Disclaimer: I in no way own Gravity Falls, nor do I own any of its characters. They belong to the producer, animator and voice actor, Alex Hirsch. Thank you very much.

Thursdays

Thursdays. Thursdays had become one of Dippers favorite days of the week during his stay at the mystery shack with his great uncle, Stanford Pines. Thursdays were always slow. It was unexplainable. But to the pines twins, nothing could be better then not having to deal with the rush of guests wanting to buy the cheap merchandise that the mystery shack gift shop had to offer. On any other day, the shack would be full of tourists from all over the country, snapping pictures of all the pathetic, obviously fake sculptures, gaping in awe at Dipper in his wolf costume, which had been tailored to fit him, since he had hit a small growth-spurt. But on Thursdays there would be little to no visitors at all. And it was this particular Thursday that had been the start of an adventure that Dipper would remember for the rest of his life.

"For the last time Mabel, I'm not gonna put on a stupid wolf costume and chase Waddles around the house," said Dipper with an exasperated sigh. His beloved twin sister, Mabel, had been pestering him about playing with her pet pig all day. And no matter how many times he refused, she had persisted. It was bad enough that Stan forced him to wear it, but his sister as well? This was an outrage! This wolf costume would be the death of him one of these days.

"Even you have to admit it attracts the young girls!" is what his Great Uncle would always say. True as it was, it was still embarrassing for Dipper to be shirtless while a group of girls drooled over him. But more customers means more business. Besides, does it really matter if a whole lot of those customers just want to see the young boy without a shirt on? Dipper had gained a bit of muscle from all the paranormal hunts he had been on. It was not much, but it was enough to attract the attention of quite a few of the lovely females his age that lived in both Gravity Falls and Piedmont. But these girls were out of luck, for he had set his sights on someone else. Someone he had been spending a large amount of time with over the past few years.

"Come on Dipper, It will beat sitting at the cash register drooling over Wendy all day," Mabel said with a cheeky smile. So that's how she decided to play, huh?

Embarrassing her brother has always been one of her personal favorite activities. And when it came to Dipper, there was always something to tease him about. Be it his nerdy books, his video games, or anything else Mabel could think of. And in this instance, it was his former crush. The red haired girl that worked as a cashier at the tourist trap the twins called their summer home. Her name was Wendy Corduroy. She had been working at the mystery shack for the summer, along with Soos the handy man who seemed to be able to fix anything that broke. Soos' handy work was what kept the shack up. Without him, there would be no Mystery Shack. He is vital to the business and though Stan would not admit it, he trusts Soos with anything.

"Mabel, you know more than anyone that I'm completely done with chasing her around," he said, annoyed by the fact that no matter how hard he tried to explain to his sister, she would just not understand that his days of trying to steal the redheads heart were over. Was it too hard to believe that he was done with her? Or was Mabel just too hung up on getting him and Wendy together to see that his romantic interest in her had long since diminished after they had that talk outside of the bunker? Whatever the case, he hoped that Mabel would understand, and stop trying to play matchmaker. It's not her place to meddle with these things. Just because it had worked once with Robbie and Tambry, which was with the help of love god magic, does not mean it will work every time!

"Whatever you say Dipper. Now get over here and put this damned costume on," she said smiling. She knew that he would, in one way or another, be forced to obey her. But as a precaution she had told Soos to wait by the door that lead to the clearing in front of the shack in case dipper tried to escape. It had been made abundantly clear to Dipper that Mabel would not take no for an answer. That was just how she was. It was one of the qualities he appreciated about her, yet hated so very much in this particular situation.

"Mabel. My dear sister. What is going to take for me to not go through with this?" he asked calmly, although in his mind he was screaming for this to be over with so he could visit the local shopping center. He hadn't told Mabel about one of his new friends. Mostly because he would have to lie about the identity of said friend. If his sister found out about his affairs with this individual, it would certainly be the death of him. He had to keep it a secret. From her, his great uncle, Soos, and even the redhead he had once been head over heels in love with, but now only considered a good and close friend. Of course, at the end of each day, he would feel the wave of guilt wash over him for not telling Mabel the truth. But in his mind, it was the right thing to do. When he saw fit, he would come out with the truth to his sister, but for now, it was of utmost importance that the very existence of this friendship remain secret.

"WELL..." she said, dragging out the word, "You could use the allowance you get from grunkle Stan to get me a little treat from the candy shop in town," she said with the cutest face she could make. It had always worked when she wanted something from her dear brother, and now was no different. But of course, this was what Dipper had predicted she'd ask for. So he did not need any persuasion. To escape something like this was worth anything.

