Dipper Pines sighed to himself as he looked up at the old wooden cuckoo clock affixed to the wall of the Mystery Shack.
"Only twelve o' clock?" he bemoaned. "Jeez…"
He lowered his sights downward as he continued on his current chore. His "Grunkle" Stan demanded that the young boy sweep every ounce of dirt and grime from the floor of the dilapidated tourist trap. When Dipper complained about the fact that his twin sister Mabel (with her pet pig, Waddles) got to play outside instead of having to help out, he was given a love tap with a rolled-up newspaper alongside some parting advice:
"That's because real men work, kid! Now hop to it!"
*POP!*
The abrupt sound zapped Dipper back to the here and now. Somewhat startled, he turned around to see where the noise stemmed from. Dipper smiled at the source, as to him, it was the only sense of sunshine in a tremendously cloudy day.
His secret crush, Wendy Corduroy, sat on her stool behind the gift shop counter with her nose buried in the latest issue of Indie Fuzz. Bored out of her mind, the redhead blew bubble after bubble as she continuously cracked her spearmint-flavored gum.
Even through such a natural and somewhat simplistic action, Dipper was able to find the purest splendor in every aspect of his friend. Ensnared by the radiance of the gingered beauty before him, the pre-teen was unable to take his eyes off of her…
…until Wendy looked up from her magazine to see that her young admirer was eerily staring at her!
Turning an embarrassed shade of pink, Dipper immediately broke eye-contact, turned away and returned to his endless sweeping. Confused, Wendy simply went back to her read.
Suddenly, the shop's door was thrown open with a fantastic force! The small bell hoisted overhead nearly fell from its perch. Dipper initially ignored the arrival of their first guest of the day; at least until he heard Wendy gasp and nearly choke on her bubblegum.
"DAD?! What-What are you doing her-"
Dipper looked to see that the burly, muscular form of Manly Dan the lumberjack towering over the tall girl on the other side of the counter. The giant slammed both fists down on Wendy's counter, making her tremble inadvertently.
"You know exactly why I'm here!" he bellowed loudly. "The entire town's up in arms over the shenanigans of those hoodlums that you hang around with!"
"Dad, they're not hoo-"
"I don't care!" the lumberjack hollered, pointing straight at his daughter with a bulging arm, "The whole lot of them were caught "breakin'-n-enterin'" last night!" The enormous male lowered himself further onto the countertop, making the old wooden structure groan loudly. Manly Dan narrowed his beady eyes at the stunned teenager, "Were you a part of it, young lady?"
"Dad, I…"
"YES OR NO?!"
From behind the behemoth, Dipper stood silently with broom in hand. He simply couldn't look away from his frightened secret love. As Wendy struggled to put together an answer, only able to present a series of stuttering "Um's," her freckled face turned a pale white.
"Man," her concerned comrade thought to himself. "She's really scared; maybe even worse than that time at the Dusk2Dawn when we were attacked by ghosts!" Chances were that the fifteen-year-old probably had this retribution coming, but Dipper simply couldn't let his main squeeze suffer like this.
He gently set the broom down and slowly began to approach the enraged father. Dipper stood on his tip-toes and tap Manly Dan on the shoulder.
"Uh…excuse me, Mr. Manly Dan? Sir?"
Upon hearing Dipper's voice, Wendy's green eyes widen and quickly shifted towards her friend. Every bone in the outdoorsman's neck seemingly cracked as he slowly turned his head to face his daughter's defender.
Dipper chuckled nervously and fidgeted with his fingers as the colossus aimed his angry stare downwards.
"Did you say something, little girl?"
"Hehe...actually a boy…" Dipper explained. "…and I don't mean to interrupt, but I just wanted to let you know that Wendy couldn't have done any of those things; she was here, doing inventory with me all night!
Dipper glanced back at the frozen teenager with a nod and a wink. Now aware of Dipper's plan, Wendy looked back at her father with a tooth-filled grin and shook her head in agreement.
"Hmm…" Manly Dan mumbled as he lowered himself to Dipper's level, making the pre-teen shiver in terror. He ran a gloved hand through his thick red beard," You wouldn't be tellin' fibs now, would you boy?"
"HAHA!" Dipper laughed in panicky response. "He thinks we might be lying!" He gazed back at Wendy, still fixed in place behind the counter, watching his every move. Dipper forced himself to take a deep sigh in order to calm his anxiety.
"…but, no, sir!" Dipper stressed to the oversized male before him. "…I'm afraid not…"
To the twelve year old's surprise, the woodsman began to sniff him!
Manly Dan gave off a wicked grin as he whispered in a husked, raspy pitch, "I can smell the fear stemming from you, son!"
Beads of perspiration began to form throughout Dipper's small frame. Despite having his rescue attempt seemingly start to unravel at the seams, he bravely stammered forth an answer to the questioning massive brute.
"Um…I don't think that's fear, sir…"
Manly Dan stood back up and peered back towards Wendy, who still retained an innocent beam for her parental unit. He knew something was amiss with this situation, but without any physical proof, he wasn't going to get any answers, especially with the two adolescents covering each other's back.
The lumberjack released a vigorous, hearty laugh, making Dipper and Wendy shake in their boots (and sneakers). He walked back towards the exit of the gift shop. Manly Dan turned around.
"Well, kids, you win this round…"
As they began to sigh in relief, the strapping adult turned back and gave one last warning as he pointed towards the partners-in-crime:
"…BUT YOU TWO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE! GOT IT?!"
He reached for the bent door, making Dipper offer a suggestion, "Please try not to-"
*SLAM!*
The door was now barely hanging by a single thread!
"Hoo, boy!" Dipper exclaimed as he readjusted his blue and white trucker cap. "Stan's going to be peeved about the door!" He spun around to the counter, "Don't you think so, Wen-"
The small detective lost his voice as he seen that the lanky redhead was silently staring at him. The look in her emerald eyes was not one of thanks or relief, but of bewilderment.
"Oh, no…" Dipper thought, jumping to conclusions. "Maybe she's steamed at me for getting involved…"
Taking a deep breath, he crept up to the gift shop counter and prepared to be scowled at.
"Wendy," Dipper tried to justify his actions. "I didn't mean to get - I just didn't want to see you…" He quickly lowered his sights to the floor.
"Dipper…" Wendy finally spoke up, making him raise his head slightly. He gulped as he prepared himself for the worst.
