pushing the limits | gilbert blythe (completed)

1 | don't let it break your heart

when you give so much but it's not enough
when the high's too high
and the low's too low
when you love someone and they let you go

Amelia greeted Anne as she stared at the boys playing hockey, giggling at things said and cheering for the team her best friend was playing in.

For the not so young anymore blonde, many things had happened in the past year or so. Her brother Isaac had decided to go to Queens University and he was still very smitten with Anne, and they both wrote to each other once a week. They had a new teacher named Miss Stacy, which Amelia adored, because she was an actual good teacher and was also a woman with modern ideals. Bash, Gilbert's close friend, had married a lovely woman named Mary and had a daughter named Delphine, to which Amelia babysat every once in a while. Cole moved to Charlottetown with Josephine Barry. And the bond between Gilbert and Amelia had grown a lot, rumours had it that they would be engaged soon.

But, of course, the found it preposterous, they were just friends.

Billy sprayed snow over the girls, giving Josie a sly look before skating away, having the girls in a fit of giggles and smirks and wolf whistles, while Amelia simply rolled her eyes. She didn't think there was anything Billy could do that would impress Amelia or have her think he was a respectable man. "Josie! You've really caught Billy's eye." teased Tillie as Josie shouted at Billy, with a soft smile on her face.

Jane pulled a face and groaned. "I'm trying to make my peace with it." Tillie looked at her confused, as Diana leaned in, grinning wildly. "That Josie might become her sister." Jane jumped in quickly, interrupting. "In law. Sister in law." she said loud and clear to Josie, who didn't seem to be listening. Anne opened the notebook to start writing the article about the game. Amelia looked over her shoulder, helping her out with the data. "The team captains this time are Gilbert and Moody. Gilbert's team is wining 6-4." Anne scribbled down what Amelia informed her of, as the boy just mentioned skated over.

"I thought Ruby was covering the game." his eyebrows were pinched together as he grinned at Anne and Amelia, who looked up from the notebook with bashful looks. "I thought you were playing a game." Amelia replied back with a handful of wit. Gilbert stuck out his tongue at her, as Ruby sighed dreamily, before he skated off.

"Oh Amelia, I don't know how you let a dreamboat like that just drift away." Ruby sighed dreamily, making heart eyes at the dark-haired boy, as Amelia bit her lip. "He's obviously smitten with you." added Diana, making Anne roll her eyes as the conversation drifted far away from the actual game. "We're just friends." Amelia shook her head, as Tillie scoffed. "Well, if you don't want him, I'll have him." giggled Ruby as the other girls followed suit, and Amelia plastered a smile, not knowing what feeling she was having, like a sting inside her.

"Of course."

Amelia raised her eyebrows as she stared at the resurrected Take Notice post. A simple note was scribbled and pegged on, a neat cursive writing spelled "Billy walked Josie home after the game". Judging on the handwriting, she suspected Josie had hanged the note up herself. But it wasn't Amelia's place to tell the others, but she was sure they probably would figure it out themselves. "Isn't that scandalous." Josie said, fluttering her eyelids with a fake innocence. "Scandalous when folk find out it was you." Jane outed Josie out, making Amelia chuckle under her breath, as Josie widened her eyes, stuttering.

"Very sly, Jane." she finally said, avoiding the girl's gaze. "I'm sure it was you who put it up. Who else might have seen me strolling home with Billy?" Jane rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, nudging Amelia with her elbow who hid her face in Jane's shoulder, trying to stop her laughter from bubbling out. "Oh dear, now everyone will know!" exclaimed Tillie, not being able to hide her excitement. Josie feigned anxiousness, pushing that aside. "Then again, I suppose it's a good thing as we should all stake our claim on our paramours." she stated, as Ruby came along, reading the note. "Time is ticking, and at this age, we should all be promised to someone." Tillie agreed, as the girls look at each other.

Amelia found herself being horrified when a mental image of Gilbert popped in her mind. Ruby pouted and turned around, hot tears pressing against her eyelids. "I'm so confused!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. Amelia focused back on the conversation as Ruby addressed her. "Amelia, you and Gilbert are just friends, right?" the question surprised her, as she slowly nodded, not exactly sure where the conversation was heading. "Can't you speak to him about me then? I have nobody, and at this rate I'm going to end up an old maid!"

"There'll be plenty of new boys in Queens." Josie reassured, but that only made Ruby spill more tears, if that was even possible. Amelia widened her eyes and put an arm around her blonde petite friend. "I...suppose I could speak to him." Ruby wiped her wet face and grinned brightly up at her. "Amelia you're the best!"

And out of all the things to do in the world, this was probably the thing she least looked forwards to do. Amelia couldn't explain exactly why, but a sense of dread chilled her entire body as Ruby gave her a big thumbs up, nodding at her to do so. She sighed and shook her head before tapping him softly on the shoulder, interrupting him from his light reading. A warm smile broke upon his face as he saw his best friend, standing up weirdly fast. "This morning, it appeared that the take notice board is active again." Gilbert frowned, not understanding. "Take notice?"

"The name explains it by itself. You post something to let someone know you've taken notice...of them." she paused, seeing as Gilbert transformed his frown to a soft smile. "It sort of a declaration, but anonymous, and way more casual." she finished explaining as Gilbert nodded. "Like a post in advance."

"Yes, exactly. And it matters because you're letting them know you're thinking ahead without it being...demanding." Amelia stared into his eyes as she admired them. "To their future...together?" Gilbert took a small step towards Amelia, as she looked away. "Yeah, so if you're interested in any girl, like Ruby for example, I think you should let her know."

"Oh."

Amelia looked back up at him and saw he was frowning again. "What?" Amelia asked, making Gilbert shake his head, taking a step back again. "I bet Ruby is a wonderful girl, I'm just...interested in someone else." and the way Gilbert stared at Amelia, for a minute...

She managed to think...

It could be her.

"Oh, that's fine." she stood up quickly, Gilbert following suit very confused, as she picked up her stuff and nodded at him. "Nice...talk?" before he managed to come up with a response, Amelia headed towards Ruby, a bewildered look on her face. "I'm sorry, Ruby, I-"

"I don't get it. What other girl does he like if his eyes held so much romance right then?" the short blonde interrupted Amelia, ignoring the look on her friend's face. "Unless..." her eyes widened, putting her hands on Amelia's shoulders, making her look at her. "He's in love with you!" Amelia quickly put her hands on Ruby's mouth, making sure nobody had heard. "Of course he's not." she hissed, shaking her head in denial. "He can't be..."

Amelia turned her head to stare at him, seeing how he laughed along at something Charlie had said, who was smitten with Anne. Too bad she was smitten with someone else. A sly smile appeared on Ruby's face. "Are you in love with him?"

And that was a question Amelia never answered.

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