Disclaimer: I do not own Bridge to Terabithia, in any shape, form, or fashion. That honor belongs to Katherine Paterson, Walden Media, and the Walt Disney Studios. I am simply a grateful fan of a beautiful story.

Author's Note: Not as quick as the last update, is it? I'm afraid I had a bit of trouble getting this chapter together, and I'm still not entirely pleased with it. I also got caught up with work and an original story I am working on.

All the same, I apologize for the long wait. I hope you enjoy this much longer installment. Happy reading!

OoOoOoO

A PLACE FOR US

Chapter Three: Monday

OoOoOoO

The bus came to a squealing, squelching halt next to the drive a few minutes later—though it felt more like an eternity, thanks to the cold wind and rain. Jess, Leslie, and May Belle clambered aboard, stepping carefully so they would not to slip on the slick steps.

Everyone on the bus looked like a drowned rat, but the normal buzz of laughter, loud voices, and outright shouting was still alive and kicking. No amount of foul weather could ever hope to put an end to the chaos of the Bus Ride. As long as there was no outright violence involved, Mr. Kenny usually turned a blind-eye to the myriad of "adventures" playing out behind the driver's seat.

Oh well. As long as no one threw anything at him, Jess did not care what happened on the bus either.

Not that he was a favorite target these days, not anymore. Janice Avery's crew had long since moved on to Lark Creek High School, taking their pranks and snide remarks with them. Janice herself had even left behind a dire warning for those left behind.

"Mess with Beanpole and her friends, and I'll come back here and mess up your face!"

Shocking it may have been, but potential troublemakers had still believed her.

Once, the threat might have surprised Jess, too. But he still remembered the Other Time, that reality only he had lived through, and how Janice had stuck up for him by bloodying Gary Fulcher's nose. And even in This Time, she had taken it upon herself, no questions asked, to look out for her new friend.

Then or Now, Jan—as Leslie liked to call her—had never forgotten Leslie Burke's kindness in the girl's bathroom.

So aside from the general mayhem playing out all around them, rides on the bus for Jess, Leslie, and May Belle were more or less peaceful. Sometimes, he was even able to take a quick catnap.

And a catnap would be very nice today, he thought. Jess rubbed at his tired eyes and fought back a yawn. He hoped he would be able to make it through the day.

May Belle took off down the aisle and flopped beside Alexandra. Jess and Leslie chose a seat not far behind the talkative pair. The bus jolted, whined, and took off again, rumbling morosely down the muddy road.

Jess dug around in his backpack and pulled out his sketchbook. Without saying a word, he opened it up to a certain page and handed it to Leslie. Her face brightened when she saw the sketch.

"Oh, Jess! Is this what you drew last night?"

"Uh-huh."

"It's wonderful!" she said. "And so detailed… It took you, what, only a couple of hours?" She flashed a mischievous grin. "Maybe you should have weird dreams more often, Jess."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure thing. Me and my subconscious will get right on that."

Leslie giggled. "Seriously, though, it's amazing! When you look at it, you can practically smell the excitement!"

"Smell the excitement?" he grinned. "Something must be wrong with your nose, because it smells just like paper to me."

Leslie huffed, fighting back more giggles (he loved making her laugh), and playfully pushed him. "You know what I mean! It's really good, Jess. I think it's one of your best. We should hang it up there."

Jess shrugged. "If you want to," he said casually, though inwardly he was bursting with pride.

"I do. And we will. I already know the perfect place for it."

May Belle chose that exact moment to twist around in her seat. "Hey, Jess! Jess!" she yelled, thumping the back of her seat and waving frantically at him. She scrambled into the aisle and jumped into the spot right across from him and Leslie. "That's your drawing, right?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Jess was just showing it to me," said Leslie.

"Can I show it to Alexandra, too?" asked May Belle.

The request caught him a little off-guard. "Um, really?" said Jess, frowning.

"Please let me! I told her how good it was, that it looked just like the stuff in our books. But she won't believe me, so now I gotta show her so she'll know I was right. I just gotta!"

"Just gotta, huh? Can't argue with that." He gave the sketchbook to his little sister. "Go ahead and show her. But be careful with this, May Belle. You have to take real good care of it, okay?"

"I will," she said. "I'll give it back to you when we get to school, I promise. Cross my heart!"

"Alright then. It's all yours."

"Thanks, Jess!"

Hugging the sketchbook close, May Belle charged her way back to her original spot and rejoined her red-haired pal. Immediately, the pair bent over the book, vanishing behind the leather seat.

