Disclaimer: On First Chapter.

Till' I Collapse

Part One: Discovering Leslie Burke

Chapter Seven

(Please leave me a review)

August 16, 2007(Saturday)

Cora Perry Neighborhood

The Aarons' Residence

The next day, Jesse woke up to the sound of rocks hitting his window pane. He climbed out of bed and peered out of the blinds and was surprised to see Leslie there. Quickly, but quietly he opened the window and stuck his head outside.

"What are you doing here, Les?" he asked, and Leslie smiled up at him. She thought he looked adorable in his t-shirt and bedraggled hair. "Come on, there's a lot of work to do, and I got some food and stuff so we can stay out all day."

"Argh, what time is it?" he asked, seemingly a bit more awake, and Leslie glanced at her watch.

"It's five thirty," she replied, and Jesse's eyes popped open wide.

"Geez Louise Les, you aren't playing around are you?" In response Leslie, shook her head. "Alright, I'll be down in a few minutes." He was about to close the window, but Leslie called up to him again.

"What?"

"Don't get breakfast!"

"Why not?"

"Because I've got us fresh blueberry muffins and individual pints of orange juice for us to share," she said grinning, and Jesse nodded. He closed the window, before showering quickly, brushing his hair and teeth, then he wrote a quick note to his parents after getting dressed.

He snuck out of the house silently, and met Leslie on the pathway. She was dragging a cooler behind her and together the two set off for a long day. After twenty minutes, they got there, and both ate breakfast; each chattering loudly and laughing when either one said something funny.

When they'd finished the two of them got to work; Leslie measured the walls, and began tearing out wood while Jess began making frames and stripping canvas. They switched when Leslie finished measuring the walls, and Jessie sawed and cut wood as Leslie wet the canvas and set them out to dry.

When that was done, Leslie cut down the old rope ladder, and made another one; she also took down the old wooden planks that were used as stairs, and she made new ones.

By noon, Jesse had finished the exterior walls, but then he set to work on the interior after they ate lunch. Leslie had brought turkey and Swiss cheese sandwiches, along with some fresh vegetables and fruit. They had cold water, and cookies for a snack—Leslie's indulgence, she loved cookies. By four o'clock Jesse had finished the walls, and Leslie had completed making furniture, like chairs, and bookshelves; she'd even put in the new "windows".

They worked together to put everything in place, and then they ran home, and pilfered some knick-knacks and other things they wanted to put inside. By eight that night, both Jess and Leslie were worn out, but they were extremely proud. Their fortress was complete.

They walked home together in a comfortable silence, but it was broken by the sound of an argument going on inside Jesse's house. They stopped abruptly, and Jesse knew immediately who it was.

Brenda and his mom had been at each other's throats for weeks now, and Jesse knew that something had probably happened while he was gone. Jess could feel Leslie's stare burn into the side of his head, but he prayed that she didn't say anything.

And she didn't.

Leslie moved closer to Jesse and he felt her grab his hand. The feeling of it sent warm tingles up and down his spine as they walked towards his front door. Leslie held Jesse's hand the rest of the way to his house, and they stopped a few feet from the door. Leslie clearly heard the screaming, and Jesse himself was acutely aware of the fact that Leslie could hear it all, but again she didn't speak.

He was thankful for it.

Leslie squeezed his hand reassuringly, and Jess gave her a weak smile as he met her eyes. No words were spoken, but he clearly saw in her eyes the message she wanted him to see.

'If you need me, I'll be there.'

Jesse was even more thankful, because as he watched Leslie walk away, he was glad to know that she would be there.

----

August 18, 2007(Monday)

Lark Creek Elementary

School Bus

Monday was normal except for the fact that Leslie was outfitted in somewhat tame attire. She was wearing a red sleeved and white mid-sectioned baseball tee with neon bracelets and bright purple skinny jeans. Her high tops were rainbow colored and her hair was streaked with various colors.

When asked why she decided on that outfit, Leslie winked at Jesse and said, "Just so you know that I do actually like baseball tees too."

After that the day was good, Jess and Leslie went to class; ate lunch together, and did funny impressions of their known enemies by the big oak tree. They were almost late to class again, but this time Leslie remembered to get her shoes back from Jess before they went inside. On the bus was when things got interesting.

Jess had just sat down next to Leslie, when Janice Avery passed him, and tripped.

She immediately sat up, and yelled, "Jess Aarons tripped me!" Jess stared at her incredulously, and he scoffed in outrage as the bus driver told him to get off the bus and hike it home.

"I didn't do anything!" he exclaimed.

"He just sat down, sir. How was he supposed to trip her?" Leslie demanded, her tone angry, but the driver wouldn't hear it. Jesse reluctantly stood up, and walked off the bus. Leslie was about to follow him, but Jess told her to stay.

