AHEAD BY A CENTURY - ANNE WITH AN E

2. A New Light

Just as their inexperienced lips were on the brink of brushing together, Anne's eyes widened and she ducked, leaving poor, unknowing Gilbert Blythe to kiss the air where her face once was. Whilst Gilbert instigated the event, Anne allowed herself to remain still until the very last second, yet Gilbert was just as surprised as Anne was upon realising what had almost happened.

"What were you thinking?" Anne yelled at him before flattening his curls with her notebook.

Evasive towards her eye-contact, Gilbert became fascinated with the ground before saying, "I-I dont know what came over me, I'm terribly sorry - I completely and utterly understand if you wish to take your leave." Anne stormed out at once without further words, scrambled for her school supplies and slammed the door hard.

"Who does he think he is, trying to steal me of having my first kiss? Ugh I hate him. Why can't he just leave me ALONE!" She muttered angrily as she trudged through the wilting field on her way home to green gables. "The audacity of that... that... GILBERT BLYTHE! What a name, it's nothing as romantical as those in my beloved novels, Mr Darcy, Mr Knightley and Edward Fairfax Rochester - each so regal and romantic yet the name Gilbert Blythe holds no such ideals or scope for the imagination."

Just as Anne Shirley reached the place where the field and forest meet she turned around and looked longingly at the Blythe residence. As did Gilbert at Anne.

What would've happened if I would've allowed him to kiss me? Anne thought to herself with curiosity yet fury. Perhaps I would've liked it. No, no! I most definitely would've hated it!

Gilbert began to think to himself, What would have happened if she'd not evaded him so suddenly as she did. She would have reacted so much worse. Are there rumours circulating of me being an unsuitable suitor? Was I too hasty in my expression of fondness? Or was it all down to Anne? Whatever it was down to, I must do better.

The peaceful, yet chilling day grew dark and Anne Shirley Cuthbert was laying, embraced within the confines of her blanket with a ferocious expression resting on her face on her in bed awaiting the next day to share her near death experience with nop other than her truest bosom friend, Diana Barry, who she felt most eager to confide in.

With all of the dramatics, Anne had forgotten to tell The Cuthbert siblings about her injury; it had certainly been overshadowed by a much less preferable occurrence.

"My, Anne! Whatever has happened?" Marilla asked. Matthew just stood on the sidelines gawping like a fish.

"Gilbert Blythe happened!" The mighty lion that was Anne roared. Anne shared the vivid tragedy, though her imagination added frivoloty to the facts but still retold the events regardless, of her head wounds with her adoptive family, missing out the romantical misadventure of Gilbert and hers, almost kiss. Of course.

"Well it seems you've had quite enough adventure for one day." Marilla stated peering at Anne's head.

Anne felt an extreme pang of guilt in her chest as the lights went out. She couldn't help but ponder about what drove Gilbert to such an extreme as kissing her. Obviously it wasn't his first kiss, Anne assumed. He was probably either practicing for another, prettier girl. Or using me to make me vulnerable. Yet Anne felt pitiful towards him as she remembered that he paid all of his attention to her injuries and not to his own, a truly heroic, doctorly behaviour.

As the sun awoke, so did a lighter, more energised, positively revived Anne. She buttoned up her pigeon blue dress and tied her pinafore over it. She braided her hair with such energy and smiled at every passing neighbor on her journey to school.

"Lovely day, isn't it!" She yelled at every passing thing, living or inanimate.

Anne got to school quite early and sat beside her kindred spirit, Diana Barry. Anne began to retell the tale of yesterday.

"Oh how dreadful. But I'm almost certain that he is falling for you, hard." Diana smiled. Just as she said that, Gilbert walked into school and immediately - if not cautiously, approached Anne's desk.

"I'm so, so, terribly sorry. Anne. I was forward. And I must, once again apologise and make amends." He looked devastated with himself.

Anne sat with a blank expression resting upon her face. "I'll consider." She said with a slight smirk as Gilbert ran off to his own desk.

"Oh you just love to tease him." Diana remarked. "If Gilbert Blythe was begging for my most sought after forgiveness, I'd spare him of any sorrow he had endured in a heartbeat. Though, to be quite honest, I don't think I'd have denied him a kiss in the first place."

School went by quickly enough and Anne and Diana strolled home together, revelling in the late summer heat, remaining on the topic of the now infamous incident.

"It would've been my first, and he has most definitely kissed many girls and he was going to steal it. It would've been nothing to him because he is used to kissing but i haven't done it yet. Which makes it more important that mine is with someone special." Anne rambled on while Diana tried to grasp part of the sentence so she could understand the rest. The duo continued on their journey home until meeting the path on which they regularly departed.

"Goodbye Anne." Diana called out before parting ways.

"See you, Diana."

"I happen to think I'd be an excellent kisser." Gilbert came from behind her.

"Ugh. Are you following me?" Anne said wearily.

"You never answered my apology." He said.

"I said I'd consider." Anne said, avoiding looking at him.

"And have you?" Gilbert began to play with her braids. Anne snatched her braids, afraid that he'd notice her liking for the way he played with her flaming, red hair.

"I suppose I have no choice." Anne half smiled for a split second. "I may have forgiven but I shall not forget.

"And nor will I." He smirked, playfully. "Oh and I've just remembered. Although I have checked your head and all, I still recommend going to a doctor for an official diagnosis."

"Will do." Anne nodded.

"We could go, together, right now?" Gilbert suggested hesitantly.

"No thanks. I must be getting home." Anne declined.

"Oh. Well that's okay. Goodbye Anne." Gilbert touched her arm for a brief moment before dashing off.

"What's his problem." Anne sighed and continued to ramble about his foolishness to the trees, the only distinguishable words being Gilbert, Blythe and ridiculous.

But something stuck in Anne's mind and wouldn't stop, why was Gilbert being so nice to her. He seemed so much less indifferent towards her as she'd once believed him to be.. Anne felt inferior to his maturity so she made a pact with herself that she would mature to, more so than him. She was suddenly seeing Gilbert in a new light. He was so much more than he could ever offer to the close-minded girls of Avonlea.