OSTRACIZE | GILBERT BLYTHE

11

"Carter!" Ellis shouted as she held an apple and wrapped sandwiches in her hands. "Lunch."

Pops had made her go down to the Gillis' with lunch for Carter. He walked down the ladders and over to Ellis. Where she threw the apple and sandwich at Carter, who quickly caught it.

"Do I get one of those?" Gilbert questioned leaning on the scaffolding that they put up.

Ellis rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you later Carter." She said before turning on her heels and attempting to leave the scene. She didn't want to be there and she definitely didn't want to talk to Gilbert.

"Ellis, what did I do wrong?" Gilbert questioned as he ran after her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside.

"Nothing." Ellis answered honestly.

"Why did you run into the fire Ellis?" Gilbert paused waiting for an answer, but he was met with silence. "Was it to prove that Ruby fancied me?"

"Im not bothered, I don't care about you." Ellis snapped and hurt flashed across Gilbert's face. "Wait! No! I don't - I do care- wait - I don't - I do - No! I don't - I don't mean it like that." Ellis stuttered over her words.

Gilbert smirked.

"It was definitely to prove something to me."

Ellis shook her head and quoted her Pops.

"No man left behind." Gilbert looked at her confused but Ellis just let out a long deep sigh. "Look, I'm sorry I ran into the fire, it was stupid and impulsive." She paused and ran her hand through her long brown hair. She wasn't actually sorry, but this way Gilbert wouldn't be mad at her. "And I know that we don't always see eye to eye-"

"-That's because you're so short." Gilbert cut off.

"-But I'm glad you're here for me." Ellis finished, completely ignoring what Gilbert said.

"Do you want to come and help out?" Gilbert questioned pointing back to the Gillis house. He knew how much Ellis loved breaking stereotypes and for a girl to build, it was breaking the biggest one of them all.

"I'll carry a piece of wood or two." Ellis joked.

~

Gilbert taught her the correct way to nail a piece of wood into the roof. Truthfully she knew how to do it, Franklin, her brother, had taught her when they built Toffee's stable, but Ellis decided to play dumb to make Gilbert feel better. Plus she enjoyed watching him smile as he taught her.

"You know?" Gilbert paused and looked a Billy. "I think you're better at this than Billy." Gilbert smirked waiting for a response from Billy.

"Girls should be at home cooking and cleaning. That's all they're good for. Nothing else." Billy growled in response but Ellis couldn't help but laugh as he tried his hardest to pick up a bucket of tiles for the roof.

Ellis jumped from the scaffolding and headed over to the bucket. She looked at Billy with a smile as she bent down and picked up the bucket with ease.