Dipper's POV
Summer break was coming to an end, and it was time for me and Mabel to pack our bags and prepare to go back home to California. I was going through the things under my bed and discovering just how much of a mess I had made this summer. An apple core here, some glitter pizza over there, a scrap piece of notebook pap-
I pick up the sheet as a flood of memories instantly return to my head. The bunker, the chat on the log, the way the sun was rising, the way her red hair flowed behind her as she rode her bike through the fireflies and out of my sight. All in these words:
Dear Wendy,
I've always wanted to
tell I feel
Today's the day I've got to tell you
I LIKE YOU.
is that crazy?
I look up from the paper, lost in thought. How could I have been so... so stupid? Liking a girl that's three years older than me that I knew didn't feel the same way?
But I can't help but wonder what is wrong with me? Why doesn't she like me? It can't just be our slight age difference, can it? Our heights being so dramatically different? Or was it because I didn't wear eyeliner or wasn't the lead guitarist in a band? Why doesn't she like me...
I crumple up the notebook paper and toss it in the trash before continuing to clean my room with Wendy on my mind as I pack my things.
The next morning, Mabel and I find ourselves at the bus stop bidding farewell to our friends, grunkles, and summer. While Mabel says goodbye to Candy and Grenda, I feel a hand on my shoulder. When I turn around, I am shocked to see Wendy crouched down behind me. I stare at her for a second, blushing slightly while having the conflicting thoughts from yesterday bouncing around my head before she finally breaks the silence.
"Hey," she begins, "you- you mean a lot to me, man"
I begin to get excited about where this may go, what she will say next... what we may do next...
"Y-you too" I stutter out. I see her begin to shift and a smile begins to form on my face. Okay Dipper, I tell myself, this is the moment you've been waiting for all summer... She then holds out her knuckles as my hopes for a kiss fade into a fist pump which I return half-heartedly. She then reaches for my head as I prepare to be pulled to her body in a tight embrace, but instead she takes my hat and replaces it with her own. Honestly, I kinda liked that pinetree hat...
She then puts my cap on and says "something to remember me by" and I fake a smile. "Oh, and this" she hands it to me, a letter saying To: Dipper. My heart begins to pick up its pace again. "Read it the next time you miss Gravity Falls" she finishes
I hear the bus pull up behind me, and say one last goodbye to everyone before boarding with Mabel. As soon as we take our seats, I begin thinking about the note and its possible contents. Maybe a bus ticket for me to come back during fall break? Maybe a picture of Wendy and myself at one of our movie nights? But I can't shake the hope of it being something more; like a letter confessing Wendy's true feelings for me.
My curiosity gets the best of me, and I tear open the envelope within 3 minutes of the bus ride. I pull out a folded piece of paper and begin to open it. I can tell there's writing on the back, and my heart begins to race as I flip it over to see... signatures. Signatures of the towns folk which Mabel had already received in her scrapbook. I search frantically for Wendy's, and my heart drops when it only says "Wendy- stay cool!". I look up from the page, never being so disappointed in my life. That's it? That's all I get for a summer full of memories? A fist pump, an old hat and... and this?
My mind begins working frantically again, before an idea pops into my mind. It's a clue or a code of some sort! Something Wendy wants me to solve. I first pull out my backlight and search for invisible ink. After finding nothing I begin to try to decipher her note, then work my way to every signature searching for something more personal from Wendy. However, by the time we reach Piedmont three hours later, I've given up. She really didn't have anything else to say...
Wendy's POV
I waved the twins goodbye, and watched them drive into the sunrise. The summer sure was a crazy one, filled with countless memories of those two amazing people. Unfortunately, I was snapped back into reality when Stan told me it was time to get back to work in the Shack. When we returned, I sat down at my post behind the register and relived the memories of the summer. Everything from the dance at the shack, the ghosts in the convenience store, to the job at the pool with Dipper and the crazy mishaps in the bunker... The bunker. The day after Dipper and I had enjoyed a crappy movie together. The day after Dipper had seemed so distracted and nervous about something that he needed to tell me. The day after he chickened out of confessing something important and instead invited me to what would become the most terrifying and crazy day of my life. All because he couldn't give me that letter.
I still don't know what it says, but I assume it was something having to do with what he had confessed in the bunker when he thought the shape shifter was me. But it would've been nice to actually receive the letter, and let this curious feeling be tamed. I'm awoken from my thoughts when Stan begins to yell.
"Wendy! Stop sitting there and do something! There's obviously no one here. Go make yourself useful and finish cleaning the twins' room in the attic." I roll my eyes and begin to climb the stairs.
After cleaning their room for a few minutes, it becomes clear that they didn't leave much behind (aside from a few drawings on the wall of unicorns and questions marks). Luckily, this means there's less to clean. After sweeping the floors and tidying up Mabel's drawings, I begin to walk towards the door. However, right before I walk out of the room, something in the trash by Dipper's bed catches my attention. Inside, crumpled up, is the note that Dipper never gave me. I look around the room and then quickly pick it up, flatten it out, and being to read it.
