Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the story Bridge to Terabithia

I am just a fan of one of the most emotionally powerful books that I have ever read.

A/N: Thanks again to all of you who read and review. I hope you are enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it.

The Phone Call

Chapter 11

Jesse felt like he blinked his eyes and it was Wednesday morning. The morning the Burkes were leaving Lark Creek. The movers had been there early. They had packed the Burke's belongings onto their truck, and were now gone. Leslie and her parents were packing the last few items into their car when Jesse came by to say his final goodbye. Jesse was up early that morning and had gone into town on a very special, last minute errand.

"Jesse," Leslie exclaimed in surprise when she saw him approach, "I thought we said our final good-byes last night. What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't stay away. I was up all last night thinking about you. I had to see you one last time."

She smiled at him and said, "I'm glad you came," then they hugged tightly, not wanting to let go of each other. After several minutes had past Jesse said excitedly, "come with me to the kingdom Leslie." He looked expectantly into her eyes, and waited for her answer.

"I…I can't Jess, Bill and Judy want to get going soon." she said it with a hint of doubt in her voice, Jesse hoped she could be coaxed into it.

"Please Leslie, one last time, please come with me to Terabithia…Please."

Leslie looked into Jesse's eyes and she couldn't say no.

"Ok," she said, "but I don't have much time." Jesse's eyes lit up, and taking hold of her hand he pulled her along as they hurried down the trail to Terabithia. They crossed the bridge, continued down the trail to the tree house and climbed up into it.

"This feels so strange Jess, it's so weird," she said as tears moistened her eyes. "This is the last time I'll ever be here." Then Leslie thought it was odd as she watched Jesse get down on one knee and smile up at her. He pulled a little ring box from his pocket, he held out to her and opened it. Inside was a beautiful sparkling diamond ring, Leslie gasped in shock. Jesse cleared his throat and asked her, "Leslie will you marry me?"

Leslie's face hardened, "Jess… no don't."

"But Leslie I love you. I can't let you go."

"Jess don't make this harder then it already is. We can't get married; we're too young…. It's impossible."

"I don't mean now Leslie, later on when we're older."

"No Jess! It's no good! Stop it please! You're making this more painful for both of us." Leslie was becoming irritated with Jesse, becoming cold toward him.

"But Leslie please...I love you."

"Stop it Jesse!" She chided, "I have to go now," and she turned to leave.

"Please Leslie." Jesse pleaded. She turned back to face him, her face was hard and set in an angry countenance.

"Jesse stop it now! I have to leave and that's that." Then pointing to the ring she said, "that ring looks expensive, you should take it back where you got it and get your money back… I have to go now." With that she turned and climbed down out of the tree house and started walking up the trail. Jess scrambled to his feet, climbed down out of the tree house, and ran after her. He caught up to her and draped his arm over her shoulders but she shook it off and hurried along. Jesse was desperate; he didn't want it to end this way.

"I'm sorry Leslie," he called after her. She just kept her pace for several strides, her head down; then she broke into a run. That beautiful even run of hers. It would be the last time that he would ever see her run like that. He ran after her.

When they arrived at the house that was once her home, Bill and Judy there were waiting.

"Where have you been..." Judy began to ask in an angry tone off voice, but Leslie just brushed past her and slid into the back seat of the car. Jesse came up and the pain on his face made Judy's heart ache for him. She reached out to him and hugged him saying, "I'm going to miss you Jesse, you take care of yourself, ok."

"Yes'm." he said, trying to hide the pain he was feeling.

Then Bill clapped him on the shoulder and shook his hand.

"I'm going to miss you too Jess," he said as he pulled him into a hug, "thanks for everything Jess, thanks for being such a wonderful friend to my daughter. I'll never forget you for that."

Jesse's anger with Bill boiled up inside of him. Why are you taking her away from me then, he thought. Jesse pulled away from Bill, and feeling the tension between them Bill smiled at him and said, "goodbye Jess. Don't worry someday your paths will cross again."

Bill turned and slid into the driver's seat of the car. Jesse stood there like a zombie; the life he had known was ebbing from him. He watched as the Burke's car started to drive away. Then half way down the driveway the car stopped abruptly, the back door swung open and Leslie jumped out. She flew up the driveway toward him grabbing him in a bone-crushing hug, smothering him in kisses. Then she whispered in his ear, "I love you Jesse Aarons. I'm going to miss you so much. Don't you ever forget me. And remember to keep your mind wide open….Goodbye Jesse." Then she kissed him hard on the lips. She released her embrace, turned and ran back to the car. Then in one final gesture she turned to face him and thrusting her right fist into the air she called to him, shouting, "Hey Jesse….Nothing crushes us!" She flashed one last smile his way; he forced a crooked little smile back at her. She then turned and slid into the back seat of the car.

"Goodbye," Jess croaked out, but she didn't hear him. The brake lights blinked on for an instant, then blinked off again and the car rolled down the driveway. Jesse stood and watched as they drove out of sight. He continued to stand there in the driveway, thinking that if he didn't move it wouldn't be true, but it was true, she was gone.

