wondrous • gilbert blythe

terrible baking skills

As the sun crept up through the trees of Avonlea, Adelaide stood next to Anne as the priest said some words about the fire. It had finally been put out, with everyone working in it the entire night.

The men were planning on rebuilding it in the next week, before school starts again. Adelaide would have volunteered to help, but she knew that wasn't "ladylike" or proper.

She found their society quite moronic. Why couldn't a woman do the same as a man could? She was just as strong as Billy Andrews, probably even stronger. She could hit a hammer against a nail just the same as Gilbert Blythe could.

Speaking of Gilbert Blythe, he stood next to where Adelaide sat on the ground, listening to the plans of where the Gillis' would stay. They hadn't spoken, but there was nothing that needed to be said between the two.

(Sorry, just a little side note. I keep writing Hilbert instead of Gilbert and it's cracking me up. Continue on reading haha)

When everyone either went home or got to work on the house, Adelaide decided she would go back to the house and get some rest. Anne and Ruby had gone back to Green Gables, but informed her that they would be back later.

Adelaide dove under her covers and fell into a deep sleep.

•••

"Wake up, someone is at the door for you." George pulled the covers off of Adelaide, and she internally groaned.

"I also expect you to be making your mother and I lunch soon, since you have been lazing around in bed all day." George spat at her before walking towards her door. Adelaide raised her eyebrows.

"George?" Adelaide asked him, making the man turn to face her.

"Yes?" He asked while pinching the bridge of his nose, annoyed with the young girl.

"I didn't see you helping with the fire last night, so I believe that you can make your own breakfast. I'm going out to meet my friends." Adelaide responded, throwing on her green dress.

"Excuse me?" George fumed, stepping closer to her. She suddenly realized that maybe talking back to him wasn't the best idea.

"George, I need your help!" Alice called from down the stairs. George looked out the door, then back to Adelaide, who was backing into the corner of the room.

"You got lucky this time, girl." He hissed and then exited her bedroom. She released a breath that she didn't realize she was holding and shakily put on her boots. Adelaide decided that she really needed to learn how to keep her mouth shut.

Running as fast as she could out of the house to avoid any hassle, Adelaide went directly over to the Gillis house. Anne and Ruby were holding a basket and talking to the priest, so she trotted over to them.

"Good morning!" She said to the two girls. They turned around, surprised to see her.

"You do realize that it is the afternoon, right?" Ruby questioned her with a small voice.

"Well, it is morning for me, I just woke up." Adelaide grinned.

"What's got you in such a chipper mood?" Anne asked her.

"I'm just grateful to be out of that suffocating house." Adelaide replied to her friend, giving her a look that told her they needed to talk later.

Ruby reached into their basket and took out a pastry. She held it out to Adelaide who took it cautiously.

"Anne and I baked them for the boys, especially for Gilbert." Ruby told the blonde girl dreamily. Adelaide took a bite and smiled.

"These are amazing! I wish I could bake, but I have quite possibly the worst baking skills ever. Add that to the list of reasons I would make a terrible wife." Adelaide said to the girls and they laughed at her use of sarcasm. As the trio walked over to where Billy and Gilbert were working on the house, Ruby accidentally tripped and fell.

Adelaide went to ask her if she was okay, but was interrupted by Billy.

"It's the freaks and their new twin sister." He laughed at the girls. Gilbert tried to defend them, but Billy was relentless. Adelaide scoffed and stepped closer to the ladder.

"Girls are so useless. Guess you should have stayed home in the kitchen?" He laughed at them again. That comment tipped Adelaide off the edge.

"Why do you think you are so much better than us? I could get more work done in an hour than you and Gilbert have done this entire morning. Stop being a bully and do your job, or I'm going to have to come up there and do it for you." She yelled at him, and turned around to see Gilbert helping Ruby off of the ground. Adelaide hadn't even noticed him come down the ladder. She was too busy yelling at Billy.

Adelaide's heart dropped when she saw Gilbert hold onto Ruby's hand, but she dismissed it and walked up to her friends.

"Adelaide, hello." Gilbert stared at the girl in front of him. They had known each other for a couple of months now, but he truly knew nothing about her. He had found out on accident that her father was dead, what else was she hiding?

"Hey, Gilbert." The curly haired boy furrowed his eyebrows at the sound of her clipped voice. What had he done wrong?

"Well, we better get Ruby home." Anne told Adelaide and she nodded in agreement. The three began to walk away. Gilbert grabbed her wrist before she could leave. Adelaide flinched away, flashing back to when her mother hit her. Anne widened her eyes.

"Go home, I'll come over later." Adelaide told them. Anne reluctantly agreed.

Adelaide sighed and turned back to Gilbert.

"What do you want?" She asked him.

"Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not, Gil. Billy just put me in a bad mood. Thank you for trying to defend us." Adelaide sent him a tight lipped smile, still a little shaken from when he grabbed her arm. She turned on her heels to leave when he didn't say anything else. He opened his mouth to object, but stopped himself. Gilbert didn't know why he was so infatuated with Adelaide. Something about her just drew him in. He decided to leave her be to hang out with her friends. 

He watched her disappear towards her house, and climbed back up the ladder where Billy was waiting. The blond boy smirked at Gilbert, who gave him a confused look.

"What?" Gilbert asked him.

"You are totally in love with Adelaide." Billy laughed. Gilbert's face grew pink, and he denied it, but deep down he knew that for once, Billy Andrews was right about something.