You were Leslie Burke. You were a fast, crazy, exuberant girl, but also kind, polite, caring and smart.
You never had friends who accepted you for who you were, so you were often teased.
When you changed schools, one boy caught your eye: Jesse Aarons. Everyone knew he was just a loser who got bullied and liked to draw, but you didn't care.
It was obvious that you were just annoying to him, but one day, he got off the bus and you followed him.
“What are you doing? Are you following me?” asked Jesse, annoyed. And he realized you were neighbors now.
A few days later he started to notice you more, so much so that you became best friends and you ran into a forest and named it "Therabitia": it was your secret place.
One day Jesse returned home from a visit to the museum, and met the sad and desperate looks of his parents and four sisters, who were staring at him in the living room.
The mother immediately hugged the still confused Jesse. The sisters looked down, and the father decided to get straight to the point.
“Your friend...Leslie, is dead.” his father began and concluded. Jesse froze in place, too shocked to say anything. “No...” he said, hoping it was all a bad joke...