Fear |Gilbert Blythe

Chapter 6

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Fear

They sat at the table while I helped my mom get the cups out. Ruby went outside to get a few jars of milk we had from that morning sitting in the snow. My mom pays a neighbor for fresh milk every morning. I pour a few glasses while my mom gets the cookies out of the oven.

We all sit around the table my mom at the head with me across from Gilbert and Ruby across from Jerry. "So," my mom begins. "What brings you boy's here at this hour. I know these two ladies here and pretty but you're all so young." My mom winks at me and Ruby. Oh, how I want to melt into the ground right now. "Mom!" I send her a look of if you keep going there will be some payback.

Gilbert chuckles at my mom's "humor". "We were just returning a few items," he sends my mom his signature smile. Ruby's a blushing psycho after Gilbert's smile. And I just want to be somewhere far away. "Wow, suck gentlemen. It's so nice to have kind young men like yourselves here," My mom praises them.

"Would you like a cookie?" my mom ask the guys. "Yes please," Gilbert says rubbing his hands together. "Oui," Jerry says smiling. Ruby grabs a cookie thanking my mom. With the boys sharing their thanks as well.

The guys both take bites and smiles appear on their faces seconds after. My mom has that effect on people with her food. "These are amazing!" Gilbert exclaims. "Oui, I see where Ivy gets he good baking from," Jerry says blushing. "Oh, you boys are suck flatterers," my mom says while shooing her hand.

"So boys, tell me a little bout yourselves," my mom commands. Jerry is mid-bite so Gilbert goes first. "Well, I've lived here my whole life. My dad's been really sick so we were visiting some doctors in America. He's doing better so we came back home about a month ago. We live out past the Smiths in a small house," Gilbert tells and I realize most of this information is new to me. I didn't know his dad was sick. I hope it wasn't serious.

"Gilbert is at the top of the class with Ivy and Anne," Ruby pipes up. My mom gives Gilbert a proud smile. "I'm sorry to hear about your father. I'm glad he's getting better. I hope you don't mind me asking, but how old are you?" my mom asks.

Oh no. She's gonna try and set me up with Gilbert. Why does she always have to meddle with people's lives? And besides, I don't like Gilbert like that he's Ruby's man.

"I'm 14, ma'am," Gilbert answers her. "Wow so young. My little Ivy here is 15," my mom says. Gilbert smiles at me noticing my blush. "Jerry, what about your family. You said you lived near here, right?" I ask trying to change the subject.

"Oui, we live about 10 minutes down the road," he says pointing west. "I live with my sibling and parents. There's a whole community of us though. All french," he explains and as he gets into more detail his accent shows more. "I work at the Cuthberts farm." My mom realizes who he's talking about. "Oh, Marilla and her brother Matthew, right?" She's been trying to meet lots of new people since we moved. We've had a few couples over for dinner and a few ladies for tea. "Oui," Jerry says smiling. "How old might you be?" my mom asks. "I just turned 13 last month," he answers.

•••

We spend the evening talking and soon enough all the cookies are gone. "Well boys, it's getting late. I bet your folks will start to wonder where you've gotten to," my mom says. She had gotten distracted asking the guys question and making jokes that every thought was funny. Everyone except me that is.

Gilbert stands holding the plate and two glasses. He follows me into the kitchen where I have the other three being cleaned. "Here let me," he says grabbing the pot of water off the stove. Warm water is the best to clean with I learned from our old cook Linda. He pours it into the plugged sink. I start scrubbing them. Then he does something that surprises me. He grabs the other cup and cloth and starts scrubbing it clean.

"Oh, you don't have to. Your a guest," I say looking at him. He turns and looks me in the eye. "I want to help you," he goes back to work scrubbing the next cup. I know I'm probably a bushing mess. Where I lived men never helped with chores like these. My mom's old husband called it a "woman's task". After we finish the last two items I go to grab a clean dish towel to dry our hands with. I head down the hall to the closet. I open it and look through all the linens until I find what I'm looking for. And it's out of my reach. There on the second to top shelf is the dish towels. My mom being four inches taller than my five foot three and having long arms can reach all the tall shelves in our house. While I on the other hand can't.

"Need a hand?" Gilbert asks from the beginning of the hall. "Yes," I say sighing. He comes up behind me and reaches over my head. I read about lovers having moments like this. The shorter person would turn around and then they would be facing each other. The scene would end with a kiss of just a romantic awkward moment. But because I don't feel anything like that for Gilbert I stay facing the closet. Gilbert grabs the towel and hands it to me. "I got it for you to wipe your hands with," I say. Gilbert's face gives an expression of realization. "Oh, well thank you then."

We walk back to the kitchen and I set the towel on the counter. We've been gone for only a few minutes and the rest of the group is just in the mudroom. My mom is talking to Jerry. Ruby turns when she hears me and Gilbert walk back into eyesight. Gilbert goes to get his warm wool jacket on and scarf. Ruby hands him his hat with a flirty smile. He smiles back politely.

"Well, boy's you'll have to come again. I had a wonderful evening," my mom says. I smile and say a quick bye and head into the kitchen to dry the dishes. "Oh before you go Gilbert," I hear my mom say. "We just moved here and well I'm just worried about how Ivy's doing. Would you mind checking on her? It would be greatly appreciated," my mother asks Gilbert. I'm shocked. Why does my mom have to be so pushy? What if Gilbert thinks I like him because of my mom? Ruby doesn't seem to have heard since she's humming to herself while drying the cups. Thank god, she would be heartbroken. All because of my annoyingly loving mother.

"Ya, Ivy's a good friend," Gilbert says. He's probably doing the half-smile half-serious face thing he does. Then I hear the door shut. Thank god he's gone. My mom can't do anything else embarrassing.

Wow, two parts out in less than a week. Not gonna lie I'm proud of myself. Maybe it's the fact I have a boring life and weekends mean boredom to me or I'm just really vibing with this story. Who knows. I stopped watching Andrew Garfield Tik Toks to write this. I might even write another chapter and have it uploaded by tomorrow. Who knows. Don't forget to stay safe and remember you're loved. <3

~Bella