The Safe Place (Bridge To Terabithia) || ✓

Ch. 2 - The only ally

     "Wait, stop moving, Les!"

     "I can't help it. It's so ticklish."

Jess concentrated on detailing the final touches and stared hard at the paper, glancing back to Leslie who was trying her hardest not to move, or itch.

Some of the hair on Leslie's fake beard flew up, causing her to give a sudden sneeze and ruin the pose that she had stayed in for almost an hour without moving. "ACHOO!"

"Well, at least I got the body proportions and the details right," Jess was already giggling as Leslie rubbed her itchy nose until it was beginning to become red. He took the paper and a bunch of tissue before approaching his friend and giving it to them for her to use. "So what do you think?"

Leslie pinched her nose with the tissue and looked at the drawing. A smile was brought upon her face. "Wow! It's so detailed—ACHOO!"

Jess raised an eye brow and just patted her head for some reason. He always did that when Leslie looked like she was having some trouble. "Do you have allergies or something?" He chuckled and placed his book down on the table to get more tissue for his friend.

"Either that or the beard we got is dirty or something." Leslie joked and then she made a face that looked as if she was going to sneeze a big one. Jess quickly pinched her nose before she could blow. "Ugh. Thank you." She groaned.

"Wanna ask your parents if you have any allergies?" Jess pointed his thumb to the door.

Leslie blew into the tissue and grunted. "Good idea. Let's go."

It had been a year since Leslie moved to Lark Creek and Jess and her became friends. Best Friends. When they had raced together for the first time, Leslie opened him to a whole new place that was called Terabithia. It was just part of their imagination but it helped them with some real life events that evolved around them. Shockingly, Janice Avery even became their friend after an event at school when Leslie heard her crying in one of the stalls and decided to comfort her. After that, Janice Avery began to soften up to her juniors and she eventually dropped her big bully act and befriended them.

A few hours ago, Jess got the idea of drawing realism after Leslie showed him some drawings by a famous artist. The Burkes had a studio in the basement so they used that as an art studio after a request from their daughter. Leslie told him that she wanted to be his model so he had her stand in some way and wore something funny. They found a fake beard prop that was lying around on one of the boxes and used it as part of the 'costume'.

The whole time they had walked up the stairs and made it to the living room, Leslie had been sneezing and blowing her nose, so much that Leslie ran out of tissue and had to cover her nose with her hand while holding onto the used tissues with her other.

"Leslie does have allergies. She's allergic to hair and fur. Was she anywhere near those things?"

Jess and Leslie exchanged guilty looks and stared at their own feet.

     "But what about PT?" Leslie blew into her tissue. "How come I don't get any allergic reactions from him?"

     "Well sweetie, that's because PT is a Polish lowland sheepdog, mixed with Tibetan terrier. Their breed doesn't shed fur frequently." Judy answered and then handed her daughter a box of tissues.

     Last year when Leslie had given Jess a set full of art materials for his birthday, he thought that it'd be nice if he could give her something she'd like as well. After a few days, he sorta snapped at her because of irritation from his father and he figured that he should give her something as an apology. He remembered that Leslie said that she'd love to have a dog once so he immediately took the chance when he saw a sign outside the bus that day that said 'Puppies for free'.