THE LEGACY OF TERABITHIA
THE LEGACY OF TERABITHIA
by
Wordsmith
Chapter 6: The Gentleman Of The House
As soon as Leslie closed the front door behind her, she heard her grandmother cry, "Oh! She just walked in!" Grandma came into the living room and handed her the phone. "It's your daddy," she said, smiling.
"Dad! How are you? How's Mom?"
"We're fine, sweetheart. Here, let me put you on speaker."
"Hi, honey!" Mom chimed.
"Hi, Mom."
"How are you holding up?" Dad asked.
"Okay."
"We're calling from the office – the retreat leaders' office. Grandma told us that Aunt May Belle explained to you what the retreat is. You know, what we're doing here. We didn't want to tell you because we didn't want you to get your hopes up."
"I know, Dad. How's it going?"
"It just got started. It's… very interesting. It's also beautiful up here. We have a great view of the mountains from our cabin. We've got fresh air, peace and quiet, everything we need."
"Cool."
"Leslie," Mom said. "Your father and I are going to try our best, but… sometimes that's not good enough. What I'm trying to say is… if… if we decide to split up, we'll both still love you very much. That will never change."
"And it wouldn't mean that we'd hate each other, either," Dad added. "Sometimes, when couples break up, it's a very bitter divorce. They can't let go of their hurt feelings, and they use their children to keep hurting each other. They just… hate each other. That would never, ever happen with us. I could never hate your mother."
"And I could never hate your father," Mom agreed.
"I know," Leslie said.
"We heard you made a friend," said Dad. "What was her name? Jamie, right?"
"No, his name is Jamie. He's a boy."
"A boy?" Mom asked. "Is he cute?"
"Mom…"
"Well… we're glad you made a friend."
"So am I," Leslie agreed. Because I don't have any at that stupid school, she wanted to add, but didn't. Her problems were nothing compared to what her parents were going through.
"Did you go out there?" Dad asked. "To Terabithia, I mean."
"No. I've just been hanging out with Jamie. And before you ask, he already knows about Terabithia, and he's been there."
"You told him you're my daughter, eh?"
"He figured that out when I told him my name. But it's not a big deal to him. He treats me like a real person." He's not a phony like the kids at school, she wanted to say, but she kept her anger in check.
"He sounds like a great kid. Well… we can't talk much longer. We snuck into the office during break time, and that's almost over. This is supposed to be an isolated retreat, so the couples have nothing to distract them. There are no phones in the cabins, cell phones don't work up here, and this office phone is supposed to be for emergencies only. Grandma and Grandpa have the number in case they need to contact us in an emergency."
"You might not hear from us in quite a while," said Mom. "But we'll be thinking about you."
"We love you," said Dad.
"I love you guys, too."
"Bye, honey."
"Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad."
"Bye, sweetheart."
Leslie gave the phone back to Grandma.
"What did they say?"
"Not much. They didn't really have time to talk. They just said that they started the retreat, they love me, you have the office phone number in case of an emergency…"
"I told them about your friend. Did you like swimming in the creek?"
"Yeah, it was okay. I'm going to take a shower and change clothes."
"All right, dear."
Leslie stood under the hot water, letting it cleanse and soothe her. But there was an ache deep inside her that the water would never be able to soothe. She remembered her parents' words and how she struggled to contain her anger. Part of her wanted to scream at them:
You never listen to me! I told you I hated that school, and you didn't listen! You never listen! Not to me, and not to each other. Did you ever think maybe that's why you've been having problems? Why don't you listen? For once in your lives, just listen!
Once again, Leslie felt like a deflating balloon, but an air of defiance filled her back up. She would not let her feelings about her parents ruin one of the best days of her life. Being with Jamie at the Enchanted Cove was something she'd never forget. She wished she were back there now, safe and warm in Jamie's arms.
He listened to her. He had his own troubles, but still, he listened to her.
After she dried off and changed clothes, Leslie brushed her hair, staring blankly at her reflection in the old mirror once used by her father and his little sisters.
At dinner, she didn't say much. Grandpa asked her about her day. She told him she had fun swimming with Jamie, and that he'd made them a nice picnic lunch. But she didn't give Grandpa any details. All he and Grandma needed to know was that she and Jamie had fun and practiced safety at the creek.
