So this fanfiction was inspired by a conversation between me and Soaring Heart on Gravity Falls Amino when she asked "Who Would Be the Funniest Person in Gravity Falls to Glitter Bomb?"
There are no pairings here, it is strictly Mabel and Robbie friendship.
This story takes place in between "Scary-Oke" and "Into the Bunker."
Mabel laid in the grass next to her pet pig while the other employees decorated the Mystery Shack's property for another miniature carnival. It was a sunny, yet windy day making it the most pleasant for being outdoors.
Stan bounced around from one attraction to the next to ensure each of the games were fixed enough to gain the customer's faith that with just another chance they would win. Soos spoke on his ethical concerns on Stan's ways, but as always his boss ordered him to keep quiet and do as he was told.
Wendy finished hanging the prizes from atop the tent and grasped hold of the rope. She twirled as she slid down the rope then jumped onto the gravel catching the attention from the twelve-year-old she had come to view as a brother and close friend. Unlike her real brothers, Dipper didn't make it his daily mission to annoy her.
Dipper realized he was staring and dropped his gaze to the clipboard he gripped to the point of his knuckles turning white. Wendy rolled her eyes. She had caught sight of the random notes of nothing he wrote when caught looking in her direction. She knew he formed a crush on her, but figured it would fade as most preteen crushes often did.
Mabel sat up and pulled Waddles in her lap. She rubbed his pink ears while he chewed on the hem of her sweater. "I have something special planned for some unexpected lucky person," she confessed to the pig.
"What are you going on about?" Dipper asked from where he stood behind her.
Mabel jumped up startling Waddles.
"Grunkle Stan put me in charge of keeping up morale since I'm just so smiley and sweet." Mabel poked her fingers into her cheeks.
"Sure he did," Dipper replied. "Maybe you can help us with some of the real work."
Mabel gave her brother a dismissive wave. "Pft, don't be getting all jealous, Bro-Bro." She pulled her twin in a tight side hug. "Besides if I'm helping you..." she squinted her eyes and smirked. In a lower voice she added, "How will you be able to flirt with Wendy?"
Dipper gasped and pulled away from his laughing sister. "I'm-I'm n-not flirt-we're just working. And-and-and..." Dipper trailed off when he noticed Mabel's skeptical look complete with a sly grin.
"You go on back to your girlfriend, lover boy," Mabel cheered. Her grin increased. "I have a special surprise for anyone who's not in good spirits."
Dipper lifted a brow. "I feel sorry for that poor soul."
"Oh! First one to receive Mabel's Special Cheer Up Glitter Shower!" the girl yelled.
Before Dipper could protest Mabel pulled the top off a small bottle of glitter and it rained atop her brother. Dipper scowled at the laughing preteen. Dipper took off his cap and shook the sparkling specks to the ground.
Dipper made his way back over to Wendy who laughed at the recent exchange. Dipper wiped the glitter from his shoulders then looked up at the laughing redhead who appeared to glimmer in the sunlight. Dipper leaned against the tent pole with one hand in his pocket and the other holding onto the clipboard.
"Let's just hope no one else has to endure Mabel cheering them up," said Dipper.
Wendy shrugged. "She has good intentions." The teenager stared out in the clearing where the townspeople would arrive before long. "It might be fun to watch their surprise."
Dipper nodded, not entirely sure why, but it felt nice to see everyone in a good mood.
Once all the attractions were set up the vendors arrived to set up food stalls. They only agreed when Stan changed his twenty/eighty profits split in his favor to an even fifty/fifty. In the end Stan realized it was better to take home half the profits from concessions than nothing at all.
At last it was time for the carnival to commence. Close to fifteen minutes after opening the crowd arrived. Dipper was placed in charge of taking tickets. He found it ridiculous that his great-uncle charged to enter his homemade carnival then pay for food and games in addition. However the people of Gravity Falls weren't any the wiser and willing to spend some hard earned cash.
Dipper narrowed his eyes when the last person he wanted to see made his way to the front of the line. The thin emo boy leaned over the table with his guitar case strapped over his back.
"Let me in, Squirt," Robbie said not bothering to look Dipper in the eyes. He tossed his hair and added, "I'm, y'know looking for my girlfriend."
Dipper narrowed his eyes. "She's not your girlfriend anymore, Robbie," he spat.
"Oh, what? Are you her knight in shining armor now, kid?" the teenager scoffed. He grinned at the brunet. "What's a frail little toddler going to do for her?"
Dipper slammed the cashbox closed. "If you're just here to bother Wendy then you can go elsewhere," he said.
"Hey, Dipper, what's the hold up?" Stan asked as he made his way over to the tickets table. "These people ain't gonna rip themselves off."
The line behind Robbie cheered in agreement waving their money in the air. Dipper honestly couldn't believe just how thick the people of Gravity Falls could be.
"The brat here won't let me in," Robbie said pointing at Dipper.
"Ugh, kid, you're killin' me," Stan grumbled. He picked Dipper up by his vest and placed him in the grass. "You go make yourself useful somewhere else," his great-uncle ordered and took Dipper's previous spot. Dipper watched with wide eyes as Stan accepted Robbie's money and the lanky teen passed by the preteen with a smirk.
With clenched fists Dipper followed after Robbie. As expected the musician made his way over to the stand ran by Wendy. The redhead accepted a five dollar bill from a child and placed three worn out baseballs in front of him. The boy's parents cheered as the eight-year-old threw. Each ball bounced off, one nearly knocking out his mother's teeth.
