Okay, so chapter one has only a minor mention of Dipcifica. That will be more in chapter two. This chapter does have some family fluff with Dipper and Mabel though.
This story takes place in the same timeline as my main story Bonded. This chapter takes place two years after the current chapter. It's not necessary at all to read Bonded, as this story stands on its own. I may make a reference to this story in that one in much later chapters.
The day was February the fourteenth, the year 2014. The Pines twins walked through the freshman hall of their new school. It was their first Valentine's Day in high school.
Mabel had always loved Valentine's Day. She was dressed in a pink skirt with white lace, and a red sweater with a giant pink heart in the center. A huge red ribbon had been tied into her hair. She had spent all week talking about how the special holiday had been portrayed in teen movies and if she would experience anything of the sort.
Dipper had his doubts that a day dedicated to love, romance, and all things sweet and fluffy would have any chance of happiness for him. Ever since elementary school, February the fourteenth always held a painful memory. From being the only person in his class not to receive a Valentine card, to having spilled his lunch on himself on that fateful day, resulting in the entire cafeteria laughing at his expense.
The male twin was aware that the holiday only existed to make money off of couples. Yet it still managed to break his heart to be the only one (or at least he felt he was the only one) on the outside, watching everyone else revel in Valentine merriment.
This year the holiday happened to fall on a Friday. Friday in general was a night that many of his schoolmates spent out with their significant others, or on meaningless dates. The point remained that he spent the night alone with a bowl of popcorn and a cheesy horror movie. However, in his hometown, he didn't have a cool teenage girl to accompany him through the tasteless entertainment.
Something unique about high schools was that they put on dances. Some were seasonal such as Christmas, Spring Formal, and of course Valentine's Day. The dance usually took place on a Friday night, but this year the social event would occur on the actual holiday it represented.
Mabel was a part of the decorating committee. The upperclassmen loved her ideas and enthusiasm. The female twin already had three guys wanting a dance with her. Mabel delighted at all three invitations and gave her word to accompany each for at least one slow song.
They approached their lockers. Mabel waved at a friend as she turned the combination.
"So did you decide what you're wearing tonight?" Mabel asked.
"Yeah...I'm not going," Dipper said as he reached for his geometry textbook.
Mabel slammed her locker door. "You're what?" she asked. She placed her hands on her hips. "Dipper, please. I worked so hard on the gym, I want you to see it."
Dipper rolled his eyes. He unzipped his backpack and placed the heavy book inside.
"Mabel, you know I hate these stupid dances," Dipper whined. Mabel continued to frown. Dipper slipped the bookbag over his right shoulder. "Tell you what, I'll stop by the gym during lunch and take a look."
"Dip-Dop, it's more than that," Mabel said. She put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "I know you hate V-Day, but I want you to go with me to our first Valentine's Day dance."
Dipper groaned. "Why?" he asked. "Dances are stupid. Besides this really cool movie comes on tonight and..."
"Dipper!" Mabel shouted. She threw her arms up in the air. "You can record it and watch it later." She invaded his personal space and put her face next to his. "You promised me we'd do the important things together." She put a hand over her heart. "This is our first high school V-Day dance. Please, Dipper?"
"Mabel," Dipper protested.
"You won't have to go next year, or the next, or ever again," Mabel bargained. She folded her hands under her chin and put on the puppy pout. "Please."
Dipper sighed. "Fine," he agreed. He held up his index finger. "But just so you know, that cuteness face won't work forever."
"Sure it will," Mabel cheered.
Dipper shook his head and closed his locker. Mabel skipped beside her brother all the way to class.
A few hours later Dipper sat in art class. He folded his arms at the lump of clay the teacher had given to each of the students. Some of the more talented ones had already started molding it into various shapes. Those who had very little experience were at least trying it out. Dipper, however, had other things on his mind.
During English, he had looked on his phone for excuses to get out of social events. He wondered if he could play the fake sick card. That idea was scrapped due to the fact that he wouldn't be able to lie to Mabel. Dipper would always sweat more than normal and stutter whenever he told a fib-a fact that his sister was well aware of.
Someone took the vacant chair to his left. Dipper glanced over and nearly fell out of his seat at the sight of Connie Bevels willingly sitting at his side. She placed her clay down on the table and nimbly molded it into a cylindrical shape.
The brunette looked over at the boy and gave him a smile. She always wore a pink lip gloss that complemented her skin tone.
"H-hi," Dipper stammered. He felt the heat in his face rising.
"Hey," Connie replied. She turned and rested her elbow on the table. "You're name's Dipper Pines, right?"