Jess leaned back, relaxing. He soon noticed Leslie was looking at him and wearing a very bright smile. It was a cute little grin, and it made her cheeks puff up just a bit. He could tell she had something running around in her head.

No chance of a cat-nap now. His curiosity was pricked.

"What?" he said.

"Nothing, really," she said. "It's just, I'm so happy you're finally letting other people see your work."

Jess chuckled. "Gosh, Leslie, it's just May Belle and Alexandra."

"They still count. Used to be, you wouldn't even let me peek at your drawings. And now you're showing them to kids on the bus, sometimes to your mom and dad, and even to a couple of teachers at school. It's great, and… I know!" she suddenly added, nearly shouting. "You should sign up for the art contest!"

"Uh… You mean the one they're having at school?"

"Yeah!" she said. She was so excited, she was almost bouncing. "I heard they're going to have a show at the high school when it's over, so everyone can see all the entrants."

"Uh-huh. That's what Mr. Birchfield said in Art."

"There's going to be prizes, too, and the overall winner gets to represent Lark Creek at the Millsburg County Art Fair. It sounds really cool, Jess."

"And you want me to enter." She nodded. "Why?" he said.

"Well, why not?" she said. "You're talented, Jess. You deserve to get some recognition. Let the whole world see what you can do!"

He shifted in his seat, his stomach suddenly all jittery and fluttery. It was one thing to let a few people look at his drawings ever so often, but the whole school? The whole county? "I-I dunno…" he stuttered.

She touched his shoulder. "You don't have to if you don't want to," said Leslie gently. "It was just an idea. But at least think about it, okay? I know you'd do great."

Just like that, his nerves faded a smidge or three. "You think so?"

"No, I don't think so. I didn't say that, did I? I said I know so. There's a difference."

She smiled at him again, and, goodness, it was so sweet and warm and pretty, just so Leslie, how could he not smile back?

"Alright, alright!" he said. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," she said, beaming.

And, not caring who saw, Leslie leaned forward and kissed his cheek, but still quite close to his lips.

He swore he heard May Belle squealing happily up front.

OoOoOoO

Or maybe not, he later thought.

May Belle certainly didn't look very cheerful. Not even close. She bore a thunderous scowl as she stomped off the bus, her little fists clenched, her thin shoulders tense. She was still wearing the same ugly look when she shoved Jess's sketchbook smack into his stomach.

"There!" she practically snarled.

"Ouch," grunted Jess, rubbing his gut. "Jeez, what's wrong with you, Little Miss Sunshine?"

"Me and Alexandra aren't friends anymore," she said.

Jess and Leslie shared a glance tempered by both amusement and disbelief. "Oh, May Belle, that can't be true," said Leslie.

His sister huffed. "It is true! She's not my best friend, and I'm not talking to her ever, ever again!"

Okay. He would bite. "What happened, May Belle?" asked Jess.

"I showed her your drawing," she grumbled, crossing her arms, "like I said I was gonna. But she still wouldn't believe it was yours, 'cause she said there's no way a boy can draw that good. I told her you could, and that you drew lots of stuff like that, all the time, and she said I was lying 'cause you're my brother. And then she wouldn't give me five dollars, even though you kissed on the bus, we saw you, since it was just on the cheek. But a kiss is a kiss, and I told her that, but she said no, and won't even give me two and a half dollars! And I said she was being stupid and mean, and she's not my friend anymore!"

She told the story in close to one breath, barely even pausing between her rushed sentences. Now May Belle was huffy for another reason. Cheeks flushed, her eyes hot, she was trembling with nothing short of rage.

Jess was trapped between wanting to chuckle and feeling bad for her. But since she had been there for him the night before, and because he was her big brother, he swallowed the laugh bubbling up in the back of his throat. He almost choked on it, but he bravely managed to keep a straight face.

"That's real rough, May Belle," he said. "I'm sorry."

Leslie nodded, and gave the little girl a one-armed hug. "I'm sure things will be better soon, though," she said gently.

"If you say so," muttered May Belle.

The bell rang, and a still glowering May Belle charged down the hallway towards her classroom. Jess and Leslie watched her until her mud-spattered raincoat vanished into a sea of untamed second-graders.

Jess finally allowed himself to laugh. "Betcha she and Alexandra are friends again by the end of the day," he said.

"And I bet they've made up by lunch," said Leslie.

He heard the note of challenge in her voice, and with a grin he rose up and met it head on. "Want to make that a real bet?"

Her eyes gleamed. "Ha! You're on, Aarons! What are the stakes?"