"THAT…WAS…AMAZING!"
The boy's eyes shot wide open, "Huh?"
She began to shower the surprised youth with an endless amount of praise, "Are you kidding? That was incredible!" Wendy tossed her arms in the air, "I've never seen anyone ever stand up to my dad, especially…"
Dipper noticed that her voice lowered a tiny bit, becoming somewhat more serious in tone.
"…especially over me." She offered an undersized smirk of gratitude. "Dipper, I don't know what to say…"
He happily reciprocated the gesture with an edgy laugh, "Hey, no biggie…"
"But, Dipper," Wendy continued. "Why'd you do it? Or even…" A display of shame came over the freckled-faced teen, "…do you want to know if I'm guilty or-"
Dipper held his hands out, "No! That's not important! At least, not to me." He lowered his stance. "The only thing that matters is that you're – I mean, that everything's alright."
Wendy's smile only deepen, "Dipper, thank you. I-"
"DIPPER!" The stern voice of his Grunkle Stan echoed through the Mystery Shack. "Did you finish sweeping the floors yet?"
"YES!" Dipper moaned as another tender moment with his crush was interrupted (yet again).
"GOOD!" the elder shouted. "Now, get going with those gutters! They're not going to clean themselves, are they?"
Dipper became a slight shade of red as Wendy shrugged her shoulders at him. "I guess duty calls, huh?" He made his way towards the gift shop exit, "I'll see you in a little bit?" Wendy nodded her head swiftly at her pint-sized defender.
Just before he left, Dipper spun around, "Grunkle Stan? Do you have a pair of gloves I can use?"
"GLOVES?!" the old man asked. "What would you need gloves for?"
Dipper simply rolled his eyes at his great-uncle's words, "NEVERMIND!" He set his attention back towards Wendy, "Make that, 'I'll see you in a little bit…'after a quick shower."
The slender female let out a series of contagious giggles. She gave him a simple wave, to which he quickly returned, as Dipper set off on his next set of chores.
Wendy resumed her position on her stool and became lost in deep thought. She leaned over, using her stubby hands on hold her head up.
"I still can't believe he did that," Wendy thought to herself. "Dipper had nothing to gain from helping me, and Dad would totally thrash him if he found out that he was lying." She sat back and continued arguing with herself, "But then again, Dipper's always doing things like that…"
The conflicted teenager put her hands together and rested them against her chin. "I wish…I wish I could do something special for him. You know, something to say thanks, to show that I appreciate everything he does for me; for us. But what exactly?"
A split second later, the door leading into the family parlor swung open, awakening Wendy from her musing. She looked to see that Dipper's twin sister, Mabel was racing aside her pet pig Waddles. The little brunette was cheering excitedly up and down the various aisles of mementos and keepsakes.
"Hey there, short stuff!" Wendy greeted. "What's got you all riled up?"
Mabel spun on her heels to face her super-tall friend, "Guess who's turning the big '1-3' soon?" She used both thumbs to point at herself, "This girl!"
"Oh, really?" Wendy crossed her arms against her chest and put her weight against the countertop. "It's a special B-Day, kiddo! Probably one of the most important – "
Lightning immediately struck the ginger. "Wait a sec! If you're turning 13, that means that Dipper's –"
"Yep." Mabel confirmed. She rushed up to the ledge and motioned with her hand for Wendy to come closer. The redhead lowered herself, offering an open ear to her friend.
"Don't tell him I told you, but Dipper's actually five minutes younger than I am. That means, technically, he's the baby of the family!"
Wendy covered her mouth with both hands as she tried to stifle her snickers, "That…is adorable!"
"I know, right?!"
Wendy pressed her tiny informant for more information, "So, when exactly is this birthday bash?"
"Next week!" Mabel pulled back the sleeve on her multi-colored sweater to reveal a watch on her wrist, "Let's see…" the young girl calculated. "We're looking at…170 hours, 6 minutes, and 18 seconds from now!"
"Whoa," the teen stood mystified at her co-worker's obsessive behavior, "That's actually…nice to know."
"Yeah, it…" Mabel stopped in her tracks, bringing her little hand to her chin. "Hang on! What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hmm? Oh! No particular reason…" Wendy bit her lip, realizing that she might have said too much. It wasn't that she didn't trust Mabel with her intentions; it was more so that since Dipper was the focus of her plot, Wendy didn't want to create a sense of jealousy within the tiny pixie before her.
Mabel lowered her eyes at the bluffing redhead, knowing that something was up, yet she was unable to put her finger on it.
"Okay, then, Wendy! If you say so…" With that, Mabel scooped up Waddles and headed back towards the parlor. "I'll see you later! We have tons and tons of planning to do!"
Left alone with her thoughts, Wendy narrowed down her scheme. "This is perfect! My little – I mean, the little guy's got a big day coming up. What better time would it be to do something extra special for him?"
She reached into her jean pocket and pulled out her wallet. Having received her paycheck today, the girl quickly recounted her money. Wendy remembered how much of a struggle it was to get her income into actual American currency rather than "Stan Bucks," no thanks to the "Man of Mystery" himself.
"All right…" Wendy planned out her next steps, "I have the day off tomorrow, so I can definitely sneak away and pick out something for Dipper." With that, she slid her wallet back into her jeans.
"After all, how hard could it be to find something decent?"
"This is hopeless!"
Wendy traversed down the corridors of the Gravity Falls Mall as she poked her head into the various shops along the way.
"Over 75 stores…" the anguished teen bemoaned. "…and I can't find anything awesome for Dipper!"
She turned to her right, "What about you, Tambry? Did you see anything neat?"
Wendy's pink and brown-haired friend had agreed to accompany her to the Mall (despite having been recently grounded for their last adventure). However, the teen had her face stuck behind a cell phone screen as her thumbs provided rapid-fast responses to her numerous correspondents.
"TAMBRY!" Wendy called out, trying to regain her pal's attention. "Earth to Tambry! Come in!"
She received no response from the girl at her side.
"Ugh!" Wendy groaned. "For the love of –"
Somewhat annoyed, Wendy pulled out her own flip-phone, and sent out a quick text message. A few seconds later, Tambry lifted her head.
"Did you say something, Wen?"
Wendy could do nothing but sigh and shake her head. "I was saying, did you see anything that I can get for Dipper?"
"Dipper…Dipper…" Tambry mumbled to herself as she returned to her constant texting. "Who was that again? Was that the goofy one with the braces and the really long sweaters?"
