Lavender - {G.B}

dix

"What a lovely day, isn't it Alice?" the blonde-hair and green-eyed woman asked, looking down at the young girl's curled hair. She didn't respond, continuing to look out to the horizon. "Alice?"

Alice looked up at the woman, her guardian, laced with confusion. "Pardon?"

Angelica Johnson chuckled, shaking her head. "You know, every time we're out here, you're always looking out to the horizon like you're just waiting for something to approach."

"Well, anything could just appear out of the sea. Could be whales, dolphins. Could be a ship heading to the docks from a long journey away." Alice looked back at the ocean.

She helped Angelica set up the blanket on the soft sand and helped set the food upon it. After, Alice took off her boots and socks, her feet finding the sand. She walked where the waves pushed itself to the sand. The water washed over her two feet as she started to the vast ocean, her fingers holding a special gift she cherished, other than her mother's pendant.

"Are you ready to eat, Alice? Don't want you starving!" Angelica called to her.

Alice looked away from the ocean, looking back at the woman, taking a bite of a biscuit. She nodded and began walking back to the blanket, taking a seat across from her.

-

Alice was invited into Diana, Anne, and Ruby's small, broken down building that turned into where they would have meetings and write their own stories. Alice had been getting good with writing, taking inspiration from her father. Anne's stories were always the best out of the four.

Alice was reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair which detailed the harsh conditions of immigrants of the United States. It was given to Alice by Angelica, who was a historian in the United States so over the months, Alice learned many things about the United States and the American Revolution, which became one of her favorite things to learn about.

"So just write another Bert story?" Diana suggested to the young girl with a large crush.

"Another Bert story?" Ruby questioned.

"You always write a version of the same thing. About a dashing hero named Albert, Herbert, Rupert, Pilpert-"

"Pilpert!" Ruby exclaimed. "That's ridiculous. I would never write a story about a boy names Pilpert." Alice glanced up at her, making eye contact.

Alice tried to block out the two girl's argument of their stories. Often would Ruby complain about her stories and often Diana would tell her to write about something else than the topic.

"How else am I supposed to deal with the fact that he's been gone for eight months and three days?" It's been only eight months and three days? It feels a lot longer, Alice thought. "And he may never come back."

"Don't think like that, Ruby," Alice told her, in her own mind, wondering the same thing: if Gilbert would come back to Avonlea, at least just for a visit.

Alice and Gilbert had been writing to each other, but the letters aren't quick to receive. It would take a few days, sometimes a week, until the letter was sent to each of them wrote long paragraphs, writing as much as they could, answering each other's questions. Alice longed for the day until he came back. Gilbert longed for the day he could see her bright amber eyes and the loving smile of hers.

-

Gold was in Avonlea. After this news, Alice swore she saw a bearded man, looking like the man she had to stay with. Alice wasn't sure it was him, but if it was, she wouldn't be surprised if he only came back for the gold.

After this news, she wrote to the Blythe boy, setting the address to where he last said he'd be. Gold in Avonlea would be something to see. Maybe it would bring Gilbert back, thought Alice. On second thought, Gilbert's real stubborn. He wouldn't trade gold for this opportunity to see the world. I wish he'd have brought me along.

-

School had begun once again. Alice sat in her normal seat, staring at the front, bored out of her mind. Mr. Phillips' dull voice seemed like it begged for Alice to fall asleep.

She sat up, interested the artist, who was sketching, stood up, knocking his book on the ground. Mr. Phillip wrote on the board like he always did when someone was in trouble. As his back was turned, Alice stood from her seat, picking his sketchbook off the ground. It was a sketch of a castle with the ink adding to the sketch. It made it better in a way.

Cole finished the writing with a beautiful cursive with small designs, making it look highly artistic. Mr. Phillips noticed and erased it, having him write it fifty times more. Alice glanced at Billy Andrews, glaring at him. As always, Billy was making trouble. Billy leaned back, smirking at her.

-

"You should have stopped him from getting on that steamship, Anne. If Gilbert falls overboard and drowns, it'll be your fault," Ruby told Anne as Alice sat down next to Diana with her basket in hand.

"He'd come home soon enough if he knew there was gold on his farm," Josie said, taking her food out.

"Gilbert's too stubborn," Alice said, taking out her bread. "He would stay on that boat even if the news of gold in Avonlea came across him," Alice said those words with slight annoyance.

"Well, Anne's writing a letter, aren't you, Anne?" Ruby asked.

"He looks so awfully lonely," Anne said, looking at Cole. Alice looked as Cole sat near the blackboard, eating his lunch.

"I think he's more sad and handsome than lonely," Josie said. That was the nicest thing she'd ever say to someone, Alice thought.

"Josie dead gone over Cole," Jane teased, earning giggles from the girls.

"I am not," Josie defended. "I'm simply observant."

"There's no boy more sad and handsome than Gilbert Blythe," Ruby stated in a lower voice, staring in Alice's direction, making her feel uncomfortable.

"Have a nice lunch, girls. I think I'm done." Alice stood up from her spot.

"You barely ate anything," Diana said, looking at her bread that hadn't been eaten.

"Loss of an appetite." Alice smiled and left.

She gave a small smile to Cole as she crept out of the blanket. She set her basket down underneath her hat that hung on a hook. She stepped outside and climbed into her tree, taking out The Jungle.