Let Me In ( Anne with an E fanfic)

Chapter 4

Music!  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1K9Akdc2jtKDddpel4sKGU?si=MBpAAfH2TZevIOPl6Re1ug

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Anne had been trying to occupy her days. It wasn't that hard, really, but even she needed a break from reading... So, she had been cooking a lot and Gilbert had benefited from some real, healthy food for once. And then she tried to write when she agreed on some details of the project with Kak'wet (zero inspiration). And then she thought about doing exercise, but other than jeans she only had her pajamas... And she couldn't very well wash them daily. She did her best to ignore her nightmares, how they evolved and some nights woke her up again, as they had done in her early twenties.

Then she decided to clean. Like, deep clean. She didn't go to the closets or the drawer chest, because she didn't know what she would find and didn't want to invade Gilbert's privacy, but she did everything else. Took everything out of the kitchen cabinets, threw many expired cans and other things, cleaned inside and then organized again. His apartment was more on the small side, even if it had a pretty decent living area, but still, it gave her something to do for a couple of days. And Gilbert would be bringing groceries shortly, so it was good to have space for stuff that wasn't actually expired.

"Hellooooo," she said as soon as Diana picked up. She could always talk while cleaning. And she hadn't talked with her bosom friend for weeks, it seemed.

"Hi, Anne! How are you?" Diana seemed happy to hear her. They hadn't spoken much since she had set up this whole thing.

"Good. I mean, as good as I can be. I'm trying to occupy myself, I had never been so much time inside and it's positively suffocating," she commented, as she absent mindedly threw expired cans. She knew Gilbert wouldn't miss them if the best before date was in 2018.

"I can't imagine you being in a room... But Gilbert's apartment has a trail very close, no?"

"Oh, it does, and it's the most lovely thing. I've already become acquainted with many of the trees and I think I saw a fox one day. It's lovely. But I can't go anymore, so..."

"Why?"

"Gilbert's city decided a strict lockdown is the way to go. So, I either stay here or I get some very good excuse not to pay a fine," she answered. "Why on earth would you buy canned ravioli? Yuck."

"What are you doing, Anne?"

"Cleaning Gilbert's kitchen so I don't go mad. But honestly, the stuff he eats..."

"Well, he has had to fend for himself and we both know he's never been able to do toast," Diana commented, and Anne laughed. That much was true. Well, at least he could eat decently for a couple of weeks. "How are things going with him?"

"We mostly avoid each other. I cook real food and leave it around so he can find it when he comes. I mostly keep to his room when he's in the apartment- he wouldn't let me get the sofa, and now I think it's for the best, this way I can at least not see him so much," she sighed, putting on a pile the things she really didn't approve of but weren't expired.

"You can't keep avoiding each other, Anne. Is it..."

"It's too hard, Di. Honest. I see him and.. I just can't be around him and not think of everything. It would be so much easier, but..." she felt a knot forming on her throat and tried to dismiss it.

"Anne, dearest... I honestly wouldn't have suggested this if I didn't think it was a big idea. Maybe you both can talk about this at some point and be cordial around each other? Not friends, but just be able to coexist in the same space. Would do both of you some good."