The next few days came as a blur to Jess.
Whenever he got into the car, he would always notice Bill tensing up, and their conversations would be shortened than usual.
Understanding why, Jess didn't decide to press on the matter and just acted normal. Even then he wouldn't hold Leslie's hand, or lean close to her because he thought that Bill would find discomfort in it.
But in school, things would go back to normal. Of course, he still respected their friendship and so he really didn't do anything that he thought would make things awkward. Leslie had made it clear to him that she still wanted to be seen as his best friend, but also his girlfriend. It was complicated, but Jess was satisfied enough with knowing that she was his, and he was hers.
They intended to keep their relationship as a secret from Jess's family and only tell them when things with the Burke's had settled, but they eventually had to come out during a Saturday afternoon when Leslie came over to the Aarons.
After Jess had done his chores, he went to take a shower, leaving Joyce Ann and May Belle at the living room, watching the TV while their mother planted some new plants at the green house.
There was a knock that came.
Joyce Ann looked at May Belle blankly, expecting her to get the door. When she didn't, May Belle asked, rather dryly, "Aren't ya gonna get that?" She didn't even look at her.
Being mature, Joyce Ann sighed in defeat and opened the door instead. Leslie was standing at the entrance. She smiled when she saw the little girl. "Oh, hi!" She greeted her happily. Joyce Ann said nothing and just stared and stepped aside for her to come in. "Where's Jess?" Leslie asked her, looking around the room.
"He's upstairs." Leslie heard May Belle say. "Hey, May." She exclaimed and then patted Joyce Ann's head before going behind the couch where May Belle was. "Where's Dylan?"
May Belle sighed. "His parents grounded him for failing English."
"Why don't you help him study so that you guys can hang again?" Leslie suggested, ruffling the girl's brown hair before heading up the stairs.
Leslie waltzed in Jess's room, only to find it empty and the blaring rock music of Aerosmith's - 'Walk This Way' playing. She settled herself comfortably on Jess's bed and lied on it as she waited for Jess. Who would have ever expected Jess to like this kind of music? Last time she suggested a rock song, which was when they were kids, he found it weird.
When the door opened, she opened her eyes and sat up. "Hey, Jess, I was wondering if you could help me with our project--" she stopped. Her eyes went wide. Jess only had a towel wrapped around his waist. "Oh my-" she immediately turned around, grabbed his pillow and stuffed her face in it.
"God, Leslie! Wh-what are you-" Jess turned bright pink. "J-Jess! Just put some clothes on!" Leslie frantically said, nearly screaming. Jess was already putting on clothes.
After a few minutes . . .
"Are you done?"
"Uh... Yeah." Jess responded awkwardly as he dried his hair with the towel.
Leslie turned around and put the pillow down, her cheeks still slightly red. The image of Jess with his wet hair, water still dripping down his skin, and his bare stomach showing (he even had abs) ... Was still fresh in her mind.
"So um," Leslie cleared her throat. "I was just wondering if you could help me with an art project." She said and flashed a smile.
The awkwardness in the room quickly disappeared. Jess sat down next to her. "Art project?"
"Yeah. I signed up to help for our school's wall mural. It's supposed to help me with my grade in Art."
"Well, what'd you have in mind?" Jess asked, noticing the notebook lying next to her that wasn't his.
"I was thinking of doing something like this..." She opened the book. Jess leaned over to see.
He could smell her perfume that he only had smelled for the first time. Must be new. He smiled as she flipped the pages, showing her creativity poured out all into the papers.
Leslie had a deep part of her imagination that Jess couldn't enter, or even touch. This part of hers was out in the open in her notebook now. He was seeing them. Her drawings were quite different from his. The kind of drawings that he does tend to be darker, more mature themed, those kinda stuff, but Leslie's, boy, hers was full of life and color. It was relieving to see that after all these years, she still had this weird vivid imagination of hers.
They eventually spent a few hours on the bed, sitting next to each other while thinking of ideas for the mural. Jess had decided to join in just so that he could help her more and spend time with her alone since she was the only participant in it, seeing as that 99% of the Lark Creek High student body were lazy and were nonpartisans. He wouldn't be surprised if more than half of the students in his grade doesn't graduate.
As Leslie explained her ideas and what she thought of, Jess listened to her voice that sounded as if she was singing melodies right into his ear. Being so close to her, smelling her perfume and her voice entrancing him, he couldn't help but want to kiss her.
And he did.