"No," Wendy corrected. "He was the one with the white and blue cap. Y'know; really smart, chubby cheeks, saved us from a pair of killer ghosts?"
"Oh…" Tambry recalled. "That guy…"
"Yeah. Well, did you?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno." While having her eyes glued on the electronic screen before her, Tambry turned her head slightly towards Wendy. "You might be over thinking this," she suggested. "After all, he's just a kid. Just get him some stupid toy, and let's call it a day!"
"He's not just a kid!" Wendy argued back. "Dipper's..." She rolled her eyes, trying to put her feelings into perfect words. "He's way different from anybody his age or heck, anyone I've ever known!" Wendy was unaware that as she continued on, she became a blushed red; a fact that her friend took note of.
"Besides," she elucidated further. "This isn't just about his birthday; it's more about saying "thanks for everything you do…"" She turned towards her friend, "Does that make sense?"
"I guess," Tambry acknowledged. "However, I'd be careful if I were you…"
Wendy raised an eyebrow at her friend's comment, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, that a certain someone may not like that you're showering this Dipper kid with all this attention…"
The gingered teen was left perplexed until the image of her gothic boyfriend popped into her mind. "Robbie?" Wendy questioned. "You think Robbie is jealous of Dipper?"
Tambry remained silent, except for the slight tapping at her fingertips.
Wendy let out a slight laugh, "HA! Dipper and Robbie know they're both my boys! And Robbie's more mature than you give him credit for. I'm sure he'd probably care less about this whole thing!"
In spite her attention waning, Tambry could not find it in her heart to dash her friend's naïve hopes.
"If you say so, Wen. If you say so…"
A few days later, Wendy sat alone with her thoughts in the totally barren gift shop of the Mystery Shack. The depressed teen leaned back on her stool, placing her mud-stained boots on the counter as she counted the cracks on the raggedy ceiling.
"Two days wasted…" Wendy contemplated to herself as she rocked back and forth using the ball of her foot. "…and nothing really seemed to stand out. Toys seemed too babyish. Video games are too expensive. Gift cards aren't really personal enough..."
She let out an exhausted heave, "What am I going to do now?"
All of a sudden, a squeaky voice chimed out of nowhere:
"HI, WENDY!"
"AHH!"
Wendy lost her balance and swiftly fell to the ground with a loud *THUD!* Her emerald eyes shot up to see the sparkling, metallic smile of Mabel Pines.
"Jumpy, aren't we?"
Wendy reached out and reclaimed the brown trapper hat that had fallen off her head. "Yeah, you can say that…"
"So…" Mabel continued. "Figured out what you're doing for Dipper yet?"
"Huh?!" Wendy sprung to her knees to meet the tiny pre-teen face to face. "How did you know –"
Mabel waved away Wendy's concern. "I have my ways…" She placed her hands against her hips. "Well, did you have any luck?"
Wendy's expression changed from surprised to gloomy. "Nope," she confessed. "I honestly tried, but everything stunk! I just couldn't find something that was just right…"
"Hmm…" Mabel mused. "The "Goldilocks Syndrome", eh? Well, perhaps I could help. You know, offer some suggestions?"
The teenager's eyes lit up at the mention, "Really? You'd do that?"
"Of course I would...for the right price…"
Wendy lowered her brow. Somehow, she knew the offer was too good to be true. "And that is?"
With a devious grin, Mabel narrowed her eyes past Wendy and towards the gift shop counter, "Oh, I think you already know …"
Mabel's smirk grew as Wendy slighted her eyes in defiance. However, time was running out and she was desperate to find an answer. Defeated, Wendy scooted over to the drawer, dug into a secret compartment, and pulled out a huge plastic bag. in spite of a minor hesitation at first, she surrendered the treasure.
With a delighted squeal, Mabel quickly snatched up the pouch, and began to explore its contents. "Let's see what we have here: chips, pork rinds, suckers, candy bars…" She sealed the bag up, "Everything seems to be in order…"
"Now," Wendy demanded. "What's the secret? Spill the beans already!"
"It's simple really." Mabel enlighten as she rose to her feet. "Dipper's always been picky when it comes to this kind of thing. My advice is to spend time with him and sees what makes him tick. I'm sure you'll find your answer that way."
With that, Mabel collected Wendy's secret stash and headed back towards the family room. As the little girl left, Wendy considered the guidance given.
"Spend time with Dipper? THAT'S your great advice?" She looked up to see the parlor door swinging back and forth. "MABEL!" Wendy raised her voice. "Get back here with my loot, kiddo! I want a refund, pronto!"
The adolescent could hear the pitter-patter of little feet as they raced up the wooden stairs leading into the attic. "Sorry, Wendy," Mabel called out, faintly teasing her. "As Grunkle Stan always says, "We put the "fun" in "no refunds!""
Later that day, a small but respectable crowd had been bused into the tourist trap, keeping the plucky teenager pre-occupied for the majority of the afternoon. After a day of answering questions, restocking shelves, and ringing customers out, Wendy was left exhausted, with a throbbing headache, stinging fingers, and swollen feet.
As she finally started to relax, Wendy looked up as the gift shop door's bell rang. Dipper walked into the room, quietly whistling to himself. As he passed the counter, he casually greeted his crush.
"Hey, Wendy? Long day?"
She glanced up with little energy, "You can say that again, Dip…" As the boy strolled past, Mabel's advice came flowing back into Wendy's mind. Immediately, she rose up and cried out, "DIPPER!"
The unprepared boy shrieked in complete nervousness. Incredibly humiliated by his own actions, he turned around and asked, "W-W-What's up?"
"Sorry about that," she apologized. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a while. You know, keep me company for the rest of my shift?"
The pre-teen was blown away by the simple gesture, "You-You want me to-to…" A shocked, but enormous smile quickly spread Dipper's face. "Sure, Wendy!" he gladly accepted. "I'd love to!"
With a spring in his step, Dipper grabbed a stool from the side of the room and loudly dragged it to Wendy's counter. He hoisted himself on top of the seat and turned to see his favorite pair of green eyes focused solely on him.
To Dipper, this was almost too good to be true.
"So," Wendy started. "Whatcha been up to? It seems like you really haven't been around here lately."
Dipper seemed surprised by her concern, "To be honest, I've just been going deeper into the woods; seeing what cool stuff I can find."
