[2] LOOK AFTER YOU ( gilbert blythe! )

02 | TOWN GATHERING

⎾02 | TOWN GATHERING ⏌

HALF WAY THROUGH HER FIRST day back at school, Samantha didn't know if she was relieved to be in back in Avonlea, or frightened. As the group of girls sat down in their usual place for lunch, Samantha tried her best to listen to all of their comments.

"You should have stopped Gilbert from getting on that steamship, Samantha," said Ruby Gillis, taking a seat next to Samantha. "Why did he do it, anyway?"

After a moment of thought, Samantha simply replied, "He wanted to see the world."

"Don't we all?" asked Anne, causing Samantha to smile in her direction. "Personally, I think Gilbert Blythe made a good decision."

"Well others may think differently," said Ruby crossing her arms over her chest.

"He'd come home soon enough if he knew there was gold on his farm," Josie cut in, unwrapping her food from her basket.

"Gold?" Samantha asked, this being the first time she had heard about this.

"That's right," Josie Pye continued. "There's gold in Avonlea. Not like you would need it, Samantha. You're the wealthiest of us all."

Ignoring her comment, Samantha asked, "How do you know there is so?"

"Nathaniel found it," Anne butted in, taking a bite of her apple. "He's a geologist. When he found it, he sent a sample to an independent company in New York."

"That's..." Samantha paused, biting her lower lip in thought. Something didn't sound good about this. After all, if there was gold in Avonlea, wouldnt they have found it by now?

Sighing, Samantha finished, "...amazing."

As the girls broke out into conversation, Samantha turned her head to face the boy to whom she had spoken to earlier, Cole Makenzie - sitting alone in the corner.

Nudging Anne with her elbow, Samantha spoke, "Don't you think we should accompany Cole? He's a very nice boy."

Turning to meet her gaze, Anne sighed, "He does look awfully lonely."

Josie smirked, "I think he's more sad and handsome than lonely."

"Josie's dead gone over Cole," said Jane Andrews, causing the surrounding girls to giggle.

"I am not!" Josie stubbornly defended. "I'm simply observant."

Ruby Gillis sighed dreamily, "There's no boy more sad and handsome than Gilbert Blythe."