Disclaimer: The author, MysticalPen, does not own Bridge to Terabithia. The book and its characters belong to their rightful owners. No profit whatsoever is being made through this fanfiction.

Keep Your Mind Wide Open

A Bridge to Terabithia FanFiction

By: MysticalPen

Chapter 1 – Better Than Any Kid I've Ever Seen

Tick. Driiip. Tick. Driiip. For every tick of the clock, the sound of fingers drumming on the tabletop accompanied the mechanical sound, effectively drowning the Tock. Nerves were heightened; palms were prickly like thousands of needles were stabbing simultaneously, and ribs were being hit hard by a frantic heart. Chaos seemed to take over the whole inside of the body, but the outside seemed at peace. Only those who had the same habit would have been able to guess that the eyes looking far into the beautiful horizon were at all troubled.

"Nervous, Aarons?" the representative of the publishing company penetrated Jesse Oliver Aarons JR's concentration, his voice dripping with a combination of sympathy and amusement.

"Kinda. A little bit, I guess," came Jesse's distracted answer. His eyes were still glued to the view, but a tick of the clock later, he looked at Mr. Bard, the representative of the publishing company. "Well, not exactly just nervous. I'm kind of..." he paused for a moment, thinking of the correct word that would describe what he was feeling that exact moment. "Feeling a combination of nervous, excited and curious. Does that make sense?"

Mr. Leonardo Bard nodded curtly twice, and then inclined his head to one side. "It does...a bit. You're not the first illustrator to feel that, Jess. It's just natural to feel all of that, but I'll bet you're more curious about what they look like, aren't you?" There was a glint of amusement tainting the eyes of the twenty-four year old rep as he looked back at the twenty-two year old illustrator as if he knew an amusing joke that was being kept from Jesse. Knowing the rep, it was probably true.

Jesse clamped his hands together on top of the table, an attempt to calm his hands. It was futile, however, because even though he had stopped drumming his fingers on the polished wood of the table, his thumbs now wouldn't stop tapping each other. At this, Leo chuckled again, but Jesse ignored him. The thing was, this was more complex than what Leo would ever understand, Jess was sure of it. This whole arrangement was, in itself, really complicated. The author of the book, Down the Rainbow, wasn't the first person Jess had illustrated for, but they were the first person to insist on working with him under strict levels of secrecy and mystery. Though this was not new, it was rare. In past projects, Jess was at least given the name of the author aside from the manuscript of the book prior to starting the project. This was done so that Jess could look into some information about past works and likes and dislikes of the author when it comes to art, so he would know what style the author would want with the artworks. But the publishing company didn't give him any names. When Jess asked Leo why, he said that the author requested for their identity to not be revealed to him, at least until the illustrations were finished and the book was published. The reason behind this was a personal reason that the author also requested to be kept in confidence. At first, Jess was really ticked off by the level of mystery and secrecy. He didn't see any point in it and he didn't see how it would help in the process of hastening the production of the book. But this was instantly changed when, in compensation for the lack of name, Jess was given the author's e-mail address. It was then explained that the author wanted Jess to contact them, exchange ideas and ask the questions he needed to ask through the internet. Though the author preferred to keep their identity a mystery, it didn't mean they would not not be open to assisting the illustrator. And that was how it had started.

E-mails, IM's, chats, those were the medium of connection that the author and illustrator had with each other throughout the following months. Jesse never learned their name, he never saw their face, but in a different level, Jess got to know the person. He would ask them important questions like what brought on the idea for this certain section of the book, and the author would be more than glad to answer Jess. He also knew that the person was friendly because instead of curt and generic answers to the question, they would really elaborate and explain thoroughly to the illustrator, providing him with an extra peek into the personality of the mystery author. Only two weeks into this routine, Jess was so comfortable about the arrangement that he had finally realized that the answers provided through this technique of connection were infinitely better than what he would have found out through his researches if he had been given the name of the author. After that, Jess had understood the whole point of that decision of the author. Two weeks into the process, Jess felt like he'd known the person for years. There was no face, no name, but he felt like he had been gifted with a special connection and friendship with the person that he could not have achieved through other means. Because of this, Jess learned to respect the person's secrecy. Whenever they would hit a roadblock in their conversations, hit a section where the person preferred not to divulge the information to him, Jess would let it go, completely confident that the person kept it a secret for a very reasonable cause. The illustrator had grown so comfortable of their technique of work that when the time finally came for them to really meet up, the thought of it had filled him with dread. Now, he wasn't sure what the implication would be if they break their dynamic and venture into the world with a different approach.

"I won't lie, I am curious regarding how they look," Jesse explained, but, wanting to clarify on the topic, he elaborated, "But Lei, we've been doing this for months, and the book is a fruit of how amazingly the secrecy between us had worked. I know at first, I was against it, but two weeks into the process, I learned that their approach was much better. It had become a safe zone for me and the author. I just feel a little bit scared of what it will be like now if we shake off that technique and shed the secrecy," he explained, his hands gesturing wildly as if doing that would help him make Leo understand his explanation more. Truthfully, it only distracted the rep. "I'm excited, yes, because I feel like I've found a friend in this person. Regardless of how old they are, I've found a reliable companion, and now I'm meeting this companion. Finally, the only remaining barrier between me and them is finally getting eliminated, but the nerves still trumps that. It's just really hard to explain." As if to emphasize how hard it was for him to explain, one hand reached up to scratch at the back of his neck, messing up the short hairs on his nape. "You wouldn't understand, you've seen what they look like, you know them. You wouldn't understand my dilemma."

