Okay… my brain is fried but I still somehow managed to update. xD Enjoy! =3
Chapter 5: Loyalty to Leslie
"Alright, guys, calm down!" Jess's eighth grade teacher, Mr. Garvin, shouted. "We have to listen to the announcements!"
Jess sighed. The announcements were the same every year. By now, he was sick to death of hearing the same old things every year.
And he wasn't actually looking forward to graduating later in the spring.
Jess still missed Leslie. Just to see her once more. One more time, just to hug her, just to tell her he was sorry, just to hear her voice again. And he wasn't exactly relieved of his heartache by having Leslie haunt nearly every night either.
Jess just wanted to scream out at the world. To accuse everybody who made fun of Leslie that it was their fault she died. But no, it wasn't right to accuse others who had no part in Leslie's death.
Especially when Jess knew that deep down, even after three long years, it was his fault Leslie drowned. People have told him to move on but Jess knew that part of him was always going to be holding on to the past.
Once the announcements were over, Mr. Garvin gave everybody in Jess's class an assignment to do and then left the room. The moment the door closed, the classroom turned into a zoo. Jess groaned.
Not again.
Jess understood that Mr. Garvin was a new teacher straight out of college but if the class ended up acting like this every time he left the room, Jess was going to lose his mind!
And to make things worse, Gary Fulcher and Scott Hoager were both in his class this year. But as far as Jess could tell, Gary wanted nothing to do with him and neither did Scott.
At least not yet.
Mr. Garvin returned a few moments later with a folder in his hands and behind him came a girl with red hair. Jess immediately recognized her.
It was his neighbor, Kaytee Monroe.
The classroom fell silent the moment Kaytee entered the room. Kaytee just looked at them, no longer the smiling shy girl she was when Jess had introduced himself to her.
Mr. Garvin put the folder he had been holding on his desk and walked around it to stand in front of everybody.
"Okay, we have a new student, guys. This is Kaytee Monroe. She must moved here last week, from what the principal told me. Want to introduce yourself, Kaytee?"
Then, Kaytee suddenly smiled and turned to look at the class.
"Hi! My name's Kaytee Monroe and I moved here from Philadelphia last week with my dad." She said happily.
"Can you do anything cool?" Some boy in the class asked
"Like what?" Kaytee asked.
"Anything cool!" He said.
"Well, I can dance." Kaytee said.
"Lame." The boy said.
Kaytee rolled her eyes. Mr. Garvin sighed.
"Sorry, Kaytee. Go have a seat by Scott Hoager. Hope you like it here."
"Thanks, Mr. Garvin." Kaytee said sweetly.
Kaytee walked to the back of the room and sat down in the empty desk by Scott Hoager. Jess shook his head.
Scott was going to give Kaytee a lot of trouble. He knew it. Scott never cared for anybody and Kaytee was no exception.
Kaytee would be lucky if Scott and Gary gave her a couple days before they made her one of their victims.
But much to Jess's surprise, he heard friendly chatter coming from the back of the room. He turned his head around and saw Kaytee and Scott just talking casually.
Jess turned around and sighed.
Even though he was annoyed and slightly surprised with Scott and Kaytee right now, he knew that he had bigger problems to worry about.
What did Leslie mean when she said that Terabithia was in danger?
It was a kingdom created from the imaginations of two lonely kids. It couldn't possibly be destroyed.
But Jess knew he wouldn't be having weird dreams almost every night if it wasn't in danger. Sure, he occasionally dreamt of Leslie but ever since she started haunting him, Jess felt it was something more serious.
But what?
He'd have to go and check afterschool today. Hopefully, everything would be okay when he got there.
After all, Terabithia was where their friendship began.
And keeping it safe was Jess's job. A duty he had given to himself as soon as he accepted Leslie's death.
But he wasn't ready to accept any damage done to his kingdom.
Never.
He was going to be loyal to Leslie and keep their kingdom safe.
It was the least he could do for her.
Okay… review please *makes a begging face* Reviews make me happy :3