𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬 | ᵍⁱˡᵇᵉʳᵗ ᵇˡʸᵗʰᵉ

¯·♫¸♪¸ -3-¸♫·♪¸·¯

★

𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 from the clouds. The air was crisp, to which she found satisfying, she knew she was late and didn't care for it much. She turned the doorknob to hear the class doing some kind of spelling bee. "Oh so now the Queen decided to join us?" Mr. Phillips asked, snarkily, also with sarcasm Bella never knew he had. "Spell tardy."

The Carter girl rolled her eyes as she hung her coat and hat on a hook alongside Diana's fancy clothing, her's looked bare compared to the Barry girl. "T-a-r-d-y." Her brother had spelt the same word five years ago when she was a youngster. A solemn Anne stood beside Gilbert, whom she hadn't seen since the fire. The teacher looked distasted that she had done something right for one of the few times, Bella's mouth moved with her full consent about to say something improper. "Gilbert, spell engagement." (To which he failed in a close manner).  

Right after Bella spelt and defined a word aloud. "P-e-d-o-p-h-i-l-i-a. An attraction to younger girls." She said the last part quietly, she had observed the questionable look Prissy and Mr. Phillips shared. Gilbert noticed too. "What was that?" Mr. Phillips asked. 
"Nothing," she replied, with a straight face. The word was quite unknown, even clever Gilbert didn't understand, he gave her a confused look.

"Good morning," he told the girl, returning to his seat. Bella looked up to the boy. "Good morning to you and tell your father I wished him one as well."

Gilbert gave a little side smile even though it was clear he was pained by the topic. He may have pained but not as dramatically pained as Anne was the next day. She was experiencing her first flowering. Bella's had been mortifying, not her mother, not a lady neighbour had noticed. Matthew did, somehow he did help by being his usual shy self, he gave her a black cloth to wrap around her hip and delivered her to her busy mother. 

Bella thought about her mother, at home alone, how her own mother won't even care for her and suddenly her heart shattered. It shattered like pieces of glass which dug into her soul. It was the middle of Anne saying something about the Maritimes, Bella's head hit the desk with quite the loud noise. "What is that racket?" Mr. Phillips voice turned into a blur amidst the storm of regret, sorrow and all the unliked feelings. "Please be quiet!" she gave a muffled yell, acting rather unbelievable in public. She heard Ruby gasp beside her. "It's alright, Bella," Charlie Sloane assured. His presence was right beside her, on the aisle that separated the girls and the boys. I'm done, she told herself, worried for the incoming emotions. 

"Sit, Sloane!" Mr. Phillips reprimanded the poor boy, Bella was still too occupied with her thoughts which wasn't her usual behaviour. She often paid no mind to them.

Up she went, she didn't think of taking her coat despite it being the coldest period of winter. She was already embarrassed by the scene and didn't want to add to it. The breath of Anne's snow queen hit her face, tiny pins piercing her skin. Her feet carried her over to the Lake of Shining Waters. She didn't like that she heard light footsteps following her. The ice made a lovely noise as she tapped her heel against it. Beside her, appeared a red plaid coat. "Take my jacket."

"No," she said, quietly, her voice was inches away from cracking. Gilbert ignored her and put in her shoulders. She passed it back to him, the frozen bubbles her main focus. The passing game officially started, annoying her and concerning him. She was already half to death. "I know what you did for me that day, so let me do this for you," Gilbert smiled, she turned around, finally. 

"You know, you're a great friend. But... You know you could have just brought mine." She said, taking one side of the coat, him the other. Gilbert grinned, stupidly. The two kids leaned against each other, savouring the beauty of Avonlea.

★

"Hmph!" Mrs. Lynde was aghast. Gilbert and Bella woke up, the cold making them drowsier. "This is quite the scandalous affair!" she said, referring to the two using the same coat, and even falling asleep together. "She's like a sister!" replied Gilbert, the same time Bella said, "He's like a brother!" They glanced at each other with visible disappointment

"I don't care for your words much!" she continued on, somewhat outraged. (She didn't know why it even concerned the woman, she decided it was the fact that she liked to gossip). "Wait until I tell your mother, Bella!" She took that stab to the heart, her mother wouldn't even show anger from this incident. "And you," she pointed to Gilbert, with a shaking finger. "I shall tell your dad, it'll give the poor man a heart attack!"

Bella expected Rachel's insensitiveness, it was like she never experienced the death of loved ones. Gilbert raised a brow. "Okay, Mrs. Lynde. We're sorry." I'm not. "I said I don't care for your words!" She marched away, in a direction that seemed to be the Blythe home. Bella took her hand out the coat signalling for him to follow her. He threw his scarf carelessly at her, gave a grin and took off behind the quick paced woman. Bella shook her head, trying to disguise a small smile.

She wrapped the scarf around her, prepared to face Mr. Phillips in a battle to retrieve her coat and hat. The door of the schoolhouse swung open before she had the chance to open it herself. Prissy and Mr. Phillips came out, Mr. Phillips giving Bella a dirty look. She slowly walked past him avoiding eye contact, then quickly getting her coat and hat, sprinting out of that forsaken place.

★

Mrs. Lynde was at her door, as expected. Bella straightened her apron, practiced a respectful smile and opened the door. "Good evening, Mrs. Lynde." Rachel put a hand to her mouth. "This is anything but a good evening! Show me to your mother." The woman didn't even wait for directions, she started stomping around the Carter's house. The stomping was heard in her mothers room. Rachel Lynde loved to complain. And complain, she did. 

Rachel was done, red faced. "What is wrong with your mother?" she asked, as Bella held the door open for her. "Bye, Mrs. Lynde," she ignored her rather hurtful comment. Gilbert watched Rachel from the corner of her eye as he came into her home as well. (What was with all these visitors?) 

"I see your mother didn't care as my father did." He grinned, proud of himself. "Yaa, something like that," she agreed. "Why are you here?" To which, he laughed. "My father found the story quite funny and wants to see the girl who he has missed."