"Glad you enjoyed yourself," said Grandpa. "You won't be doing much swimming for a while. Rain's coming in tomorrow, and it won't let up for a couple days. Weather should be good for the Fourth, though."
The Fourth of July. Somehow, Leslie had forgotten about Independence Day, even though she lived in Washington, D.C. and always watched the fireworks with her parents. This would be her first Independence Day without them. She didn't know if there were fireworks in Lark Creek, and she didn't feel like asking. Somehow, it didn't seem to matter.
Leslie watched the Nationals game on TV with Grandpa. With the Mets leading 9-1 after the seventh inning stretch, Leslie figured she might as well go to bed. She changed into her nightgown, which was basically an oversized t-shirt that went down to her knees. It had loud, tacky pink lettering on the front that said Superstar! As she got into bed and pulled up the covers, she wondered how her parents were sleeping in their cabin. She doubted there would be two beds in each cabin at a marriage retreat. They would be sleeping in the same bed for the first time in a long while.
The next morning, it was a rumble of thunder, not Grandpa's old pickup truck that woke Leslie. She yawned, got out of bed, and went to the window. Dark clouds hung in the sky like dead gray ornaments, spewing ribbons of rain. Grandpa was right – she and Jamie wouldn't be doing much swimming today, and probably not tomorrow, either.
For breakfast, Grandma made scrambled eggs, bacon, and hot buttered grits. They were delicious, but Leslie didn't have much of an appetite. She was halfheartedly chewing on a piece of bacon when the phone rang. Grandma answered it.
"Hello? Oh, hello! Leslie told us about you! She's right here. Leslie, it's your little friend, Jamie."
Leslie cringed at the little friend remark and practically yanked the phone out of Grandma's hand.
"Hi, Jamie!"
"Good morning, milady! Shall we enjoy the pleasure of each other's company again today? Alas, the rain will keep us away from the Enchanted Cove. So come spend the day with me at my castle! Or I could come to yours."
Leslie covered the speaker with her hand. "Can I go over to Jamie's house?"
"Why don't you invite him here?" Grandma asked.
"Um… he has a computer, and I want to check my e-mail."
"Oh. All right, then."
"I shall arrive at your cas – uh, I'll be at your house around 9," she told Jamie.
"I will count the minutes to your arrival, milady. Fair thee well!"
"Fair – uh, bye!"
Leslie's appetite returned with a vengeance. She wolfed down the rest of her breakfast, then gulped her orange juice. It was just after 7:30, so she had plenty of time to get ready.
After she showered and dressed, Leslie went into the kitchen, where her grandparents were drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.
"Grandma, do you have a pair of boots I could wear – rain boots, I mean – and an umbrella?"
"Are you planning on walking in this rain?"
"I'll drive you," Grandpa offered.
"No, I like walking in the rain."
"You'll catch a cold, dear."
"No I won't."
"Well, if you must walk in the rain, look in the hall closet, and you'll find what you need."
In the closet, Leslie found a pair of old boots and an umbrella. The boots were a little too big for her feet, but better than nothing. The umbrella was old too – it was a little girl's Barbie umbrella, clear plastic except for the lettering and graphics.
"Okay Grandma, I'm leaving."
"Let me take a look at you. Hey, that's your Aunt May Belle's old umbrella! She and your Aunt Joyce used to share it."
"Well, bye."
"When will you be back?"
"I don't know. We might have lunch. Maybe this afternoon."
"You sure you don't want me to drive you?" Grandpa asked.
"I'm sure. Thanks anyway, Grandpa. Bye!"
The rain was steady, but not hard. Leslie loved hearing it patter on her umbrella. She was careful to avoid muddy areas in the woods. She couldn't run through the rain for fear of slipping and falling, so she walked briskly. She passed the tree stump and the sand pit. Finally, she made it up the hill and through the trees to Jamie's street. When she reached his front porch, she closed her umbrella. Before she could knock on the door, it opened.
"Welcome, milady!" Jamie beamed. They went inside. Jamie put her umbrella on the floor near an arrangement of shoes, while Leslie slipped off her boots.
"How did you know I was there?"
"I was watching from the window. I saw you cross the street."
"Is anybody home?"
"Nope. Just us. Dad's at work, and Mom took Zack to baseball camp."
"But it's raining."
"They have an indoor diamond for when it rains. They can still practice pitching, throwing and catching drills, and bunting. And there's a batting cage for batting practice."