"It's not worth letting the trash stay inside without some air refresher to cover the stink," he said causing Janice to huff indignantly, and Leslie snorted. He walked off with his dignity, and Leslie couldn't have been more proud.

----

August 18, 2007(Monday)

Cora Perry Neighborhood

The Aarons' Residence

Jesse was fuming as he walked up to his drive way, until he saw Leslie sitting on the log doing math homework. He peered closer at her and noticed she was covered in red stuff. He sat down beside her, and she looked up.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"Janice Avery is a very talented person. She can shoot ketchup packets over four rows of seats," Leslie answered in amazement, and Jesse laughed.

"Geez…"

"Can I wash up at your house?" she asked, closing her binder and stuffing it into her backpack. "If my mom sees this she'll be all over the principle and everybody, and then my life will officially be over," she stated dramatically, causing Jess to laugh at her antics.

"Yeah sure," he told her standing up, "You can use the downstairs bathroom."

They chatted as they walked the short way to Jesse's house, and Jess wasn't surprised when they walked past his oblivious sisters. He showed Leslie the bathroom, and sat down on the stairs to wait for her.

A few minutes later, Jess heard the water turn off in the restroom, and Leslie walked out smiling at him.

He noticed that her hair was wet along with the neckline of her baseball tee. Jesse also saw that her rainbow highlights had washed out, and Leslie smelled strongly of strawberries. He took her hand and was about to lead her from the room when his mom spotted them.

"Oh, hello," she said, a nervous look on her face.

Jesse's eyes widened slightly and he turned around forgetting that he was holding Leslie's hand. "Erm, hi mom; this is Leslie," he stammered slightly, and everyone's attention was suddenly on them.

"Hi Leslie," Mary Aarons greeted softly, and Leslie smiled politely.

"Hello Mrs. Aarons," she replied.

"How do you and your parents like Lark Creek so far?" his mom asked, and Leslie beamed.

"I love it here, ma'Am." she responded enthusiastically, and his mom nodded.

"We have to go," Jesse said and he began pulling Leslie away.

"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Aarons!" Leslie called out as she was pulled out the door.

"It was nice meeting you too, Leslie!"

"See ya later, mom!" Jesse called behind him.

"Not too late, Jess. Be home by six."

The door clicked closed behind them and Leslie grinned at Jess. "Your mom seems nice," she said, and Jesse laughed.

"She is, until you don't do what she asks," Jesse told her straight-faced, "After that she turns into a lean mean mommy butt-kicking machine."

Leslie burst out laughing at this, and the two took off running towards their magical kingdom.

----

August 18, 2007(Monday)

Cora Perry Neighborhood

The Woods

"Okay so I know your parents are authors, but what do they write about?"

"Fiction, usually, but my dad seems to have a talent for integrating reality into a make-believe world, hence his obsession with Teddy Roosevelt. He was one of my favorite presidents too," Leslie explained as Jesse bit into his apple.

"Well, that explains you," Jess replied, and Leslie raised an eyebrow at him.

"What does that mean?"

"I mean you like to make things up, and that's what your parents do for a living," Jesse said hesitantly, especially when he saw the slightly affronted look on her face.

"Well, do you know a lot about hardware?"

"Erm, no," Jesse answered, "but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Your dad works at a hardware store," Leslie said bluntly, and Jesse rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Okay…" he groaned.

"All I'm saying is; you are who you are, not your parents," Leslie told him and he bit into his apple, not paying her any attention.

"Well, if your parents work at your house, you must get to hang out with them a lot," Jesse mused staring at Leslie, who paused momentarily.

"Not really, I…" Leslie was cut off by a large pinecone whacking her upside the head. "Ow!" she winced and her cookie fell out of her hand as she grabbed at her forehead.

Jesse dropped his apple and grabbed the pinecone. "It's a grenade!" he yelled, and Leslie looked at him dubiously,

"There are no grenades here!" Jess threw it, and Leslie noticed the numerous squirrels above their heads.

"It's a sqroager!" she yelled, "the sneaky footed soldiers of the Dark Master. They're attacking."

"We need ammo!" Jess yelled, and Leslie pointed upwards.

"See them?!"

"Yeah," Jess replied, and Leslie looked momentarily stunned.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Jess said seriously, right before the ugly animal attacked. Jess yelled as he was knocked onto his back. He fought it off and sat up; calling for Leslie, but that was when he noticed the silence, and his friend's conspicuous absence.

"Leslie!"

"I'm up here Jess!" she yelled from the tree top, and he ran over. "Come on, you can see the whole kingdom from here." Jesse climbed the tree, and when he sat next to Leslie all he saw was the normal drab hills.

