Hello guys! This is the first chapter and I hope you enjoy it! :)

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Three months after...

Jess

It's been a while since I've entered Terabithia. I mean, alone. My little sister and i were the new rulers of Terabithia and we've decided on that a few days after Leslie's death. After our 'coronation', I had so much to do in school that I totally forgot to visit Terabithia for a good three weeks. Of course, I didn't forget Leslie, but remembering Leslie and Terabithia together's quite depressing in a way. It just so happened that I was so busy and I forgot all about it.

Terabithia just popped in my head when a new girl entered the classroom.

"Class," Mrs. Myers said, "meet Gabrielle del Carmen."

The class murmured. Why shouldn't they. This Gabrielle girl was pretty: with brown hair that curled in the end (which was slightly longer than Leslie's), green eyes, and a ready smile. Even I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"It just so happens that Gabrielle here is the cousin of Leslie, and she's here to finish whatever Leslie started." Mrs. Myers turned to Gabrielle. "Now, Gabrielle, please take the seat next to Jess Aarons over there."

"Thank you."

She had the same voice as Leslie. She had the same seat as Leslie. She had quite the same get-up as Leslie. She is so like Leslie. What the heck? If I were to forget about her to avoid depression, then I should get out of this school.

I looked - no - watched as she sat down on Leslie's chair. It should hurt seeing someone sitting on a then occupied chair, but it didn't. It's like I've known Gabrielle ever since.

She was smiling at me.

"Hey." Gabrielle whispered.

"Hi."

"Jess, right?"

Just like how Leslie introduced herself at the track-and-field.

"Yeah." I whispered back.

"Leslie told me all about you. She's really happy that you're always there for her."

"When?"

"After the day you opened your mind."

With a last smile, she tore her gaze away from me and focused on the blackboard, which left me at thought. Leslie...Gabrielle...These two girls were different in name yet similar in attitude.

*Dismissal*

Since the eighth graders graduated early, the people now had freedom to sit at the back of the bus. And that was exactly what Gabrielle did, fumbling with a camera.

I was really thinking if I were to sit beside her, but in the end, I did. I sat beside hr with a thump and a grunt for my little sister May Bell. Gabrielle smiled at me.

"Leslie told me that you're really into drawing." she said, pushing the camera in her bag.

"Kind of," I answered.

"May I see it?"

"I - left it at home."

"Oh."

We were silent. But not for long.

"My dad got me into photography just before I started school here." she told me. She took out the camera from her bag again. "I've got pictures of Leslie here, if you want to look at them."

"Oh. Sure." I took the camera with great care and browsed through the pictures.

Leslie was Gabrielle's model in most of the pictures. Then, there were pictures of them together and some landscapes. One struck me, though - one of the landscapes looked exactly like the mountain where May Bell's castle was built.

"Uh, Gabrielle?" I tapped her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Who shot this?" I pointed at the screen.

"Huh?" Gabrielle squinted. "Oh, Leslie shot that." she answered eagerly. "I sent her that camera ages ago. Then she shot that three days before her death."

"Terabithia." I whispered.

"What?"

"Oh. Nothing."

I gave her back the camera because I didn't feel like looking at the rest of the pictures.

"Cool pictures." I praised.

"Thanks, Jess."

"You're really into photography."

"Yeah. Like you are in art."

Just then, the bus stopped. It was at my stop now.

I looked at Gabrielle, said goodbye, then hopped off the bus with May Bell.

The bus started rolling as May Bell and I walked home. Then it stopped, and Gabrielle hopped out.

"Jess, wait!" she wailed, running.

"Are you - are you following me?"

"Not that I think of. I live at Leslie's former house."

"Really?" I chirped. I was glad that she lived near me.

"Yeah. Leslie's parents sold us the house. You want to come?"

"Uh, no." I said.

"Why?"

"Cause I want to show you something."

I pulled Gabrielle's hand, tossed my bag on the side of the road (she did i too) and we ran to the end of the road.

Gabrielle

I was speechless, tongue-tied, and red as Jess pulled me. We were running, and I had no idea where we were going and why. After a while, Jess slowed down. I thought we were already there. Wherever 'there' was.

Jess was smiling as he pulled me towards a stone bridge that seemed very sturdy. There was an arch on top of the bridge with a sign that said -

"Nothing crushes us." I read.

"I know." Jess breathed. "It's wonderful."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere. You have to keep your mind wide open to see."

"But - "

Jess placed a finger on his lips. "Sshh."

We walked some more, trees welcoming us. Twigs cracked under my feet. My camera was bouncing feebly inside its bag which I wore on my shoulder. Tightening my grip on both Jess's hand and the bag strap, I quickened my pace and ended up pulling Jess along the way.

And then I saw something.

Vultures hovered above us, crackling a sound that hurt my ears. If I was worried, Jess was horrified.

"They're watching." he whispered.

"Who?"

"I'll tell you later. But first, we need to get up that tree house!"

We climbed an oak tree and entered a tree house which looked renovated. There were cookie jars and table cloths inside - a sign that someone lived here some three months ago or so.

Jess motioned me to sot down beside him. I did as I was told.

The crackling faded away. Jess looked at me, smiling proudly as if I warned or found something extremely important to him.

"Where - where are we?" I asked, looking intently at his hazel eyes.

"Gabrielle," he started, "welcome to Terabithia."

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The chapter is DONE! Please leave reviews so that I can improve next time. Thank you for reading!

-bornforparamore