Hey all, it's been a few...months. Ah well, here's another something I've drummed out. Not quite a songfic like my last one but it's still based on a song. Hope you enjoy.
The food in Greasy's Diner was nothing superb, but few people in Gravity Falls complained. It was the only such place where people could go for a bite to eat at any point in the day. The fact that it was carved out of a large fallen tree added to what atmosphere there was, although there were multiple instances with patrons being harassed by the occasional woodpecker or beaver. If nothing else, it was a place for people to get together for some moments of relative peace. That's why Mabel and her friends Candy and Grenda stopped by every so often.
On this particular day, the three girls were talking about their plans for this week's big sleepover. Ever since the big party at the Mystery Shack, sleepovers became a regular event for the trio and this week, the festivities would be at Grenda's place. She spoke about being able to show them her pet lizard's home in all its glory, cementing their unofficial title as the "odd girls" of town.
"So six o' clock then?" Candy asked. Grenda gave a quick grunt of approval as she finished off her drink.
"Better go tell Grunkle Stan where I'll be tonight!" Mabel piped up, her smile as blinding as ever.
"Will your brother be okay?" Candy adjusted her glasses, frowning slightly as she recalled the events on Summerween night, "He's been kind of quiet since that night we almost got eaten by that monster."
Mabel's eyes shifted, quickly glancing around the diner, as she thought up a response, "Oh yeah, he's fine. Maybe what I said to him in the store got through to him. He is a little sad about Wendy, though."
Perhaps that was to be expected. Once Dipper really noticed how Wendy's red hair flowed in the wind, her smirk as she told Stan that she would "certainly" clean up the porch, and her ability to tell stories in a way that amused him unlike any other, he wasn't the same old Dipper. As the days passed and events occurred, it seemed that Dipper had become less focused on uncovering the mysteries around Gravity Falls in favor of impressing Wendy and getting her to like him, which troubled Mabel more than she would admit.
The girls finished up their snack and then left the diner. Lazy Susan, the waitress, walked over to clean up the small mess left behind and the diner fell back into its lazy stupor save for one lone customer sitting at the end of the counter. Neither Mabel nor her friends realized that the girl at the counter had been listening in on their conversation.
"I'm sure she'll want to hear about this." The girl mumbled, pulling out her phone and sending a lone text.
Journal #3 had become less intriguing to Dipper as the days went by. Whether it was because he read the mysterious author's accounts multiple times a day when he first found the journal or because his mind was on something, or someone, else, he didn't find himself pulling it out as much as before. Certainly, there were more mysteries to Gravity Falls that he hadn't discovered yet, but those were not priorities for him at the moment.
The sun was setting on this particular day, and Dipper sat at the table glancing out the window. Wendy's shift ended minutes before, and she stood outside and waited for Robbie to come around and pick her up. Dipper was conflicted, wanting to see Wendy happy but at the same time, wanting to be the person who made her happier than anyone else. While he and Robbie looked to be on good terms on the outside, there was still a bitterness that slowly built up over time inside of Dipper.
The loud shouts of Mabel bidding good bye to Waddles and hearing a grunt of response from Grunkle Stan in the living room snapped Dipper back to the present moment. Everyone had plans for the evening, good for them. Heaving a sigh, Dipper got up from the table and was headed for the stairs when there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Stan shouted.
Dipper didn't respond right away but rather went to answer the door himself. He pulled back the door to reveal a tall man in a fancy black suit and matching hat.
"Good evening, I'm looking for a Mister Dipper Pines?" The man stated with an unknown accent in his words.
"Uh, speaking," Dipper responded, glancing up and down at the visitor.
"Your prompt presence has been requested this evening at the Northwest manor by Miss Pacifica," The man continued, "If you accept, I will take you to her."
Dipper quirked an eyebrow; Pacifica wanted to talk to him? This has to be a trick, Dipper concluded after a moment of thought. The idea of turning the tables on Pacifica for whatever she was planning was too tempting to pass up.
"Uh, Grunkle Stan?" Dipper called out, "I've got…something to check out!"
"Close the door on your way out!"