"Okay, if I win, you have to…" The idea struck him with all the power of a lightning bolt, and it was simply too good to pass up. "You have to wear the brown dress to school tomorrow."

Leslie balked, pulling off a rather impressive grimace. "The one my aunt sent me?" she said. "Really?"

"Yep, that's the one!"

The dress in question was a drab one, shoved into the back of Leslie's closet with other castoffs and forgotten bits and pieces. Other than its straight, uniform cut, it boasted no shape or form whatsoever. It had no embroidery, no frills, and had never heard of bangles or buckles or buttons. It was just a dull, dry sort of brown color, as boring as it was ugly.

In short, the dress was about as far from Miss Leslie Burke as it was possible to get. She hated it, and he knew she hated it.

And that is what made it so perfect.

"Ugh…" she groaned. "Jess, that thing is… It's just so, so… Ugh!"

He nudged her good-naturedly. "You're not gonna back out of the bet 'cause of a little ole dress, are you?"

She scowled, nose scrunching up. "What? No. No! No way am I forfeiting to you!"

"Sooooo…?" he drawled.

"Fine!" she sighed. "You got it! If you win, I'll wear that monstrosity to school."

"You can't add anything to it to make it look better, either," he added.

A grumpy sort of look crossed her face. "I wasn't going to, thank you, but okay. I won't. It'll just be a bad case of the Ugly. But if I win…" Leslie smirked a little. Oh gosh, that couldn't be good. "If I win, you have to sign up for the art contest."

This time, it was Jess's turn to waver. "W-Wait, what? But you said I could think about it!"

"Hey now," she said with an impish grin, her hands on her hips. "If I have to risk wearing a horrible dress, you have to risk something big too! Fair is fair, right?"

"Right…" His stomach was jumping around again, but he still gave in and nodded. "Alright," he said. "If you win, I promise I'll enter the art contest."

She pumped a fist. "Sweet!" she said giddily.

Lord, she was acting like she had already won the bet. "Not that it's ever gonna happen."

"We'll just see about that, buster. So it's a bet?"

She held out her hand. Jess took it, and as they shook on it they smiled at one another.

"It's a bet," he said.

Then they both remembered the bell had rung nearly four minutes ago. Horrified, and without another word, they pelted down the slick hallway for class, skidding and bumping into lockers along the way.

OoOoOoO

They just barely beat the tardy-bell.

Not that it even mattered. Their strict English teacher, Mrs. Baker, was out with a bad cold. Other than the expected "Beep beep beep" from Scott Hoager (which, by now, was more annoying than anything else), their rushed entrance was hardly noticed.

The substitute was a sleepy-eyed man with a dry, monotone voice. His marching orders from the bedridden Baker were not to give the class busy work or discuss a new assignment, but to show a film based on a classic novel instead.

The class griped and moaned, until they learned the movie was the newest version of Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Because, hey, it was loosely based on a book, right?

It turned out to be a pretty good movie, though it was obvious where the 3D was supposed to have been. Jess liked it, though he just knew he was going to be teased for looking a little like the actor playing Sean.

He especially liked the bioluminescent bird. Man-eating plants, dinosaurs, and vicious, sharp-toothed fish he had expected, but the glowing bird was unique. The little fellow sparked Jess's imagination. By the time the bell rang, he was burning with an intense desire to bring his idea to life on paper.

Thankfully, the next class was Art. Without waiting for instructions from Mr. Birchfield, Jess took up his pencils—number twos and colored nubs alike—and went right to work, falling into a zone where nothing else existed but the budding sketch.

He drew several birds, adding his own personal touch to each one. Some had feathery crests on their heads. Others had long, flowing tails, while a few even boasted curved, parrot-like beaks. He kept a couple simple, though, just like his inspiration, tiny and a little chubby but with deep, intelligent eyes.

The one in the center of the flock (one of the simple ones) he colored a plain blue, but its friends came in a vast array of colors and vibrant hues. Emerald green, burnt orange, indigo and pink, gold and silver and bronze… Jess used every colored pencil he could get his hands on.

Finally, he added a shading of color around each and every bird, and—presto!—they were now glowing.

Jess was more than happy to share his newest creation with Leslie. She, in turn, was more than happy to abandon her drawing of what might have been a hippo or a fat dog, but was probably neither.

He still thought it was hilarious that, as masterfully artistic as Leslie was when it came to design and penning stories, she could barely manage a stick figure.

"They're beautiful…" she said, in a hushed sort of voice. "What are they?"

