OSTRACIZE | GILBERT BLYTHE

43

"Science changes the world for the better. Does anyone know what electricity is?" Miss Stacy questioned as everyone gathered around one table. Gilbert stood behind Ellis, his hand on her waist as she watched Miss Stacy carefully.

"Light." Anne smiled. Miss Cuthbert stayed and decided to watch the lesson.

"Yes and?"

"A form of energy." Gilbert stated as he tapped his fingers on Ellis waist. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Electricity is indeed a form of energy." Miss Stacy said as she cut a hole out of the potatoes.

"I was going to say that?" Anne said turning to Gilbert. Gilbert's eyes widened and nodded.

"If you've ever watched a thunderstorm, with nightly lightening bolts darting down from the sky, that's electricity. Powerful stuff."

She paused and looked at her students.

"A bolt of lightening is a sudden, massive surge of electricity. Between the sky and the ground beneath. Electrical currents live inside atoms. And atoms are small particles that make up all matter."

Ellis looked up to Gilbert and smiled. Her arms wrapping around her waist and linking their hands. Gilbert couldn't help but smile.

"They're so small that it takes billions and billions of them just to make something useful like a nail." Miss Stacy said as she held up a nail. The class laughed and she placed the nail into the potato. "All objects that take up space and have mass are called matter. And everything around you is made up of matter."

Miss Stacy glanced to Ellis who was listening with a small, innocent smile on her face. Her eyes flickered down to Ellis and Gilbert holding hands. She hadn't known them long, but she knew that he would be good for her.

"Chocolate cake is made up of matter. These walls, the school is made up of matter." Miss Stacy looked at all her pupils. "You are made up of matter. Now today, without a standard power source, like they have in the big cities, we are going to make our own electric current. In order to illuminate..." She picked up a lightbulb and showed the class. "A light bulb. How many of you have ever seen one?"

Gilbert, Anne, Diana and Ellis all raised their hands.

"In New York, actually."

"In Charlottetown." Anne looked to Gilbert, as if it was a competition.

"Uh, my aunt Josephine has electricity." Diana smiled.

"What about you Ellis?" Miss Stacy questioned. Ellis panicked and her grip on Gilbert became much tighter. He gave her three light squeezes. She began to panic even more, does he know what it means? It was something that only her, Carter and James did.

"I-I visited my b-b-brother in Charlotte-town. H-he was on-on leave-" Ellis struggled with her sentence.

Gilbert leaned down and whispered in her ear,

"I'm so proud of you."

"Well, with a light bulb, scientist have found a way to send electric currents, atoms carrying energy, into a container full of gas. A different type of atom." Miss Stacy explained as she then placed wires into the potatoes.

Miss Cuthbert stood up to get a closer look.

"And when those two types of atoms meet, they exchange their energy and make..."

"Light." Ellis whispered.

"Light." Anne and Gilbert said much louder. Gilbert smiled down at Ellis and pulled her even closer to him. He was so incredibly proud of her.

"So, here in Avonlea, with a little ingenuity and some Prince Edward Island potatoes, we have...electricity." Miss Stacy smiled as she placed the bulb in the potato. Everyone applauded Miss Stacy.

Rachel cleared her throat to gain the attention of Miss Stacy.

"Why hello." Miss Stacy smiled. "Good timing. We were just brightening our day. Won't you join us?"

Miss Stacy walked away to talk to the progressive mothers. Ellis, completely fascinated with the light, reached out to grab it but Gilbert grabbed her other hand and pulled it back. "Don't do that." He chuckled.

"Does it taste like chocolate?" Moody questioned as he picked up the potato and placed the wire on his tongue.

"Moody, don't!" Gilbert shouted, along with the rest of the class, making Moody jump and drop it. The bulb fell to the floor and smashed. Gilbert moved Ellis out of the way as quick as he could.

"Moody!" Moodys mother shouted as Moody tapped his tongue quickly.

"Everyone stand still, right where you are." Miss Stacy instructed.

"My child. My child!" Miss Spurgeon panicked.

"Please stay back, thank you." Miss Stacy said to his mother.

"Are you okay?" Gilbert questioned Ellis and she nodded.

"Are you?" Gilbert nodded, with a smile.

"Let's keep our heads. Logic dictates that there are no shards under your feet, and I'd like to keep it that way. I'll fetch a broom." Everyone stood still while Miss Stacy cleaned up the glass.

~

"Let's get you home." Gilbert said as he linked his and Ellis' hands. He pulled her into the cloakroom and twirled her around. He placed his scarf around her neck and passed her, her coat.

"You're in a good mood." She stated with a giggle as he opened the door for her.

"I am." He agreed. "I am so proud of you." He grabbed her hand once again.

"Why?" She blushed.

"Because you were so interested in the lesson, you payed attention and understood-"

"I tried to pay attention to Mr Phillips lessons too but it was harder to understand him." She explained.

"And that is okay. I'm still so proud of you." Gilbert pulled her to a stop and placed a light kiss on her head. Ellis blushed and shook her head so that her hair would hide it. Gilbert smiled at the girl, who pulled him along.