There was nothing surprising about the contents of the letter, but seeing his writing about me makes me think. I sit on the end of the bed, rereading the letter over and over while thinking. He sacrificed his reputation to save me and my friends even after I had called him a little kid and captain buzzkill, just to ensure my safety. He asked me to join him at the fair and I abandoned him for Robbie. I knew he wanted to dance with me, but I tried to avoid it. I knew he wanted to hang out with me alone, but I invited him to a Halloween party that Robbie had already planned to make out with me at. I knew he was just trying to protect me by exposing the truth about Robbie, but I still yelled at him. And yet, he still cared enough to write this letter and attempt to ask me out, then say he's in love with me? And then I made up a lame excuse by saying that our age was something we couldn't overlook. I don't deserve him... and he feels that he doesn't deserve me. And the worst part is that he's gone for the year, and I never told him how I felt. Even if I don't know exactly how I feel, I never even told him how much he meant to me except for a single sentence and a fist pump. What a lousy way to wrap up a beautiful friendship for almost a whole year. Maybe for a few hours that would've been okay, but 10 months? No way...
An idea suddenly pops into my head, and I grab my keys and take off through the front door of the Shack without even saying goodbye to Stan.
Dipper's POV
When we arrived in Piedmont the sun was just beginning to set. I walked inside my house and went straight to my room, not even saying hello to my parents. Mabel seemed concerned, but had too much to tell mom and dad to follow me.
Wendy consumed my every thought. I couldn't shake the pain of her not saying anything more than "you mean a lot to me, man". Nothing sincere, but some little comment that was somehow supposed to wrap up all of the memories we had made together this summer.
I continued to wallow in misery on my bed for a few hours, looking through the photos that Wendy and I had taken together, and then looking back to the letter with all of the towns folk's signatures on it. I sigh loudly before I hear a knock at my bedroom door.
"Mabel, I'm not in the mood right now" I state without even opening the door
The doorknob turns and I continue to look down at my phone as the person enters. I don't turn to look until they sit next to me on my bed and when I look back, I gasp really loudly. There sitting on my bed next to me, smiling and looking down at me is the very red head who has been on my mind all afternoon.
"Wendy?" I ask, still unable to truly believe what I'm seeing
"Hey," she says, laughing slightly at the expression on my face. I, however, am not smiling but can't help the redness appearing on my cheeks
"What are you doing here?" I ask with a slightly aggravated tone. Wendy's smile fades as she realizes my state of mind.
"Can I talk to you? Like somewhere private? Maybe at a park or something?" She asks without answering my question
"uh, ya I guess. Let's go." I lead her outside and we begin to walk to the park in silence. When we get there, it becomes apparent that Wendy had been thinking of exactly what she would say to me, for she begins to talk as soon as we sit on the swing set.
"So, I know you're probably really confused as to why I'm here, and I don't blame you. But what I have to tell you can't wait and I know I should've done this earlier but I didn't and I'm sorry, but better late then never, right?" she asks
I look up at her with the most confused expression I can manage. She sighs and says "this will all make sense soon but I just need you to listen to me, okay? Just let me explain my side of the story then I want to hear yours."
"Umm, okay then. I guess. Go ahead" I reply
Wendy looks away from me and out in front of us before talking. "This summer has been an amazing roller coaster filled with drops and hills and loops, and I'm happy you decided to sit next to me for the ride. When we were saying goodbye, I attempted to sum up the whole summer with a simple sentence and a fist pump, and it's been bugging me since this morning. No way would one sentence ever be enough to describe how much you mean to me and how amazing this summer has been. Listen, Dipper, you're my best friend. You've literally been such a kind and caring person this summer and I'm so glad I met you. But not only have you managed to do the job of a friend, but you've gone above and beyond. You put the little bit of your good reputation that you still had on the line to save my friends and I from the convenience store after we had made fun of you all day long for being so scared. Then you created clones just to try to dance with me," my eyebrows raise at her knowing about this but she continues, "you tried to come to a Halloween party even though you knew you would be the youngest one there and that I'd probably just hang out with Robbie. You got a job at the pool with me just so I wouldn't be bored. Then you went through all of the trouble to show me that Robbie was a jerk. Finally, you confessed your feelings for me... A 12 year old boy confessing his love to a 15 year old girl. The courage you must've had..." I interrupt
"But I didn't have any courage! I never really did confess to you, but to your doppelgänger. Wendy, I'm none of what you give me credit for. I'm really just a nervous, paranoid wreck that has no friends. My only friend here is Mabel, but she has so many friends that we never really hang out at school. I'm just a- I'm just a nobody." I say as I lower my head
Wendy puts her hand under my chin and lifts my head so that I have to look at her.