"Yeah, it's pretty spacious out there. There's no telling –"
Wendy was cut off by a shout stemming from the front room, "DIPPER!"
She looked down at her companion, whom yelled back a response, "Yes, Grunkle Stan!"
"I need your help, kid!" the elder beckoned. "I can't find the remote and the "Wheel's" on in 10 minutes!"
Dipper sighed to himself. His vision shot up to meet a sympathetic look from Wendy. "I'll be back in a sec." She nodded in approval.
Somewhat embarrassed, he slid off of the stool, and rushed into the living room. Wendy tapped her fingernails against the wooden countertop as she awaited her pal's return. A few minutes passed until Dipper came back, only this time, he wore an annoyed scowl on his face.
"Everything all right?" Wendy asked.
"Hm?" Dipper responded, as if his mind was elsewhere. "Oh, it's…nothing to worry about." He looked up with an ashamed expression to the towering girl, "Sorry about leaving you…"
"Don't be…" Wendy comforted. "Old people lose things. It's what they do!"
"HA!" The snide comment made Dipper laugh, bringing him back into good spirits. Happy to see the change in his attitude, Wendy gently patted the stool's cushion, welcoming Dipper back by her side.
He climbed back on top of the stool and let his legs swing freely. Even though she'd never admit it, Wendy thought the fact that Dipper couldn't even reach the floor was cute.
"So when you go off exploring," Wendy continued in her quest, "…does Mabel come along with you on these adventures?"
"Sometimes…" Dipper went further into detail. "…but between Mabel hanging out with Candy and Grenda, and her taking care of Waddles, she doesn't have a lot of free time lately..."
"Oh…well, what about Soos? You guys hang out, right?"
"Yeah," Dipper acknowledged. "But, then again, he has to stay around the Shack in case anything goes wrong."
"And when's there a day where that doesn't happen?"
Dipper nodded in agreement with a fading smirk. Wendy noticed the melancholy in his expression. "He's lonely…" she realized. "Maybe I can get him something that he can focus on?" However, she felt bad for inadvertently bringing her tiny protector down into the dumps. Wendy decided to change topics to try to better his mood.
"Still," the teen went on, "You must find all kinds of awesome things out there in the wilderness!" She leaned closer to the boy on the stool, "Have you ever found anything like, super crazy; something like that time at the convenience store?"
Dipper turned back toward her with a sparkle in his eye, "Wendy, I don't think you'd believe me if I told you-"
Abruptly, the bell above the gift shop door went off, interrupting the two adolescents once more. Soos, the Mystery Shack's handyman, raced into the room.
"Dude! I'm so glad I found you!" He grabbed Dipper by the arm, "I totally need your help!"
"But, Soos…" Dipper looked back at Wendy as he struggled to come up with an answer to be left alone, "…I can't…I mean…me…Wendy…"
"C'mon, Dipper-bro!" Soos beseeched. "This is a two-man job, and I need another man!" His eyes widen as he explained himself. "We gotta hurry, or we'll all be in serious trouble!"
Dipper faced Wendy once again with pleading eyes. "But…"
"It's okay, Dipper," she ensured, "I'll be here when you get back."
The look of panic and distress on Dipper's face was speedily replaced with a gracious grin, "Thanks, Wen-"
Soos yanked Dipper off of the stool, making him cry out in shock. "We need to go now! We only have a few minutes before the explosion!"
"Wait!" Dipper exclaimed as he was dragged out the door. "WHAT EXPLOSION?!"
Wendy leaned back on her seat as she gazed up at the clock, "How long is this going to take?" She harbored no hard feelings against her young cohort as she knew these disruptions weren't his fault. At the same time, Wendy was growing impatient about having the answer she urgently needed being yanked out of her grasp every few moments.
*KA-BOOM!*
Wendy jumped to her feet and hurried towards the window to see what had just happened. A few seconds later, the soot-covered form of Dipper Pines came stumbling back towards the gift shop. She threw open the door to examine him.
"DIPPER!" Wendy screamed, kneeling down to his level. "Oh, my gosh! Are you alright?! What happened out there?!"
The boy held his fist up to his mouth and repeatedly coughed into it.
"We…We fixed it…I think…"
Wendy stood back up, crossed her arms, and shook her head in disbelief. She reached over and picked up a roll of paper towels, handing them to her friend. Dipper tore off a few sheets and began to dust himself off. As soon as he was finished, Wendy started to head back to her post.
"Boy, it seems like I'm not the only one being run ragged today, huh?"
Dipper coughed in response, "Tell me about it…" He assumed his spot on the stool. "You see, this is kinda why I'm happy about going off on my own every once in a while."
Wendy gave him a perplexed look, "I don't understand?"
"Don't get me wrong," Dipper detailed. "It's not that I don't like helping everyone out, but at times…" The young boy used his hands to demonstrate the current situation, "…like right now, it is nice to get a little peace and quiet."
The lanky female empathized with him, "I hear that, little buddy."
"Still…" Dipper's tone changed. "…it isn't all that bad." His soft brown eyes met Wendy's sparkling emerald ones. "I mean, I don't feel like that when…when I'm with you."
"Really?" Her freckled cheeks became a rosy red.
"Yeah, Wendy. Definitely! When we get a chance to hang out, we do all sorts of cool stuff together!" Dipper began to count on his fingers, "…like when we pull pranks, or pig out on junk food, or go racing in the Mystery Carts…"
Wendy noticed how Dipper seemed to glow as he continued to reminiscence. Even the trademark lines under his eyes began to lighten.
"…and you don't have me do meaningless chores, or treat me like a guinea pig, or even boss me around when you're feeling lazy. And I…I know it sounds cheesy, but…I appreciate that. I appreciate it a lot…"
Wendy was left at a loss for words. That was the very last thing she could have expected Dipper to say.
"Dip, I mean, like…I-"
*SLAM!*
The redhead stopped as she heard a series of bangs and crashes. A split second later, a shrill screeching echoed throughout the entire Mystery Shack! The parlor door swung open as Dipper's twin sister ran through waving her arms in the air frantically.
"DIPPER!" Mabel cried out. "Come quick! We're in trouble!"
Both Wendy and Dipper let out an exasperated response, "Now what?!"
The frightened girl ran up to her brother, "But, Dipper! You don't understand –"
"Mabel!" he lamented. "I just sat down! Can't this wait, please?"