Leslie noticed the confused look on his face and she smiled, before turning and taking his face in her hands. "Close your eyes Jess, but keep your mind wide open," she whispered to him.

Jesse blushed furiously at Leslie holding his face, but he did as she asked, and was astounded at the change. Grand mountain ranges and crisp blue rivers appeared before his eyes. Even the normal trees looked magnificent. "Wow!" Jesse exclaimed, "What do we call this place?"

Leslie let go of Jesse and she studied the area, her brow furrowed in thought, before her face lit up with excitement. "Terabithia," she said proudly, and Jesse smiled at her, before he noticed something wrong.

Leslie's blond hair had a slowly growing circle of red near her temple, and Jess inhaled sharply, "Leslie, you're bleeding."

"I am?" she asked surprised, before her fingers swiped across the tender area. "Oh, I guess I am."

"Come on; let's go take care of that," Jesse muttered, "We don't want it to get infected."

Leslie stole one last glance at Terabithia and smiled, before climbing down the tree after Jesse. The two walked slowly back to Jesse's house; he had a hand over the still bleeding wound, and Leslie was beginning to look a little paler than normal.

He carefully, but quickly led her into his house, and Jesse ignored his gaping family so he could set Leslie down on a chair. "What happened to her, Jess?" his mom exclaimed when Jesse pulled his hand away from Leslie's wound. It was soaked in blood, but he didn't mind.

"She got hit in the head with a pine cone," he answered her distractedly, before running from the room to get some bandages, warm water, alcohol, and a towel. He came back quickly, and slowly washed the blood out of her hair; cleaning the wound in the process.

Jess softly dabbed alcohol on the wound, and Leslie flinched away from it hissing. "Geez Louise Jesse, any more alcohol and they'll arrest me for being underage and under the influence!"

Jesse couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled inside him, "Les, you're being a baby."

"I am not! It hurts!" she retorted indignantly, and Jesse grinned at her.

"What? Are you sure that you're the tomboyish city girl that loves gymnastics? You can't take a little pain, Leslie?" Jesse asked teasingly, before wincing as Leslie kicked him after he'd put more alcohol on the cut.

"What was that for, Les?" Jesse asked rubbing his leg as it throbbed where Leslie's shoe had connected with his shin.

His friend looked smug. "What country boy? You can't handle a little pain?" she mocked him in a high falsetto voice, and he glared at her.

"Whatever, Les," he muttered, before bandaging the cut as best he could. Leslie fidgeted a little, but seemed relieved when he was done. "There now you can go home and whine about it."

He capped the alcohol and tossed the band-aid wrapper and used cotton ball into the trashcan. Leslie bit her lip anxiously, and Jesse was surprised when she grabbed his hand, preventing him from walking away.

"What now?"

"Look Jesse Aarons, if you can't take it, then don't give it," she began firmly, and Jesse stared as she continued, "I'm sorry for being rude, but it really did hurt. So there."

Jesse shrugged nonchalantly, not knowing what to say, but Leslie took matters in her own hands when she entwined their fingers together and pulled him closer. "Please don't be mad at me, Jess," she pleaded, and Jesse smiled slightly.

"I'm not, Leslie, but you should really be getting home," he said, "It's almost seven."

"What?" Leslie gaped, and then she squeezed Jesse's hand, "Now I really am gonna die," she finished, making Jesse laugh.

"I doubt that your parents would kill a girl like you because you're late," Jesse said absentmindedly, and he flushed when he noticed the beaming smile on Leslie's face.

Leslie squeezed his hand again, and whispered, "Thanks Jesse." Before she let go of his hand and walked towards the door.

"Thanks for what, Leslie?" he asked bewildered, and she grinned at him over her shoulder.

"For everything!" she called out as she ran out of the door, the screen slamming shut after her. Jesse stared, wondering what she meant by that.

"Ahem," Someone clearing their throat had Jesse tensing, and he was sucked back into reality quickly. Turning he saw what he had been dreading; his family was looking at him like he'd sprouted wings and grew cat ears, but his mother had this knowing look on her face. He absently wondered what she thought she knew.

"What happened to your friend, Jess?" his mom asked, and he replied, "Oh, she got hit quite hard with a pine cone. Those squirrels seemed to be of the angry sort."

Ellie snorted lightly, and Jesse glanced at her surprised, but she looked away from him.

"Is she going to be alright, Jess?" she asked, and he nodded.

"I think she'll be just fine," Jesse said before walking upstairs to go shower. It had certainly been an interesting day.

Not my best work, but this week was insane. I promise next week's will be better.

-TellNoOne