"Oh. Um… your mom won't be mad that I came over when nobody's home… will she?"
"No, she won't care, as long as we don't wreck the house or anything. Will your grandparents be mad when they find out we were alone?"
"I don't know. I better not tell them. You know how grandparents are."
"Yeah. Old fashioned."
They went to Jamie's room. When Leslie saw his computer, she asked if she could use it.
"Sure! You want to check your e-mail?"
"Yeah. You have broadband?"
"Yup. All our computers are connected to cable through wireless routers."
"Cool."
Jamie turned on his computer and flat screen monitor.
"XP?" Leslie asked.
"That's what it came with when I got it. It also came with a 1.6 gig Pentium processor, 1 gig of RAM, a 160-gig hard drive, and a nice video card. I'm thinking of upping the RAM to 2 gigs. An extra 1-gig chip is only like fifty bucks. Less if you shop around."
On Jamie's desktop, a line of musical notes hovered over a piano keyboard. Leslie clicked on Internet Explorer. The Roadrunner home page came up. Leslie had a different provider, so she typed in the URL and hit Enter. Then she went into web mail and typed in her e-mail address and password.
Jamie brought over his keyboard chair so he could sit next to Leslie at the computer.
"What did you get?"
"Nothing much. I told my pen pals I'd be at my grandparents' house and away from my computer for a long time."
"You have pen pals?"
"A long time ago, I put my e-mail address on a pen pal site for kids. I used to have seven pen pals in five different countries, but now I have only two."
"The others don't write to you anymore? I know how that is. I tried a pen pal site once, but none of the pen pals I made write to me anymore. I guess they got bored with me."
"Maybe the same thing happened with mine. I never told any of them that I was Jess Aarons' daughter. Maybe I should have, but then I'd be just another phony."
"Phony?"
"Never mind. Hey! Do you like to chat online?"
"Sure. I do that sometimes."
"I use Chatterbox."
"I've got that – look under Programs in the Start menu."
Leslie found the program's name and clicked on it. Then she brought up the IRC menu and clicked Add Nick. She typed in Leslie0427 and her password. Then she selected an Undernet server from the server list and clicked the Log On button.
"Undernet?" Jamie asked. "I've only been to a couple rooms on EFnet."
"You'll like this one. Trust me."
Welcome, Leslie0427
"What does the 0427 mean?"
"That's my birth date, April 27th."
"No way!"
"I think I know my own birthday, Jamie."
"That's my birthday, too!"
"No way! You're kidding, right?"
"On my honor, milady."
"That is so awesome!"
The computer beeped. The chat server was waiting for a command.
Leslie typed in /NAMES #Terabithia and hit the Enter key.
(JoshsGrrl), (Hoser11)
"Good, only two. JoshsGrrl is Emma from Dorset, England. She has a huge crush on Josh Hutcherson. Hoser11 is Doug from Ottawa, Canada. There are seven regulars, including me. We don't use last names, and nobody knows that I'm Jess Aarons' daughter."
Leslie typed in /JOIN #Terabithia and hit Enter.
Leslie0427 joins the chat.
(Leslie0427) Hi
(JoshsGrrl) Leslie!!
(Hoser11) How's it going, eh! :)
(JoshsGrrl) What happened? U said U were going away on holiday and would be offline all summer.
(Leslie0427) I did go away. I'm staying with my grandparents. I'm on my friend's computer. He's letting me use it.
(JoshsGrrl) He? Got a boyfriend, have you? Is he cute?
(Leslie0427) Em! He's sitting right next to me!
Jamie snickered.
(Hoser11) LOL
(JoshsGrrl) Hello, whoever you are.
(Leslie0427) His name's Jamie.
"Jamie, type something. Say hello."
(Leslie0427) Hi, I'm Jamie. Nice 2 meet U.
(Hoser11) Likewise.
(JoshsGrrl) Hello. How long have U 2 been friends?
(Leslie0427) We met a couple days ago. I live near Leslie's grandparents here in Lark Creek, VA.
"Jamie, no!"
"Oops. Sorry."
(Hoser11) Lark Creek, VA? The Lark Creek?
(JoshsGrrl) OMG!! Did you go there? Did you see it?
(Leslie0427) I'm back. See what?
(JoshsGrrl) TERABITHIA!!