"What a rip off," the kid complained.
The father then pulled on his suspenders and offered to take the next round. He put his hand on the boy's shoulder and promised to win him a prize. Wendy felt bad for the child knowing he would be going home empty handed.
Wendy glanced up to see Robbie making his way over. She sneered in his direction then smiled at the man who handed her the necessary money for a turn.
"Yo, Wendy," Robbie said as he leaned against the stand.
Wendy slammed the baseballs down on the counter. The customer glanced over at the teenager then back at the worker. His son pulled on his shirt wishing him good luck.
"So I thought maybe we can go on the ferris wheel or something," Robbie said with a wave of his hand.
"I'm working," Wendy snapped.
The first baseball missed earning a groan from the man's wife and child.
"The old man's gonna give you a break sometime," Robbie replied.
"Have you met Mr. Pines?" Wendy retorted.
The customer threw the second baseball for it to bounce off the basket and smack the wooden underside of the booth hard enough to cause all those within a fifteen foot radius to look back.
"She doesn't want to talk to you, so why don't you go do something else," Dipper spat.
"Stay out of it, kid," Robbie barked at Dipper then grinned at Wendy.
Robbie leaned over the counter and slipped his arm over Wendy's shoulder only for her to push him off and move out of his reach.
"Get lost," Wendy ordered.
"Come on, Wendy, just give me another chance," Robbie pleaded.
"I did," the redhead snapped.
"Is he bothering you?" the customer asked.
Robbie glared at the man and shrunk when he noticed the baseball tightly in his grasp. He then saw two other large men make their way over out of curiosity. Behind him he looked upon Dipper standing strong with his arms crossed and a fierce glare in his direction.
"Forget you then, Wendy," Robbie said and tossed his hair.
With his nose in the air he never saw the puddle of mud and his sneakers slipped sending him on his back. Dipper clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his snickering. Robbie pulled himself from the mud and grasped his guitar case. He heard the muffled laughs and ran off towards the exit.
Red faced and his back still aching he moved over into a corner and frantically unzipped the case. He gasped at the sight of a sizable scratch in the wood. His finger ran down the jagged edge. Heat radiated from his cheeks.
That was the second time he had been publicly humiliated while attending one of the Pines' carnivals. The embarrassment mixed with physical pain and the sight of his precious instrument broken caused his eyes to moisten. He choked back the tears, he wouldn't give Wendy and Dipper the satisfaction.
The teen yelled and jumped when someone popped out from behind him. He turned to see Mabel Pines smiling with her arms in the air in a V formation.
"What do you want?" Robbie barked.
"Oh, are you not having a good time?" Mabel asked.
"You must think you're hilarious. You Pines don't know when to stop," Robbie growled and turned himself to face the exit. What a waste of twenty dollars.
The guitar slipped out of the open fabric case and on the ground. Mabel gasped when she saw the huge crack on the wooden body.
"Oh no," Mabel said as she reached for the broken instrument.
Robbie snatched it up before she had the chance. He sneered at what appeared to be a sincere look of sympathy, but turned away. He shoved the guitar into the case and rapidly zipped it up.
"Just leave me alone," Robbie snapped. "All of you."
Mabel rushed after Robbie and stopped in front of him, halting him by holding out her hand.
"It's my job to make sure no one leaves the carnival unhappy," Mabel explained.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like an egg with a small handle on either side. She jumped up and pulled the handles apart so that the egg opened and the glitter bomb exploded over Robbie. The teenager stiffened as the colorful sparkles rained all around him. His edgy black hoodie and matching hair was now covered in glitter. He clenched his fists and released angry air from his nostrils.
"Now you can't be sad when you sparkle and shine when you walk," Mabel said with a huge smile.
"What is wrong with all of you?" Robbie growled. He went to brush the glitter from his hoodie when Mabel gasped.
"You look like a vampire," Mabel cried. Robbie lifted a brow, not too offended to be compared to a creature of the night. Mabel waved her arms. "Like in that book The Sparkly Vampire Who Stalks a Teenage Girl: A 'Romance'."
Robbie hummed. Although he'd never admit it out loud, he was secretly fond of that book series. Too bad real girls like Wendy couldn't appreciate how much like the protagonist he could be.
"I mean you've always looked like a vampire, but even more now that you're sparkling," Mabel continued. "It's a good look for you."
The teenager's mouth actually curved into a smile, although he doubted the glitter suited his style. Mabel pumped her fist knowing her glitter bomb had once again completed its mission.
Mabel tapped her chin. "You know, I think I might have some glue that can fix that crack," she said. With a shrug she added, "It's worth a try."
Robbie groaned. "Fine, I guess you can take a look at it."
He followed her into the Mystery Shack, glitter from his clothes falling on the wood planks. Mabel ordered him to stay in the gift shop while she ran upstairs to gather her collection of glues to see which one would fit best.
Robbie walked over to the floor length mirror and looked over himself. He shook his head at the sparkles glimmering in the light, causing a few pieces to fall on the floor.
"This is stupid," he muttered and brushed the excess glitter from his hoodie.
Mabel ran back down the stairs with six bottles of glue in her hand. She would let Robbie look them over and decide which, if any, he thought would be best. The dark-haired teen sauntered over to where Mabel awaited at the counter.
The brunette smiled. Although he wasn't too fond of the glitter, it managed to pull him from whatever had pained him. Yet another customer would be leaving the carnival happy on her account.