She instantly shook her head, "No, Dipper, it can't!" She leaned closer to her twin, in order to stay out of Wendy's earshot, "The omes-gnay re-ay ack-bay!"
Being somewhat fluent in Pig Latin, he was able to get the gist of Mabel's message, "Are you sure?"
"Es-yay!"
He let out an annoyed groan, and glanced back at the teenager focused solely on him. Wendy could tell that something was different with this situation."
"Wendy, I'm…"
She reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Go on ahead. It looks like it's important, right?"
The boy turned away and bit his lip, "Yeah…it is."
"Well, take care of business, and we'll catch up later!" She gave his shoulder another encouraging squeeze.
Dipper hopped down to his sister's level. He turned around to apologize to Wendy for a third time, "Sorry again…"
"No worries." Wendy waved away his concerns. "Good luck…with whatever it is you guys have to do."
With a surge of confidence from his secret crush, Dipper responded with a tooth-filled grin and a nod. Wendy watched in confusion as both twins rushed to the closet, pulled out dual leaf blowers, and made their way out the gift shop exit.
"Boy, he wasn't lying." Wendy reflected on the last few moments. "Dipper doesn't really get a lot of time to himself. It's messed up that he feels the only time he can relax is if he's by himself or with –"
Wendy stopped in her tracks as Mabel's somewhat-cryptic suggestion came to mind:
"My advice is to spend time with him and sees what makes him tick. I'm sure you'll find your answer that way."
Within a few moments, all the pieces began to come together: Dipper's loneliness; his need to get away from the demands of the Shack; the obvious lack of fun in his life.
The answer that Wendy desperately craved was staring her in the face the whole time!
"That's what Mabel meant…"she thought. "I just didn't think she was being so…literal." Wendy threw her fist into her open hand, "But still, it's perfect! I can plan a whole day with just Dipper and I having fun together!"
She started to narrow down a game plan for the next few days, "Okay, so now I have to figure out where to take him." Wendy rested her weary head on her fists, "Well, the Shack's definitely out of the question…" The teenager started to recall all of the times she had seen her friend at his happiest. "I remember having a blast while we were lifeguards together, but I doubt Mr. Poolcheck would be cool with us partying at the pool; especially since he fired both of us…"
Wendy lowered her head further as she struggled to come up with a decent idea. Out of the blue, the vision of Dipper and her crowded in front of a flashing screen. Buttons clicked. Joysticks waggled. The sound of their conjoined laughter radiated throughout the empty corridor as they playfully elbowed each other in the spirit of competitiveness.
"Oh, yeah…now I remember!" A few weeks before, Soos had surprised her and the Pines twins with a visit to the Gravity Falls Arcade after a hard day of work. As Mabel and Soos went off on their own, she and Dipper had snuck away from the group to do a little exploring on their own. Dipper had introduced her to a few of his favorite video games, and from there, a friendly rivalry was born.
"I can't remember seeing Dipper happier than…well, ever!" A huge smile stretched across her face. "Come to think of it," Wendy detailed, "I know exactly how I'll make it happen!"
"And there you are, Lady Corduroy. Two day-long passes; just as you requested!"
"Thanks, guys!" Wendy graciously accepted the slips, "But, please, can't you guys just call me "Wendy?"
The two teenage boys stationed behind the Arcade's register briefly looked at each other, and returned their focus on their guest.
"Sorry, ma'am. We didn't mean anything by it…"
"It's just that someone of your stature…"
"Someone who openly defends the weak and downtrodden…"
"…like us…"
"…only deserves the upmost respect…"
Wendy held up her hands, "It's alright, guys. Forget I said anything…"
She knew that the siblings didn't mean any harm. Wendy had been friends with the brothers since grade-school, where their prim and proper upbringing had been the subject of much teasing and ridicule. While she loved jokes and pranks as much as the next teenager, Wendy did believe in a limit. For this, she found herself to be a constant defender of the "little guys," (as was the case with Dipper and Mabel) earning her the eternal gratitude of countless friends.
"Anyways, I hate to ask," Wendy continued. "But I have another thing I need your help with…"
"For you? Just name it, madam…"
"Anything you need!"
"Okay then," Wendy bit her lip, slightly hesitating before moving forwards. "The reason I bought these is that I'm planning something for me and a special someone –"
"Ooh!" The eldest brother, a tall flat-topped boy with thick-rimmed glasses, ribbed. "Luck-y!"
"Good for you, Lady Corduroy!" The younger of the two, a blonde with thinning hair and wire-framed glasses, congratulated. "I'm so glad you found someone besides that mean goth jerk! He was such a bully!"
Wendy crossed her arms, "Actually, this is for a friend of mine. Robbie and I are still together…" A sly beam formed on her face, "…but I'll make sure to tell him that you say hello." He gulped in regret of his remark.
"Like I was saying," Wendy resumed. "…I was wondering if there's any way that we could possibly…get the whole arcade to ourselves?"
The girl could tell from the looks on her friends' faces that it was not going to be an easy task.
"Gee, Lady Corduroy. I know we'd said anything, but…"
"Dad'll kill us!"
"…that might be something that's completely out of our hands…"
"Dad'll kill us!"
Wendy figured on this happening. She needed to go to "Plan B."
"Oh, well!" Wendy let out a faux sigh. "I totally understand, guys…" She reached into her left jean pocket, pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper, and placed it on the counter. "…but I was going to give this to you guys as a "thank you…""
With eager eyes, they unrolled the sheet and gasped at the information posted on it.
"This is…this is…"
"Yep…" Wendy tucked her trapper hat back with the tip of her thumb. "Tambry's cell phone number!"
The two brothers looked at each other in amazement.
"I can't believe it!"
"A girl's number! A real girl's number!"
Wendy reached over and snatched the morsel away, "Yeah, but if you guys say you can't do it…"
The boys looked at each other in desperation. After a brief silence, Wendy watched the oldest take a spindle of keys out of his pockets. He pulled it apart and presented a copper key. He gently placed it in Wendy's hand.
"This is a copy of the master key," he explained. "It will open and lock both the front doors and the emergency exit in the back." He clasped Wendy's hand closed over the key. "NO ONE must ever know about this!"
"Deal!" Wendy chirped happily as she returned the phone number. "As long as Tambry never finds out where you got her number from…"
"Now that everything's settled," the boy extended his arm towards the arcade gallery, "Let us show you around. We have the best fighting games out there!"