"Don't you ever say that about yourself again. You are not a nobody! And all of those things I said are true. You're smart, caring, funny, kind, amazin-" I cut her off again
"Because of you, Wendy! None of this is really me! It's just the me that appears when I'm with you. You bring these things out of me. That's why..." I pause, blushing
"why what, Dipper?" she urges
"That's why I love you." I state
A silence follows, and I can feel my emotions swirling around in my head. The sun has gone down at this point so that we are sitting under the stars.
"You, on the other hand, are all of those things anyway" I continue
"No, I'm not. I'm a jerk, Dipper!" Wendy says, raising her voice as she speaks "I toyed with your emotions all summer! I knew you liked me from the beginning, and I called you captain buzzkill in front of my friends. I didn't dance with you even though I knew how much you wanted to. I ditched you to hang out with Robbie at the fair. I started dating Robbie despite knowing your feelings for me and knowing that Robbie was a jerk. I then continued to lead you on at our pool job together by flirting. Then I screamed at you after you had helped me discover what Robbie had been doing to our relationship. And then, after all you've done for me, I made up a lousy excuse as to why we can't be together"
"Age isn't an excuse," I say, "it's a fact. And if I'm as smart as you give me credit for I would have realized our age difference was too big from the start."
"Dipper, that's not true! We're only a little over two years apart. That's nothing in the grand scheme of things." She replies
"In that case, why did you turn me down?" I ask after a while
"Because I-I don't deserve you Dipper." She states flatly
I begin to fake laugh. "Is this some horrible joke or something?" I ask her
"No, Dipper, it's the truth. You've done so much for me this summer and I've repaid you by being a jerk. I don't deserve you." She says
I begin to think about what she's saying. Is she really trying to argue that she, this brave, kind, caring, confident, beautiful girl, doesn't deserve me a paranoid, sweaty, nerd?
"Wendy, come on. You know it's fine to just say you don't return the feelings. You can stop making up excuses and just tell me the truth" I reply after a while
"But that's not the truth, Dipper! Don't you see? I've always returned the feelings for you, but just denied them because I wasn't ready to face them."
I stop swinging after hearing this.
"Wait, are you saying that you've always liked me back?" I ask, just to be sure I'm understanding her correctly
"Yes, Dipper, yes. I've liked you this whole time b-but I was scared... So instead of facing the truth I tried to hide it by dating other guys and coming up with reasons as to why we could never be together. But nothing ever worked, it all came back to the inevitable truth that... that I love you, Dipper."
I look up at her emerald green eyes. I'm blushing so hard but it's too dark to see. Wendy returns my gaze and turns her swing towards me. I do the same and she begins to lean in. We come in contact in what is my first kiss, and it feels magical. Wendy, I can tell, is a pro at this but something makes me feel like this was the most heartfelt kiss she has had before. When we pull apart, I'm blushing even more.
"That w-was, um, nice" I say, my thoughts all blurry. Wendy sighs.
"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that," she says and I laugh
"I still can't believe this" I say
"What?" Wendy asks
"That- that you've liked me this whole time. Every time I wanted to ask you out, or tell you how I felt you had felt the same way. But I always thought you hadn't," I then have a terrifying thought "Is this actually happening? Am I asleep? I mean, no way you could've come down from Oregon so fast, right? That's not really possible, I don't think. Am I dream-"
My thoughts are cut off as Wendy pulls me in to another kiss. This one, however, is longer and I begin to get lost in it. I close my eyes, and we put our hands around the other's head. After we break off again, Wendy breaks the silence.
"No, this is not a dream" she says with a laugh
I laugh too before another thought comes to mind.
"Wait, what now?" I ask her
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I'm home for the year from Piedmont. We are going to be a few hours apart. it's not like we can have a normal relationship. Plus our age differences haven't changed! Wendy, h-how will this work?" I ask, fearing that the best few moments of my life are about to come to an end.
"Dipper, calm down. We can make this work. Like you said, we will be a few hours away, but that's it. Only a few hours. Also, our age difference has changed. You're 13 now, remember? Now we're only 2 years apart! Plus, you're a nerd" she says
"Wow, thanks" I reply
"Meaning you can set up online video chats and such so that we can stay in contact throughout the year! And don't think for a second you aren't coming back next year. Even if you can't stay in the shack for some reason, you and Mabel could always just stay at my house. We'll make it work, I promise." she says
And with that, Wendy and I walk back to my house. However, one more thing catches me by surprise.
"So, I kinda don't have my after 9's so could I maybe... spend the night?" Wendy asks
My cheeks go scarlet as I begin to plan how I'm going to tell my parents and Mabel that my 15-year-old girlfriend is spending the night. My worries are dismissed after telling my parents, for even though they weren't fond of the idea, Mabel's comment washed their worries away.
"Yay! SLEEPOVER!"
Authors note:
Yup, so another little one shot because I like writing stuff that I don't have to remember to update. I'll make an effort to update the other books I've started this summer and hopefully complete them! Okay, I hope you enjoyed! Also, if you have any ideas for any more one shots/ stories, leave me a comment! Don't forget to like, follow, and tell your friends or me if you enjoyed my story! Thanks!
-Gravity_falls_secret