Heart Attack • Shirbert

• 16 • ruby, rachel, and reveals

'There's something 'bout you

That's got me dazed and confused'

--

The weather became colder and harvest season was coming to an end.  This meant less work was necessary on the two farms, so Gilbert and Bash visited Green Gables less and less. 

Anne and Gilbert didn't walk to school together every morning anymore since he wasn't always at Green Gables.

They missed each other.

Anne would have gone back to walking with her bosom friend, but Diana always had an irrelevant excuse, like she was caring for Minnie Mae or she had to meet with Miss Stacy early. Anne knew she was lying, but she was too far in the depths of despair to care.

Instead of Gilbert and Diana, the only person Anne could walk with was Ruby. Walking with Ruby was difficult for Anne because she only had one topic: 

Gilbert.

"Do you think he'll ask someone to the winter ball?" Ruby walked next to Anne on a cold Friday morning in November.

"I have no idea." Anne didn't enjoy this topic.

"Well you talk to him all the time, right?"

Anne could hear the jealousy in Ruby's voice.

Ruby wasn't wrong to be worried. Anne knew she liked Gilbert and was pretty confident he liked her too. But navigating their feelings with Ruby around was impossible.

"Sometimes." Anne said passively.

"You should ask him," Ruby smiled her upsettingly innocent smile, "if he would invite me."

Please, no.

"I don't know...."

Ruby looked at her with sad eyes, "Please, Anne?"

It was so hard to say no to Ruby, "Okay, okay."

Anne tugged on her braid nervously as the two approached the schoolhouse.

She saw Gilbert and his eyes immediately lit up upon seeing her.

He broke away from whatever conversation he wasn't listening to and walked up to Anne and Ruby, "Ruby, Anne, hi." He beamed only at Anne, "How are you?"

"With harvest season over? Bored." There was no point of Anne lying about how much fun she had while he was there all the time.

Anne suddenly felt bashful, "I miss having you and Bash around...Marilla and I do."

Gilbert scratched the back of his neck to try and avoid blushing. Truth was, he missed harvest season and being at Anne's as much as she did. 

I miss her.

"You're bored?" Gilbert laughed, "With your imagination? If Anne Shirley-Cuthbert is bored, the rest of us are doomed."

Anne rolled her eyes, but she was laughing, "Oh, you know what I mean."

Gilbert suddenly became serious, "You know you're welcome to my home any time you want? And Marilla, of course."

"Always the gentleman, Doctor."

"Someone has to be, Carrots."

Ruby cleared her throat and subtly hit Anne's back, to which Anne said, "Ow, okay."

Gilbert stared at the two girls very confused. It was always a little suspicious when Anne approached him with or after having talked to Ruby. He was silently praying that whatever she was about to say wouldn't be about the ball.