Prologue:
In a small town called Lark Creek in rural Virginia, not too far outside of Washington D.C. but outside enough that it takes almost two hours to get by car, lived two best friends.
Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke had been best friends for two years. Leslie had moved next door to Jesse and his family. It took a few weeks but before long Leslie and Jesse had become inseparable.
In many ways, the two were not what you would expect for best friends.
Jesse came from a large family, sandwiched between four sisters. His parents were solidly working class; his father, the manager of a local hardware store. His mother managed the home but had a small greenhouse and was an excellent cook. She was also known for making excellent jams and jellies and would sell them at local flea markets. He was closest to his first younger sister May Belle, but considering how dull his older sisters were, that wasn't saying very much.
Leslie was the only child of affluent authors, who preferred to be called by their first names. Bill wrote about politics and history. Occasionally, he would assist various politicians with writing their memoirs as their careers as public servants entered their twilight stage. Judy wrote fiction and had a knack for writing books about rodents that parents would read to their children before bedtime day after day after day.
Jesse was lanky and had an awkward composure-which made sense. He was in the middle of a growth spurt and it was as if his body posture hadn't quite caught up to the rest of him.
Leslie was a year younger than Jesse, having skipped the second grade. She was a little shorter than Jesse but could out climb, out run, and nothing seemed to really scare her.
Despite being an only child, or perhaps because of it, Leslie was a fair bit more affectionate than Jesse. She gave warm hugs and always signed letters with a heart. She wasn't opposed to hand-holding and sometimes would ruffle Jesse's hair. She had kissed Jesse's cheek exactly once on his birthday and he went as bright as a tomato.
Jesse on the other hand wasn't exactly the best with his feelings but Leslie knew he cared even if he couldn't quite say the words without stammering. He secretly loved it when Leslie gave him affection but he was a 13-year-old boy and 13-year-old boys are a bit thick from time to time.
However, both children loved to run and were both quiet students in class. Leslie was stronger academically and was a voracious reader. Jesse was a fantastic artist but seldom showed anyone except his best friend what he drew.
The two also shared one very important thing: their favorite place in the world.
Lark Creek is a small community with miles and miles of trees and woods. These woods stretch as far as you can see and the start of these woods is past a small meadow, about a half mile from the end of the dirt road that Leslie and Jesse's houses are on.
And in these woods is where the imagination of these two friends can create a whole new world.
A world where it doesn't matter if you aren't getting enough attention at home.
A world where the creeps at school can't bother you.
A world where you can rule with your best friend.
Terabithia.
While the two would have their own little world, the woods were also a wonderful place to explore. There were plenty of trees to climb and the creek was wonderful to wade in. Leslie had taught Jesse how to swim their first summer as friends. In a little loft, Leslie and Jesse had made a makeshift clubhouse, full of books. They were a little cramped these days but for the two, just having a friend by their side was enough.
There were days when the two would lead the creatures of Terabithia into battle, fighting various monsters. Other times, they would go on a quest to find hidden treasure, which was usually a batch of cookies Mrs. Aarons had made. Sometimes they would just go explore the woods and pick raspberries.
Other times, the two just sat and talked and enjoyed each other's company. The funny thing is with a good best friend, even if you've talked about the same thing over and over again, it's still okay. Sometimes, the silence speaks volumes.
To Leslie, life is a gift and a true friend is something to be cherished.
She knew she would be best friends with Jesse for the rest of their lives.
It all began on a cold, snowy day in January of their eighth-grade year...