This is another one-shot, from Leslie's point of view.

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So I was walking down the path to Terabithia—well, running, actually (of course) against Jess. He was laughing but losing dreadfully; I was going like the Road runner in those old cartoons. The rain was coming down in bullets, but I thought it was marvelous. When I got to the tree, the rope looked a little odd. Like there was something wrong with it. I ignored it, though—a little weathering weather wasn't going to keep me away from Terabithia today.

I grabbed hold of the rope, but all of a sudden—just as I was almost across—I heard a cracking noise over the rain, one that did not quite sound like lightning. Then I was falling; plummeting towards the river water and I realized that the branch supporting the rope had broken. The cold water lapped me up, and I tried in vain to seize something to hold on to, something to keep me from flowing upstream.

But before I knew it, none other than Jess Aarons had jumped in after me and grabbed me around the middle. At first it kind of hurt, but as Jess (who was somehow managing to climb his way back up the ravine) continued his hold on me, I felt inexplicably safe—in spite of the thrashing waves and pelting raindrops.

"Leslie, are you all right?" he near-shouted over the rain once we'd reached solid land. I had collapsed on my back, and he was kneeling right next to me.

Still a little breathless from the frightening ordeal I replied, "Yes, I guess I am." He smiled, and I returned it. "Jess—oh my gosh. If it wasn't for you just then, I might have …I would have…"

"Hey, not while I'm around," he said. He had me speechless there. Jess stood, then extended his hand to me. Slowly I took it, and got up. We just stood there for a while, observing …I hadn't been this close to Jess before. At least, I hadn't and felt the way I did all of a sudden.

He'd finally gotten a bit taller than me (we'd always been around equal height, although honestly I always thought I had at least an inch on him). Was that a good kissing height? Like in the movies, doesn't the girl always lean up to kiss the guy? Wait… why was I thinking about kissing all of a sudden? Did I want to kiss Jess? Oh, gross…!

Right?

Now I was confused. I was so busy mulling over this issue that I barely noticed that Jess was walking me home, his hand clasped around mine. We walked into my kitchen and saw Judy preparing some eggs.

"Oh, hi!" she greeted us, her voice taking second stage to the ones arguing in my head. "I'm making some scrambled eggs, would you guys like some?"

Jess made some sound of assent; I watched the way his lips moved. Did I really want to touch those with my mouth? Kind of….oh, geez!

"Leslie, would you like yours wet or dry?" Judy asked.

"EXCUSE ME?!" I gasped loudly, my mind still on a different track from eggs.

Jess and Judy stared at me. Then Bill came down the stairs to stare as well, wondering what had happened to cause me to shout out like that. Clearing my throat and trying not to look at Jess I said, "William, Judith. I mean, 'excuse me,' but how can we be discussing such … trivial things as eggs when what you should really know is that today, just now, Jess Aarons saved my life!"

My parents raised their eyebrows at us, as if they weren't really sure how melodramatic I was being. Jess averted his eyes but I went on (in a more serious tone), "No, it's true! I was swinging across a rope to get to Tera—" Jess looked up quickly and I caught myself just in time. "Tera… you know, terra, more land—but the branch that supports the rope broke and then I fell in the water, and who knows what would have happened if Jess hadn't jumped in and pulled me out!"

With a gasp, Judy dropped her spatula and walked around the counter so she was on the same side as us. "Jess, is that true?!"

"Oh—well—yes, ma'am, I suppose it is," he said bashfully. Could I really be this mushy, or did my heart feel like it was melting? He was so modest!

Bill and Judy walked over to him and both started hugging him. Judy looked about ready to cry (so did Jess, because they were holding him so tightly it must have hurt). "Guys, guys," I said, trying to squeeze myself in there. "Go easy on him!"

"I'm sorry, honey but that's just so…" Judy gave a dry sob. "You could have d-died, and if it wasn't for Jess, …"

"I think we're embarrassing her," Bill said with a weak grin at me.

Yeah, or Jess! Sheesh, parents.

"Thanks for the eggs, Judy," said Jess after he'd had a few. "But I'd better be getting home, those chores won't do themselves!"

"I walk back with you," I volunteered, flapping my raincoat hood back over my head. "C'mon, let's go."

Pretty sure I heard Judy go "so responsible," after his retreating figure, I rolled my eyes and went after him. "So, we're going back tomorrow, right?" I asked as we neared his home.

"Er… yeah, sure," he said, though obviously hesitant. "The rain will have let up by then, right?"