The Northwest manor was fancier than any other building in Gravity Falls, perched upon one of the hills overlooking the rest of the town. A long iron gate prevented trespassers from sneaking around the premises with help from a number of highly trained security guards. If you didn't have business at the Northwest manor, it was clear that you were not getting inside.
Dipper was not such a person though, as the driver pulled up to the front steps of the house and another man opened the door for him. The foyer alone was much larger than any other room Dipper had seen, with vibrant pink walls and windows that allowed for a clear view of the surrounding terrain.
"Ah, you made it," The all too familiar voice of Pacifica rang through the room, making Dipper swiftly turn to face her, "I was thinking you'd turn down my generous offer."
"Get to the point, Pacifica," Dipper spat, crossing his arms, "What do you want from me?"
"Oh, I only wanted to have a polite conversation with someone," Pacifica replied as she marched down the stairs, "Besides, it's not like you had anything to do tonight, right? Your sister's out with her…friends, your uncle's too cheap to do anything exciting, and everyone else who works at that shack took off too. Especially Wendy, was it, off doing something with that charming Robbie guy?" Pacifica smiled slyly as she gestured towards the door several feet from them.
Dipper's frown didn't change as he followed Pacifica into the next room.
The furniture was a little more humble in this room, appearing to be made out of wood that gave a homely feeling to the room. Pacifica commented on how nice it made the room look, but Dipper didn't pay attention to her as she went on and looked at it himself. Upon closer observation, the furniture was made out of the same basic material one would find in any hardware store. Dipper was surprised, thinking that they would have gone the custom order, expensive route.
"Isn't it good? I believe they call it Norwegian Wood." Pacifica chimed, taking a seat in an armchair and snapping her fingers. One of the butlers came into the room with a tray that had two glasses filled with Pitt Cola. "I know you like this brand, Dipper, having the pedestrian tastes that you do. So stay for a while, won't you? Take a seat."
Dipper turned around to have a seat on her request but couldn't find a chair. Pacifica smiled and held up her glass as she watched him glance around the room, looking confused. Dipper frowned at her before finally deciding to sit down on the rug a few feet away from her. There were a few moments of tense silence as Dipper was handed his drink, taking a small sip at first to make sure it wasn't tainted, and drumming his fingers on the sole of his shoe as he observed the room some more.
"So, Dipper," Pacifica set down her glass and crossed her legs, "I just wanted to talk to you about… You know, what's been going on around town, how you've been, and other things."
Dipper swallowed and looked at her, still frowning.
"Seems you lead a colorful life, what with getting into fights with that weirdo psychic kid, going to rundown stores, and then being chased around by all sorts of creepy things," Pacifica's eyes wandered as she counted off these instances. Dipper nearly choked on his drink.
"What are you talking about?" He sputtered, but then quickly rubbing the back of his neck, trying to forget what she just said.
"Oh, there's no need to be so coy," Pacifica twiddled her thumbs as she continued, "In a small town like this, being very rich and related to the supposed founder of this place has its perks. Teenagers, kids, adults, I have eyes and ears everywhere. If something goes on in this town, I will know about it."
Dipper gulped, wondering just how much she knew. In his mind, he was greatly regretting coming here; what he could gain was not enough to make up for what he was just told.
"Which brings me to my main point: this Wendy girl-"
Dipper stood up and narrowed his eyes, "What do you know about her? About me? About…us?"
"Enough," Pacifica scowled slightly, before clearing her throat after she was interrupted, "I've heard that you have a thing for her and so much want her boyfriend Robbie out of the way. I've heard you do all these crazy things, trying to impress her. Thing is, they've nearly gotten you and your friends killed, haven't they?"
Dipper was silent, Pacifica smirked at him.
"Oh, Dipper, maybe she would be interested in you too. But if you keep trying to force it on her, then maybe she wouldn't want to even look at you with the things you've done, would she?"
Dipper looked the floor. He hated to admit it, but Pacifica was right. If Wendy found out how much Dipper really wanted to get Robbie out of the picture, she would never speak to him again.