He cupped his hand to her cheek and tilted her face to him do that she'd face him. When he did, he slowly leaned in and pressed his lips onto hers. Jess had kissed girls before but there was this certain something that he felt with Leslie whenever he kissed her. But, the kiss was slow and passionate.
Their kiss was abruptly interrupted when both of them heard the door open. Jess broke the kiss and looked behind, only to see May Belle with wide eyes and mouth open. He couldn't decide whether she was disgusted or shocked and happy, or maybe all, but he could see that she was staring at Leslie.
Jess turned to look at Leslie who was panting and her cheeks flushed red. Her hair was messier than usual and her shirt was crumpled. He immediately rolled to the side and May Belle bolted out of the room, screaming, "MOM, DAD! JESS IS MAKING OUT WITH LESLIE IN HIS ROOM!!!"
Both exchanged looks with each other before getting off of the bed and running down the stairs. Jess's parents were already at the stairs, waiting for them to come down for an explanation. Jess gulped as he walked down.
In only a couple of hours, they soon found themselves sitting on the couch with four adults standing in front of them, all crossing their arms. The TV was off, and only the 6 of them were at the living room while the two younger sisters were in their room.
They looked up to the faces of their parents guiltily.
"So let me get this straight, my son, is dating your daughter." Mr Aarons said, trying to process the explanation that both the father and daughter had given to him earlier on.
"Jess didn't tell you?" Bill sounded astounded.
"No, no he did not." Mr Aarons looked sternly to Jess. Maybe it was just Jess imagining, but he though he saw a grin on his father for a second.
Bill turned to Jess. "Look, Jess. I know you're a good kid. But if you did anything to her just now while doing that... That sexual activity--"
"Dad!" Leslie shrieked. Jess chuckled inside when he heard her call Bill, dad instead of his name for the first time.
"Mr Burke, I swear, we never did that. I would never do that to your daughter without her permission!" Jess panicked when Bill narrowed his eyes. "I mean, I wouldn't even think of doing it to Leslie!"
Leslie looked at him in disbelief, slightly offended. "Leslie, what I meant was--" Jess was starting get a headache.
"OK, kids. That's enough." Judy finally stepped in. She glared at the two fathers in the room. "You're giving the kid a hard time, Bill." She told her husband and smacked him on the back.
"Look, I know my son's a good boy," Jess cringed at the 'boy' part. For the love of God, he was turning 18 and she still called him a boy, good grief. "I'm sure he won't do anything to hurt Leslie."
Jess nodded at her statement.
"But Leslie's our baby, Judy!" Bill sounded like a kid.
"Good gosh, Bill. Our daughter's almost 18. We should be glad that her boyfriend is someone we know." Said Judy, scolding her husband for his over protectiveness and then in a more gentle voice, she told the two, "you two can go out, but there are boundaries where you must not cross."
Both of them nodded and smiled.
"Ok, first, Jess, make sure you have Leslie home by 10 PM sharp." Judy said, looking at Bill to which he nodded with his eyes closed.
Jess nodded.
"Second, you have to make sure that no guy will hurt her--" Bill interrupted her. "As in no one will hurt Leslie. No one, at all." He lowered his voice and furrowed his eyebrows.
"Yes sir."
As Bill and Judy stated the rules to the two, Leslie couldn't help but giggle when Jess looked so nervous, and maybe even slightly frightened.
"And if you ever hurt her..." Bill lowered his voice to the utmost ominous voice that Jess has ever heard from the man. "Well, just make sure you don't hurt her or anything."
Jess gulped and slowly nodded.
"Yes, sir."
After they finished the discussion, Jess and Leslie decided to go outside to let the adults have a private discussion, most likely about their relationship and all.
When they were outside, Leslie was finally able to burst out in laughter. She leaned against the wall and hunched over from laughing too much.
"You know your dad can be scary at times." Jess said in a hushed voice.
Leslie snorted and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess it's a father thing." She grinned.
"My dad ain't like that to me..."
"It's a father to daughter thing, Jess. You're not a girl." She chuckled at the last part and pushed him jokingly. "It didn't go as bad as I thought it would do."
"It was horrible!" Jess whispered, trying not to sound too loud so that the adults wouldn't hear.
Leslie laughed and then jumped down from the porch. She smiled at him before turning around and striding toward the road. "C'mon, let's go to Terabithia." She said over her shoulder, still giggling.
Jess let out a sigh of relief and then smiled before catching up with her and eventually racing together till the end of the road.