S'up, dudes! In case you didn't know, I am huge fan of Gravity Falls! I kid you not, I watched that show 3 times in the course of last year, and I still loved it, each and every time, and am now watching it for a fourth time with my uncle! So, it seemed only right for me to write a fanfiction dedicated to it. Although I had initially shipped Dipper with Wendy, I ultimately felt their friendship throughout the series was so sweet and enduring that it would be wrong of me to ruin it with a romance. However, after watching the episode Roadside Attraction, I took a lot of interest in shipping Dipper and Candy, and although that ship was technically sunk in that very same episode, there's absolutely nothing to say that their attraction to one another couldn't come later in life. In fact, my good buddy, nintendomaximus, over at Deviantart, wrote a really great story called Restored Attraction, in which Candy starts falling for Dipper, again, after showing his bravery at leading the charge against Bill Cipher to save Gravity Falls, and that heavily inspired to me to write this prologue in a similar fashion. Originally intended to be added as part of my upcoming main story, Like Gravity, I ultimately found this prologue to be way too long for that. Instead, it will be its own story leading up to the events of Like Gravity.
P.S. Also, be warned that I don't follow the continuity of the games or the graphic novel, so if I'm not 100% accurate to the lore of the series, then tough cookies. I only follow what I see in the show, because my time is short and I don't feel like I need to bombard myself with extra material. Also, there might be some discreptancies between what happened in the show and what happens here, so, I dunno, pretend this is some kinda alternate timeline where what stuff happens a little different. I'm saying nertz to the expanded universe, anyway, so what the heck does it matter. And yes, the title IS a parody of Restored Attraction. What? It's like Bennett the Sage over on YouTube says, "Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery…and also the easiest." Plus, I just think it's funny. XD
*UPDATED AS OF FEBRUARY 23, 2019*: To those who've already read this chapter, the Writer and the Narrator have been cut from this story and all Gravity Falls related projects because, after a lengthy discussion with my uncle (who is my new editor and idea man), I realized they just don't work in this story. For one, they were originally intended as Adventure Time characters, godly beings whose sole purpose was to get Finn and Marceline together, but more importantly, their meta gag style of humor better contrasted with Adventure Time's lack of such jokes (at least to the best of my recollection), but in Gravity Falls, which is already pretty meta as is, their brand of humor would just be redundant and ultimately pointless. If you don't like this change, tough cookies. My story, my rules. :P
So, without further ado, it's time for the midquel (that you never asked for) to Gravity Falls! :D
The Recovery of the Feelings That Extend Beyond Platonic
Candy Chiu sat on her bed, fervently writing in her diary about the strange events that unfolded not more than two days ago.
Candy's Journal Entry No. 435
Dear diary,
I've had quite an adventure in the past couple of days. Gravity Falls got turned into a living "word I'm not supposed to say out loud" by a giant, evil triangle man in a cute top hat and bow tie, my parents were turned into living statues, screaming in agony, by a giant, flying eyeball, and my house and all my valuable possessions (including my dog, General Sparky) were eaten whole by a giant monster version of my Gramma Yunlee, causing me to run for my very life to the Mystery Shack with Grenda, thinking that everyone and everything I ever loved would be dead, really soon. It was emotionally scarring, to say the least. But, it turned out ok, in the end. I helped turn the Mystery Shack into a giant robot to fight the giant, evil triangle man and his minions, Mabel and her family saved the entire world through the power of love, or something, and now everything is completely back to normal, again. You know. No biggie.
However, that's the not the strangest part that happened to me. You remember Mabel's brother, Dipper? The boy I used to have a crush on during that road trip with his uncle, Stan, before I lost interest in him when he ran from that spider woman, screaming like a baby? Well, while I was hiding in the Mystery Shack with Grenda, he and Mabel gave us a rousing speech that granted us and all the other refugees the courage to fight back and save Gravity Falls. And…well…I sorta, kinda…started developing a crush on him, again, after that…*insert me blushing, right here.* It was so weird. The Dipper I saw in the Mystery Shack that day was completely different from the Dipper I saw up in the mountains. That latter Dipper felt very fake, in hindsight, just trying to look cool to hide the fact that he was a scared, little boy who didn't know how to talk to girls or anything about being brave. But this Dipper felt…genuine. Like a real-life superhero or a beautiful guardian angel (albeit a very sweaty, kinda stinky guardian angel) watching out for us in those dark times. And when Mabel told me that Dipper had risked his life to save her from one of the triangle man's devious traps and after seeing him, firsthand, leading the rescue team to save his uncle, Ford, by diving headfirst into the flying pyramid on nothing but a patchwork parachute, I just…I just…
"Candy!" Candy's mother shouted while opening the door to her room.
"Yeep!" Candy squeaked as she dropped her diary and pencil on the floor and dived into her blankets. She peaked her head out from under the covers. "Y-yes, Umma?"
"Quit loudly expositing past events to no one in particular and come down, already! You'll be late for Mabel's birthday party!"
"C-coming, Umma!" Candy stuffed her diary and pencil into a book bag and jumped off her bed.
"Do you have Mabel's birthday present ready?"