"Starbirds," he said. As soon as he said it aloud, he knew it was the right name for them. The rest came flowing along like a river. "When a star falls over that place, it doesn't just vanish forever. It becomes a bird. They keep a little bit of their old starlight with them, though, so they're always glowing."

Her eyes sparkled, his imagination breathing life into her own. "The starbirds used to be hunted and caged," she said, "and treated terribly, especially by his servants. A lot of people thought they could grant wishes, since they were living stars."

"Can they?" he said, enjoying the tale. He loved it when Leslie told stories, especially those she made up on the spot.

"Oh, no one knows for sure," said Leslie. "And if they can, they would never help those with dark hearts. So he and his servants thought they might have to kill the starbirds, to release their hidden power. But before they could, the king and queen discovered the place, and they rescued all the starbirds he had captured. Now all the starbirds are close allies of the royal family."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "Mm-mm. Especially this one." She pointed at the small blue bird in the middle of all the others. "He and the king are very good friends. In fact," she said, smiling, "he once led the king to safety, when the king was lost deep underground."

Jess sputtered, and unleashed a mixture of a groan and a chuckle. "Argh! Not you too!" he said, collapsing into the desk and burying his face between his arms.

Leslie just laughed.

OoOoOoO

As the wet morning wore into a damp afternoon, the lack of sleep from the night before caught up with Jess. The hum of the constant rain, pattering a hypnotic lullaby against the windows, and the dark skies did not help much.

Gosh, he was dog tired.

And he couldn't hide it, either. Drowsy, eyes achy, his jaw cracking with yawn after yawn after yawn, he nearly nodded off several times in Social Studies.

Thank God for Leslie. She noticed he was having trouble, and did everything she could to help. She nudged and poked him whenever he started to droop, jostled his feet or whispered his name. She even risked passing him a few notes (complete with smiley-faces and very, very corny jokes) during class, just to keep him awake.

It helped. It helped a lot, but it was still a real struggle to keep his eyes peeled.

The noon bell finally—mercifully—rang. It was time for lunch, and Jess was actually looking forward to squeezing into the cramped cafeteria. Maybe putting some food into his system would get his motor running again.

At least he hoped so. He still had the rest of the day to slug through, and a load of chores and homework waiting for him at home.

Oh joy.

But, hey, that was Monday for you.

After stopping by their lockers to get rid of their books, Jess and Leslie blazed a trail for the cafeteria. Before they reached the lunchroom, they were forced to navigate through a tidal wave of second-graders. Sweaty, hyper, and more than a little smelly, the kids were on their way back from recess in the gym. He and Leslie, as well as a few others from their class, took cover by plastering themselves to the wall.

She suddenly tugged on his arm. "Hey, look."

He glanced in the direction she pointed, and quickly caught sight of May Belle. His little sister and Alexandra were walking side by side, giggling and smiling. They cheerfully waved at him and Leslie as they passed.

Leslie was also smiling. "Looks like they made up," she said.

"Uh-huh. Big surprise there," he yawned. "This is my surprised face, by the way."

She laughed and he drank it all up, a grin tugging at his lips too.

"And you know what that means…" she added brightly, a definite sing-song lilt in her voice.

"I know, I know." They peeled themselves off the wall and tried for the lunchroom again. "I admit it. They're friends again before lunch. You win."

"So you're going to do it? The art contest?"

"I promised, didn't I?" he said, and felt wonderfully happy (even over the maddening urge to yawn yet again) at the sudden warmth now glowing in her eyes. "I'll go and grab a sign-up sheet after school, okay?"

"Why not now? We have a little bit of time."

"Because it's pizza day, and I'm hungry."

"Of course. Silly me."

OoOoOoO

Pepperoni pizza worked wonders, reviving Jess and giving him enough energy to survive the rest of the day. Not even a rough recess in the gym—Scott Hoager and Gary Fulcher took a perverse sort of pleasure in hitting people (mostly him, because he had an "annoying" habit of beating them like drums at the daily races) as hard as they possibly could during Batter Ball—dampened his newfound spirits.

Especially since Leslie, after they had knocked him out of the game, had whacked both of them a few seconds later. She had excellent aim.

So while he was still tired by the time the final bell clanged, he was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (as his grandmother was so fond of saying) as he and Leslie walked to the office. Sign-up sheets for the Lark Creek Elementary School Art Contest could be picked up there.

He asked the secretary for one.

"Mm," she said. "Cutting it a little close, aren't we?"

"Um, yeah. I guess so. Sorry," he said. "I can still enter though, right?"