"Please!" the youngest knocked. "Those games are entirely overrated!" He leaned across the counter. "If you and your friend want to have some real fun, you need to check out our light gun selection; hunting; fighting terrorists; blowing away zombies. They have it all!"
Wendy couldn't believe it, but within mere seconds, the two males were face-to-face, arguing about the varying genres.
"FIGHTING!"
"LIGHT GUNS!"
"FIGHTING!"
"LIGHT GUNS!"
"GUYS!" Wendy shouted, growing tired of their petty argument. Both boys looked back in shock at their beloved guest. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll go exploring on my own."
The two hosts shied a step back, knowing that they had made fools of themselves.
"Sorry about that…"
"Our humblest apologies…"
"Please take a look around. We'll be here if you need us."
Wendy offered a small wave of gratitude and started towards the multiple rows of video games, each flashing and beeping in an effort to attract the girl to their individual cabinet.
"Wow! Look at all of this stuff!" She took notice of the worn out wooden panels that housed several of the titles. "I bet these things are older than I am!"
As Wendy continued pass the everlasting rows of arcade machines, she noticed that the atmosphere began to change. Where the front of the building was bright and filled with noise and life, the back end of the arcade had a somewhat eerie overtone to it. A very dimmed bulb provided a fraction of light to the dank setting. Cobwebs and dust covered the seemingly-forgotten attractions. The only sounds that she could make out, besides a series of muffled beeps and chiptones, were that of her own footsteps echoing through the empty hallway.
"Talk about creepy…" Wendy thought as goosebumps started to rise up over her freckled fresh. "It probably seems different because I'm the only person here."
In the right-most corner, the curious teen noticed that one of the machines was currently shut down; its screen was a pitch black.
"Hmm…" she looked the game over. "I don't see an "Out-of-Order" sign or anything. I'd better let the guys know before…"
Without warning, the game flashed to life, making the ginger jump in reflex. Her eyes focused as screens of green coding scrolled through the dark screen. A few seconds later, a display of vibrant colors flashed across the monitor. The speakers blared a preset message:
"FIGHT FIGHTERS! PLEASE INSERT TOKEN NOW!"
Wendy asked herself, "Why does that name sound so familiar?" A moment later, she flashbacked to few weeks during her first visit; Dipper had excitedly taken her by the hand and dragged her around the arcade.
"I can't believe they have it!" He looked up at her with shining brown eyes while pointing forward. "You have to check this out! I used to play this back home! C'mon, Wendy! I'll show you how to play!"
The reflection made Wendy smile deeply. She knew that this was the best thing she could have done for her friend.
Out of the corner of her eye, Wendy noticed that the attraction mode had disappeared from the monitor, only to be replaced by another black screen. As she stared at the strange oddity, a pair of red, glowing eyes appeared against the dark background. They seem to narrow upon seeing the confused fifteen-year old.
"Whoa…" Wendy took a step closer. "Is this part of the demo?"
She started to reach towards the panel. As her finger touched the start button, a pair of hands roughly grabbed Wendy's shoulders from behind.
"EEP!"
Wendy spun around on her heels, only to find herself facing the smiling, pocked-filled visage of her gothic boyfriend, Robbie V.
"Hey, babe!" he greeted her with a vicious smile. "How's it going?"
In retaliation, Wendy delivered a swift, but stinging blow to the chest of her skinny beau. He let out a devastated groan, "What – What was that for?"
"That was for scaring the living daylights out of me!"
He held his hands up as a form of surrender, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Upon regaining his balance, Robbie approached the angered girl, "Actually, I was looking all over for you!"
"Really?" The hints of irritation began to disappear in Wendy's tone.
"Well, yeah," he scoffed. "I knew you were inside 'cause your bike is chained up outside." He lowered his brow, "What are you doing here anyways?"
"Oh…just taking care of a few tiny details for this thing I have planned…"
"Uh-huh…" he concurred. "…for that twerp, Dipper."
"WHA-?!" Wendy exclaimed. "How did you know that?"
"Let's say a little pink birdie told me…"
"Tambry…" Wendy bemoaned to herself. "For someone that doesn't talk much, she's got an awfully big mouth!"
"Well, what's the big deal?" Wendy asked.
Robbie went further into detail, "I never said it was a big deal. I just don't get why you have to do this?!"
"I don't have to do this; I want to!" Wendy disputed. "Dipper's a great, little guy, and he always takes care of me – of us! And I want to do something special for him…"
He sneered at her sentiment, "Yeah. It isn't like he's your boyfriend or anything like that.
Wendy placed her hands on her sides, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you expect me to ignore that you're giving that dork all this attention?"
She couldn't believe what she was hearing! "Tambry was totally right: he is completely jealous of Dipper!"
"Come on, Robbie!" Wendy explained. "So what? I have to stop everything because you're jealous of Dip – "
"I'm NOT jealous of that little runt!"
"…jealous of Dipper. That's not fair, Robbie! In fact, now that I think about it: there hasn't been a single time where I didn't leave Dipper hanging over you!"
The goth left out a whiny "HMMPH!" and turned his back on his girlfriend. Robbie folded his hoodie-covered arms against his chest, "Well, you are MY girlfriend! It's kinda like your job to do so!"
Robbie closed his eyes and waited for an expected apology. The answer he received sent shivers down his spine:
"What…did you just say?!"
Suddenly, the realism of the situation finally struck the ignorant teen; or more so, how much trouble that he found himself in.
He turned around to see that Wendy's emerald eyes had become a dark shade of green as they stared through his gangly figure. Her freckled face was changed from a pasty white to a bull's eye red. Her tiny, yet powerful fists were rolled up and left violently shaking at her hips.
"Wendy, wait –"
She stormed towards her frightened boyfriend, "Did you say that it's my job to listen to your commands? To come running when you call?"
"I didn't mean – "
"You think it's my job for me to always choose you over my friends or to ask you for permission to go do something on my own?"
Robbie was quickly focused backwards until he hit the wall. "Hold on – "
A second later, he and Wendy were face-to-face. She poked at the scared boy with her index finger.
"Let me clue you on a few things, mister! It's my job to tell you that I will do what I want, with whom I want, anytime I want, with or without your consent! It's my job to let you know when you're acting like an immature, pompous jerk, and it's my job to have you know that I don't wanna see you until you get your head on straight!"
