wondrous • gilbert blythe

george the asshole

The past few days had been great.

Adelaide and Gilbert had been seeing each other a lot more, and his father seemed to finally be getting better. Adelaide's mother had even spoken several words to her.

George would be coming back tomorrow, and that made Adelaide nervous. She knew that with her life being average right now, the scale would have to soon tip one way or another.

Things would either turn absolutely amazing, or towards the worst. Adelaide's gut told her it would be the latter choice. She knew that life never gave her a break, and something terrible would happen.

"Adelaide?" A voice took her out of her morbid thoughts. She looked up to Anne's expecting eyes, which reminded her of the ocean waves.

"Sorry, I was just distracted." Adelaide sent her an apologetic smile. The redhead nodded and went back to braiding her hair.

"So, are you and Gilbert still going alright?" Anne giggled at Adelaide's reddening face through the mirror.

"Anne, it's not like we are... together. He is just... well, I don't know. I like him, and I believe he likes me." Adelaide furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to explain her relationship with the dark haired boy.
Anne laughed again and tied off her finished braid with a brown ribbon.

The girls both jumped when Marilla called from downstairs that dinner was ready. They rushed down the stairs and quickly sat at the table next to each other.

"Hungry, are we?" Marilla chuckled and placed the pot of soup in the middle of the table. The Cuthbert's and Adelaide chatted quietly while they ate, and Adelaide had a smile on her face the entire time.

Times like these were her favorite. When she could feel safe, and loved.

After dinner, it was time for Adelaide to venture home, as it was already getting dark and the girls had school the next day. She says her goodbyes to Anne and thanks Marilla for the soup and leaves.

"Au revoir!" Adelaide hears as she crosses the yard.

"Ça va, Jerry!" She replies with a grin and wave in the direction of the barn.

Adelaide takes her time getting home, wanting to enjoy the peaceful Tuesday night. When she does, she knocks the snow off of her boots on the doorframe and then quietly walks in.

She placed her coat, which she had started to reluctantly wear, onto a hook and took off her boots. The eerie silence of her dark home is interrupted by a creak. Adelaide pauses, and looks around her. Surely her mother had already gone to bed, hadn't she?

Adelaide shakes her head at her silliness and locks the door before turning around to go up the stairs. A large body gets in her way before she can move more than two feet. A scream escapes her mouth as she is pushed backwards.

"Did you miss me?" A sinister voice spoke, enveloping Adelaide's heart with fear. George had come home early, and she had caught him at the worst time.

She didn't say anything back, she just used her hands and feet to shuffle backwards. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, but she couldn't move. He stepped closer, and her back hit the heavy wooden door.

"Word traveled around fast that you are being a whore Adelaide, sleeping around with that older boy. I decided I need to come home and see if it was true. So tell me, sweetheart, are you?" George hissed as he crouched to get closer to her face.

Adelaide shook her head frantically, a single tear running down her cheek.

"Are you?" George screamed, repeating himself. More tears fell, simulating the rain that had just started to come down outside.

"I'm not! I'm not, I swear!" Adelaide yelled back, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Liar!" He jumped up and forcefully kicked his foot into her ribcage. Adelaide cried out, and he went to kick her again, but was interrupted by Alice King.

"George, please stop! I'm sick of you taking control of us!" Alice yells at him as she runs down the staircase.

"I'll do whatever I goddamn want, Alice!" He grabbed her and slapped her across the face. It was at that moment that Adelaide finally noticed the bruises that littered her mother's skin.

George took one final look at Adelaide before shoving Alice onto the ground next to her daughter. He tromped up the stairs and left his wife and step daughter laying on the floor.

Alice let out a breath of relief before inching her sore body over to Adelaide. She wrapped her arms tightly around the girl and sobbed. Adelaide winced, but hugged back, also crying.

"I'm so sorry Adelaide, he told me he would hurt you if I told anyone."

"He told me he would hurt you, mom, if I told you."

The mother and daughter duo made their way to the couch and slept the best they could with their brand new bruises. An unspoken bond had been recovered that night, but soon enough it would be ruined once again.