Green Eyed Beauty

Chapter 9

Gilbert woke up the next morning with a tired yet determined mindset. He had spent hours into the night turning in his bed while Moody's, Charlie's, and now Jade's words rang in his head. After overthinking almost every possible outcome, he had come to a decision.

He was going to tell Anne he had feelings for her. Once and for all.

The constant pining after her and hoping she would look in his direction was starting to get dreadful as opposed to hopelessly romantic as it was in the beginning. It's now or never. Gilbert thought as he marched through the forest, repeating what he was going to say in his head over and over so he wouldn't lose his nerve.

Well, probably a little too much since he found himself muttering out loud to no one.

"I knew you were too good to be true."

Gilbert turned around and smiled at the brunette who seemed to appear out of thin air. "Oh? And what's brought you to the conclusion I'm not as perfect as you initially thought, Ms. Peyton?"

Jade scoffed as she fell into step with him. "You talk to yourself, Blythe. What was that? A love confession?" She laughed.

An amused look came across his face. "What if it was?"

She raised an eyebrow, smoothing down the pinafore over her green dress. "Careful, you're making it sound like you're going to admit your feelings for a certain Shirley-Cuthbert." Jade teased.

"That's because I am." Gilbert announced proudly. He saw the smile on Jade's face falter.

"Wait, what?"

Now his smile had disappeared. "What do you mean, 'what'? You're the one who told me to tell her how I feel!"

"With a plan!" She retorted. "I didn't mean do it the day we go back to school!"

Gilbert continued to look ahead. "Well, I've gotten tired of waiting and seeking attention from someone who's amiable one day then snarky the next. By the end of the day, I'll either be heartbroken or the happiest man alive."

He heard Jade sigh. "I don't know, Blythe." She admitted. "This just seems a little rushed, doesn't it? You've known her so long and you're not even going to do something nice like a picnic or flowers, perhaps?"

Gilbert hesitated then shook his head. "No, if I wait any longer, I'll chicken out and God knows when's the next time I'll muster up enough courage to admit my feelings. Plus, it's Anne. She doesn't need trinkets and a big gesture to know how I truly feel about her."

The girl didn't respond, which made Gilbert slightly nervous. "I need to do this." He said softly. "I'm tired of hurting my own feelings for the benefit of the doubt."

Jade finally met his gaze, seeming to search for any signs of deception or mirth. She sighed. "Alright, it's your call."

He nodded as they fell into a comfortable silence on the rest of the way to the schoolhouse. As soon as it came into view, Gilbert felt nerves trying to break into his mind. Jade turned to him with a worried expression, biting her lip.

"I feel this is the appropriate time to tell you that Anne-"

"Gilbert!"

The both of them turned to see who had cut Jade off, watching as Moody halted to a stop in front of them trying to catch his breath.

"Is everything alright?" Gilbert stressed, taking in Moody's distressed state. The boy shook his head.

"We have a situation regarding... you-know-what." He trailed off, eyes going to Jade.