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

Chapter 22: Finally-finally-finally

Jess shut his eyes closed as he tried to go to sleep. What May Belle had told him earlier kept ringing in his mind. "Ugh..!" He groaned and buried his face in the pillow. It was just impossible. He was just best friend zoned earlier.

He grabbed his phone on the side table and texted Leslie. "Still awake?" He typed and then sent it. Minutes later there came a reply. "Yep. Why are you still up?" He read the message and grinned. "Lots of things on my mind that's all." He sent it again. See, their conversation wasn't romantic or anything. It was plain obvious to him that Leslie didn't like him in that way.

Leslie had told him that she was going to bed so he ended the conversation with a 'good night' message and she did the same thing.

The next morning Jess woke up quite early, and still, still May Belle's words was still so clear in his head. "Ugh..." He groaned and got out of bed, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He went downstairs later to do his chores and left the house, jogging to the garden house to water the plants before running to the cow field.

      Miss Bessie was feeding on the grass when Jess came to milk her. He patted her back and set himself comfortably on the small tool, placing the bucket under her before beginning to harvest her milk. Mooo~ Miss Bessie mooed as he tugged her teats gently. "Morning Miss Bessie..." He said to her. After a while, the bucket was full so he patted Miss Bessie to move her away and then started back to his house.

     His father was discussing with his Mother at the kitchen while his sisters were all watching the tv when he entered the house and poured the milk into the glass bottles and put them back into the refrigerator.

     The little girls turned their heads to Jess as he put the jugs into the refrigerator and later looked back at the tv. May Belle stared at Jess longer than Joyce did which made him slightly uncomfortable. "What?" He told her as he walked past the couch to go upstairs. She shook her head and returned to the tv which just made him sigh and roll his eyes.

     When Jess finished taking a shower and got a change of clothes, he got down to have his breakfast which was already on the table. After he had finished washing his own place, he headed towards the door out. "Where do you think you're going?" His father questioned him before he could leave. "Just going over to Leslie's." Jess answered, jerking head to the door. "Bring the cow in first before you go." His father commanded him and returned back to talking with his wife. Jess couldn't say no so he headed out to the field.

       After finished, he headed back to the house. "I'm done with bringing Miss Bessie in the cow shed," he pushed past the door and sighed, only to see no one in the living room. "Dad?" He walked to the living room and then upstairs. "May Belle?" There wasn't a single response. He went back to the living room and found a note on the table. "We're off to your grandma's house. Be back in the afternoon - your mom." It said.

     He used the home telephone and dialed Leslie's phone number. It took a few seconds before she answered. "Hello?" Her gentle and sweet voice flowed through the line. She must've thought that it was one of his parents or his older sisters calling because she would usually answer with a 'hey'. "Leslie, it's me." He replied. "Oh hey! Are you coming over?" Leslie asked with a laugh. "Yeah. my family went over to visit our grandma so I'm alone here." He chuckled and played with the phone cord. "I would go over and hang with ya but its kinda hard to do that with a sprained ankle," he heard a laugh from the end of the line. "I'll come over now." And with that he ended the call and made his way to the Burke's.

The Burke's door was open on its own so Jess poked his head in first before actually entering. "Bill? Judy?" He called as he looked around. Footsteps came walking behind him which made Jess look behind. "Jess, go on in," Bill smiled at him as he carried a pail of water in. Jess nodded and entered the house before quickly walking up the stairs to Leslie's room.