It was ridiculous.
He couldn't get the girl out of his head.
The smell of her body, the taste of her mouth and that domineering look she gave him. She was an utter and complete bitch but she riled him up in a way no other girl done before.
"You're in love with Ana", his friend Gilbert told him.
"Don't be ridiculous my friend. She's merely a witch who have bewitched me".
Gilbert laughed out loud as he came to think about Anne before he started blushing and sighed. He really did make a bad impression on her however she had been very forgiving to him and they had become friends. Only... he wanted to be more than friends.
Those Shirley girls were indeed bewitching.
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She worked on the farm like usual. Matthew barely had anything to do and spent his time in the Barn with Jerry for most of the time. It was becoming colder as winter was arriving.
"Girl!", he saw Ana walking past them. "Come inside and have some warm tea with us".
"Thank you Matthew", she told him and sat down. "By the way Matthew I would like it if we could build a smith place around here. Since I became done with farm work so quickly I want to do some forging".
"I will have to speak with Marilla first but I don't see why not".
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"She's a girl Matthew!", Marilla said.
"So? I don't see the harm".
"So, she shouldn't be spending time in those type of places only men can. Besides she's too young and could get hurt".
"She says she wants to make some pretty jewelry for you and Anne".
"How she's even gonna make that?".
"She told me that she could melt any metall and then forged them into whatever she wanted".
"It's out of the question. We don't even have the money to build a forging place".
"She says she will work for the money to finance it".
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"Good news, you got permission", he told her. "However you are on your own with building it, the materials too".
"No problem", Ana hugged him as she thanked him.
That's when Ana took some time off of school with the permission of Mr. Phillips who had never encountered such a brilliant student like her.
Ana sought out work in the larger town which she had to board the train for to get too. She found a place to stay at even if it was a dangerous place for her however she knew how to protect herself and always slept with a knife beneath her pillow and never took anything valuable with her. After she had settled down she went outside to the more richer part of the town and sang on the street.
She sang Halleluja, Ave Maria and written in your heart from Barbie's princess and the pauper. The song just seemed fitting in the cold winter. She knew she was blessed with a good voice in this life compared to last and that's why she needed to use everything for her goals.
She had already earned a hundred pounds by the time night came. Since she had this money on her it was too dangerous now to stay in the inn she stayed in and went for a more better of quality one.
Days passed and she was always sure to keep guard of the money.
When the third week arrived it was time to go home as she had earned enough for the material and anything else.
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Matthew certainly missed the young lass. After she had gone away it had become boring to do the farm work. It was expected for her to be gone for a month however he saw a tiny little creature walk past the barn. She waved towards him and he started walking towards the house.
Anne immediately ran out to hug her sister before starting to tell her everything that she had missed so far. The fire that happened at Gillis' house made her know where in the story-line she was in. That's why Gillis was staying with them right now. They had also made a secret hide-out in the woods.
Ana and Gillis greeted briefly. Gillis did not really feel that Ana was the friendly type and felt really intimidated by her. It came as a relief to her when she saw other sides of her that Ana did not show in school.
Since the farm work was done Ana helped Marilla in the kitchen. She showed Marilla the money she had earned and the older woman couldn't help but be dazzled by the gold and silver coins in front of her. Ana then made some calculations and seperated the ones she needed for to build a forging place/workshop to the ones she didn't need. She told Marilla that she wanted to create a saving account for her, Anne and also Jerry each in the bank. Marilla nodded and told the younger girl they would go to the bank tomorrow, while still wondering if she was simply a child.
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Gilbert rolled his eyes as Billy once again sighed and made a disappointed face. He had been like that ever since Ana had left for work.
"She will be back soon my friend", he comforted him.
"Who?", the blonde haired boy asked. "Do you mean Ana, I'm not waiting for her or anything", his blush betrayed his very own words.
Gilbert couldn't help but sigh at the denying boy. Then the door opened to the class room and the twins arrived. It was obvious who was who. One liked braids the other one liked to put up her hair. He tapped his hand on Billy's left shoulder and nodded towards the door. Billy immediately sat upright.
"Close your mouth or you'll catch flies", Gilbert teased while having his eyes on Anne.