"I'll be brief, Dipper," Pacifica got up from her seat and held up his chin so their eyes met, "Don't cross me. Unlike your stupid sister and creepy uncle, you're still in good standing with me. For now, that is. But if you think about humiliating me again, I'll be sure to make the rest of your life a living nightmare."
After hearing her words for so long, Dipper was finally able to speak. "Why are you doing this, Pacifica? Why do you want to ruin my life?"
"Who said I want to ruin your life?" Pacifica chuckled, batting her eyelashes slightly, "Maybe I'm trying to improve it."
"How could you possibly improve my life?" Dipper scoffed, grabbing her wrist and taking her hand off his chin.
"Maybe it's so that Wendy can be out of the picture for someone else." Pacifica didn't speak any further, but simply leaned forward and gave Dipper a small kiss, causing his eyes to widen and his face to turn redder than his shirt. Pacifica giggled at his reaction and then looked at the nearby clock, "Well, it's nearly time for bed."
Dipper opened his mouth to speak, but only incoherent mumbling escaped his lips.
"Well, I've got things to do tomorrow," Pacifica continued, "How about you?"
"Nothing…" Dipper finally responded, reaching up and wiping the sweat off his face.
"Oh, so you're not busy tomorrow?" Pacifica's eyes narrowed as she watched him sidle towards the exit.
"No, as in I don't plan on doing anything tomorrow," Dipper backed into the wall before adjusting his movements and making for the door, unable to take his eyes off Pacifica.
"I see," Pacifica walked over and patted his cheeks, "I'm glad we had this talk, Dipper. Just remember what we talked about, all right?" She said in her best fake sweet voice.
Dipper could only nod as he turned around and made a dash for the door.
The rest of the night was a blur for Dipper, so much so that he could hardly recall how he got back to the Mystery Shack. The driver had been waiting outside for Dipper and gave him a ride back over there. Dipper accepted and didn't say a word for the rest of the commute. Once back at the Mystery Shack, Dipper went inside and up the stairs, slowing down for a moment to give Waddles a small good night pat in place of Mabel, to the twins' bedroom and collapsed on his bed.
Upon waking the next morning, the world seemed still and silent. Grunkle Stan was still asleep as the shack wouldn't open for business for several more hours and Mabel had not yet returned. Dipper got up from his bed, brushing the hair out of his face as he had not bothered to change out of the previous day's clothes, and went downstairs. Aside from the occasional oink from Waddles, the house remained silent as Dipper walked into the kitchen and carefully lit the flame on the stove and placed the kettle on the stovetop. Hearing so much about how tea helped lift the spirit spurred Dipper to do it, wanting anything to get what had occurred the previous night out of his mind.
A few minutes later, there were footsteps on the porch and Waddles dashed over to the front door and Mabel's happy shout at her beloved pet rang through the house, causing Dipper to jerk his head towards the door and causing a loud thud from upstairs. No doubt, it was Stan falling out of bed at the abrupt noise.
"Dipper!" Mabel strolled into the kitchen, giving her brother a hearty slap on the back and causing his knees to buckle, "What's new?"
Dipper looked away for a moment, wondering if he should tell her what happened last night. He immediately decided to keep it a secret, mostly because he didn't want Mabel to worry.
"Oh, nothing much," Dipper coughed, "Just stayed around. Watched Duck-tective, keeping Waddles out of the trash, making sure Grunkle Stan stays out of trouble."
Mabel giggled as Stan came into the room, rubbing the back of his neck, "Do you have to shout so loudly?" He asked, taking a seat at the table, "Some of us sleep in sometimes!"
Dipper returned to the stovetop and waited for the water to boil. Mabel took a seat at the table as well and looked at it closely, "Grunkle Stan, you could use some new furniture."
"Nah, it's still holding together," Stan replied, patting the table as if he were suddenly very proud of it, "Made of some fancy wood, I think."
Dipper recalled Pacifica's comment from the previous night about her ordinary furniture being very valuable likely due to the simple fact that she owned it and kept it in a fancy house. He chuckled to himself, "Isn't it good, Norwegian Wood?"