(Hoser11) The REAL Terabithia!
(Leslie0427) I've been there.
(JoshsGrrl) OMG, what was it like?
Leslie thought for a moment and typed in:
(Leslie0427) A solemn place. Like sacred ground.
(JoshsGrrl) Wow! U R so lucky!
(Hoser11) Cool! The Queen returns!
(JoshsGrrl) Tell me more about Jamie.
(Leslie0427) Uh… well, he's my age. Maybe a wee bit taller. He's got dark brown hair and blue eyes…
(JoshsGrrl) He sounds cute! Have you snogged him yet?
"I don't believe her," Leslie grumbled.
Jamie snickered. "I'm guessing that snog means kiss."
Leslie0427 groans and rolls her eyes.
(JoshsGrrl) She snogged him.
(Leslie0427) Emma, I'm going to kill you.
(Hoser11) ROFL
(Leslie0427) That's it, I'm out of here. It might be a long time before I chat with you guys again.
(Hoser11) Bye. Have a good one.
(JoshsGrrl) Bye, Leslie. Take care. You too, love.
JoshsGrrl blows Jamie a kiss
Jamie pretended to catch the kiss and paste it on his cheek.
"Oh, very funny!" Leslie said. Then she typed in /LEAVE #Terabithia and hit Enter. She closed the IRC window, then the program.
"They seemed nice."
"Yeah, they're okay. Most of the time."
Leslie got up to stretch her legs. She walked around a little, then flopped down on Jamie's bed. She motioned for him to join her, and moved over to make room.
"Tired?" Jamie asked.
"Yeah," Leslie said, and rested her head on his chest. "Mom and Dad called yesterday."
"How are they?"
"They just started their retreat."
"What did they say?"
"You know, the usual. If we get a divorce it's not your fault, we'll always love you, yatta-yatta-yatta."
"You think they'll divorce?"
"They didn't sound too hopeful."
"You don't sound too hopeful, either."
"Why hope for something that probably won't happen?"
"You gotta have hope, or you'll go crazy. Just hope for the best and be prepared for the worst."
"Well… the worst wouldn't be that bad, I guess. I know they'd still love me. I'd have to live in two different houses. It would be a pain at first, but I'd get used to it. I just don't want to. Is it too much to ask that they not divorce? I thought that when people get married, they promise to stay together through good times and bad, in sickness and in health. You know, till death do us part?"
"I guess sometimes that's a hard promise to keep."
"I just wish I knew what their problem was. If I did, maybe I could help them. But they don't say anything. They don't even yell at each other. I've never heard them fight. With them, it's just silence. That's worse than yelling."
"Would you really want them to start yelling at each other in front of you?"
"No, but at least I'd know what their problem was."
"I think it's something they have to work out for themselves. Or at least, try to work out."
"I know."
Jamie put his arm around Leslie and held her close. She felt the gnawing ache in her stomach again. She was in that wonderful place where time stopped and her problems didn't exist. She was safe here.
"You know what?" Leslie asked.
"What?"
"You're the best friend I ever had. And the only real friend I've ever had."
"What about your friends at school?"
"They're not my friends, they're all phonies. They just suck up to me because I'm Jess Aarons' daughter. They don't care about me. I'm just their ticket to popularity. I hate them and I hate that stupid school."
"I know how you feel. Kids are always after me to introduce them to Zack. The boys think I can get him to give them baseball lessons and their teenage sisters want to be his girlfriend. I only get invited to parties because I'm Zack Byrne's baby brother, and if they invite me, maybe he'll come, too. It makes me sick."
"But you must have some friends. You're nice, you're smart, you're a talented musician…"
"Why, thank you, milady! But around here, boys are supposed to play sports, not keyboards. They think I'm a dweeb."
"What about the girls? I bet they like you. With those blue eyes…"
"The girls think I'm a geek. And they're right. I am a geek."
"You are not a geek!"
"Well, your friend Emma liked me. Maybe she'll change her nick to JamiesGrrl!"
"Excuse me? I bet you wish that kiss was real, don't you?"
"I'm kidding. Besides, what girl in her right mind would kiss me?"
Leslie stared blankly at Jamie. Something that had been bubbling up inside her since yesterday at the Enchanted Cove suddenly boiled over.
She kissed him.
It was like she'd been seized by something beyond her control.
