That Fateful Night

Chapter Eleven

Gilbert's POV

The birds twitter overhead as Gilbert trudges along the snowy path, his mind occupied with thoughts of Anne and the coming of winter. The late-November air is chilled, Gilbert's wool coat blowing in the breeze as he passes by the place where he first met Anne all those years before, he remembers how she looked at Billy with so much fear, and how he looked at her with so much disdain, so much had changed since then. 

His morning walk to school has been quiet, he left later than usual as he was up late the night before trying to come up with a well thought out plan to get Anne to forgive him. He takes a deep breath as the schoolhouse comes into view, phase one of his plan to make it up to her will commence today and every single day after until she forgives him. He had written it all down and put the pieces of paper in his pocket, but knowing Anne he would have to summarize it all for her because there's no way she's going to let him pour his heart out to her after what he did. 

He also came to the conclusion after talking with Mary and Bash that he should speak to Josie, the wretched girl went too far- and all for what? The attention? All she got was negative attention and dismissal from the party. Gilbert is still outraged, he finally had mustered up the courage to ask Anne on a date and Josie has to go and mess everything up. 

Gilbert is suddenly filled with sadness, his heart drops as he remembers Charlie and Anne's date-- he hadn't spoken to Charlie since they talked to each other in the woods before his date. He's been trying so hard to be supportive of Charlie, he's liked Anne for as long as Gilbert- but in his mind Anne will always be his- even if Charlie goes on a million more dates with Anne- but Gilbert secretly hopes that won't happen, even though he would never tell Charlie that. 

'I do hope their date went well, even though I don't think they belong together, I would never want Charlie to have to go through the heartbreak that I'm experiencing right now.-' he stops himself- he can't focus on Charlie, he has his own plans with Anne, and he is full of hope. It doesn't matter to him whether she forgives him today, tomorrow, next week, or even next year. He would wait an eternity for her. Ever since he met her on the path to school he knew that she was special, like nobody he'd ever met before.

The schoolchildren's chatter carries in the breeze as he walks amidst the icy field, The grass glistening underneath of it, casting off a green sparkle underneath of the morning sun, crunching under his boots. His peers are all talking about Anne's party and how beautiful Anne looked, how much fun it was, and the hot topic-- what had happened between Gilbert and Josie. Gossip is not foreign to Avonlea, and the Avonlea schoolchildren definitely help news travel fast.

He takes a deep breath, trying not to let the chatter get to him-- he's a man with a plan. He focuses his gaze ahead of him, the door to the schoolhouse in his sight, he has a whole week ahead of him and he's determined to use every waking moment trying to impress Anne, he's going to try his best to make it up to her, even though kissing Josie wasn't really his fault he also didn't do anything to prevent it. 

Gilbert's stomach turns at the thought of the kiss. 

'I can't believe my first kiss was with Josie Pye of all people. I had imagined it happening so many ways but never in a million years would I have pictured it happening with Josie. She may be pretty, but her beauty is only skin deep.'

"Hey Gilbert!" Charlie calls from by a tree. He's standing with Moody and Billy, all three of them staring at Gilbert with smiles. Gilbert smiles and walks over. 

"Hey Charlie, how'd your date go with Anne?" he asks, asking the question that had been swirling around his brain since he found out about it yesterday morning. But Charlie's smile fades fast, his lips quirking down into a frown.