AHEAD BY A CENTURY - ANNE WITH AN E

3. Do-gooder Diana and her wicked friend Anne Shirley

Diana Barry was completely baffled, Anne had already almost had her first kiss. Sure, Diana had shared a brief, innocent kiss during an immature game of spin the bottle, directed by Josie Pye. But it was game. Nothing more. But what Anne had, with Gilbert, was real. Well almost real if she'd have allowed him to kiss her.
Diana, being brought up to become a housewife, had always believed that you married for children and shelter and not for amity and amour; at least until she had first encountered Anne Shirley Cuthbert of Green Gables.
A sudden wave of realisation washed over Diana: Gilbert was intensely in love with Anne. How didn't she see this sooner. She thought better to inform Anne. If Gilbert and Anne were to go courting, they would both need to mutually like each other, not forced by the feelings of the other.

"Mother, may I go to Green Gables this afternoon to call on Anne?" Diana asked politely, a stack of books perched on her steady head.
"I don't see why not. You best hurry up on your finishing then." Eliza Barry, Diana's loving mother adjusted the pile of books as they began to slip.
Just as the effulgent sun was at its highest point, Diana left for Green Gables without a coat, hat or gloves seeing as it was late summer. She raced across the sunlit meadow with eagerness to see Anne, her ebony curls bouncing over her shoulders and swaying in the breeze.
Anne gazed longingly out of her open window, admiring the sapphire illimitable sky, the silky purity of the clouds and the beams of sunlight radiating through the elegant branches of the blossom tree. A small figure was growing larger as it fled across the meadow surrounding Anne's beloved Green gables, she was able to distinguish it as her kindred spirit Diana Barry. 
Anne leaned out of the window as waved enthusiastically. Diana returned the wave, stopping to view Anne from slow, and broke out into a light jog. Anne could hear The pace of Diana's feet rushing into the kitchen, then the dining room and eventually up the wooden staircase another set of feet pounding up behind Diana's.
She was greeted by Diana who was beside Marilla,
"Diana has come to visit. Behave, Anne." She advised Anne before returning to brew tea.
Anne and Diana embrace on another in an affectionate hug, being inseparable bosom friends, it was torture being apart for so long as an entire day.
Anne and Diana talked about everything, Their families, what they were going to wear when they married, their birthday celebrations.
"How do you think Gilbert is holding up?" Diana inquired.
"How would I know?" Anne said becoming defensive.
"We made him food on one of the first weeks without his father, but what if he's starving, living off only bread and butter?" Diana worried.
"Well then, let him bore himself to death with bread and butter then." Anne replied irritated on the subject of Gilbert. Although they were on decent terms, even after the Awkward unmentioned topic that occurred a few days prior.
"Can we do some baking, Anne?" Diana asked sweetly.
"I'm sure Marilla won't mind." Anne said grabbing ahold of Diana's wrist and pulling her out of the room, down the staircase and into the kitchen.
"Marilla may we bake?" Anne begged, replicating Diana's previous question, attempting to sound as sweet and polite as she did.
"As long as you don't incinerate my kitchen. I'm sure Diana will act responsibly and hopefully it will wear off on you too." Marilla answered terrified of what she was getting herself into.
Anne and Diana baked a dozen scrumptiously juicy, ruby coloured strawberry tarts.
"I have a brilliant idea." Diana spoke excitedly. And so, Anne fetched a basket, lined it with blood red and white checkered cloth and Diana, delicately placed ten divine tarts into the basket decoratively. They were going on a lengthy saunter across Avonlea to deliver a tart to their neighbours and class mates, being sure to have a tart each too, of course. And so they set off, Diana clutching the basket as not to tip it, as Anne would do.
They first Arrived at the Gillis's house and rapped on the door cheerfully.
Ruby and her mother answered, with a child in arms.
"How delightful." Ruby said picking two out for her and her mother. Ruby smiled softly and closed the door, wishing them good luck on their stroll.
After Ruby, came the Andrews's home there living, Jane, Prissy and Billy from their class at school.
Anne offered them the basket and Jane almost immediately took one gratefully, prissy cautiously snatched one out, believing Anne would poison her. And Billy rudely declined Anne's "Doggy treats" as he put it.
"Ugh those Andrews are so difficult and rude." Anne complained on the way to Tillie boulders home, Tillie was hosting a play date with Josie Pye, Tillie took a tart jubilantly, Josie declined snootily, making a remark about her figure.
The next house would be Moody Spurgeon's, who had Charlie Sloane over for the afternoon, the boys took one each hungrily and wished them good day. Their last sojourn was the Blythe residence, although Gilbert was the only remaining member of the family, living solitary.
The girls, now fatigued from their journey, knocked on the door, and a taken aback Gilbert Blythe answer, as expected, to find the girls offering him a tart.
"What do we have here?" He asked softly yet inquisitively,
"They're tars, strawberry tarts, Anne and I made them." She said gesturing at the basket she held.
"Well thank you Diana, Anne." He nodded at the girls.
"Won't you come in?" He requested,
Diana looked at Anne awaiting her answer. Anne replied,
"We best get going." Anne linked arms with Diana.
"I insist," Gilbert urged them inside.
"We must only stop for a while though." Diana said, grateful for his invitation but concerned that Anne disliked his home.
Gilbert made them tea just like he did for Anne the day he attempted to kiss her. Anne began to feel uncomfortable in the same chair she sat in just days ago.
"Thanks again Gilbert." Diana seemed to do all the speaking for Anne.
"Yeah thanks Gil." Anne spoke nervously and quietly.
"Anytime." He beamed, holding out the door for the girls.
He waved them off until they were out of sight.

"Why did we have to go inside his abode?" Anne whined.
"Because, He is all alone all day and he could use our company, especially yours." Anne rolled her eyes at the ending of Diana's reply.
They eventually reached Green Gables to find it just as it was before they left.
"I must get going Anne." She embraced her kindred spirit, "see you in school."

Anne discovered two remaining tarts in the basket and offered them to her kind family, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Matthew ate it appreciatively, Marilla declined and suggested gifting it to Jerry.
Anne stepped up the narrow, rusty ladder in the barn, gathering her breath at the top.
"Jerry!" She called out to the overworked French boy, she held out the final tart to him and he devoured it thankfully.
Anne felt satisfied, that day she had became a do-gooder, delivering baked goods to those she cared about, that including Gilbert Blythe.

A/N
I took so long to write and publish this, apologies. This is more of a filler chapter because I wanted development as well and Shirbert. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to Vote and Comment! ❤️