Saving Mabel

Part 1

It was the day before school started. Most kids would make the most of it and go to great lengths to accomplish what they want before they head back to school, but unfortunately not me, not this year. For I was at a funeral… my sister's funeral.

I couldn't, didn't want to believe that my twin sister was gone forever. I thought that funerals were for older people, mostly in their 80's, 90's, maybe even in their hundreds, not for a 12 year old. Mabel had her life ahead of her. She never had a chance to be a teenager, go to Prom, graduate from high school and college, marry and have a family of her own. I can do those things, but not Mabel, and that made me a little guilty.

I tried to listen to what the preacher had to say about Mabel, but it was difficult focusing on his words over my tears that were streaming down my face. I looked at Mom and Dad, who were going to pick up Mabel and me today and take us back home, but came earlier when they heard the news. They had tears in their eyes and Mom was holding onto a Kleenex. I felt really sorry for them. They hadn't seen Mabel and I since June.

I then looked back at Soos in the back of the church. Waddles was with him on a leash. Now I know, animals aren't normally allowed in church, but because of Mabel's intense love for him, the church made an exception. Soos and Waddles, like all of us, had sullen looks upon their faces.

I turned around in my seat and faced forwards again. I stared at the floor, wiping and sniffing my tears away.

I then noticed a Kleenex in front of me. I looked up. It was Mom. I took it from her and blew my nose.

After the funeral, we went down to the basement for lunch. Soos left with Waddles because Waddles wasn't allowed downstairs. Most of the people went to get their food right away. I went and looked at the pictures of Mabel. Soos, me, Stan, Waddles and Mom and Dad were in some of them, but most of them were of my sister.

"Dipper?" I heard my mom ask. She had a plate of food. "Aren't you coming to eat?"

"I just can't believe she's gone." I just said.

"Your father and I can't believe it either. But sadly, that's how life is sometimes. We can't stay sad forever. We got to move on. She'll be in our hearts forever."

"I know, but I'm still going to miss her." I ran to her. She put her plate down on a nearby table and comforted me as I let my tears all out.

"We're all going to miss her. Mabel was lucky to have a nice, loving brother such as you."

I cried in my mother's arms for a few more minutes, until she told me I should eat. I didn't feel much like eating, but I went to the food line anyways. Soos came back and was in line with me.

"You know," Grunkle Stan began when we were outside heading for our car. "I thought I would be the one to die first. Mabel was just too young."

"Why did she have to go?" Soos asked and burst out crying. "Why?!" Stan comforted him.

"The world is just cruel like that."

"Well, kid." Stan said to me. "I didn't want to end it this way, but that's the way it has to be I guess." I nodded.

"I guess. I love you, Grunkle Stan."

"I love you too, Dipper." He then ruffled my hat. "See you at Thanksgiving."

"See you then too, Grunkle." I then frowned. "I wish I can say the same thing about Mabel." Stan frowned too.

"I wish so too, but she's with us in spirit and we'll never forget about her."

"Right." He and Soos then left.

We were about to go to our car when Grenda and Candy came to me.

"Are you going to come back next summer?" Candy asked me.

"Yeah!" Grenda added. She looked at Waddles, who was already in the car. "And if you come, you should bring Waddles! We still want to dress him up. And if we hang out with you, we have to decide what to do because I don't think you'd want to do girl stuff." I looked at Mom. She shrugged.

"We'll think about it." She said.

"Are you going to be okay?" Candy asked me. I shook my head.

"No, but I'll have to."

"Yeah, you have to."

"What a way to celebrate the end of your summer." Grenda said. Grenda and Candy don't have to go back to school until September. While Mabel and I (Well, just me now) started in August.

"Yeah, I hope this won't happen next summer."

"Or ever."

"Yeah, but we'll be in this situation again. It might not be one day before school starts and it might not be someone as young as Mabel, but it'll happen."

"Sad, but true."

"Okay Dipper," Dad said. "I hate to interrupt, but you have school tomorrow, and we still have school shopping to do. We have to go before the store closes."

"Right." I shared goodbyes with Mabel's friends and looked at the car and a chill went down my spine.

I know it might be silly to be afraid of a car, but a car is what ended my sister's life.