The lanky, enraged girl started to leave, only to come back one last time, "And don't think for a second that you are going to ruin Dipper's surprise on him. Are we clear?"
After being throttled by the awesome display, Robbie finally found the courage to give a response, "Crystal…" He hesitated for a second, "…though I'm not exactly sure what It is you're doing…"
"Good!"
With that, Wendy turned away from her stunned partner, and headed for the exit. As she passed the exit, her classmates called out, "Is everything all right, Lady Cord –"
"Just fine, guys. I'll see you in a few days, okay?"
The two brothers looked at each other in uncertainty, until they were startled by a shadowy figure tossing a pile of mashed up dollars onto their counter. They looked up and grasp as Robbie V. gave off a troubled, yet menacing glare.
"What are you nerds lookin' at?!" he demanded. They remained silent as he pounded his fist against the wood panel, "Let me get one of those pass things…"
Wendy unlocked the chain securing her bike and adjusted her helmet. She hopped on top of the seat and headed back home. Despite of all the drama with Robbie, she was quite proud of herself for accomplishing everything that she needed to do today.
All that remained was one final, yet daunting task; something that may be even beyond her abilities. Just the mere thought of it made the redhead gulp and shake with uncertainty….
Wendy asked herself how exactly she got into her current situation. She remembered that she had spent all of her hard(ly) earned money on the arcade passes, and for that, Wendy had no other choice. She had to do this, for it wouldn't be a true birthday without one. It would be the ultimate symbol of her love and friendship for Dipper, yet alone any boy or man in her life. Nevertheless, it was the most difficult and grueling thing that Wendy would ever have to do:
She was to bake a cake for Dipper.
"Mix the wet ingredients into a large bowl! Use a whisk or hand mixer to blend the ingredients well!"
"WHOA! WHOA! WHOA there, lady! Which are the "wet ones" again?"
Covered in flour from head to toe, Wendy rushed back to the laptop left on top her kitchen table. She navigated the keys with sticky fingers, and rewound the "MeTube" video. Wendy hurried back to her counter full of supplies as she repeated the narration of the online chef.
"Okay, then, mixing the butter, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and buttermilk…" Afterwards, she took the separated dry ingredients and added them to her mixing bowl. As soon as the compound was well incorporated, Wendy resumed the video and tried her best to listen to the chef's pre-recorded message:
"Now, pour the batter into your already greased-up cake pan, making sure every bit makes it into the pan…"
Wendy used a plastic spoon to scoop out the mixture, with a small faction splattering all over the countertop (as well as a few small splotches over her body).
"Done…and done!" she exclaimed, growing an established scene of pride with each step successfully completed. Wendy had never attempted to cook anything before, and as far as a first attempt went, the experience hadn't been so bad.
She slipped the pan into the oven she had set at 350. Wendy peered into the window and watched as the cake began to cook and rise. A tooth-filled grin formed as she congratulated herself on a job well done.
*SLAM!*
Wendy raised her eyes to see that her father had arrived home from work. Unfortunately, it was a bit earlier than she originally planned.
"WHAT IN THE SAM HILL IS GOING ON IN HERE?!"
The anxious teen tried to calm the overly-upset giant, "Dad, I can explain…"
Manly Dan's voice only increased, making the house seem as if it was shaking, "Well, I hope so, little missy! You can't blame a guy for coming home and seeing his kitchen in ruins! "
"Please, Dad! You gotta keep your voice down…"
"OR ELSE WHAT?!"
A split second later, a loud hissing could be heard throughout the Corduroy kitchen.
"Or else…" Wendy sighed in defeat, "…my cake will deflate…"
Manly Dan couldn't believe the actions of the heartbroken girl before him, "You…You're baking?"
She looked up with saucer-like eyes at her father, "I think you should make that "was…"
After a few minutes of wallowing discouragement, Wendy threw out the ruined cake and decided to try again. She replayed the "MeTube" video, even though she had the general idea down pat. Since her father had left for the Skull Fracture, Wendy was guaranteed peace and quiet for the remainder of the night.
As her second attempt at a cake continued to cook, Wendy decided to wipe up the mess that coated the table and countertops. Just as she finished, the chime from the timer on top of the oven went off. Using oven mitts, Wendy bent down and proudly set the finished sweet on the stove top.
To celebrate (and to rid herself of all the flour dried onto her), Wendy decided to treat herself to an impromptu bubble bath. Either way, she needed time for the cake to cool before the frosting could be applied.
About a half hour later, a cleansed and fully relaxed Wendy padded her way back downstairs to put the finishing touches on her present. With her long red hair wrapped in a towel and donning a matching plaid robe and slippers, the teen walked into the kitchen and gasped at the sight before her:
The cake was missing from its resting place on top of the stove!
"Where the – what happened to that cake?!"
Wendy could hear muffled laughter coming from the next room. She burst into the front room to see her three younger brothers huddled together on the couch. Wendy took a few steps closer to see they were devouring an unfinished chocolate cake…
Dipper's unfinished chocolate cake!
"YOU GUYS!" Wendy screamed at the top of her lungs, making all three boys jump in fright. They turned around to see their steamed sister, standing still with narrowed eyes and arms crossed in displeasure.
"Oh, it's only you, Wendy. Did you try this cake?"
"Yeah, Wendy! Did you make this? It's awesome!"
"It's awesome…but it can use some frosting or fudge or something…"
As Wendy's neon-glowing clock struck midnight…
*RRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGG!"
The half-asleep ginger turned over and hit the alarm with her fist.
"I'm up! I'm up!"
Wendy turned back over and let out a groan. She was tired, but at the same time, she was determined. The third time would be the charm! Besides, she was scheduled for the late shift anyway, so Wendy could sleep in.
The teenager gently shut her bedroom door and crept by the neighboring bedrooms in her bare feet. Wendy could hear the sounds of the four males snoring away in a deep sleep.
"Perfect…" Wendy thought as she hurried to the kitchen. She turned on the lights and prepared her supplies for the third (and hopefully last) time. Wendy had no further need for the lady in the "MeTube" video since she had memorized the recipe by heart. She took extra precaution not to ruin her pajamas by spilling any of the mix.
As the batter cooked yet again, Wendy sat at the kitchen table, personally watching over her work in between reading a variety of different teen magazines. As the timer began to ring, she leapt from her seat and slammed it off.
