OSTRACIZE | GILBERT BLYTHE

86

When the sun set and the darkness enveloped them, the students gathered to drink and party their finalising of the exams they had been studying all year for.

Gilbert was no where to be seen as Ellis didn't know whether she was going to even stay, she felt uncomfortable and excluded and so when she took a seat on the log Moody came to sit next to her.

"How did you find the test?" He questioned trying to make conversation.

Ellis just shyly shrugged and took the shine from Moody chugging it back with no remorse.

"Thank you for helping me back there" he laughed thinking back to his panic attack before the exams, they'd barely spoke and now he felt like he was in debt to the girl who was drinking the alcohol like there was no tomorrow "why don't you take a rest?" He suggested taking the bottle from his hand.

"I-okay" she hiccuped passing him the alcohol and resting her head on his shoulder which he accepted.

From round the corner Gilbert stepped forward, he could only see Moody with his arm wrapped around Ellis from the back and it fuelled his belly with jealousy.

"May I speak with you please?" Gilbert asked walking around the log to get the full image of the drunken girl. Moody stood from the log and nodded towards him almost guiltily and so Gilbert took his place.

Ellis laid her head down on Gilbert's lap and he started to thread his fingers through her hair as she giggled slightly.

"I don't know what to do" he said in his dramatic tone of voice and Ellis looked up at him with starry eyes.

"Winifred" Ellis grumbled and it was the first time in a while that she hadn't stuttered over a word, and it was mainly because she didn't mean to let it slip.

"I went to Charlottetown like I said her father laid it out on a silver platter" he exasperated.

"L-L-Laid... what out on a p-platter?" Ellis asked slightly confused at the situation, she didn't know if she was just way to drunk to take anything in or if he was talking in rhymes.

"The Sorbonne, Paris, the money to do it. My future if I want it." Gilbert pushed to look down at Ellis' soft and red tinted face, she looked angelic and he barely wanted to say the next words, but he did, "Permission to propose"

"Oh" Ellis said her face falling at the sound of such a task, she'd always envisioned that it would be he and her forever.

She'd never really planned for a Winifred in her future.

"I don't know what to do" Gilbert finally said his hands dancing down from her hair to cup her cheek. Luckily she'd wiped away the tears before he could feel that she was crying.

"You d-don't want to b-be a country d-doctor" Ellis stuttered realising she was telling way too much of the truth "The Sorbonne... is that how y-you say I-it? It's your d-d-dream" Ellis hiccuped.

She wished she'd have told him to never go back, that he didn't need Winifred because he had an Ellis and that's all he needed. They just needed each other.

"W-W-Winifred is lovely" she lied "and her p-parents are supportive and she has some u-u-unlike me"

Gilbert tutted at her remark but Ellis didn't stop there she sighed pretty loudly and drunkly sat herself up, she cupped his face in her hand and said,

"I don't understand. W-what's holding y-you back?"

"Just... one thing" Gilbert said in response and Ellis let her arm drop because she didn't quite understand, he threaded their fingers together.

"I love you" Ellis said her eyes melting into his.

"But?" Gilbert questioned knowing it couldn't be that simple, he knew there had to be catch.

"B-but it's y-your dream. A once in a l-l-lifetime opportunity" A tear escaped Ellis' eye as Gilbert stood up and looked at her.

"I'll be off then, goodnight" he said sadly, wishing she'd have said something different

"G-Gil-"

But he was already gone.