"Yes. But will you be able to come up with something… presentable… in just four days?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'll try," said Jess.

He was graced with a doubtful harrumph. Leslie glowered, her eyes narrowed, but the secretary ignored her sour gaze.

"Well, as long as your entry and a completed entrance form are turned in by Friday, it should be fine." She handed him a sign-up sheet. "Here you are."

"Thanks, ma'am."

His politeness did little to warm her frosty tone. He thought it may have even irritated her more. "Be sure to read and follow all the rules, or you will be disqualified," she said curtly. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am, I do. I mean, I will. Thank you."

"Oh, Jess!" said much friendlier voice. "You're entering the art contest?" Jess and Leslie turned to see Miss Edmunds walk into the office, guitar case and car keys in hand. "Or are you the one entering, Leslie?"

"Who, me?" laughed Leslie. "Gosh, no way! I would never force anyone to look at my drawings. That'd be, like, a cruel and unusual punishment!"

Miss Edmunds chuckled along with her. But Jess only mumbled, "Well, I think you're getting better."

Leslie blushed. "That's real sweet of you, Jess," she said, more than a touch bashfully, "but we both know that's not true. Nope," she added, patting him on the shoulder, "this here's our future champ, Miss Edmunds. Just you wait and see!"

"I won't disagree with you there," said Miss Edmunds. "Jess is a very talented artist."

He beamed. He no longer had a crush on her, but he still valued Miss Edmunds' opinion. "Thank you. I'll do my best."

Miss Edmunds smiled. "I'm sure you will. Though I will admit… I am a little surprised you're entering the contest, Jess."

"Um, yeah, well… I kind of lost a bet," he said.

"No need to ask who's responsible for that," said their Music teacher, casting a knowing look in Leslie's direction.

His best friend flashed a very wicked grin. "Guilty as charged! And proud of it!"

"She's having T-shirts made as we speak," said Jess.

"I'll take a size medium, then," said Miss Edmunds. They all shared a good laugh. "Seriously, though…" she continued, once they were able to catch a breath. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Jess, but I'm glad you lost the bet. It's wonderful you're entering. I'm looking forward to seeing your work."

"Then you're going to the show after the contest is over?"

"Yes. I want to, but I also have to. I'm one of the judges, you know."

"Really?" he said.

Makes a lot of sense, though, he thought. Miss Edmunds was a very artistic person. Who better to judge the contest than her?

"Yep," she nodded. "But don't go thinking this means I'll go easy on you, Mr. Aarons," she said teasingly. "It just means I know exactly what you are capable of. Got it?"

He smiled at her. "Gotcha."

"Don't worry, Miss Edmunds," said Leslie. "You're going to see something amazing. Jess never gives anything less than his very best, you know."

This time, he was the one to blush.

OoOoOoO

They said goodbye to Miss Edmunds and then scrambled to catch the bus. One loud ride later, they were tramping through the mud and muck for home.

May Belle immediately pelted for the Aarons' house, but Jess stuck with Leslie. A mound of homework weighed heavily on their shoulders, and since it was too wet and cold to visit their kingdom, what better place to tackle it than the Gold Room?

The only downside, really, was that most of the homework was Math problems.

Jess did not have a head for numbers or equations. He never had. Leslie was a bit better at it than he was, but Math was definitely not her strongest subject—something Madison Moore loved to mock her about, which bothered Jess a great deal.

He was by no means responsible for Madison's missing (and much beloved) Edward Cullen folder, though. Nope. No sire-e.

Thankfully, Mrs. Burke did have a head for Math, and she was more than happy to lend the two a helping hand.

Jess could only guess Judy was not working on a new book at the moment. If she had been, he knew and Leslie would have racked their poor brains for hours and hours, and still have had to settle for a C.

But Judy wasn't working on a book right now. And thanks to that wonderful, wonderful woman, they finished the Math problems in record time. The rest of their homework soon followed.

Jess stayed for quite a while afterwards, sitting on the couch with Leslie, listening to music on the radio.

He was not too proud to deny they cuddled. They did, and they did it a lot. Leslie liked to call him her "Cuddle Buddy," and though he had no such nickname for her, she was his too. She would lay her head on his shoulder, and he would wrap an arm around her and pull her closer, their free hands clasped in front of them. He would brush his thumb over her knuckles, again and again, and sometimes she would even thread her fingers through his hair.

No one else could get away with doing that but her.

