WAVES | shirbert

I. Forever sundered

in which Gilbert says goodbye before leaving for college
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«I must, then, repeat continually that we are forever sundered - and yet, while I breathe and think, I must love him»
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September, months after the Spring Ball

The sky was covered in a white mess of clouds. The first days of September were forecasting the upcoming seasonal change and a certain red-haired young woman hated the prospect of the arrival of cold and rainy days.

Change. Anne Shirley-Cuthbert hated that word.

Everything was changing so quickly in her life and she felt somewhat dizzy. Matthew was not here. Diana and Charlie Sloane were courting. College was just a year away. She would have leave Marilla and Green Gables.

And Gilbert Blythe was leaving for college that fine morning. As for her, she would have to stay in Queen's for another year, considering that he was older than her. He had just turned eighteen and he looked so different from the boy who saved her in the woods that day. He had changed, his shoulders were broader, he was taller than ever and although his eyes still had the same boyish glimmering, looked different too, as if they were full of newly-lived experiences.

Soon she will change too. She would have someone to marry — although she had Cole —; she would eventually become a teacher, hopefully. And she would probably have to levar Avonlea at some point. Leave Marilla. Leave Jerry. Diana. Gilbert.

She sat in her bed, probably re-reading some novel and taking notes so that she could take them as an inspiration for her own. She focused on this task, trying to get the image of the boy out of her head — which lately was more and more difficult. Everytime she closed her eyes she could picture him so perfectly, with those bright hazel eyes and his dark curls.

They had shared a great summer overall, almost exactly like the previous one: exchanging books, going apple picking and, her favourite activity: reading poetry and drama outloud. Something had changed, though.

The tension between them was... unbearable.

They were friends, yes. But there was definetely something else there that Anne could not — or did not want to figure out ye.

Gilbert had promised to visit her in Green Gables before leaving that day, but he had not showed up yet. He's probably busy anyway, she said to herself. But the thought of not seeing him again until Christmas created a knot on her throat that would not go away.

Then she heard a knock on her window, and that was when she saw him. Brownish messenger cap, white shirt underneath a beige vest and his sleeves rolled up, thick dark curls and his signature blinding smile — Gilbert Blythe, leaning against the trunk of her dearest Cherry Blossom, with a sly smirk on his face, was watching her cautiously yet amused.

"Gilbert Blythe, what on heck are you doing up there?"

She could have sworn she saw him blush as he bit his lower lip to hide back a smile.

"See how she leans her cheek upon her hand
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!" he quoted dramatically, drawing his hand to his chest. The girl just rolled her eyes in response.

"Romeo and Juliet, uh? Not impressive at all" she says from her bed, covering half of her face with the heavy book she was reading. The boy, eyebrows raised, looked at her as if he was expecting her to continue. She hesitated a bit before doing so. "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?!"