Title: Memories Down a Lonely Dirt Road
Word Count: 633
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: Fandom - Bridge to Terabithia
Pairings (if any): Mentions of Leslie/Jesse
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): Mentions of pre-teen death.
Summary: Jesse Aarons ran down the dirt path around his childhood home one last time before he left for college and remembers all the good times he had with Leslie before her death. Written for writer verse at Live Journal.
Jessie Aarons tied his shoelaces tight, getting ready for his last two mile run around his childhood home. In less than a few hours he would be leaving for California to attend university on a track scholarship. Jess started off in a full out sprint, going as fast as he could.
He rounded the first corner, remembering the countless races him and Leslie had competed in during those long summer days. He remembered how they would race and race until their little legs wouldn't run any faster.
"On your mark, get set… GO!" May Bell screamed, laughing as Jesse and Leslie took off in yet another race.
Jess around the first corner, pulling ahead of Leslie. By the time they reached the second corner, Leslie was ahead. By the time they ended, the race was so close you were never able to tell which teenager won the race.
Jesse remembers each and every race, and all the little arguments that followed arguing over the results of the race and who won.
"I won! You got beat by a girl… again!" Leslie laughed, jokingly pushing Jess on the grass.
"What are you talking about? I totally beat you!" he laughed back. They were both on the grassy floor, looking up at the clouds trying to catch their breath.
Jesse picked up his pace and ran past the hill overlooking the woods and remembered their first date. It had taken Jess over six months to finally get up the courage to ask Leslie out on a date. When he finally did and she said yes, he planned the most romantic picnic on that hill while they watched the sunset.
"Wow Jess, this is amazing. You didn't have to do all this for me," Leslie said as she approached the picnic. He had laid out the blanket, picnic basket and Leslie's favorite sandwiches for their date.
"I know," he replied. "But I wanted to." They sat down and ate their dinner that Jess prepared. While watching the sunset, they talked about school, their respective parents, Jess' siblings, and everything they planned to do that summer.
Tears dropped from Jess' face as he continued to run as fast as he possibly could. He passed the tree where he and Jess has their first kiss a few days after their first date, and the spot where they always did their homework after school. He passed the place where Leslie and May Bell played with her Barbie's together, and the place where Leslie always walked her dog.
As Jesse passed the opening to Terabithia, he stopped. This was the place where he had both the best and worst memories of his life.
This was the place where their greatest imaginations came to life. The two of them built Terabithia together in the matter of a few months. But after those few months the inevitable happened. On the day that Jess went to an art museum with one of his teachers, Leslie had went to Terabithia without him. And on that day, the rope leading to their Kingdom broke as she swung to the other side.
Not a day went by when Jess didn't blame himself for Leslie's death. If only he didn't go to the art museum, if only he had invited Leslie to go with them, if only. He thought about her every day, and cursed at god, asking him why he couldn't have taken him instead.
Jess shook his head, trying to get the thoughts out of his mind.
"JESS! Time to go!" May Bell shouted from their house.
This was it. He was leaving for college without his best friend. But he always knew that even if Leslie wasn't with him anymore, she would always be in his memories and always in the memory of Terabithia.
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