They never said much during these moments, if they even spoke at all. Talking with Leslie, swapping stories and jokes, was always fantastic, but they didn't need to talk to enjoy one another's company. Simply being together was enough.

It was a true blessing, and one they did not take for granted.

So they cuddled.

But like all good things, this time eventually had to come to an end. Jess had to leave for supper and take care of his chores, but he promised Leslie he would call her before he went to bed.

"I'll hold you to that," she said, walking him to the door. "Oh, and before I forget… Tell your family about the contest."

He squinted at her. "Why?"

"Because they might be interested?" she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because they might want to come to the art show on Saturday?"

"Yeah right."

"Hey, you never know. Just tell them."

He rolled his eyes a little, but said "Sure" anyway. Then he hugged and kissed her goodbye. "I'll try and call about 8:00, okay? Brenda should be off the phone by then."

"Want to bet on it?" she giggled, her eyes radiant.

"Yeah, uh, no thanks."

They hugged again—kisses were very nice, but Jess loved these sorts of long, warm hugs, when he swore he could feel her heart beating against his—and then he was running as hard as he could across the yard for his house. The rain had returned in force, and he had given the umbrella to May Belle.

He was soaked through by the time he finished work in the greenhouse and stepped into the kitchen. His mother, cooking at the stove, glanced up and frowned.

"Gracious… Go take a shower and put some dry clothes on right now, Jesse Oliver. You're going to catch a cold."

"Alright."

Brenda, lounging in the living room, smirked. "Jeez. What've you been doing? Playing in the shower with your girlfriend again?"

Jess glared heatedly at her, heart pumping, but he bit his tongue and let Momma handle it. He could hear her snapping at Brenda as he charged up the stairs. He hoped his sister was given more than just a lecture, though. She was getting worse and worse.

He walked into his and the little girls' bedroom. May Belle was playing with her Barbie dolls, but she looked up and burst out laughing when she saw him.

"You're all wet!" she squealed.

"Really? I couldn't tell," he said. He dug through his drawer for some new clothes. "Did you get your homework done?"

"Uh-huh."

"Didn't need any help?"

"Just a little. But Ellie helped me, so it's okay."

Jess could not help but smile a bit. If Brenda was getting worse, Ellie was getting better. It was nice, knowing he might actually have an older sister who cared.

He tossed his wet socks at May Belle, just to annoy her, and she returned the favor in kind with a shoe. He dodged the projectile with a laugh, and retreated to the bathroom.

One wonderfully hot shower later, he was dry and clean and sitting up in bed, sketchbook and colored pencils in hand. Since he had had to turn it in as an assignment, he redid the starbird picture he had drawn in Art class.

With a bit more time on his hands to work with this time around, the second edition turned out much cleaner and crisper than the first. He was quite proud of it, and when he showed it to her, May Belle loved it too. He also told her the story he and Leslie had crafted, and it absolutely enthralled her.

"Can the purple bird be mine?" she asked.

"Which one?"

"The one with the long tail and lots of feathers on its head. It's really pretty."

"Then it's yours, Princess. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Girl!" she said immediately.

He chuckled. "Why'd I even ask?"

They dubbed the purple starbird Violet. Hardly original, but it fit. May Belle had just managed to wrangle a promise from Jess to draw a picture of her, Violet, and Captain Super Extreme Barbie when they were called down for supper. Tucking away the sketchbook, Jess walked downstairs with his little sister.

Their father had come home while Jess was in the shower, and a sparkly May Belle was given an expected hug and kiss. Jess got a firm pat on the back, but he recognized the gruff gesture for the show of affection it was.

"Good day at school?" said Jack.

"It was okay. For a Monday, I mean," said Jess.

The comment actually drew a quiet laugh from his father.

Supper was a thick stew, the perfect meal for a cold, wet day. Brenda complained, of course, so Jess (who thought the stew was delicious, and said so) offered to eat her share for her. She shut-up after that, though he noticed the mad-hate glare she was sending his way.

Momma must've lit into for me, he thought. Leave it to Brenda to blame him for her oh-so rotten life. He couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for her.

Other than this brief, albeit bloodless, clash, mealtime for the Aarons was a pleasant affair. May Belle went into minute detail about her day. Joyce Ann babbled several words, amusing everyone. After a bit of firm coaxing, Ellie even talked about the two colleges she was interested in. Brenda needed a new dress for some reason or another—"I need it by next week!" she said—and Mary said she would take her to the Millsburg Plaza on Saturday.

"But that's when—!" Jess blurted out, before snapping his mouth shut.

His family stared at him. "What is it, hon?" said his mother.

