cruel summer

eight

you make me feel like a teenager in love.

her lips when they would curve up into that loving smile. the way the world around him was suddenly in slow motion every time she laughed. the summer sun making her red locks as vibrant as ever. the slight wind blowing her hair over her shoulders and onto her back.

he had been staring at her for way too long, he knew that. but he just couldn't keep his eyes off her. diana was back from france, so all of the friends decided to head to one of the many avonlea fields with a picnic and some music. anne was currently dancing, barefoot on the grass, with diana. the two girls giggling hysterically at their awful dancing. but gilbert thought she looked elegant, beautiful even. he was so mesmerised by the sound of her laugh, and the smile that came with it.

he knew it wouldn't take very long for him to start feeling this towards her again. in fact, he had never stopped. but being with her again, and her talking to him like nothing ever happened, it made the feelings one hundred times more noticeable.

"you know you've been staring at her for the past fifteen minutes and you haven't looked away once." cole suddenly said from beside him. his voice was quiet, so nobody else could hear, but gilbert could hear the amusement in his tone.

"fifteen minutes?!" gilbert thought it had only been about five minutes. "was it obvious?"

"well i mean, yeah. it was. but i don't think she noticed." cole said with a laugh. gilbert shoved his shoulder playfully as he rolled his eyes. before he could respond, anne came over.

"gil! come dance with us!" she said, her smile bright and inviting as she held her hand out to him. how could he say no to her?

"go on, gil." said cole in a teasing manner, a smug smile across his face.

gilbert took anne's hand, trying to push away the tingling feeling that shot up his arm as their hands touched.

anne brought him over to where diana was still dancing along side tillie, josie and ruby.

"hey! how come i'm the only guy dancing?!" gilbert asked, watching as charlie, moody and billy were still sat on the grass with cole stood behind them laughing to himself.

"because you're the only guy who said yes." said josie, laughing a little.

"actually, i didn't say yes. i was forced." gilbert said, earning a small hit on the arm from anne.

"excuse me! you willingly took my hand. i did nothing forceful!" anne defended herself, giggling slightly at the look on his face.

tillie grabbed moody's hand, pulling him up to dance with them. "here you go. not the only guy anymore!" she said with a smile, turning to dance with her boyfriend.

anne started dancing again, spinning herself in circles as her loose curls danced with her in the fresh summer breeze. it's safe to say gilbert blythe was well and truly mesmerised by anne shirley, and all he wanted to do was say those three words he had so desperately wanted to say last summer.

——

charlie sloane sat on the floor of gilbert blythe's bedroom that night. he looked around at the wooden floor, the navy blue comforter that was half way off his bed, the grey walls. gilbert's room didn't look lived in anymore since he took all of his things to boston with him.

"do you actually like boston?" charlie suddenly asked. he had been best friends with gilbert ever since he had arrived in avonlea almost two years ago. he knew something wasn't right.

"of course i do. why do you ask?" gilbert responded. although, he knew himself it was a lie. he did love boston, and he loved what he was learning, but he hated being so far away. sure he had great friends there, but nothing could compare to avonlea and the things he had there.

"you're not the same as you used to be. i don't know if it's because you're in boston, or because of anne. but something isn't right." charlie said truthfully. he had been waiting to have this conversation for a while, maybe if gilbert just talked to someone it would help.

"i'm okay." said gilbert, patting charlie on the shoulder as he smiled. charlie furrowed his brows, knowing his best friend far too well.

"gilbert, talk to me. you forget i know you very well, i can tell when something's not right. what is it?" charlie questioned further. he knew by now that you have a better chance of getting things out of gilbert if you just don't shut up about it.

gilbert sat silently for a moment. he thought about all the things he could get off his chest, the things that had been bugging him the most. i hate most of the people at college. i hate being so far away from home. it sucks being too far to visit your friends more often. i fucking hate doing essays. there's too many of them. i'm miserable. i can't stop thinking about anne. anne. god, she just consumes my every thought. he paused his thoughts there. it was only charlie. he could tell charlie anything.

"fine. i hate it. the people there suck, it's too far away from home, i miss all of you guys, there's too much work to keep up with, anne. i miss her so much. do you know how much i've thought about her ever since i left for college last year? she's always there. in my head. she's not leaving. i know we made up and i'm glad that we did but i think maybe that made it worse..i don't think i'm ever getting over her charlie." gilbert blurted our, each word coming out of his mouth at lightning speed making it difficult for charlie to actually understand what he was saying.

"there's an easy solution to your first issue, gilbert. transfer! that's something you can do and if it makes you happier then why not? and about anne...you two were perfect for each other. and you always will be, but maybe you should keep your distance. i can already tell you're catching feelings again and you know you're both going to leave again. think about it, dude." said charlie, taking a sip of the coke that was sitting on the floor beside his leg.

maybe he has a point. gilbert thought. distancing himself from anne sounds like something he didn't want to do, but it was probably the best solution. but the question now was, how do you distance yourself from someone you're hopelessly in love with and want to be around all of the time?

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I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY !!!!! i've been working so much and omg ! i'm sorry pls forgive me <3
i will try my very hardest to make my updates more regular!!!!
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