PHILEO | Shirbert

Eleven ~ Oblivious

"What?" Gilbert said.

"Maybe you want to sit for a minute" Cole went to sit.

"I'm ok, continue" he gestured with his hand.

"I don't like Anne. Not romantically at least" Cole sighed, "I should've guessed she wouldn't have told you" he said with his voice low.

"Tell me what?"

"Gilbert, I- I'm not like you" Gilbert looked clearly confused at this statement so he continued, "I'm not like you in the way I don't like the same things you like" he still does not understand "I don't like girls, Gilbert"

"Oh," his shoulders relaxed, realization hitting him "You don't like girls" Gilbert repeated, and Cole shook his head. "That's totally fine, Cole. You don't have to be ashamed or scared of me. I understand. Love is love" he smiled.

"I never thought I'd have to tell you that, and even less in this situation. You were jealous of me" he let out a breathy laugh.

"I was not jealous" he said emphasizing the 'not'

"Gilbert, please" Cole tilted his head, "You were jealous, and for nothing. Ignoring what my likings are... How could you say Anne doesn't love you?"

"Because she doesn't, maybe she loves me the way she loves you, but not in a romantical way"

"How are you the smartest boy in the class?" Cole rubbed his temples, Gilbert was confused, "How can you be so oblivious?" he said, "How can you two be so oblivious?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Anne! You've liked each other for years" he started, standing up, "and both of you are so oblivious to notice! I can't believe it. I thought you had made some kind of progress when I saw you dancing together, but clearly you haven't" he waved his hand up and down, gesturing towards Gilbert, "You two are the smartest on the class and the most oblivious-"

"Could you stop saying oblivious" Gilbert interrupted.

"No! Because you are, both of you are. Anne loves you, Gilbert. How can you not see that?" Gilbert tried to interrupt but Cole did not let him "And you love her and she doesn't believe that either! I seriously cannot believe this. Five years! It's been five years!" he waved his hands in the air, pacing around. "Five years of you being smitten with Anne and not doing anything about it, and Anne denying her feelings for you and denying your feelings for her. I knew it from the beginning, by the way, you're pretty obvious, and she's pretty obvious too, she was hiding her feelings for you in this 'I hate him' façade she built, but she wasn't fooling me, nor Diana. She's liked you from the beginning too since when you offered to 'slay dragons' or something. Yes, she told us" he stopped and looked at him; Gilbert was standing there in shock. "Five years, Gilbert. What are you waiting for?" he kept quiet, "Gilbert! What are you waiting for? You love her, she loves you. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!" Cole shook him by the shoulders.

Gilbert just nodded and walked back inside; Cole followed him with a grin on his face. Gilbert stopped right at the door, looking around the room for the redhead. He found her, she was still dancing with her friends.

"Go get your girl, slate-face" Cole patted his shoulder.

Gibert quickly turned to look at him, "What did you just call me?" he said and Cole laughed. "Anne calls me that"

"She stole that from me, I'm the mastermind after that nickname" Gilbert laughed, "Now, go get your girl, slate-face" he pushed him into the dance floor. Gilbert tripped and collided with a blonde.

"I'm so sorry, Rubes. Are you alright?" Gilbert said.

"I'm fine, Gilbert" she smiled sincerely; Gilbert nodded, then turning to look at the other two girls in the group.

"Hi" he said.

"Hi" Anne responded.

"Di! I just remembered" Ruby exclaimed, "We have to do that thing, remember? That thing it was so important to do, we must do it now"

"What?" Diana said, Ruby widened her eyes, and then secretly looking at the pair next to them to make her understand. "Uh... AH! Yes! Yes! Let's go do that thing!" and they left, leaving them alone.

Diana and Ruby ran to Cole who was seeing the exchange from afar.

"Let's hope they finally do it today" Cole said.

"I like you boutonniere" Anne said.

"Thanks" he smiled.

"It matches with my dress" she blushed.

"It does, doesn't it?" her comment boosted his confidence, "Would you like to dance? With me". She grabbed his hand and put it on her waist without answering. Then putting on her hands on his shoulders, and the other on his hand, intertwining them. Gilbert sighed, relieved.

"Oh, look at them!" Ruby sighed, "They're so in love"

"Yes, and so irritatingly oblivious" Cole rolled his eyes.

"Anne, I need to tell you something," Gilbert said "I have a lot to say so please let me talk, you can talk after I'm finished" she nodded, a worried look took over her face "You have nothing to worry about, I just want to explain myself" she smiled "The other day, like a month and something ago I told you and I quote 'I would've kissed you, you know?' remember?" she nodded, her heartbeat quickening "and the day after that I told you that I shouldn't have said that, but- that's not what I meant. I was trying to say that I shouldn't have said that because I know it upset you, I could see it in your face, I mean, you were speechless and not in a good way, not in the way I would want to leave you speechless" he swallowed the lump on his throat "Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you, Anne. It's that I do want to kiss you, more than anything. I couldn't live with myself knowing that you thought that I didn't want to kiss you, because I do. I do, Anne" he sighed "and I completely understand that you wouldn't want to kiss me, that's completely up to you to decide who you want or don't want to kiss, and I understand completely" he was rambling.

"Are you finished? Can I talk now?" he nodded.

AN: I just wanted to let you now that the next chapter won't be a continuation to this. It's going to be a flashback chapter to something that happened before the party. Tell me your thoughts on this chapter! Don't be a silent reader 🧡

xo GingerSpirits.