"Already in my book bag, Umma."
"Then, let's go!" As Candy and her mother came down the stairs, they walked past Granma Yunlee, a thin, elderly woman in comically large glasses sitting in a comfy armchair with a little Scottish terrier lying down in her lap, shivering in fear. "We'll be back in a couple of hours, Eomeoni. Please don't eat the house while we're gone, ok?"
"Don't worry, dear," Granny Yunlee assured her, shakily reaching to adjust her glasses. "I made sure to keep my glasses on, this time. Have fun at your little party, Candy."
"Thank you, Halmeoni!" Shouted as she waved goodbye and headed out the door. However, she peaked her head back into to say, "And take good care of General Sparky for me, ok? He's still a little 'traumatized' from before!" Then she closed the door.
"Don't worry, my little peach dumpling!" Granny called to her granddaughter. "Mr. Sparky and I will be the best of friends, won't we, boy?"
General Sparky whined and shivered in terror at the sight of Granny's toothy smile, suffering from flashbacks of being in her digestive tract for an uncomfortable amount of time. He tried to stealthily slip out of her arms, but her grip on him was too tight for him to do so.
"Aw, you're so cute, Mr. Sparky. So cute, in fact, that I could just…EAT…YOU…UP!" she said as she leaned in to kiss his little head.
Sparky gave out a loud whine and pulled with all his might out of Granny's arms and ran all the way up the stairs into Candy's room, hiding under her bed.
"Huh," Granny Yunlee said, simply. "Must've been something I ate." She breathed on her hand and took a whiff. "Hmm. Why I do I smell Formica?" Then she found herself gagging and coughing out an entire end table. "Oh! There's my favorite foot rest!"
Candy rode with her folks in the family car on their way to the Mystery Shack, her father in the driver seat, her mother riding shotgun, and herself sitting in the middle back seat, continuing where she left off in her journal.
*insert me clearing my throat for dramatic effect here* Anyway… I just got all of the warm fuzzies in my tummy! I realize, now, that I was too harsh on Dipper, and that he might very well be the man of my dreams…well, at least in the top ten men of my dreams. Probably Number six or seven, most likely. But, he's definitely the one I think I have actually have a shot with. So, I think today is finally the day. When I get to the Mystery Shack, I will tell him how I really feel. *dramatic realizing gasp* But, what if he says "no?" What if he thinks less of me after I compared him to a baby? *More dramatic realizing gasp* And this is his and Mabel's final day in Gravity Falls, so even if he said yes, he would still have to leave. I'm not sure I could handle a long-distant relationship. *Depressed sigh* Maybe I should just leave it alone. Save myself the pain. *Dramatic burst of confidence* No! I have to try! Good or bad, I can't let this opportunity go! If I don't get it off my chest, now, I may come to regret it, later! When I get to the Mystery Shack, I'll tell Dipper that I like him! Signed, Candy Chiu, sixth grade
"Aw, isn't that sweet," Candy's dad mused. "Our little girl is narrating aloud about her crush on a boy."
"What?!" Candy shouted, hiding away her diary, blushing like crazy. "N-n-no I wasn't, Appa!"
"Harold! Don't encourage her!" Candy's mom protested. "You know people look at her funny when she randomly exposits about her life's story for no adequate reason."
"Umma!" Candy whined, blushing even harder. "Not in front of Appa!"
"Aw, let her have her fun, Jenny," Harold put his hand on his wife's knee and looked at her, lovingly. "Remember when you had your first crush? I remember, like it was yesterday, when I was mailing love letters to the most beautiful girl in the world?" He leaned in to try and kiss her.
Jenny put her hands to her face as she went into dreamland. "Ah yes…and I remember Steve. Oh Steve. What a hunk! That tall, muscular physique, that sexy voice that could melt butter a mile away, and those long, flowing locks were just so…" She gave a high pitch snicker.
"Alright, alright, I get it," Harold jealously dismissed, rubbing his balding head as he venomously hissed, "Steve. Thinks he's so smooth just because he has the perfect body, job, car, house, and large amounts of money and girls. What a complete tool."
"Oh, I'm just kidding, honey," She kissed him on the cheek. "You know I love you..." Harold smiled in satisfaction, until Jenny added, under her breath, "Almost as much as I love Steve."
"What?"
"Nothing. Nothing."
As her parents went on about their crushes, Candy, for the moment, forgot about hers, as all she could think to herself was, Who the heck is Steve?
"Oh! Looks like we're here," Harold said, parking just outside the Mystery Shack.
As the family got out of the car, Candy scanned the area, trying to find her two best friends in the world. Luckily for her, the number of guests was still rather small, right now, and, in only a few seconds, she found Mabel sitting down on the couch just the side porch to the Mystery Shack, kicking excitedly, no doubt in excitement for the upcoming party, with her pet pig, Waddles, sitting by her side. "Ah! Yes! Mabel is here! But..." Candy scanned the area again, but couldn't find her other lifelong best friend. "Where is Grenda?"
