𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬 | ᵍⁱˡᵇᵉʳᵗ ᵇˡʸᵗʰᵉ

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𝘎𝘪𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢'𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘥𝘢𝘺, if he had, an unexplainable shame would come across him. The boy started writing the letter the moment he arrived at the Port of Trinidad (prior to the envelopes being sent from back home). He planned for it to arrive sometime near her birthday. Gilbert sat at a table in some kind of bar, Bash at his side. He used a pen he saved from Avonlea, his the birthday wish started something like this:

"Dear Bella Carter

"I suppose you're mad at me, which is certainly understood. I just hope to wish you a wonderful birthday. I remember your ninth one, you really seemed to despise birthdays back then. I wonder if..."

Bash took a small sip of his drink (for real men, he liked to say). "Boy, you're down bad. Writing love letters in this place?" he hit the table, laughing with no visible shyness. Gilbert shoved his friend with a shoulder. 

"It's not a love letter for the tenth time!" Bash ignored him, grinning. "Oh, you wanna go, Blythe?" Bash stood up, Gilbert wouldn't back down from the offer, standing up as well. 

"Ahh. I was right. Fighting for that lady? Eh, skinny?" the coloured man continued, exasperating the Blythe boy. He surrendered, taking his rightful seat, continuing the letter until a point he had no idea for.

"With love, Gilbert?", "Yours, Gilbert?" he wrote, shaking his head at his pathetic question marks. He crossed the two out, settling on: "Sincerely, Gilbert Blythe."

He pocketed the letter, going out to find an adequate envelope. 

 ★

Bella's birthday happened to be around ten weeks after Canada's independence. The girl wasn't excited, in fact, she had forgotten until the night before, where she realized it was October 17th already. She slept, wondering if Gilbert had known it was soon to be her birthday. Why did her heart not sink whenever she thought of her gone friend? Bella thought, quite poetically, if they were thinking about each other at the same time.

Bella had a letter delivered strangely on the morning of her birthday. She had opened it to see it was from Gilbert. The clever boy somehow calculated the arrival of the letter, she guessed. 

From the Port of Trinidad! How exciting! she thought but didn't want to believe. Her eyes went through the whole letter, she furrowed her eyebrows at the last part. It seemed like his ink pen broke. She rolled her eyes with a smile. She really couldn't hold a grudge today, even one as big as this. She ran back into her home to put the letter on her dresser, she ran back out continuing her way to the Cuthbert's (and Cuthbert-Shirley's) residence. 

"Ton anniversaire?" she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Yes, it's my... ani-ver-sir," she made a sorrowful attempt at speaking french. Jerry giggled, causing her too as well. The French boy was getting better at speaking english than she was with french. He reached for something inside his hat, Bella made a disgusted face. 

"You better have not been giving something from there," she warned. Jerry shook his head. "Relax. My head is tres itchy." Bella rolled her eyes at him, he could be either sweet, mischief-causing, supportive, or at worse times, annoying. 

"Here's your present," Jerry put his hands in his pocket to take something out, he hovered a closed hand over Bella's expecting one. He opened it, nothing. "Thank you," she told him, sarcastically. Jerry shook his head for the second time. "No actually," he gently took a flower from his hand. A slightly crumpled daisy. She knew he tried hard to keep it perfect. "It reminds me of you, Anne says the same."

She felt the urge to smile, she gave in. "Thank you!" A glimpse of fire appeared beside her. "Oh yes, dearest Bellis!" Anne twirled the girl around enthusiastically. "Bellis?" Bella asked, confused. 

"Oui," Jerry nodded. "Anne thought of gifting you a nickname. Bellis. It means daisy." Anne nodded rather concerningly quick. "You don't mind, do you?" she asked, making sure. The olive-eyed girl gave her the okay, it was now in Anne's heart to call her Bellis often. 

"But come! Marilla let me bake something for you." Something not burned, I hope, she thought. It would be too rude to say aloud. Jerry followed them to Green Gables, the three came into Anne's parlor, a fine cake sat on the table. To her horror, Charlie Sloane and Billy Andrews were there, among Josie Pye, Jane Andrews, Tillie Boulter, Ruby Gillis and Diana Barry. 

"Why are they here?" Bella narrowed her eyes at the two boys. "Charlie insisted on coming, and Billy just appeared with Jane." Anne answered.

Jane gave her a sorry glance. "Happy birthday!" They all suddenly exclaimed. Billy sounded a little dry, she suspected he was there just for the food. Soon, the two unwanted boys and the wanted one left near the finishing of the cake. Charlie, not without saying his own happy birthday. That left the girls together.

"You're fourteen!" Ruby said, happily. Ruby can be hysterical, she's also kind-hearted. Bella had known her family for quite a lot of years. "Yaa. I suppose I am." Bella smiled, her father wouldn't have imagined her at this age. A little sadness that didn't hurt her but gave her comfort. 

Anne, of course, had many notions on growing up. Wearing your hair up, corsets, properness, and such. Bella just cared for being nine again. Five full years ago.