HOME | Gilbert Blythe

| 05. NO RESPECT

AVONLEA Public Library, to Jax's surprise, was becoming like a small sanctuary to her. Every day after school, she would walk to the building to train with Elle for a few hours. It was a long day—school then straight to work—but Jax had always enjoyed keeping busy.

It had been a couple of days since the milk incident, where she accidentally drenched Gilbert Blythe. Anne had tried to approach Jax after school, but the American expertly brushed her off. The redhead didn't come to school the next day, but Jax couldn't bring herself to feel at all guilty.

Jax sat in the front office, flipping through a random book she grabbed off the shelf. Elle had decided that it was time she learned how to handle customers in the front rather than work in the back all day, which was great. Jax was getting sick of reorganizing books.

The bell of the front door jingled as someone walked in, but Jax didn't bother looking up. She was too busy wondering why she decided to choose to grab The History of Cheese out of all the other books on the shelves. She barely even liked cheese.

In the distance, she heard Elle chatting with the customer cheerfully, but it was just background noise. The library was comforting—quiet, friendly, and welcoming. It was just what Jax needed.

A few minutes passed, and Elle's voice got a little closer. "—just go to the front and get checked out. Have a great day!"

Even though Jax knew a customer was going her way, she continued to read her book, relaxed and unbothered. She just felt... mellow.

"You?" Was all she heard from in front of her, and her attention was immediately taken from The History of Cheese to—Gilbert Blythe.

Suddenly she didn't feel very mellow anymore. "You." She seethed back at him.

Yes, Jax had spilled her milk all over him, but that was just an accident. Him putting a homemade whoopie cushion on her seat that very same class was most certainly not an accident.

They just stared each other down, her sitting down at the desk with her arms crossed and her feet up and his arms full of books. Gilbert loved this library, he usually went every day after school. He hadn't been able to go as much as he usually did because of his father, but when he could, he would. This place was like a sanctuary to him, a home away from home.

Both Jax and Gilbert felt as though their sanctuary had been infiltrated by an enemy, anger seeping into their veins.

Elle must've heard their exclamations, because she quickly rounded the corner into the office.

"Jacquelyn, you've met Gilbert, right?" She said happily, standing next to the lanky boy. "I think he's in your class. He's here almost every day after school!"

Jacquelyn clenched her teeth, managing to keep a tight smile on her face. "Yep, I've met him! He's... he's great."

Both kids kept their eyes on each other. Jax didn't want to tell Elle about their disputes in class, the blonde seemed to be close with the boy and she didn't want to make it awkward. Her dark blue eyes bore into his green ones, hoping he would get the hint.

To Jax's relief, he nodded and smiled at the short librarian.

These responses seemed to satisfy Elle, and she ushered Gilbert closer to the front desk. "Jacquelyn will check you out, okay dear? Bye, now!"

Then she was out the door. A few beats of silence passed, their eyes still trained on each other.

"You realize that the whole class thinks I have gas now, right?" Jax whisper-shouted to him, not wanting Elle to hear again.