A month passed and Mrs Blythe was concerned about how her son. She watched him as him completed his homework alone. It seemed to take him twice as long these days to do his homework. She was uncertain of the cause. It wasn't just his homework. She hadn't seen him smile in the month either. He had became sullener and withdrawn. It had started one night when he had came home from green gables(in fact had that been the last time he had been to green gables) he looked close to tears. He had sat blankly his favourite food in front of him... He didn't touch it. He excused himself early and went to bed. She had never told him when she went to bed she had heard him crying quietly that night. His father had said when helping with the hay stacks Gilbert had put some gusto in it... like he was frustrated about something trying to vent off.

"would you like to come into town with me today Gilbert?" She asked gently. Maybe something would catch his eye which would cheer him up.

"if you want me to." He replied quietly.

"yes I think I would. You were always good company." She said trying to get a smile from him, but failed entirely. "We'll be leaving in 5 minutes." She said.

They rode into town in silence. She noticed no change in her sons behaviour until they got to the edge of town she noticed his body perk up. She followed his gaze which fell upon Anne Shirley. His gaze remained fixed until eye contact could have been made where his eyes fell to his feet and Anne's nose went into the air as she passed.

"it's been a while since you've been up to green gables Gilbert maybe you should go and visit sometime. Anne could always put a smile on your face."

"I can't" he replied.

"Oh" She stated "Why not?" she enquired.

"I..." He started but then quietly finished "just can't."

"Anne is turning into a pretty girl." She pressed further.

"I suppose." He replied, knowing fine well he had done more then notice. "Just leave it mom."

They returned from town. Mrs Blythe noticed only two things had caught Gilbert's eye in town. The first was Anne and the second was a book of poetry by Tennyson which Gilbert had bought with his own money. He promptly had ran up the stairs upon returning. She felt she had failed in cheering him up.

He sat immediately on his bed got a pencil and pulled out of his pocket a small scrap of paper. He opened the letter again, as he had done so many times, the ink was faded a little but still very readable.

Gil,

Have I done something wrong? Please just look at me, let me know everything is okay. I swear I won't try dying my hair again I promise.

Love Anne

Love Anne. Yes that all he did. Loved Anne. He opened the pages of the new Tennyson book to Anne's favourite poem and in pencil underlined two lines very near the end of the poem

He said, "She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace.

Those two lines, every time he heard it his minds eye saw Anne. He slipped the paper into the page marking it. The book he decided was not leaving his side. he lay on his bed and wanted to cry but the tears never came. 'Good' he thought 'I've been far too girly lately anyway crying over a girl, I'm almost a grown man, men don't cry he thought. Instead an empty feeling filled his body. He had carefully watched Anne from afar over the past month, He wanted her next to him, the whole time had been nothing but torture for him. He wanted to pull her next to him and start reading or talking or something. He dared not look. Once she had stopped following him he started to admire her from a distance. Yearning for her to be close to him again. Them being separated just felt wrong they belonged together, and now they never would be.

Marilla took Anne to the fundraiser for the school. There were various activities and the girls had put on a show which Anne had pleaded with Marilla to come and see. So she had sum come to the demands of Anne. She watched as the girls started their play. She glanced around the field and noticed Gilbert standing near the back of the audience. She saw although surrounded by the other boys his eyes were fixed firmly on the stage. She noticed the sad look in his eyes. 'he's John's son alright through and through.' She thought, she noticed his expression changed a little his body seemed to relax a small smile raised on his face;she looked towards the stage where Anne had made her entrance. She was in the happy location of being able to see both Anne and Gilbert at the same time from her position. She watched as Gilbert's mouth moved to Anne's lines and he watched her intensely for a few seconds. She then noticed he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, when his eyes reopened the few seconds of relaxation and happiness had passed and he looked like he was about to burst into tears, He quietly removed himself from the other boys and wandered somewhere out of sight.

"How did I do?" Anne said after their performance.

"Well it was really poetic I'll give you that." Marilla replied. She wondered for a second it had been 2 months since she had sent Gilbert out the door, although he hadn't made any contact with her at Green Gables she hadn't thought of asking about school. "Gilbert Blythe watched some of the performance."

"Did he?" Anne asked her tone completely uninterested. "I can't imagine why, he's not muttered a word to me since…" Anne found although she was playing angry with him she was too sad to finish the sentence.

So he had kept his word. She noticed the same expression of sadness across Anne's face for a moment which quickly turned to anger. "He can do as he pleases." She said bitterly.

Marilla felt guilty for a moment. But what was done was done, she was right to have separated them, their friendship was unhealthy and she knew it.