OSTRACIZE | GILBERT BLYTHE

82

A/N: i have been struggling a lot with finding the motivation for writing this book for the past few months, which is why update have been a lot slower than they were when i first started. i wanted to say a HUGE thank you to lucidgravity for helping me through this, i love you
i love you guys, thank you all for your love and support
emily x

"They wouldn't not come?... after all this?" Anne questioned as she and Gilbert stood on the front step of the school awaiting any sort of support.

Honestly, Gilbert wasn't listening he was just replaying how Ellis had looked when he'd visited her, it was painful to watch her look as such and just thinking back to it had him fully glazed.

"Have faith" Gilbert mumbled to himself, he wanted Ellis to join but he had no idea about whether she would or not, he realised that Anne was listening and tried to play it off by saying, "Just a suggestion. Not telling you what to do"

Just as he said that from just up the lane came movement and their heads turned to look towards their teacher and then in the opposite direction to see the others appearing from the fields.

Just to Gilbert's left his eyes were drawn to Ellis, her head was bowed and her hand was placed in her brothers. She looked up shyly towards Gilbert who nodded her way as a thank you.

"Welcome, welcome" Anne said her eyes dancing over towards Ellis, she knew the girl must've been feeling great loss and for her to have just come out in the fresh air was an incredible achievement "hi" Anne said with a shy wave towards Ellis who briefly smiled.

"I hope you don't mind that we joined" James said politely towards Anne noticing that Ellis was still yet to say anything. James' eyes flickered to Gilbert and despite being the protective older brother he gave him a nod.

"The more the merrier" Anne replied also slightly intimidated by the group of older males surrounding Ellis. "Our moment is near! Are you ready to fight for what's right?" Anne shouted to the rest and a chorus of yeahs shouted back.

"You got yours?" Gilbert questioned Ellis nicely extending his arm to show the white hanker chief, she shook her head so he handed her his saying, "you can have mine"

Gilbert stepped down off of the step and looked at Ellis with puppy dog eyes, he held out his hand for her to take and she reluctantly threaded her fingers with his.

"Go" James insisted nodding them on towards the crowd who were bounding down the lane "go on"

Ellis nodded and turned to Gilbert who gave her hand a squeeze to prove that he was there for her. And then they danced down the lane to catch up with the others.

"To the town hall" Gilbert smiled pulling Ellis wing with him as he shouted to passerby's "Join! Come along!" To which he rounded up a few more strays.

Ellis noticed that Gilbert had taken off his cap and so she took it from his hands and softly placed it onto his head, to which he let go of a audible beam.

As they came to the town halls painted doors, the others all looked at each other worth big smiles, each in their hands they carried boards which they had previously painted on.

"What the blazes is going on here?" Asked the first man seated at the table in the town hall, he looked towards the door as Anne, Gilbert and Ellis lead the others in with strength.

"Excuse me there is a meeting in session" Rachel Lynde announced standing up and looking at the others extremely confused.

"If you don't mind!"

"For heavens sake!"

"What the devil is-"

The other men cursed as the group headed towards the stage covered by a blue curtain drawn across to cover the students behind it.

Anne stood forward to look down on the small and long table, Rachel turning around to look at the girl with threaded brows.

"Good morning" she announced cockily "what you are about to witness is an organised action" Anne said proudly, hands on both hips towards the mass of people coming in through the door as the head of the table said,

"This is an outrage, that's what this is!" He said pointing towards Anne as he shouted "HOW DARE YOU!"

"They have a right to their say" said Marilla taking a soft step forward.

James who had followed behind with Ellis stepped forward towards the smartly dressed man, he put his hand on his shoulder- a firm grip to show his power.

"I'd listen to the girl" James advised with a suck of his teeth and the man cowered down to turn and look back at the stage.

"We are not here to provoke" Anne said so that everyone could hear her "but we are here to be heard" she turned to look at Gilbert and Ellis stood hand in hand at the foot of the stage. "Even though you tried to silence our voices-"

Anne pulled back the curtain revealing the students, mouth bound, holding a sign that read collectively,

FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS A HUMAN RIGHT

"-we have a message for you" Anne finalised and a gasp came from the crowd as they looked up towards the stage.

Ellis looked towards Gilbert with a glisten in her eyes, she couldn't believe what was happening. It was the first time in forever, that Gilbert had seen her light up as such and so he pulled her in for a tight side hug.

"Now come along now, that's quite, quite enough" the man said standing up the stage to get to the students protest he tried yanking at the sign but they did not move.

It was then that a picture was snapped and the man straightened his back to look in horror at Miss Stacy's smug face.

Gilbert, still hand in hand with Ellis brought her to to the stage which make her extremely nervous though she never said a thing. He presented a piece of paper with the suggestions written upon it, he handed it to Ellis who with shaky hands faced it towards him as the pair in unison ripped the paper into two.

Another gasp came from the crowd, apart from James who did an excited stomp upon the ground.

"Miss Stacy!" The man ordered pointing towards the woman in horror "Control your children!"

"They are not children" she said stepping forward "and they are not out of control"

To which James started off a clap with turned the whole Town hall into an applause.