Dipper nodded. He glanced around the room to make sure no one was staring or laughing. His gaze fell back on the girl. He had a bit of a crush on Connie for some time, but never had the courage to tell her. He wondered if perhaps Mabel found out and mentioned it to her.
"I thought your name sounded familiar," Connie said. She turned her attention back to her sculpture. "Mabel mentioned you at the committee last night."
Dipper sighed. Sure enough his sister had something to do with it. He loved his twin, but wished the wannabe matchmaker would stay out of his personal affairs.
Connie pinched the top of the clay sculpture to make it smooth.
Keeping her eyes on her art, she asked, "So, I was wondering...are you going with anyone to the dance?"
Dipper's heart jumped. He licked his lips and averted his eyes from the brunette.
"Um, actually...no," Dipper said. He rubbed the back of his head. "I-I-I didn't even w-want to go."
Connie chuckled. "Mabel said you were having second thoughts."
"Yeah, Mabel," Dipper muttered. He knew his face was a bright red.
Connie shrugged. She said, "Well, if you want, I can be your date."
Dipper gasped. He turned and stared into the girl's blue eyes.
"Wh-what?" he asked incase his ears had chosen a bad time to malfunction.
Her glossy lips curved into a smile. "Dipper Pines, do you want to go with me to the Valentine's dance?" she asked.
Dipper was dumbfounded. When he was finally able to properly breathe again he nodded.
"Yes, yes, I do," he said, his voice cracking.
Connie laughed. "Meet me there at eight. By the punch bowl."
She stood up, taking her clay with her.
Dipper sat back against his chair. His lips were pulled into a smile. He had been asked to a dance. His first real date, and on Valentine's Day at that.
Perhaps the holiday wasn't as bad as he originally thought.
"Well, you're in better spirits," Mabel commented upon seeing her brother brushing his hair.
He dressed into gray dress pants with a matching jacket, and a black dress shirt. He considered asking his father for a tie, but felt it might be a bit much for the dance hosted at his high school. It's not like the event was being held at the Northwest mansion.
Dipper stopped as he thought about young Northwest. Sure he had done the favor for Mabel and her friends, but the evening had turned out to be a pleasant one. Pacifica was actually a lot of fun once he got to know her. Having had the chance to spend more time with her over the past two summers, he had come to accept her as a good friend.
Dipper stopped those thoughts. It was strange to be thinking about the Northwest heiress when he was about to be spending the evening with his current crush: Connie Bevels. He blushed at the thought of sharing a slow dance with her. Connie was athletic, artistic, and confident-three things no one would ever use to describe him.
A heavy dose of Axe spray was squirted onto his clothes. Mabel coughed from where she stood next to him applying her makeup. Dipper apologized to his sister, after all she was the one who indirectly set him up with Connie.
A half hour later and both twins were ready to leave. Their father drove them to the school. Dipper climbed out of the car first then helped his sister onto the curb. It wasn't often that Mabel wore high heels, but feel they were necessary for the event.
They entered through the gym doors. Dipper's eyes widened. Mabel's handiwork was on display.
Streamers in red, pink, and white ran across the ceiling. Heart shaped balloons in red and white were hung on the walls and tied to tables and chairs. She had even insisted on using red and pink lights as well as a large disco ball. Love songs throughout the decades played on a sound system. Even the snacks were decorated like hearts.
"You went all out," Dipper stated.
"Thank you," said Mabel.
Dipper scanned the building for the punch table. The place was packed with a few familiar faces, but mostly upperclassmen he had never met. It was an interesting sight to see so many of the casual teenagers dressed for the occasion. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.
A sophomore named Eric approached the female Pines. She greeted him then accepted his invitation to dance. She gave a quick goodbye to her brother then disappeared into the crowd to the dancefloor.
Dipper found himself at a loss for words. His sister, his only comfort in a sea of intimidation had abandoned him.
The boy clutched at his arms as he made his way through his unknown classmates. Most of them let him through, and others pretended not to see or hear him. After a few minutes of maneuvering through the teenagers he finally found his point of rendezvous.
Connie stood by the punch bowl as she promised. She wore a sleeveless, blue dress that fell to her knees. Her chin-length brown hair was completed with a blue headband. A pearl necklace hung around her neck and matching jewels in her ears. She noticed Dipper heading her way and waved him over.
Dipper stopped just short of Connie. He held out his hand to greet her.
Connie gave him a smirk and pushed by, taking the hand of another boy, one taller and stronger than the male Pines. Dipper stared, his mouth agape, as the other guy knocked him out of the way. Dipper bumped into the table. He let out a hiss of pain and rubbed his thigh where he knew there would be a bruise in the morning.
"Connie, what gives?" Dipper asked as he approached.