He hesitated, wondering whether to charge on ahead or not. Just tell them, Leslie had said. It sounded so simple… He sucked in a breath.

"Well, um, there's an art show at the high school on Saturday," he said.

"An art show?" said Jack, brow furrowed. "What art show?"

Jess fidgeted in his seat. "It's for the art contest at school. They're gonna show all the art and stuff in the high school's gym on Saturday, so everybody can see 'em, before announcing the winner. And, uh, well… I was going to enter it."

"Yay, Jess!" said May Belle, an excited grin peppering her face. "You'll win! I just know it!"

"I'm gonna try."

"Are there any prizes?" said Ellie.

Brenda snorted. "Like he'd win anything…"

Jess ignored her. Everyone else did, too. "Yeah. Third place gets twenty-five dollars, second-place gets fifty, and first-place gets a hundred. And if you win it all, you get to represent Lark Creek at the county Art Fair."

"That sounds pretty cool," said Ellie.

"Uh-huh… I guess so. Anyway," he said slowly, "I was just wondering if you'd come to the show on Saturday. I mean, you don't have to or anything. I'd like you to, but if you can't…"

Mary smiled at him. "What time is the show, Jess?"

"It starts at two o'clock, and—"

"Gosh, that's too bad," interrupted Brenda. She sounded anything but sorry. "Because Momma already said she's taking me to the Plaza on Saturday."

May Belle scowled. "C'mon! You can get a stupid old dress anytime, Brenda!" she said.

Their older sister looked downright smug. "No, I can't. I need it by next week. It's important! My friends are putting on a fashion show to raise money for school."

"Brenda…" said their mother.

"And we won't have time to get my outfit if we go and waste time at Jess's little art whatever."

Ellie tapped her spoon against her bowl and muttered, "First time I've heard of this fashion show."

"Shut-up! There is so going to be a fashion show! And I'd have to back out if I didn't have a new dress. I can't do that! I promised my friends!"

"That's enough, Brenda. You won't have to do without," said Mary, sighing tiredly. She glanced at Jess, and he knew what she was going to say before she even said it. "I'm sorry, Jess. We'll try to hurry back, but I can't make any promises."

Jess tried not to pay attention to the stupid smirk on Brenda's face. "That's okay," he said. "It was kind of short notice and everything. So you don't have to—"

"I'll go," said Jack Aarons.

The sudden statement took everyone by surprise. "W-What?" stuttered Jess.

"Not hard of hearing, are you? I said I'd go."

"But… I figured you'd have to work, Dad. Aren't you on the weekend shift?"

His father shrugged. "Yeah," he said. "But I think I can afford to miss half a day. Danny owes me a favor, anyway. I'll get him to cover for me."

"You… want to come?"

"How many times I got to say it? I'll be there." Jack offered another one of his small grins. "Unless you don't want me to come, son…"

"No, no! I mean, yeah, I do," said Jess, trying not to smile like an idiot. "Yeah!"

"Good," said his dad, leaning back in his chair. "Should be a good time. I've seen your stuff. You're da—" Mary glared at him, and he cleared his throat. "You're real good, son. I'd like to see you blow some competition out of the water."

This show of confidence and support from his father—crusty, hard old Jack Aarons—made Jess's chest swell with pride. He swore fireworks were going off in his gut, he was so happy. Brenda being an ass meant nothing compared to this.

"C-Cool," he said. "Thanks, Dad."

"I'm coming too!" said May Belle. She was still glaring daggers at Brenda.

Ellie smiled. "I'll go, too," she said. "I'll take pictures for you, Momma. I won't let Dad get a hold of the camera, either, so don't worry. There won't be any thumbs or feet."

"Thank-you, sweetheart," said Mary.

Jack grumbled. "That was one time. One time, and I've gotten better since then."

"Yeah. Those thumbs and feet are in focus now," said Jess.

Except for Brenda, who was sulkily glaring at her bowl, everyone laughed.

OoOoOoO

While Ellie looked after Joyce Ann, Jess and May Belle helped their mother wash the dishes after supper. Jack took command of the T.V., taking a well-earned moment to relax. Brenda vanished upstairs.

Jess was afraid she would take up all the phone-time, just to be spiteful, but Mary made sure she was off by 7:50. He thought he even overheard her threatening to ground Brenda for her sorry attitude, which made him smile.

Either way, the phone was all his by the time 8:00 rolled around, and he dialed Leslie's number as soon as the promised time arrived.

Leslie answered on the second ring. "Hey, Jess!" she said.

