hmm...I'm surprised that no one figured out who openminded is.

ah well. she is revealed in this chapter

Chapter 2:

Who is Openminded?

Jess sat back in his spinny chair. it had been 3 weeks since he met Openminded, and the two of them were becoming fast friends. He had trouble admitting to himself that he had forgotten about Leslie for a day or two, but he had.

His mind wandered back to his last conversation with the mystery person who made him feel better.

--

Jess?

Yeah?

I'm coming up to Lark Creek next weekend.

And?

Do you maybe want to get a soda after i'm done what i have to do there?

Jess thought of what his mother might say if she found out he was going to meet a stranger.

"Stranger Danger Jess, Stranger Danger."

But Jess no longer cared.

Sure.

--

That had been the weekend before. Now, he sat near his wondow waiting for someone to vome looking for him.

Something caught his eye.

Where did it go?

There! Going into the forest. Was that-- No. It couldn't be.

But there was no mistaking the shoulder length blonde hair.

Jese Aarons was going nuts.

--

Jess sat as his window a half hour later with his binoculars in hand.

There! Coming out of the forest.

He licked his lips as he raised the binoculars.

Yes. It was her. Even at this distance there was no mistaking the hair, the shoes, even the way she walked.

And she was walking towards his house!

He ran downstairs and looked out the window.

Here she came. It was all over now. He would hear the doorbell and pull the door open and there would be no one there.

His parents would think he was nuts.

Ding-Ding

There was the bell. He willed himself to remain seated, but his hands and feet wouldn't stay. He marched towards the door and pulled it open. He closed his eyes.

And nothing happened. He opened his eyes slowly.

"Hi Jess."

And Jesse Aarons fainted.

--

Jess awoke to find himself on the couch with a certain blonde girl sitting next to him.

"My head..."

"Shh Jess. you hit your head when you fainted. You're on Concussion Watch."

"How do I know you're not just a side effect of the con-whatsit playing tricks on me."

She leaned her head over his face. He caught a brief smell of strawberry shampoo before he felt her lips on his.

"That's how.

Jess did his best to sit up.

Then it hit him.

"You. You're the one I've been talking to for 3 weeks."

Leslie nodded slowly.

"What was it you had to do today?"

"You saw me doofus. I waited out of sight of your window until I saw you sit on the sill, then I went into the forest. When I came out, you were waiting with binoculars."

"What were you doing in the forest?"

"Seeing how Terabithia was. I don't recall you have a bizarre obsession with Barbie and horses though."

"I made Maybelle princess."

Leslie nodded understandingly.

"Everyone thinks you're dead. I saw you dead with no pulse. How are you here?"

"My mom explained it to me on the way to Boston. A few minutes after you left, one of the nurses was about to detach me from the heart monitor when she noticed there was a slight pulse. They revived me, and we left."

"Why'd you come back?"

Leslie smiled.

"Because I missed my Jesse. And I knew you would be miserable as hell without me."

"Language!" came a voice from the next room.

"Sorry dad!"

Jess looked Leslie in the eye.

"I'm glad you came back Les."

The two friends sat on the couch swapping stories for the next several hours until they both dozed off.

The parents came in to tell the two that i was time for bed, and they found them cuddled up on the couch.

"Just leave them," whispered Bill.

Jack nodded, and the four parents turned out the light, and went their seperate ways.

--

So. Let's recap: Leslie is alive, Jess was depressed without her, Leslie kissed Jess, thus declaring that she loves him.

Wow...eventful.

Anyway. Keep your eyes peeled for the Epilogue. It might be up later tonight, or it might be up tomorrow.