"Yeah, definitely," I said in a convincing voice, as if the weather had better do as I say. We were on his front porch. "Listen, Jess…"

"Yeah?" He looked at me, his big brown eyes looking innocently into mine, so unaware of what I wanted to do just then. "Leslie, are you okay…?" He jokingly shook my arm, and my heart jumped into my throat—which, if you ask me, would justify the stuttering of my next sentence.

"I—I just, I… um…" Oh, so I was nervous, that was all. I mean, it had been a bit of a scare, today. "Jess… thanks. Thanks for everything." I didn't mean just for saving my life, but for being such a good friend, being my best friend when other people didn't want anything to do with me, but I didn't know how to say it right. "Jess."

He was amused now, I could tell. "Yes, Leslie?"

"Oh, what the heck." I bridged the gap between us by taking his face in my hands and I kissed him as well as I could. No big deal, I told myself, but as I realized that this was the commencement of so many other dreams I had been subconsciously having, I could not help but revel in it. After a few moments, Jess put his arms around me and pulled me closer.

Then with a bang, his front door opened. His two older sisters stood there and watched us jump guiltily apart. But instead of laughing, like I would have expected them to, one of them started to bark, like P.T.

How strange.

I awoke with a start to see Prince Terrian jumping around on my bed, apparently terrified. Lightning crashed outside my window, and he gave another frightened bark and pranced into my arms. As I tried to calm him down, I also had to try and calm myself. So it had all been a dream. Jess hadn't saved me from the jaws of death, nor had he kissed me. I ran my fingers across my lips, trying to feel the remnants of the dream there.

"Sh, P.T., SH!" I shushed him, petting him roughly to try and get him to shut up. He whimpered silently in my lap. I closed my eyes, but kept my mind wide open to the fantasy that it was a shivering Jess I held in my arms, comforting. That he needed me. I had certainly come to the conclusion that I needed him. While the rescue and the kiss may have been completely made up in my mind (a darn shame, really), I had to acknowledge the fact that my feelings had not.

At the same time, I couldn't help feeling a little disgusted with myself. I felt like I was as bad as Jess's slobbery older sisters. Yuck.

"Leslie?" It was Judy. She walked slowly into my dark room. "Is everything all right? I heard P.T. barking like crazy!"

"Everything's fine," I said, if you don't count that dream. "I think he just got a little scared by the storm, is all."

"It is some storm, isn't it?" Judy murmured, sitting down on the bed next to me. "Just goes to show you how powerful nature can really be when it wants to, huh?"

"Yeah," I whispered, stroking P.T's fur (not Jess's hair). "Mom—Judy…" She turned to look at me in surprise, and I reached over the dog to hug her. "I love you."

"Well I love you too, Leslie," she said, patting my back. When I leaned on my pillow once more, she asked, "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, yeah, I just had a pretty weird dream is all," I yawned.

"Oh, yeah? Well maybe you can tell me more about it in the morning," she said, getting up. "We should both get to sleep now. Good night."

"Night."

In the morning, the rain was still coming down in Biblical proportions (if I'm not exactly religious, am I still allowed to say that? I only know Jess was telling me that story about Noah and his ark a couple weeks ago, and how all that rain came down and made a flood. That's where I got the phrase from. Sure was an neat story, but I feel bad for all the unicorns and dragons that didn't believe and then drowned in the flood).

P.T. was no more than a snoozing little heap on the end of my bed; I carefully climbed out, trying not to disturb him. Maybe when we went to Terabithia today, Jess and I could pretend like it was Noah's flood out there, and we had to save all of our people. Jess could be Noah and I could be… as I pulled on my clothes, I tried to remember the names of the women in the story. None came to mind, so I decided I could be Esther, that woman in the Bible Jess had told me stood up to the King to save all the Jewish people. I'm not sure if Esther ever met Noah, but that didn't really matter in make-believe. Before rushing out of the bathroom, I paused to evaluate myself in the mirror.

My hair could use a trim, should probably cut my nails at some point, and… what else? If I was old enough to start thinking about Jess in the way I was thinking, was I old enough to wear makeup? Judy didn't wear much but she kept some around. I strained my ears for any sound of her (or Bill) coming down the hall, but I heard nothing. Carefully I removed the lid from what I thought was that blush stuff, picked up the little poofy thing inside and dabbed it on my cheeks. Did it really make that much of a difference? It was hard to tell…

I rattled through some more of the drawers and found an old lip gloss dispenser that Maybelle had once given me in exchange for the Barbies (I believe its previous owner was Brenda or Ellie). I had never wanted to use it before, but I carefully applied some today and smacked my lips the way I'd seen my mother do. Hm. Not too bad.