He marveled at how deliriously happy she sounded that he had called. She had blessed his life in so many ways, but it always took him by surprise to think—if only for a moment—he might well have done the same for her.

"Hey," he said. "How's it going?"

"In the two or three hours since you left? Pretty good."

"Same here. And get this."

He told her about his dad (and May Belle and Ellie) agreeing to come to the art show. Leslie knew exactly how much it meant to him, because she gushed, "Oh, Jess, that's wonderful!" She cackled, and added, "I bet you're glad you lost that bet now, huh?"

"No more bets!" he laughed.

They talked for a while about everything and nothing, all at once. They discussed whether he should draw something entirely new for the art contest, or if one of his older sketches might be best. He told her about May Belle and Violet, too, and she then claimed one of the bright green starbirds as her companion. They even made plans to ask the school to hold a creative writing contest, and they laughed at "poor" Brenda's sudden misfortunes.

As with every night they talked, it was all over in a flash. It seemed it had only been a minute or two when he heard his mother shouting up the stairs.

"It's been thirty minutes, Jess!"

"Okay!" he called back. Into the phone he said, "Sorry, Les. I gotta go."

"That's okay," she said. "You need to go to bed anyway. You sound tired, Mr. Sleepy!"

"Yeah… Thanks for that, by the way. For helping me stay awake in school, I mean."

"No problem, Jess. It was fun passing notes. We should do it more often!"

"Maybe."

What followed was a ritual of theirs, a tradition born on the same day he woke up in This Time and changed everything. They repeated it every night, near word for word, either in person or over the phone. No day was complete without having heard it.

"See you tomorrow, Leslie?"

"Always. See you tomorrow, Jess?"

"I'll be on your front porch, waiting for you."

"I love you, Jesse." There was a world's worth of emotion in her voice.

His whole heart was in his. "I love you too, Leslie."

"Bye, Jess. Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Leslie. Sweet dreams to you too."

They hung up at the same time.

Jess returned the phone to its receiver and went back to his room. He added a few final touches to the starbird picture before turning in for the night. He wore a near constant smile.

If all Mondays were like this, he thought, closing his eyes, I might learn to like them.

OoOoOoO

Another powerful storm struck, late in the night. The wind howled and icy rain pounded the roof, as lightning lit up the boiling sky.

But Jess heard and saw nothing but the clack-clack-clack of horned figure, standing next to a writhing, hissing mass of shadows.

OoOoOoO

Author's Note: Goodness gracious! This chapter is at least three times the size of my previous ones… I was beginning to wonder myself if I would ever finish it. Again, I apologize for taking so long to post it.

And now for some notes…

I based Lark Creek School on my own middle-school. It, too, was part of a rural Southern community, and like Lark Creek it was an elementary/junior-high school. Once we moved up to the sixth-grade, we had a homeroom, but we also changed classes for different subjects.

I have no idea whether or not Lark Creek was the same. Janice's desk (during the love note prank) was in a certain classroom, after all. But I decided to use the idea anyway. It helped me write the scenes, by drawing on my own experience.

Recess in the gym was also something we did at my middle-school, when rain kept us from running around outside. The grade levels had certain times they could use it. Batter Ball is just what we called Dodge Ball.

As many others have done, I have combined the 2007 film characters with their book counterparts. Madison is the name of the girl who brown-nosed Ms. Myers, and was later jealous and teased Leslie, in the beginning of the film. In the book, the same character (or at least who I believe to be the same) is named Wanda Kay Moore. So I just gave Madison the same last name.

I also seem to be carrying on the tradition of Brenda being the meanest sister.

And, yes, I did a shameless shout-out to Josh Hutcherson's filmography. I couldn't help myself.

Though, I promise, there is a reason for it.

Leslie will be our main POV in the next chapter. There will also be an action sequence!

I would also like to thank richard kaysar for reviewing. I know I sent you a PM-reply, richard, but I wanted to thank you publicly, too. Your reviews were much appreciated! Thank you!

Until next time, please take care of yourselves. Thank you so much for reading!

T.O. Cole

Edit 4/1/13: I fixed an error I noticed. I have also removed the timeline explanation from my Author's Note, and have decided to go with my original plan with this story taking place in spring of 2008. You can see the hints of that in the very first chapter. Which, I will admit, I had forgotten. That means in this universe, Journey came out several months earlier than in ours. Hopefully, that won't be too big of a distraction. Should I decide to alter the timeline again, and do a better job continuity-wise than I did before, I will let you guys and gals know. Thanks!