After Bridge to Terabithia
Reminices
He sat there alone in the treehouse feeling it sway lightly in the breeze. Jesse Oliver Aarons just felt sad. It had been two weeks since the accident and Jess had already admitted to himself that Leslie was gone. But that still didn't alliviate the pain. Every time he thought about her or Terabithia, his eyes welled up as he prepared to cry. The only thing that kept him from losing all control was the fact that Maybelle was almost always there with him. Jess had been sitting there for hours before he realized that the sun was setting. "Oh, no! Mom's gonna kill me!" He didn't bother with the rope to get down; he just lept from 20 feet to the ground. As soon as his feet touched ground, he broke out into a run.
As he ran, he could here Leslie's voice in his head, "Race to the end of the road!" "Get out of my head," he shouted into the growing twilight. He broke out crying and froze in his tracks. "Just leave me alone!" He curled up into a ball and just sobbed in the middle of the road.
Jess woke up in his bed, groggy and confused. How had he gotten here. Jess pulled off the covers and slowly descended the stairs into the kitchen. As he entered the air seemed to be sucked out of the room. At the table sat his mom and dad, Brenda, Ellie, Joyce Ann, and Maybelle. They just stared at him as he entered the room. It was the same stare and silence they gave him the morning after the accident. "What's wrong guys?" he asked to his family. It took a moment for them to answer, but finally his father spoke up. "Jess. Your mother and I have decided that you should start seeing a counselor to help you deal with your loss."
Confused Jess asked, "When did you guys decide this?!"
"When I found you unconscious in the middle of the road moaning and muttering about Leslie."
"Really, I'm fine. I don't need to see a shrink about it. I just had a bad day. Honest."
"Jess, its already settled. Your first appointment is on Thursday."
"NO! You can't make me go!" yelled Jess as he stormed back up the stairs to his room.
The next day Jess had to go to school. He put on his best face to make him look like he was fine. He worked hard and even took some notes on Mrs. Myer's lesson, trying not to think about Leslie and not daring to look at the space inbetween the rows of 1 and 2 where Leslie's desk used to be. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday passed by uneventfully, but Thursday afternoon marked the first day of Jess' therapy. After school, his dad picked him up from school and drove him to the therapist.
As he ran, he could here Leslie's voice in his head, "Race to the end of the road!" "Get out of my head," he shouted into the growing twilight. He broke out crying and froze in his tracks. "Just leave me alone!" He curled up into a ball and just sobbed in the middle of the road.
Jess woke up in his bed, groggy and confused. How had he gotten here. Jess pulled off the covers and slowly descended the stairs into the kitchen. As he entered the air seemed to be sucked out of the room. At the table sat his mom and dad, Brenda, Ellie, Joyce Ann, and Maybelle. They just stared at him as he entered the room. It was the same stare and silence they gave him the morning after the accident. "What's wrong guys?" he asked to his family. It took a moment for them to answer, but finally his father spoke up. "Jess. Your mother and I have decided that you should start seeing a counselor to help you deal with your loss."
Confused Jess asked, "When did you guys decide this?!"
"When I found you unconscious in the middle of the road moaning and muttering about Leslie."
"Really, I'm fine. I don't need to see a shrink about it. I just had a bad day. Honest."
"Jess, its already settled. Your first appointment is on Thursday."
"NO! You can't make me go!" yelled Jess as he stormed back up the stairs to his room.
The next day Jess had to go to school. He put on his best face to make him look like he was fine. He worked hard and even took some notes on Mrs. Myer's lesson, trying not to think about Leslie and not daring to look at the space inbetween the rows of 1 and 2 where Leslie's desk used to be. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday passed by uneventfully, but Thursday afternoon marked the first day of Jess' therapy. After school, his dad picked him up from school and drove him to the therapist.