Leonardo chuckled, obviously enjoying Jesse's torment. "You should really hear yourself right now, Jess. It's like you're meeting the president with how nervous you are. But the words you're saying to explain your connection with this person, it's like you're meeting up with a mystery date," He shook his head, his face still obviously entertained. "It's hard not to laugh at your expense, dude."

Glaring at Leo, Jess replied, "Shut up, Lei. This is no joke. I'm serious about this," he said, averting his eyes.

"That's not all of it, though, is it? You're scared of something else," Leo prompted, kicking at Jess' chair to get his attention back. "I can see it in your eyes, Aarons. There's something else. What is it?"

Jesse turned back to Leo. "Well, I haven't thought about this before, just now while I was on my way here," he took a deep breath before releasing it in a loud exhale, "The thing is...I've been really familiar with the author. I've been really personal with them. In my interactions with them, I spoke to them like we're the same age. Now I'm worried, what if they're really older than me? What if he's an old man that's as old as my dad or my grandpa? I keep thinking I should have been more respectful towards them. I don't want him to think I'm not respectful of my elders." He knew he shouldn't have admitted that. Knowing Leo, he would just make fun of Jess even more because of it, but it had been bugging the illustrator nonstop that he couldn't keep it in any longer. True to his assumptions, Leo reacted the way he expected him to.

At that, Leo finally burst out laughing like Jess had finally delivered the punch line of the big joke. In between his chuckles, he would murmur softly, low enough that Jess didn't hear him, "Him. Old man. Grandpa. Oh, that's a good one."

"You're such a good friend, aren't you?" Jess asked sarcastically, the intensity of his glare only making Leo laugh harder. They'd known each other for years now. Leo, a guy with blond hair that was always brushed up in a quiff, light blue eyes, and tall stature, was the son of the chairman of the publishing company Jess worked in as an illustrator. He was the representative of the company, going on tours and book signings with the writers and illustrators of the books they published. Being the rep, Leo had the privilege to be the bridge of connection between the company, the writer, and the illustrator, which meant that on all occasions, Leo had met the writers before the illustrators had. This was an advantage he always used over Jess, always joking about what the writer really looked like. For the first couple of years they worked together, Jess always asked Leo about what the writers looked like, what their names were and more information about them prior to personally meeting the authors. During those years, Leo had always found it funny to joke about the information, often flipping them and supplying Jess with the opposite information, mostly in terms of looks. Now having learned his lesson, Jess never asked Leo anymore. This didn't mean that the blond didn't offer his descriptions, though.

"What? I am a good friend. See, I'm going to give a little clue on what you should expect. You're right, man, it's an old guy. I think he's the same age as your father, yeah. I've never asked for sure, but it's kinda general knowledge. He's a pretty serious guy when it comes to his works, as I'm sure you already know because, like you said, your e-mails with him just screamed of professionalism. I'm actually even surprised you got on a personal level with him."

"Well, it's not like I know their life story now, not really. I just, you know, gathered a lot about their personality based on my interpretations of the thoughts they told me regarding what brought up certain ideas in the book," Jesse supplied.

"Okay, that makes sense," Leo simply said. He dared not elaborate that much on that part because he didn't really know a lot about the person, only that they really were very professional and passionate about writing. He was merely guessing. "About what they look like...you know, gray hair, like salt and pepper kind of hair, sprinkled with white and gray here and there. Wrinkles, age spots, you know, the usual. And..." he paused for a moment, his face serious as if he was divulging important information. Jess straightened his back, leaning to the right to hear better, completely believing Leo. After all, that description was kind of what he had in mind as well based on how wise the writer's statements sounded to him. "And...the most important part, Jess...He's got giraffe head," Leo finished, whispering the last part as if he was telling Jess a secret.

For a few moments, Jess' face contorted in confusion. In his mind, he started asking if the person might have looked kind of like a giraffe in terms of elongated facial features. The image in his head that he had been building based on Leo's descriptions suddenly morphed into the image of a man with a long, pointy face. For a few moments, his mouth popped open, confusion taking over his features as a soft "Are you sure-?" slipped through his lips, but then he caught Leo's amused eyes, and he finally realized that Leo was having him on, and that he had fallen for the joke yet again. "Ugh, dang it, Leo!" he exclaimed, kicking at the foot of Leo's chair. This only made the latter laugh even louder.

"You never learn, man, you never learn. You say you do, but you really don't," Leo said in between barks of laughter.

"You suck, Bard." Jess scoffed, his mouth twisted in slight irritation as he leaned back on his chair, his fingers resuming its drumming routine on the table top. "I'm never talking to you about serious things like this ever again."

