Anne with an e- a new version of the story

Part 44- Sweet malice

ANNE

"Two days to Christmas," Anne thought excitedly. Finally the most enchanting season of all would begin. What made her happier was that this year they would really celebrate, because Matthew was in good health, Green Gables was thriving like never before, Gilbert had returned, and all that was left was for Cole to come home so that everything would be perfect.

She smiled at herself as she remembered the gifts she had bought with the allowance money Marilla now gave her every month. She had said that a young girl needed to have her own money, and Anne had saved every penny she earned so that she could give each person she loved a gift at the time.

For Marilla she had bought a cookbook she talked about every day. These recipes had been written by the best chefs from all over the world and brought various kinds of foods and desserts, which Marilla had seen in a magazine when she visited the doctor last month and since then she had talked about the book non-stop. Anne had then wanted to surprise him, and had asked for the book by mail that had arrived the day before. For Matthew, the girl had bought a box of handkerchiefs, because she knew that the good lord loved this assistant and always carried one with him wherever he went, a habit he had cultivated since he was a teenager. For Diana, Anne had decided to buy a pair of silver earrings, they were in moon shape and the girl was sure that her friend would love the jewel. For Jerry, the redhead had acquired a leather wallet and a keychain, because her friend was losing his keys and had to send copies of them several times, and she hoped that that gift could help him keep them in a safe place. For Cole, she had bought a painting kit to encourage him to continue producing his magnificent drawings, and for Gilbert, she had bought a wooden box that she herself had painted and decorated, thinking he could use it to keep his medical books, and also a glass from the woody odor cologne that he liked so much.

Thinking about Gilbert made her feel strangely agitated, with a knot in her stomach that made her nervous. She had noticed that her reactions to his presence had changed in the last few weeks, because it was enough for him to get close to her for her skin to shiver, her heart to soar, and she wanted him to kiss her with all the ardor he was capable of. He could barely get it out of his head, he remembered it in the most unexpected moments, and this sometimes caused him embarrassing situations. The other day, while helping Marilla in the kitchen, she had let a carrot cake burn whole because she was so distracted that she had forgotten the right time to leave it in the oven.

- Anne, what's that burning smell? Marilla had asked when she arrived in the kitchen and noticed a strange smoke that filled the kitchen, which Anne hadn't noticed because she was so involved in her thoughts, where only Gilbert Blythe seemed to be part of it.

- My God! My carrot cake! - Anne was sorry to take it out of the oven and see that she had to throw it away, because it was completely toasted.

- Anne, how could you forget the cake in the oven? What were you thinking that you didn't realize that it was past the point? - Marilla looked at her questioningly.

- I'm sorry Marilla. I got distracted thinking about the coming parties. I promise this won't happen anymore. - Anne had said the first thing that had come to her mind. For nothing in the world would she say she was daydreaming about Gilbert's kisses, and remembering every moment in his arms. I'm sure Marilla would be horrified and would accuse her of being perverted, depraved or worse. It was getting harder and harder to disguise her reactions, so she had to learn to control her imagination or she would end up in trouble.

When she thought about this subject, Anne realized she had many questions about it, for which she would like to find the answers. However, she knew by instinct that she couldn't get them from Marilla, because the good lady was of the old guard and wouldn't allow Anne even to start such a conversation. For this reason, she needed to find someone to talk to about everything she was feeling, otherwise she would get more and more confused. She was more and more involved with Gilbert, totally in love and given over to this feeling, on the other hand, she had no experience in dating, because before Gilbert hadn't even kissed another boy, and so the sensations she felt inside her when he kissed her or touched her left her enchanted and frightened at the same time. She was absolutely sure that she would never feel this way with another person, but she urgently needed to understand herself before she gave up the passion that burned in her soul.