"Dipper," Dad said to me. "Come on; we got to go." I nodded and, hopped in next to Waddles.

On the car ride, I looked out and watched as the world passed by. I sighed. I didn't want to start the seventh grade without Mabel. When she wasn't sick or had doctor appointments, I haven't gone to school without my sister before. Life is going to be very different without her. I can't begin to imagine it.

I looked at Waddles who had his head in my lap, melancholy on his face. I patted him, wishing he could talk so he can tell me why my sister was out in the street when the car hit. I looked out the window, watching the world go by, dreading to continue life without my sister.

The following summer, I was at the Gravity Falls bus stop, waiting for Grunkle Stan to come pick me up. Waddles was beside me in his crate. I didn't want to go because it would remind me of Mabel, but Mom and Dad made me go, plus Grunkle Stan liked to have more help at the shack.

I then saw my uncle.

"Ok kid," He said. "Ready to go?" I just looked at him. "Oh, I keep forgetting that you are a teenager now. But, I'm going to keep calling you kid, okay kid?" I nodded, standing up.

"It's okay with me." I told him. "Let's just go to the shack."

"What's wrong with you?" Stan wanted to know, referring to my tone. "You sound like you're not to keen on being here."

"That's because I'm not!" I shouted at him. He looked almost scared. I sighed. "I'm sorry. I just never came out here without Mabel before."

"Oh, yeah. Things will be different with just you here." Waddles oinked. "And the pig." Stan was confused. He bent down to look at the pig in the crate. "Wait, why is the pig here again?"

"Grenda and Candy wanted me to bring him. They want to play dress up with him."

"Okayyyyy!" He stood back up. "Ready to go?" I nodded.

"I guess."

"Cheer up kid, you and your sister didn't expect those adventures last year, but you guys' had them. You'll have a blast!"

"Yeah, but it won't be the same without her."

"Well, it'll still be a blast." He picked up Waddle's create, struggling with the weight. "OOOh, this pig picked up a few pounds since the last time he was here." Waddles grunted with glee, almost like he was laughing. "Don't laugh at me pig. Just be lucky that you don't have to carry yourself. You weigh a ton!" Waddles oinked again.

We went to the car and Stan put Waddles in. I got in by the crate and strapped myself in.

"Kid, " He said to me. I turned to him. "You're not going to mope all summer, are you?" He then went to the driver's seat and drove off.

I looked out the window and sighed. This was going to be the worst summer of my life.

When we entered the shack, Soos greeted me right away.

"Dipper!" He said. "How you doing, bro?" I didn't answer. He tried again. "Hey little dude, what's the haps?" He put up his hand for a high five. I just looked at it, not moving a muscle. Soos frowned. "Little dude?" He looked at Stan. "What's wrong with him? Did seventh grade change you?"

"Mabel." Stan answered. Soos looked at me again. "He never spent a summer without her."

"Oh." Soos just said. I went up the stairs.

I went to the room where Mabel and I slept last summer and unpacked. As I grabbed a picture frame, I looked at it. It was a picture of Mabel and me.

"Oh, Mabel." I clung it to my chest. "Why did you have to go?" I then turned around when I heard oinking. It was Waddles. Waddles oinked again. I bent down and hugged him.

"Oh, Waddles; you miss her too." He oinked a third time.

"KID!" I heard Stan shout from downstairs. "You have company!"

"COMING!" I shouted back. I stood up and put the picture frame on the end table near my bed and went downstairs. Waddles followed me.

As soon as I was downstairs, I saw Stan and Soos. Near them were Candy and Grenda.

"Hi, Dipper!" Grenda greeted.

"Candy, Grenda! I responded. "What are you two doing here?"

"We were walking by," Candy started. "And your uncle said you were here, so we decided to pay a visit."

"Only our visit is free!" Grenda put in. "So, we didn't really pay."

"So, how are you?"

"Fine I guess." I answered. But I knew Candy saw right through that lie. I wasn't fine, not one bit.

"Well, if there's anything you want to talk about, we're only a phone call away." I smiled.

"Thanks, Mabel was lucky to have such good friends." Candy and Grenda smiled.