Shaking his head as his laughter slowly died, Leo said, "Forget about that for now, Jess. Just draw while you wait." He bent down on his seat to reach out for the duffel bag that Jess had brought. He laid the bag on the table and slid it across to Jess. "You've got a sketch pad in there, I know. Drawing helps when you're nervous, doesn't it? Distract yourself so you won't continue to bug me with your finger-drumming thing. They'll be here in about half an hour. They just got stuck in traffic. You've waited months for this day, what's another half hour? Use the scenery," he pointed to the horizon that Jess had been staring at a while ago. "Just draw it and the next thing you know, they'd be here, and you'll realize just how stupid it is of you to even be nervous about this."

Realizing there was nothing better to do than what Leo had just suggested, and also thinking it was better than striking conversation with the rep and risking being made fun of again, Jess reached into his bag and took out his best friend, his sketch pad. He always brought it with him no matter where he went. Even when other people said he would have no time to draw, he still brought it in case a short chance presented itself. Most of the time, he was right. Whenever he was waiting for a train or he was stranded somewhere, he would just whip out his sketchpad, and the next thing he knew, time had flown by fast. His imagination, even through the years, had never failed in entertaining and distracting him, bringing him to various worlds where nothing else but beautiful things seemed to exist. He had always been able to use his imagination as an escape route, it had never failed him no matter how many years had passed.

So that was how he spent his next half an hour. While Leo fiddled with his phone, stood up to take and make calls to various people, Jess stayed in his seat, his eyes glued to the paper in front of him. His hand and pencil flew every which way as the image he had embedded in his mind was transferred realistically on his pad. He was completely oblivious to what was going on around him, he was completely immersed in the world that his imagination had built for him. Without him noticing, the half hour had passed. He was too absorbed in his sketch that he didn't even notice when the door finally opened and the person he was about to meet had stepped into the same room as him.

The pencil scratched against the material of the paper, the sound of it providing calm and relaxation for Jess. It had, for the time being, erased all troubling thoughts that had plagued his mind an hour prior. Unknown to him, the author he had been so nervous and excited to meet thirty minutes ago was now directly standing behind him, looking over his shoulder and watching him draw. When Leo made a move to extract Jess from his concentration, the author merely put a finger on their lips to tell Leo to keep shushed for a moment longer.

Jess continued to draw, completely oblivious to how amazed and in awe the author looked as they surveyed his artwork. Though the author had seen Jess' work when the illustrations made for the book were sent to them, this sketch was different. To fit better with the genre of the book, the style that Jess used in his illustrations for the author held youth, a child's wonder, within the strokes of colours. This time, as Jesse Aarons drew the scenery that stretched in front of the wide window onto his paper, the lines of the pencil screamed realism. The author was mesmerized by how real the scenery looked. Even though it was a sketch produced only with a pencil, it still looked like a whole world had been captured in that pad of paper.

The statement was said softly, then, just a whisper, just a caress of a breath in the wind. The proximity of the speaker was so close that when the statement had been said, the whisper touched Jess' skin. But more than that, Jess felt like the words stroked his soul because the words uttered were words that resembled something he'd once heard, words that once meant so much to him, words that once changed the course of his life. As he heard the statement, all hairs in the back of Jess' neck stood on end.

In reality, the words said were, "Wow, you're really good. Better than any children's book illustrator I've ever seen." But in Jess' mind, what his memory brought out and said was, "Wow, you're really good at drawing. Better than any kid I've ever seen." In an instant, Jess' head turned to look at the speaker, and what he saw then was something that made his heart jump out of his chest, skip two or three beats, and start drumming in the fastest pace he'd ever experienced.

Leo moved to finally introduce the author to Jess, but Jess didn't need introductions. His own eyes were glued to the greens of the author's orbs, as green as the leaves of the trees in the forests of Terabithia, and while he stared, he knew he could not be wrong. No matter how impossible other people might say it was, he could not be mistaken. He would know and recognize those eyes anywhere and anytime.

As Leo said, "Jess, this is the author of Down the Rainbow," and finally introduced the author, two different names hung thick in the air, one was the name said by Leo, and the other was the name dictated by Jess' heart and spoken by Jess' surprised voice.

"S.A. Brooke."

"Leslie Burke."

A/N: I'm guessing you're confused right now, and are about to ask a lot of questions like: Is this an AU where the accident with Leslie didn't happen? Is this a world where they didn't become as close as they were in the book and the movie? Is that even actually Leslie or just someone who looks kinda like her? Questions like that will be answered in the following chapters. Though this will be written in third person point-of-view, we will be divulging into the thought processes of our characters, and as best as I can, I will focus on equal amount of character development for our two protagonists. That means that you will follow the journey of our characters in terms of finding answers. So some questions might be answered early, some pretty late into the story. Do not fret, though, because all questions will be answered. As of now, you have to be patient, and the information that you have to know is that...this is mainly based on the 2007 movie starring AnnaSophia Robb and Josh Hutcherson.

Send in some reviews, darling. I know only few people read BtT FanFictions at this year because it's been a long time since the book was published and the movie was shown, but yanno, this thought and plot has been eating at my brain for quite a while now. I really wanted to write it, so here you go. Send reviews because it helps with the inspiration. Thanks!