"Alright Mabel. If that's what it takes," he said in a manner similar to that of a someone who's favorite soccer team had just lost the final match of the champions league. The money that he was receiving from his great uncle was a very, very small amount. Lower than the salary of anyone else in the shack. Even his sister Mabel! It was outrageous! But using it to buy what his sister wanted was, unfortunate as it may seem, worth it to get out of putting on a wolf costume and chasing a pig through the gift shop, running after it on all fours. He no longer had a crush on Wendy, but such an action being done in front of her would surely lead to some embarrassment that he could never live down. Hell, even his lamby-lamb dance was less embarrassing than...this. He would do anything to keep up a good image in front of his friend.

"Alright Dipper," she said cheerily, "I'll go make a list. If you don't get everything on the list, I will show Wendy baby pictures of you. You know I could actually do something like that," she warned, though the smile on her face showed that she may have been joking. But Mabel almost always had a smile on her face, so it was hard to tell whether or not this was an actual warning. Dipper did not want to find out. All he knew was that if he failed to comply, it may very well be the end of his fragile social connection with redhead at the cashier, who had actually bothered to show up today. It turns out, her family had gone camping without her as an attempt to get her out of the house and off to work.

"College doesn't pay for itself, Wendy!" was what her father would always say. Wendy was 18, and it had occurred to Dipper that the summer of 2014 may very well be the last he would spend with her in person. He had asked for her phone number and Skype account a while ago. To keep in touch. Wendy was one friend he did not want to lose. And even if she left gravity falls to attend college, he would still never forget about her. How could he? After all, she had saved his life on several occasions over the course of the two summers he had spent in Gravity Falls. Paranormal seemed to be something that always followed him around all the time when he was in the woods. He had began making his own journal after his great uncle had confiscated the one he always carried. As long as it may take him, it would be a fun task to re-explore everything and every creature he had encountered, and document it. It filled him with a sense of pride every time he wrote down bits of useful information about the things he had seen. And with friends to accompany him, it had made it even more fulfilling. Even though he could not think of any ways to repay his friends for being there for him every step of the way.

"Dipper, what debt is there when it comes to friends who love and trust one another?" is what Nate would always say. Nate had become extremely close to Dipper. In fact, he may be the only one who knows about the lovely girl that is the object of Dippers affection. He would trust Nate with his life. They were like brothers. Nothing could break their friendship. It was the best thing he could have asked for. No amount of money or material wealth could compare to the value of the beautiful bond he shared with his friends. Wendy, Nate, Thompson, Lee, Tambry and even Robbie. After the whole ordeal involving Wendy, Dipper had never thought that Robbie would be willing to accept him as a friend and part of their little group. At least something good came of Mabel playing matchmaker.

After informing Soos that she had spared Dipper from taking part in her game, and that he could abandon his post at the door, Mabel ran upstairs to the attic which had also served the purpose of being the twins' room for the summer. It was a cozy little room, and the twins would have chosen it over a hotel any day of the week. It was like their home away from home. A retreat from the harshness of the long days they would spend in the woods searching for new things to document. it was stuffy and small, but the twins would not have preferred it any other way.

Dipper had decided that the best thing to do was to get the candy Mabel had requested ( although it may have seemed that Dipper had been forced to get it ) last. First he had decided to visit his friend at the local shopping center, or Gravity Falls Mall as everyone called it. Despite the feeling of emptiness in the actual town, the large mall had been quite full of people. From tourists to local town folk, the mall was always a good place to hang out with friends, shop, eat and watch movies at the cinema.

"Damn it, I'm late," Dipper said to himself, annoyed. He would have gotten to the mall sooner had his great uncle allowed him to use the golf cart. After a certain incident involving ramps however, Stan had revoked Dippers right to use it. He had only walked for half an hour before reaching his destination. And that amount of time to get to the mall was far bigger then he would have liked.

After Walking around for maybe 5 minutes, he spotted the person that he had been wanting to see all day. It was only when he was a few feet away from her that she noticed him. She was chewing on a stick of cherry flavored bubblegum. He knew this because it was her favorite flavor. He had always made a point to keep her stocked up on the stuff. Mostly because he loved the smell of her breath after every stick she chewed on. Cherry was one of his favorites as well.

"Dipper, I'm glad to see you actually made it," She said with a small smile. A smile that made Dippers heart melt like butter on concrete during a hot summer's day. He considered himself lucky to share this bond with the beautiful girl in front of him. Every time he looked at her, his heart beat would quicken and his mind would race with thoughts about her. She was like an angel that had descended from heaven to greet him. Yes, he was a very lucky boy.

"Well I kinda got caught up at the shack. You know how Mabel is sometimes. And Stan wouldn't let me use the golf cart to get here, so I had to walk all the way," said Dipper, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Nervousness was something he had always felt around her. He tried his best to hide it. Yes may love her, but it would be detrimental to the beautiful friendship that had developed between the two, should she find out about his real feelings for her.

"It's all right Dipper. What's important is that you actually made it. Now come with me, I have two tickets to that horror movie you've been wanting to see for a while now," she said getting ever so closer to him. There it was. The smell of cherries.

