Bridge To Terabithia 2: The Last Time - Part 1 || ✓

Chapter 11: Plans on Sunday

That Friday when Mandy Jenkins came in class, she glared at everyone who looked at her, her eyes daring at anyone in sight to say a word. She passed Leslie's table and gave her a dirty look and sneered as if she knew that she had a part in the events that happened yesterday. She settled in her seat behind Leslie and started talking with the other cheerleaders around her.

She leaned over to Leslie and grabbed her shoulder. "I know what you did, freak." She whispered hoarsely. Leslie glanced over her shoulder and then showed a small smile. "What are ya talking about?" She said in an innocent voice. She pushed Jenkins' hand off of her shoulder and then got up and walked over to Jess's table.

"Wanna go over to Terabithia tomorrow?"

"Can't, I have chores tomorrow," he sighed disappointedly. "What about Sunday?"

"I..." Her voice faltered. "I...I have somewhere to go to."

"Where ya going?"

Leslie shook her head to him and gave him a small smile. She avoided his question and retreated back to her seat and took out a thick book and started reading it quietly. After then, Jess noticed that Leslie was acting strange. She was oddly quiet for some reason even during breaks, especially when he tried to ask about where she was going on Sunday.

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The next day on Saturday afternoon, Jess was lying on his bed with his stomach turned to the mattress. He was drawing sketches in his sketchbook and was thinking about why Leslie was acting so strange yesterday in school. He let out a sigh and skimmed through the pages of his book. Maybe I should use more colors he thought when he noticed that almost all of his drawings were just realism sketches.

"Jess! Go and milk the cow!"

His father yelled from downstairs.

He shoved his sketchbook and pencil under his pillow and jumped out of bed. "Coming!" He briskly walked down the stairs, got the bucket beside the sink and the stool outside the garden house and left for the cow fields.

Although it was 5 in the afternoon, the sun was still scorching hot which made Jess sweat more than usual. It was unnaturally hot for an afternoon like that. He comfortably settled himself on the stool and began to tug gently, the drops of the warm milk clinking to the bottom of the bucket.

As he continued milking, he heard voices coming from up the hill behind which caused him to look over his shoulder to see what it was. From a far distance, he could see 3 people having a discussion. He squinted his eyes and looked harder and found the 3 people to be Leslie and her parents. It seemed like they were having a serious talk since Bill and Judy weren't wearing their usual smiles.

Leslie looked away from Bill and Judy and then caught Jess's stare. He averted her gaze and went back to milking when she looked at him and started walking down the hill and towards him. She stopped at the fence and knocked. "Hey Jess,"

"Leslie. Come on in."

She looked around and opened the fence gate and then sat down on the dry grass patch next to him. "How old is Miss Bessie?"

"She's turning 24 this year." He patted Miss Bessie and then continued milking.

"She still looks pretty young."

Miss Bessie mooed at Leslie as if she knew that she was being complimented at.

Jess grinned. "She says thank you for the compliment."