"What's up Gilbert? Cole?", Ana greeted him before glancing at Billy and his heart beat faster.
At least she had acknowledged him this time.
"Cole, I was planning to build a little workshop and I will need your help to paint it", she told him. "I'll pay you for your service".
"Even if you didn't I wouldn't have refused", he said.
"Good".
Billy glared at those two, especially at Cole. Gilbert simply shook his head at his friend's jealously.
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Cole stood in amazement. She worked fast. Really fast. After two hours or so it was done. He entered the workshop which was three times bigger than their hide-out. She had already had the paint ready for him and painted the walls white so that he would have an easier time to paint it.
"This shall be my other hide-out", he told her.
"You're very welcome to use it", she told him.
Anne stood outside helping gathering things that they could decorate the tiny workship with. Diana and Gillis did the same. There was a box with home-made glue which they could use.
After everything was done the cottage looked magical. There was moss and twigs on the roof. Flowers had been glued all over the place.
"This shall be our new story club's place", Anne said.
"But-", Diana started.
Ana went and gave them each a key to the workshop.
"Use it well", she told them before leaving.
"I'm confused", Diana started. "Isn't this her workshop?".
Anne shook her head.
"She made it for us", which surprised the rest of them. "As her sister I understood immediately. She was concerned about our little hide out being too small. And we would all grow taller in the future so we could also use this place even then. That's why she made this for us from the leftovers of her forging place".
"Forging place? Has she become a smith now?", Diana stood stunned.
"Apparently", Anne raised her shoulders and her eyebrows as she said that. "She's mostly doing accessoaries. Like this tiny chains for necklaces and so on".
"She's good at farm work, good at cooking, good in school and now this?", Gillis said enviously.
"Well, she was always the more skilled one between the two of us", Anne said. "However she totally lacks imagination and always worry about the future. The things she's doing now is so that she is more prepared for the future".
"What is there to worry about?", Diana was curious now.
"Finances, our livelihood itself. She doesn't want us to suffer anymore now that we finally have freedom to do what we want".
"I don't know whether to pity or admire her", Cole said as he thought deeply.
"Anyway did my sister already pay you?", Anned looked at him.
He nodded and she gave him some money to sketch a picture of this beautiful workshop. Then they could hang it inside afterwards with his signature on it.
He smiled.
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When Anne and Jerry new that they had a saving account with five hundred pounds each in it they were shocked.
"It's my gift for you two", Ana raised her cup of chocolate, a new drink that became common in their home.
"You didn't need to…", Anne cried as she hugged her sister.
"But I wanted to".
"Miss Shirley, I'm very thankful I don't know how to repay you in the future", Jerry really appreciated the favor.
"Don't bother. You're my brother, my family now. Family looks out for each other", she told him.
Jerry sat silent and wanted to cry. Anne noticed and went to hug him.
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It was Sunday her day went like usually except for when she came home there was a dress for her and Anne each. Anne's made her look like an adult while Anna's dress was a bit more exposing around her shoulder. It had the type of design which wouldn't become more popular before the fifty's arrived.
When Matthew told the seamstress to make this type of dress she wanted to really make sure this was not for some lover. It was really exposing by their standards.
"She likes to were something that is a bit more exposing", he told her.
"Alright then".
And he was right. Ana loved the dress. It was a light red dress. The top had nothing to cover the shoulder and had some flower patterns. It had bell sleeves. The lower part only went down to her knees exactly.
She twirled in front of them.
Marilla had been skeptical at first but then she saw the joy one the girl's face and she just let that skeptical thought go away.
That Sunday Ana became the center of attention when she walked inside the church yet she couldn't have held her head more prouder than ever. Even the priest had wanted to share some words with Marilla and Matthew but when the girl came up to him and told him how happy about the dress she was he couldn't bring to say anything.
Billy blushed more than ever and couldn't keep his eyes from her. He noticed other guys looking at her with dreamy eyes and glared at them. Ana was his!
Had she been able to read his thought she would have laughed and asked him if he wasn't hers.
From that day on she had many admirers as well as girls that envied her now and she couldn't help but laugh at the chaos she brought this small community.