"Really?! No way! That's amazing Pacifica!" Said Dipper with joy. Ever since the announcement had been made that a reboot of The Grudge was going to be produced, he had been extremely excited to see it. It was one of his all-time favorite movies. Nothing could compare to classic Japanese horror. No matter how old he gets, The Grudge will always hold a special place in his heart as one of the greatest horror movies of all time. Some may disagree with him, but that is how he felt. Nothing could change his mind about it.

"Yes way! I know how much you love this movie, so I thought about doing something nice for you" she replied with a small yet ever so evident blush tinting her cheeks. She tried her best to hide it. She did not want Dipper to know how she felt for him. She felt bad about not telling him the truth about her. About not telling him how cute he looks when he gets flustered. About not telling him how adorable he sounds and how his beautiful brown eyes freeze her in place and melt her heart every time she gazes into them. No. She had to keep it a secret. Something like this would end the friendship that they had spent the last two years building. Both were oblivious to the others harbored affection, and neither thought the idea of coming out with it was a good one at the moment. Right now, all they could do was wait.

"Well I appreciate it Paz, I really do. I just hope there's some way I could make it up to you," he said. As if he needed another reason to like her even more, she had gotten tickets to his favorite movie. It seemed like every time they met, one would do something for the other. A week before, She had gotten him a poster of one his favorite bands, Nirvana. A few days after that, he had bought her a new necklace that she had decided to wear everyday. It was a simple chain that had a pendant in the shape of the letter "P". And now, she was doing this for him.

"what is there to make up for when it comes to your dear friends, Dipper?" she asked rhetorically with a smile plastered on her beautiful pink lips. Lips that Dipper had dreamed of kissing. He would make it up to her. One way or another, he would do something nice for her. In time, he may muster up the courage to be honest with the blonde angel about his undying love for her. But for now, friendship was the greatest thing he could ask for.

Unbeknownst to him, she was having similar thoughts. They were the perfect match. It's true when they say that opposites attract. Oh so very true. He was the awkward nerdy boy who loved books. She was the popular girl with blonde hair. But they had more in common then they really thought. Yet, the very sight of them together looked out of place. Her in designer clothes, and Dipper in his simple black jeans, white t-shirt and sneakers. He had gotten rid of the vest years ago.

"You need to upgrade your wardrobe dipper," is what his mother always said to him. And so he did just as he was told.

Ever since the night at the Northwest manor, he and Pacifica had become close friends. That friendship had developed over the course of two years. To any ordinary person, it just looked like two close friends. But to Mabel, who had been in disguise sitting on one of the benches, she could see that it had been much more than a simple friendship. She would not call herself the best matchmaker for no reason. It was as if she had some sort of sixth sense. She could see the affection shared between any two individuals. Everyone is born with a natural talent. Something they can't help but be good at. And for Mabel, that was reading people.

Yes, Mabel had been fully aware of Dipper's affairs with the young Northwest girl. Ever since Mabel had followed him to one of his planned meetings earlier that summer, she had discovered that he and Pacifica were doing things together in secret. Of course, Mabel had felt slightly betrayed that Dipper had not told her of these meetings with the heiress. But her desire to see the outcome of this relationship pushed all of those thoughts out the window. She had discovered earlier on, after eavesdropping on one of their conversations, that Dipper had been seeing Pacifica secretly for two years. Two years Dipper had been hiding this! Mabel should have called him out for it. But the connection that she had seen shared between her brother and her ex-enemy had prevented her from doing so.

In her mind, she had understood why Dipper had decided to hide the fact that he was seeing the Northwest beauty. She herself knew that no one in the shack would approve of such a deadly affair. To befriend a Northwest? Outrageous! And yet, here Dipper was, escorting Pacifica into one of the theaters, with smile similar to that of a man who had just won an Olympic gold medal on his face. It was clear to Mabel that they had shared a strong connection with each other after the incident with the ghost at the Northwest ball during the summer of 2012. Severing such a connection would leave her brother heartbroken, and that was something she did not want happening, especially after the events that had taken place involving her dear friend Wendy. No. She would wait for the right moment to tell Dipper that she knew. But for now, she would let them enjoy their time together.

There was also a small bit of pride in her over the fact that her dork of a brother had managed to score with the drop-dead gorgeous blonde girl.

Her gut however, told her that something bad was going to happen today. Could it just be paranoia? Maybe. But Mabel's gut never lied to her. Never. The only thing she could have done at that moment, was wait. And that's exactly what she had planned to do. That day would be the adventure of a lifetime. She only hoped that if something happened, Dipper and Paz made it out alive. she couldn't live with herself, should any harm come to either of them. She would never forgive herself. Her friends and family were what kept a smile on her face. To lose her smile was to lose a part of her very being. Mabel would not be Mabel without a smile. She would protect those she loved at all costs.

Even if it meant accepting Pacifica as a friend.

Well? What do you guys think about it? Leave reviews, please. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I would very much like to know about any errors I have made, so that I may do better next chapter. Thank you for reading!