Connie and her date laughed. About twenty of Connie's friends who had been watching the scene joined the choir of laughs.
"Honestly, Dipper, what were you thinking?" Connie asked.
"You think Connie'd choose a noodle like you?" her date added. The crowd laughed harder at the upperclassman's new nickname for Dipper.
Dipper felt his face burning. His eyes filled with water.
He gasped as something cold and wet splashed over his head. Dipper stared down at his feet to see a puddle of red liquid and ice cubes at his shoes. The fluid dripped from his clothes. Wet lines of red trickled down his palms. Two ice cubes fell from his hair as he looked up to see the crowd pointing and laughing at him.
A familiar, grating laugh filled Dipper's ear. He turned to see Travis Crawler, a boy who had bullied him since grade school, holding the empty punch bowl. Three of Travis' friends stood by his side, falling over in laughter.
Dipper turned from the group. He dashed through the gym with his face in his hands. He tripped over a chair and faceplanted. Several others joined in the laughter. Dipper pulled himself to his feet and ran for the exit. He pushed open the heavy door and sprinted through the parking lot.
He never heard his sister calling after him.
Dipper ran. He ran down the road until his legs burned. He fell to his knees in the grassy roadside. His fingers dug into the gravel. The tears were finally given permission to freely fall. He let his forehead touch the dirt and sobbed. He wept away the pain of the evening.
He felt like such a fool to have trusted Connie. He felt worse for having trusted in Valentine's Day.
He wished he was back in Gravity Falls where he had family and friends he could cry to. Soos would have let him weep on his shoulder while Bill made him a cup of hot chocolate. Grunkle Stan would have made empty threats to clobber those who dared to hurt him. Grunkle Ford would have just offered a listening ear, without passing any judgment. Wendy would have actually sought revenge on the bullies. And Pacifica...she would have just held him until the tears passed.
Dipper sat up. He wiped away the tears with his damp jacket sleeve. He dreaded having to tell his parents why he needed drycleaning fees to remove the stain from one of his two good suits.
A car slowed to a stop next to him. Dipper looked up to see a window rolling down. He was met with the concerned face of his twin. A junior girl that Mabel had become friends with sat in the driver's seat. Dipper stood to his feet. Mabel nodded for him to take the back seat. The boy wiped away fresh tears then complied with his sister's silent demand.
The ride home was quiet and awkward. Dipper stared out the window, too afraid to speak lest he embarrass himself further.
Mabel thanked her friend when she pulled up into the driveway. Dipper stepped out of the car and powerwalked to the front door. Mabel hurried to keep up with him, despite the heels making it a more difficult task.
Dipper pushed through the open door and ran up to his room. Mabel kicked off her shoes at the door and followed after her brother. She heard the door slam when she reached the top of the stairs.
The female twin stood outside her brother's door with heartbreak on her face. Her fist hovered in the air. She bit her lip then softly knocked.
"Leave me alone," Dipper called from the other side.
"I heard, 'Come in, Mabel,'" she said as she opened the door.
Dipper laid on his bed with his face in the pillow. The soiled jacket had been thrown to the floor.
"Dip-Dip," Mabel said.
"I'm sorry," Dipper said. He sat up and wiped at the falling tears. "You should be at the dance right now enjoying all your friends and dates." A new batch of tears fell. "I ruined it for you." He clenched his fists. "I always ruin everything for you."
"Dipper," Mabel said. She stood by the bed. "I'm sorry." She looked away. "I shouldn't have made you come tonight if you didn't want to." A tear trickled down her face. "I didn't think Connie could be so mean."
"I'm just mad at myself," Dipper confessed. "Every year something bad always happens to me on Valentine's Day, and I still chose to go." He looked down at his punch-stained dress shirt. "I don't know why I thought she was serious." He buried his face in his hands. "No one will ever love me."
"That's not true," Mabel said. She sat on the bed next to Dipper and put a hand on his shoulder. "Connie is just a stupidhead." She pulled Dipper in for a hug. "You're the best person ever, bro. Someone will love you. And you'll get married and have lots of good Valentine's Days."
Dipper returned his sister's hug. He still doubted some of Mabel's words, but he was thankful for her words.
2014's heart day proved to be another disaster, but at least he had his sister to help him through it.
Poor Dipper. I feel so bad having to do this to him. But it's needed to set the stage for why he hates Valentine's Day so much. The next chapter will be happier, I promise.
This is either going to be a two-shot, or a three-shot. I'll see what happens with chapter two. If I decide to split the two focus points there will be three, if everything fits well with two chapters there will only be two. I'll have a decision hopefully by tomorrow.