She kissed him!
Jamie's body tensed up in shock, then surrendered. Leslie felt him return the kiss. His lips were so warm when he pressed them to hers. She had closed her eyes, and in the sweet darkness there was a kaleidoscope of colors, a symphony of music, and the filling warmth of hot cocoa on a cold winter day. And then –
And then she opened her eyes.
Jamie opened his eyes.
When their eyes met, they were rudely jolted back into reality. Jamie got out of bed so fast that he tripped over his feet, but he regained his balance in time to avoid a fall. Leslie tried to get up, but her knees were shaking. Finally, she was able to stand.
They looked at each other awkwardly.
"Um… Leslie… that was…uh…"
"It was… wow…"
"Yeah, uh… um… hey, uh, why don't I make us some lunch? I'm starving."
"Me, too."
Jamie practically ran out of the room. Leslie walked slowly on wobbly knees. She couldn't stop touching her lips and feeling the traces of her first kiss.
In the kitchen, Jamie tossed a few pats of butter into a frying pan on the stove. He had taken out four slices of bread and four cheese slices. He was arranging the bread and cheese slices into two sandwiches when Leslie said:
"Don't forget to take off the wrappers."
"What wrappers?"
"The cheese slice wrappers."
"What? Oh!"
Jamie took apart the sandwiches, peeled off the plastic wrappers from all four cheese slices, and threw them out. Then he put the sandwiches back together. He lightly buttered the tops and bottoms of the bread, then placed the sandwiches carefully in the frying pan. He mashed them with a spatula.
"I hope you like grilled cheese sandwiches."
"Mmm! Love 'em!"
"Could you do me a favor? Take out two plates and two glasses from the cabinet on the right of the sink and put them on the counter here."
"Sure."
"Thanks."
Leslie brought him the plates and glasses. Jamie turned over the sandwiches. The bottoms were golden brown. He mashed down the tops and they sizzled as they cooked.
"Almost done. Oh! Could you get us some napkins? They're in the corner by the breadbox."
Leslie took out two napkins.
"All done!" Jamie chimed. He put a sandwich on each plate, then put the frying pan on a cold burner, and turned off the stove. He took out a small carving knife.
"Vertical or diagonal cut?"
"Diagonal."
"That's how I cut mine!"
Jamie cut their sandwiches in two.
"What would you like to drink? I'm gonna have ginger ale."
"I'll have some, too."
Jamie took the bottle of ginger ale out of the refrigerator and filled their glasses. He put it back, closed the door, then held each glass under the crushed ice dispenser.
They went into the dining room. Leslie was careful not to spill her soda. They sat down at the table and enjoyed a quiet lunch. Which was good, because Leslie didn't feel very talkative. Her head was still spinning a little from the kiss.
After she ate her last bite of sandwich and washed it down with some ginger ale, Leslie thanked Jamie for making her lunch.
"That sandwich was really good."
"Thank you, but it's not over yet," he said. He wiped his mouth on his napkin, got up, and went to the refrigerator. He took out a plastic box and brought it to the table. It was a box of chocolate frosted mini donuts.
"Would Madame care to try our finest after-lunch pastries?" he asked in a French accent.
"Madame would indeed!"
Leslie took out a couple donuts.
She was in the middle of her second donut when she heard a door open.
"Ja-mie!" a voice bellowed. It was his mother's.
"Up here, Mom!"
"Could you help me with the groceries?"
"Okay!"
"I'll help, too," said Leslie.
She followed Jamie downstairs. Instead of opening the front door, he went down the other staircase and turned right, where another door was already open. It led into the garage, where Mrs. Byrne was unpacking grocery bags from her trunk. She looked surprised to see Leslie.
"Oh! Hi, Leslie. I didn't expect to see you here. But then, you kids can't go out and play on a day like this. It's raining like hell out there."
Jamie took a couple of bags. When Leslie took a couple, Mrs. Byrne said, "Well, thank you dear!" She took the remaining bag and closed the trunk.
When they got to the kitchen, Mrs. Byrne sniffed at the air. "What's that smell?"
"I made us grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch."
"You cooked lunch for your little girlfriend? Isn't that sweet!"
"Mom…" Jamie blushed three shades of red. Leslie struggled to suppress a laugh.
"Well, I'm glad there's at least one gentleman in this house."