𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬; ᵍⁱˡᵇᵉʳᵗ ᵇˡʸᵗʰᵉ

[11] 𝚋𝚢𝚎-𝚋𝚢𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜

★

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, (not that she cared for Anne, or she did even though she wouldn't admit) Bella was left with the company of Cole. Cole turned out to be an outspoken boy when acquainted with, Bella and him spent quiet and chattery hours together. Bella, of course, wanted to spend time with Jerry, obviously she was much too afraid of Nate. All these people, all these boys but the owner of her mind, wherever it might roam, was Gilbert. 

Bella Carter missed Gilbert Blythe with all her heart, even the portion she used to dislike him. Yes, she had reminded herself that he had left her. Had it been his fault? She dwelled on this often, never seeming to find an answer. She decided to forgive him for the time being, as she was tired keeping herself in light hatred. 

★

She was a bit after ten, he was eleven and her brother was fifteen. This was prior to the death of three men that Bella and Gilbert cared most for. Her family visited the Blythe household, Gilbert, at that time, did not know of his father's illness. Bella knew. She overheard the hushed conversation of her own mother and father. "Gone." "Gilbert." "Lungs." "Weak." Little, chopped words seeped into a supposedly sleeping Bella's ears. Her young mind figured they were talking about Gilbert's father, it dreaded that they were talking about Gilbert's father. 

Even the next day, she couldn't bring herself to tell Gilbert. The three kids wandered off somewhere in the Avonlea forest, two seemed like they were being dragged somewhere deep, the other seemed unaware. Lucas Carter was almost five years older than Bella, he seemed to have figured it out too. A hand gripped Bella's wrist, rough to the touch but gentle in hold. "Bel, I found this creek. Wanna check it out?" Gilbert asked, already pulling her along.

Lucas gave her a secret sideway smile, he found the two amusing. "Yaa!" Bella agreed, tumbling over roots as an eager Gilbert ran. Her brother never interfered with their friendship, taking himself as the mature chaperone. 

Lucas was loved among every breathing-being in the Avonlea schoolhouse, not as much as Gilbert and even more as much as Bella. The older girls adored him, he was a proper boy, not like the others who caused mischief. He was called handsome many times by giggly girls. This was not questioned though, even if Bella couldn't see it, he had her same autumn emeralds for eyes. They could have been mistaken for twins if her brother wasn't noticeably taller.

The young women pestered Bella over courting with him, she was unimaginably tired of them, being interrupted every single day. But now, how Bella would trade all that annoyance and bothering for those days.

The two (followed by Lucas), ended up in a creek that was guarded by tall looming trees in all directions. "I dare you to step inside." Lucas told Gilbert, grinning. "Okay, only if Bel does it!" he accepted, Bella raised an eyebrow. "Ma would get so mad!!" 

"Are you chicken?" Gilbert questioned, putting a finger to his temple. Bella took the hand out of the side of his head, letting it drop at Gilbert's side. (The two weren't unfamiliar with hand holding when they were younger.) 

"I'll do it." She stepped inside first (after taking her boots off), the creek's bedding was soft. The surface sand shifted to her weight, a little of it spreading around her feet. "Aren't you coming, Gilbert?" as she felt braver, she went deeper. Hands on his chest, Lucas watched Gilbert dive into the water, landing right on top of Bella. 

Gilbert's head poked the surface. "How's that for an answer?" Bella's head came out seconds after. "I don't know how to swim, I could have drowned!" she splashed water on Gilbert, he seemed to inhale some and started choking. The girl was worried until Gilbert started laughing. "You're so stupid." She announced, trying to ignore that her heart was still caught in her throat, Gilbert easily agreed with her. They spent hours there, even pulling her brother into the water.