Glancing at a hallway clock, I saw that it was only 9:00 in the morning. As it was a Saturday, Bill and Judy wouldn't be up yet, but I knew Jess would. Walking down the wooden stairs quietly proved very difficult, because they creaked horribly every time you took a step—but I decided it wouldn't make that much noise in comparison to the raging storm going on outside. I took note of the fact that most people would just want to stay inside on days like this, but not me. Running around in the elements makes me feel so alive, and I'm glad that Jess appears to feel the same way.

Nevertheless, I pulled on my boots and too-big-for-me raincoat and started outdoors. As I headed for Jess's, I wondered if I should tell him about my dream. What if it freaked him out? What if he said he only wanted to be friends? What if he didn't even want to be that anymore when I told him how I felt? What if I was doing all this what if-ing for nothing? Maybe Jess felt the same way… at any rate, I was filled with a private, bubbling joy as I arrived at his porch—even if I didn't say anything today, it would still be just as good just to see him.

I tentatively knocked on the door, wondering if anyone would be able to hear me over the rain. When no one answered I knocked a little louder, but it was still in vain. I had just decided I'd walk around to the barn to see if he was in there milking Bessie, when the wire door opened. Maybelle stood there in her measly little pajamas, looking tired and very much awake at the same time.

"Hi there, Maybelle," I greeted her, not stepping inside because I was dripping like nobody's business.

"Hi, Leslie!"

"Is Jess here?"

"No."

"Oh, so he's out working in this weather?" I laughed, jabbing my thumb behind me to indicate the barn and the storm.

"No—no, he's not," Maybelle said after I'd already turned around. Naturally I turned once more so I was facing her again.

"He's… he's not? Where is he?" This was weird.

"Miss Edmunds came here a little while ago," Maybelle answered. "Jess said something about going to a museum in the city with her."

"Oh, he… he did?"

"Yes."

Even in the cold rain, I suddenly felt hot. I didn't know what to say. Trying to sound casual I said, "Ah. So, uh… how—how long ago did they leave?"

"I dunno," Maybelle answered with a shrug. "Not very long ago."

My heart was sinking. "Oh… okay." Maybelle was still standing there, waiting for me to say something else. "All right, Maybelle. When Jess gets back, tell him I came by and tell him I'm at… tell him I went to the place. Don't worry, he'll understand."

"Okay," Maybelle said slowly, looking curiously at me.

"Well, bye." I turned and walked down the front steps, and heard Maybelle shut the door behind me.

So, Miss Edmunds. Miss Edmunds… I never liked that woman. She's very shady. Driving into D.C. in this kind of weather?! Surely that couldn't be safe! How reckless of a teacher to come and invite a student on a little foray into town on a rainy day like this. They'd probably get in an accident; Miss Edmunds doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd be a safe driver. And then Jess would die, and I wouldn't ever get to tell him about my dream (because even if I didn't today, I would have someday)! Oh, dear.

And why didn't he invite me?! That was the worst part of it. Just because he's the artist doesn't mean I wouldn't have enjoyed going to a museum! I would have gone to a monster truck rally if it meant being with Jess. He wanted to be alone with her, he didn't want me intruding on his time alone with his precious Miss Edmunds. Stupid boy!

I didn't realize it, but all this time, my feet had been taking me to the creek in front of Terabithia. Staring down at it, I acknowledged that it was not so much a creek as it was a swift river, like Noah's flood. No; not Noah's flood, not quite… maybe more like the river the Queen of Egypt found what's-his-name in, floating in a basket. Yeah, that was it. I'd told Maybelle I'd be in Terabithia, but would it really be the same without Jess there? Maybe he wouldn't like it if I went alone…

Well, too bad for him. He wanted to go to the museum with Miss Edmunds alone. Gosh, just thinking about her made a sharp feeling of rage spasm through my chest. I couldn't tell if it was just rain or if there were teardrops on my face, slightly blinding my vision. Either way it was difficult to get an exact look of things as I reached for the rope, grabbed it, and swung.

For a few seconds, everything was fine and normal. Then I suddenly became aware that I was free-falling. I tore my eyes away from Terabithia and looked up: the branch was fine but the rope had split… below me, the crashing water could not quite hide a tremendous rock from view—I knew what was going to happen the second before it did and in that one second, all I could think was

Jess—