While the cake started to cool, Wendy went into the fridge and pulled out a can of chocolate frosting and a short pastry bag. She opened the drawer at her side and found a thin, butter knife. The can was quickly popped open, and Wendy applied layer after layer of thick, dark chocolate to the cake. When that was finished, she took the bag of dark blue frosting and began to write in large, cursive lettering on the top of the cake.
"I hope blue's his favorite color," Wendy hoped. "After all, the kid's always wearing it!"
At long last, Wendy took a step back and admired her handiwork. Now that the deed was done, the teen gently took the finished treat, wrapped it loosely in plastic wrap, and walked to the fridge.
"I'll hide this in the one place I know no Corduroy man would dare look for anything sweet…"
With that, Wendy slid open the vegetable crisper, and prayed that her hard work would stay safe for only a little while longer.
The next morning, Wendy waited until Dipper had left the Mystery Shack and signaled for Mabel to come to her side. As she went into details about her huge surprise for Dipper, the tiny girl covered her mouth to avoid letting out a loud, yet joyful outburst.
"He's going to LOVE it!" the pre-teen adored.
Wendy felt proud of her efforts, "You really think so?"
"Without a doubt!" Mabel continued. "He'll be blown away! It's probably better than any of us could have come up with!"
Suddenly, Wendy's green eyes shot open as she realized that she missed one last crucial detail.
"Hey, Mabel. There's one more favor I need to ask you…"
At last, the day had come!
Wendy retrieved the hidden cake from its hiding place and placed it in the basket of her bike. She made extra careful not to hit any bumps or holes in the road, lest risk ruining the fruits of her labor. Within minutes, Wendy arrived at the Mystery Shack and knocked on the door.
"Hello?" she whispered. "Stan? Soos? Mabel?" Upon hearing no response, the girl smiled and walked inside, "Great! Mabel came through!"
The teen hurried up the old, rotting stairs to carry out the next piece of her plan. As promised, Mabel had lured both Stan and Soos away from the Mystery Shack long enough for Dipper and her to make their escape without being bothered in the slightest.
Wendy arrived at the twins' shared attic bedroom. She peered inside to see the still-slumbering, now fully-teenaged form of Dipper Pines. Being careful not to wake the boy, Wendy slipped off her lumberjack boots and tip-toed quietly to Dipper's bedside.
She glanced down at her friend, admiring how his spread-out position reminded her of that of a small child. Wendy pulled out a handwritten note she had crafted before making the trip and went to place it on his nightstand.
All of a sudden, Dipper's eyes were thrown open. Wendy gasped and offered a small, embarrassed wave.
"Hi, Wendy…" Dipper moaned and sweetly smiled. As if it was nothing, his speech quickly shifted into gibberish as he turned onto his side.
Wendy swiped the sweat from her brow and let out an exhale of relief. Did he even realize that she was standing before him? She came to an astonished realization:
"What if he was dreaming about me?"
Casting everything else aside, Wendy returned to Dipper's nightstand only to see a spindle of tape hanging by the edge. Feeling somewhat devilish, she took a piece of tape, attached it to the top of the note, and very tenderly placed it on Dipper's forehead.
"This way," Wendy convinced herself. "It will be the first thing he sees when he wakes up!"
She snuck to the doorway and collected her boots. Wendy took one last look at her birthday boy before heading out towards her ultimate destination:
"And I mean it, kiddo! Don't keep me waiting too long!"
Wendy locked the front door behind her, mounted her bike, and headed towards the Arcade at the center of the small mountain town. She used the replacement key to open the sealed front doors. Wendy noticed that a printed notice was taped on the inside of the transparent entrance:
"CLOSED FOR TODAY DUE TO POWER MAINENTANCE"
"Great excuse, guys! Here's hoping it works…"
The teenager rode her bike to the backside emergency exit and chained it down snuggly. The last thing she needed was for Dipper to notice her transportation outside. Wendy cradled the chocolate cake and placed it on the counter top as she explored the maintenance room. As luck would have it, she found an old, worn-out picnic table in the right corner. Wendy swiftly dragged the heavy structure out, setting it on the back end of the Arcade. She wiped out the thin layer of dust from the table, and jogged back to place Dipper's cake on top.
As Wendy started to head back towards the entry, she stopped in her tracks.
"Oh, man! I almost forgot!"
She dug around in her pockets until she found a tiny wax candle in the shape of the number 13. With great care, Wendy set it in the center of the cake while making sure not to dig in too deep.
Suddenly, the sliding front doors sprang open. From around the corner, Wendy spotted a very confused Dipper Pines entering the nearly-abandoned building. Ever so suspicious, the tiny detective made sure to analyze every piece of the structure in hopes of revealing the person behind the mysterious note.
Wendy ducked down behind a row of arcade cabinets and watched as Dipper peered further into her well-laid trap. She looked up to see a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at her from the video monitor only inches away from her face!
"AH-"
Wendy covered her mouth to avoid screaming in fright! Dipper looked towards her direction, forcing the girl to hold her breath in hopes of eliminating any sound that would give away her hiding spot. Unable to locate the noise, Dipper started to head deeper into the Arcade as he asked himself, "What is going on?"
With her plan savaged, Wendy looked back at the video game to see that the ghastly image had disappeared yet again.
"Get it together, girl!" she coached herself. "Don't let the creepy-factor get to you! There's no one else here but you and the little guy! You've made sure of that!"
The echoing sounds of Dipper's footsteps came from the other side of the building. Wendy slithered down the row and peeked as the thirteen-year-old discovered the table with his homemade birthday cake. She watched in awe as Dipper pulled back in shock and looked around for his secret admirer.
"Mabel," Dipper called out, slowly walking towards the cake. "Mabel, you can come out now…"
Wendy smiled upon hearing this. "This is perfect!" she celebrated. "He really doesn't have a clue!"
She took a deep breath and revealed herself from the shadows.
"No, not Mabel, but you're getting warmer…"
As he recognized that voice, a huge, yet shocked beam spread across Dipper's face. He turned around, and looked up to meet his secret gift-giver eye to eye.
"What's up, dweeb?"
Dipper stood in a quiet wonder. Slowly, he found the courage to speak. "Wendy…" he stammered."Wendy…you did all of this?"
"Yep," she replied as a mischievous grin spread further across her freckled face.
"Just look at his face!" Wendy prided herself. "Just that alone makes everything worth the effort!" She started to approach her stunned friend, "I have a feeling that this will be a day that neither of us will ever forget…"
"So, whatdya think?"