He turned to face the empty house. There was no trace that Leslie had ever been here. All her things were gone. He looked up at the window that was once hers. He was thinking about the night he had cut down the enchanted rope. He had discovered that night that he loved her, and remembering how he blew a kiss up to her window he repeated the action and said, "goodbye Leslie." Then with tear filled eyes he ran down the trail to the bridge, the bridge that Leslie had built with his father, the bridge to Terabithia. He paused for a few moments on the bridge feeling her presence there and caressing the railing as if it were a part of her. Looking down he watched as the swift current of the creek splashed and swirled beneath him, as if mocking him, trying to wash her memory away from him. But nothing could wipe away the memory of her; nothing could ever make him forget. Then suddenly all the memories of Leslie flooded into his mind at once. Memories of all their years together, all those years that their love only grew stronger and stronger. They belong to each other he thought to himself, mind, body, and soul; his love for her he knew will never die.

Leaving the bridge behind he continued on to the castle, stumbling down the trail half blind from the tears that burned in his eyes. He climbed up into their tree house, their castle. There was no evidence here that Leslie had gone; many of her things were still here. The tins of cookies and crackers that Leslie always kept filled. The water bottles that Leslie kept there for them were still on the shelf next to a box containing apples and oranges. There were her favorite books she had left behind for Jesse to read and remember her by. There were some old hair scrunchies carelessly tossed onto the shelf that were now like gold to Jesse, and next to the scrunchies a hairbrush with a several strands of her hair still stuck among the bristles. Jesse picked up the brush and fingered the hairs taking comfort that he was touching a part of her. In one corner of the tree house there was a pair of old boots, and hung on a hook above them was an old raincoat of hers, just in case she needed them. And there was a sweatshirt she had mistakenly left behind that still carried her scent. Jess held the shirt to his face and breathed deeply imagining he was inhaling her essence. Then there was Prince Terrian, the stuffed dog that he had won for her in New Jersey less then two weeks ago. Jesse sat down on the floor of the castle clutching Leslie's sweatshirt and the stuffed dog, hugging them tightly while he cried himself dry.

Bill had deeded the several acres of land that was Terabithia to Jesse, to be held in trust until he was twenty-one years old; to do with as he pleased. Bill had commented that the old Perkins estate or what will now be known as the old Burke estate wouldn't miss the acreage, and Bill felt that since Terabithia was so important to Jesse he made it a goodbye gift to him. Jesse would have traded Terabithia for Leslie in an instant, but that was not possible; so having the land where they played together grew up and grew strong together was a great comfort to him. At least it was something that no one could take away from him.

It was mid afternoon when Jesse dragged himself home. He was feeling empty inside; he was a lost soul with a broken heart. He went into the house still clutching Leslie's sweatshirt and the small stuffed dog. Hurrying through the kitchen he passed by his mother, she watched after him with sympathy in her heart. May Belle and Ellie teased him about the stuffed dog as he passed through the living room. He stopped and glared at them for a moment then starting up the stairs he confronted Brenda just coming down. Their eyes locked for an instant as they confronted each other at the foot of the stairs, they were both startled by the other. Brenda saw the pain in his eyes she sensed the emptiness that he felt. Jesse pushed past her and continued up the stairs. He heard Brenda say as he reached his bedroom, "come on guys leave him alone…" He slammed the door behind him and threw himself down on his bed. He was so emotionally exhausted that he quickly fell asleep.

Later that night Ellie and May Belle apologized to Jesse saying that they didn't mean to hurt his feelings. They said they were trying to cheer him up and make him laugh. Jesse just stared at them with vacant eyes and said, "Ya sure…ok…whatever."

At first Jesse tried hard to forget about Leslie, but he knew that was impossible. He kept himself busy and tried not to think about her so much, but she was always somewhere in his thoughts, it was driving him crazy. A little more then a week had past since she left and he couldn't stand the pain any longer, so he tried calling her. He knew she didn't want him to call her but he missed her so much that he couldn't help himself. Bill had given Jesse a number where he could reach them. He felt the excitement building within him as he punched the numbers on the phone. The anticipation of hearing her voice sent chills down his spine, and gave him a heady feeling. But it was Judy who answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Hello? … Leslie?" Jesse asked expectantly.

"No…" she said, "Leslie's not here right now. Is this Jesse?"

"Yes-em."

"Oh, hi Jesse, it's Judy, it's good to hear from you Jess, how are you?"

"Um… I'm good."

"That's good to hear Jess, I'm glad you're doing ok. Anyway Jess, Leslie's out with Bill right now, but I'll tell her you called when she gets back, ok?"

"Yeah ok, thanks."

"Goodbye Jess."

"Ya… bye."

Leslie never called back. Then several days later he received a letter from Leslie, and tearing it open he read.

Dear Jesse:

I'm sorry it has to be this way. Please don't call me anymore. Just know that I love you and will always love you. Maybe someday we will be together again, but for now we need to go on with our lives and make new friends. You are a wonderful boy Jesse, the most wonderful boy in the whole world and I hope you find a new girlfriend who loves you as much as I do. Goodbye Jesse.

Love, Leslie

PS: Have you returned the ring yet. If not maybe you should hang on to it: just in case.

He could smell her scent on the letter, and closing his eyes he could almost feel her there beside him. She had been right of course, the pain of missing her raged in him anew. Going to his bureau he opened the bottom drawer where he kept Leslie's sweatshirt, taking it out he unfolded it. He wrapped the letter in the shirt then tucked it back in the drawer and gently closed it.