break, so she couldn't escape him that way.

She hadn't seen any of her friends in what felt like forever. School was only on break for another week or so, and that meant she would finally be able to go back. Adelaide hoped that Anne would soon come back. She and Gilbert were her only friends, unless you counted Diana. She obviously could not talk to Gilbert at school, so she was stuck eating lunch by herself. She didn't mind though, she would climb up the tree in the back and read until Mr. Phillips told everyone to come back inside.

Ruby seemed to hate her less, since they were now neighbors. They would smile at each other every now and then when they saw one another outside.

Adelaide missed her animals more than she missed anyone. They were her connection to her father, because they had the same love for animals. Adelaide remembers the day he brought home her horse like it was yesterday.

He was so ecstatic, and Adelaide remembered thinking that he had been drunk by how excited he was. When he put a blindfold on Adelaide's face and brought her to their unused barn, she felt nervous, but trusted her father nonetheless.

When she saw the big brown animal in front of her, she became overjoyed and begged her father to teach her how to ride it. She learned within a week and she realized then that her father was an angel sent down from heaven. He had never gotten mad at anyone before, even if they deserved it.

It was such a shame for a person like that to pass in such an awful way. It is even more of a shame that his wife married another man only a year after his death.

Adelaide impatiently awaited the day she could move out and be her own person.

These thoughts put her to sleep, for a nights rest with not a single dream.

•••

A bright light woke Adelaide from her sleep. She covered her eyes and slipped out of bed to realize that it was coming from her window. She opened the curtain to find that the Gillis house was up in flames.

Throwing on her boots as fast as possible, Adelaide ran to her mothers room and woke up Alice and George, telling them to grab as many buckets as they can find.

She tore down the stairs and out the door to see the Gillis family standing in front of their home crying.

"Is everyone out?" Adelaide yelled to them, and breathed a breath of relief when they nodded. She helped bring out more buckets from her house and waited for everyone else in town to arrive.

As they did, Adelaide was shocked to see a fiery head of hair running towards her.

"Anne!" She exclaimed as the two girls hugged.

"Oh how I've missed you, Adelaide!" Anne said to her. Diana ran over to the two and hugged both of them. The three of them stared in awe at the fire that roared in front of their eyes. Anne suddenly started to panic.

"Why are the windows and doors open?" She asked them. Adelaide shook her head in confusion.

"Fire needs oxygen, why hadn't I realized that?" Adelaide placed her palm against her forehead.

"I've got to go close them." Anne said and sprinted into the Gillis house.

"Diana, you wait here. I'll help Anne." Adelaide yelled and went after her friend. She could see her run to the farthest door, and close it, so Adelaide went to close the other one.

Gilbert was perched in the window, pouring buckets of water onto the fire. He widened his eyes as he saw a familiar blonde in the doorway.

"Adelaide?" He gasped. She smiled at the boy, but remembered what she had went in there to do.

"Be careful, Gil." Adelaide nodded her head at him before slamming the door. She could see Anne struggling down the stairs, gasping for air.

Adelaide wrapped her arm around her friend and helped her to the doorway.

"T-the windows." Anne coughed. Adelaide nodded and sent Anne outside so she could breathe.

Adelaide was in a hurry around the house, trying to close the windows. Anne, Diana, and Marilla were all screaming for the girl to come out.

Gilbert could hear the girls down below, and worry sank in his heart when he only saw Anne covered in a blanket. Adelaide was nowhere to be seen.

She grasped the kitchen counter, wiping the sweat off of her face. She had finally closed all of the windows, and was trying to find the door that lead outside, but the lack of oxygen was making her stumble.

She coughed, but managed to keep walking. Adelaide grinned when she saw the door. Turning the knob, she went outside and made sure to close the door behind her.

"Adelaide, you are okay!" Her mother cried as she grabbed ahold of her coughing daughter.

"Get off of me." Adelaide shoved away her mother and ran towards Anne and Diana. They gave her a blanket and hugged the small girl.

Adelaide and Anne grinned when Jerry yelled out to everyone.

"Anne and Adelaide did it! They helped slow down the fire!"

Alice and George watched from afar, and Alice wondered to herself if she had made the right choice, picking a man over her own daughter.