"Can we play with Waddles?" Grenda asked. "I bought him a cute outfit at the mall and wants to see if it fits." I nodded.

"Sure." I replied. Grenda cheered.

"Alright!" She went near Waddles. "You'll like this outfit Waddles." Waddles oinked and they were off. Candy stayed behind.

"You can go." I told her. "I got to finish unpacking." Candy nodded, and then was off.

About 15 minutes later, Stan called me again.

"KID, you have more company!"

"COMING!" I shouted again and stopped what I was doing, and went back downstairs.

I was surprised at who I saw. It was Wendy.

"Wendy?" I questioned. Wendy nodded.

"You're popular today, dude." Soos told me. "Popular for a sad reason, but still popular."

"I wasn't going to come until tomorrow." Wendy started. "But, I just want to know, how are you?"

"Fine." I answered. I quickly regretted that answer. Why did I say that? Why did I lie to her?

"It's okay, I know you're not fine." I just looked at her, not saying a thing. "Well, I got to go home now. If you want to talk, you can come to me." I nodded. "Well, then, bye, see you tomorrow!" She then left.

"Well kid," Stan told me. "You better go upstairs and finish unpacking before you have another visitor." I nodded and went back upstairs.

While I unpacked, I was thinking of every person that we knew in Gravity Falls would visit me today.

It wasn't until I was done unpacking that Stan called me again.

"COMING!" I shouted and ran downstairs.

"Who is it, this time?" I wanted to know as soon as I was down the stairs. Soos and Stan looked at me.

"No one." Stan said to me. "It's just dinner time."

"Oh." I then smelled it from the kitchen and knew he was right. I then went to the kitchen with my uncle and Soos.

As soon as I was done with dinner, I felt like taking a walk outside. I looked at my uncle who just finished his and was dumping the remains in the garbage can.

"Grunkle Stan?" I asked.

"Yes, kid?" He questioned, looking at me.

"Can I take a walk outside?"

"Okay. Just, come back before it gets dark. The sun's not going to be in the sky for much longer."

"It will be in the sky longer in some places." Soos pointed out. "And in some countries, the sun is just about to raise." Stan sighed, irritated.

"Thank you for that lesson, Soos. I always thought the sun only rises here. I didn't think we shared it with other places and countries around the world."

"No problem." Stan looked at me again. He must have said something, for he snapped his fingers. "Kid!" I snapped back into reality and looked at him. "I thought you wanted that walk."

"Oh, yeah." I said, getting out of my chair. "Sorry."

After I put my plate away and put my cup in the sink, I went to the door. I was about to open the door, when Waddles blocked my path. He sat on his haunches, and cocked his head, grunting in a questioning manner. I sighed. I knew what he wanted. He and Mabel used to walk at least twice every day.

"Sorry Waddles." I told him, shaking my head. "I want to be alone. You can't come." He lowered his head and pulled at my sleeve.

"Waddles!" I scolded, pulling away from him. "I said you can't come!" I picked him up, struggling. I sat him beside. I opened the door and closed it before Waddles could follow.

As I headed back to the Mystery Stack, I saw Blendin Blendin heading my way. I gasped and panicked. Quick thinking, I ran and hid behind the bushes. I didn't know what he would do if he saw me for I didn't see him at all for since June, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I saw something drop out of his pocket. He rounded the corner. I ran out and grabbed it.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Blendin!" I know he might still hate me for when Mabel and I used his tape measure time machine to try to fix my mistakes (You don't need to know the details, right?), but I still wanted to return whatever it was, to him. "Something dropped out of your pocket." I looked at it and gasped. It was the tape measure time machine. "Time machine." It was too late. He was already gone. I was about to run up to him, when an idea came to me.

Wait a minute! This tape measure can take me anywhere and at anyplace in time, which means this might be the ticket to go back in time to prevent my sister's death. I was thinking if I should use it or not.

Come on, Dipper! I thought to myself. Use it! This is a golden opportunity here to reunite with your sister; why are you wasting your time by not using it? You might get in trouble with Blendin, but so what? I'd much rather get in trouble with him, than never seeing Mabel again.

Sure of my decision of using it, I pulled the tape out and transported back a couple hours before my sister's demise.