Then, as if on cue, Candy and her family saw Grenda's gigantic meat of a mother running with an enormous boulder on her back, atop of which sat her tiny mouse of dad, the former smashing, face first, into a tree. Grenda herself followed soon after, with her own slightly smaller and misshapen boulder on her back, crashing into the boulder her mother carried, pushing her mother further into the tree, causing it to break and collapse into even more trees, knocking them down like a set of dominoes and making various woodland creatures run or fly away in terror.
"Oh," Candy simply said with a smile. "There she is."
"Ha! I win again!" Grenda's mom shouted, spitting out tree bark and some of her teeth.
"Nice work, dear," Grenda's dad supportively squeaked. He looked at a stopwatch in his hand. "You beat your old record by twenty seconds."
"Argh! Darn it, Mom!" Grenda shouted in frustration, breathily. "You're too fast!"
"You came close, though," Her mom assured her with a firm but loving pat on the head. "Just keep running with 3 ton boulders on your back, you'll be just as fast as me, in no time."
"And also be sure to always stretch before every run, honey," her dad added, climbing down his wife's back. "Loose muscles add more hussle," He shook his little rump and said, "And tight butts make lickety cuts."
"Aw, thanks, Mom and Dad!" Grenda said, as she picked up her dad and embrace her mother's shin in a group hug. Finally, she took notice of Candy. "Candy!"
"Grenda!" Candy shouted back, the two embracing each other in a hug. "I'm so glad you could come, today!"
"Me, too!" Grenda shouted. "Marius is a total drama queen, but Mabel's thirteenth birthday party means a hundred times more to me than an entire weekend in a tropical resort with my smoking hot, rich and foreign boyfriend…but only by a small margin. Glad to see you didn't have to go to music camp, this year."
"Well, my parents said that they would let me off this one time, for Mabel's last day here. Speaking of which," Candy went to hug her parents. "Thank you so much for letting me go to Mabel's party, Umma and Appa. This means so much to me."
"Aw, we couldn't just let you NOT say goodbye to one your lifelong best friends." Her father said, affectionately.
"Although I would love for you to continue your sousaphone lessons," her mother added. "Mabel clearly means a lot to you, so we'll allow it."
"Plus, you did help save the world in a giant robot," Her father said with some nerdy glee. "So, that's gotta be worthy of a free pass, right?"
"Just don't keep using that as an excuse to get out of music camp, ok?" her mother said with a playful wink.
"Don't worry," Candy said, before finally giving them one last hug. "I won't."
"Now, go on, you little scamp!" Harold said as he playfully ruffled his daughter's hair, causing her to giggle. "You and Grenda have fun, today."
"Ok, Appa!" Candy said, waving to her parents as she ran to Grenda.
"And good luck with that 'special boy of yours', today." Her father said with a knowing wink.
"Appa!" Candy protested, blushing her brightest shade of red. Her father laughed at her embarrassment.
"Come on, Candy!" Grenda shouted. "Let's go and see Mabel!"
"Right behind you, Grenda!" Candy answered back, trying her best to cover up her tomato-esque face.
As Candy's folks saw their daughter run with her friend over to the Mystery Shack, they held each other, lovingly.
"Aw, such a good kid," Harold said. "She deserves to be happy, today."
"I hope she'll be ok," Jenny worried. "I get the feeling that this will just be a really awkward time, for her and Dipper."
"Don't worry," Harold assured his wife, kissing her on the cheek. "She'll be ok. If she can survive the apocalypse on her own, then I'm sure she can handle a bit of awkwardness."
Jenny gave a more confident smile, and returned her husband's kiss. "You always look on the brightside, don't you, Harold?"
Harold shrugged. "I do my best," Grenda's parents walked over to them to converse. "Hey there, George! Still working on that swing of yours?"
"I sure am, Harry," George squeaked, happily. "I can now hit a hole in one from up to ten feet away…and NOT break my knees in the process."
"Greta," Jenny said to Grenda's mom. "Looking good, girl! Your legs are utterly gorgeous! So, tell me, what's your secret?"
"Rocks, Jenny!" Greta answered, plainly. "Lots and lots of rocks!"
"Mabel!" Candy and Grenda shouted as they ran towards Mabel.
"Guys!" Mabel shouted back, jumping off the couch and embracing her friends in a hug. "You made it to the party! I was so worried you wouldn't be able to come!"
"My parents decided that they would let me off the hook from music camp, this year, so I could be here for your last day in Gravity Falls!" Candy answered, happily.
"And I told Marius to stuff it, and that I was gonna be here for my best friend's birthday party, whether he liked it or not!" Grenda proudly announced.
"Aw, you guys are amazing!" Mabel said, holding back tears. "The three greatest friends finally together for one last hurrah!"
"And that's not all," Candy said excitedly, pulling something from her bag. "I got a present for you." After a few seconds, she presented Mabel with a CD. "Boom!"
"Splugh!" Mabel gasped, her eyes and mouth widened from the beauty of the cover art. "OMG, It's…the 'Sev'ral Timez Super, Mega, Ultra Deluxe Album!'"
"The 'Multiplied by Sev'ral' Edition." Candy proudly added.
"This is supposed to be only available for their European tour," Mabel mused. "Where the heck did you get it?"
Candy blushed. "Well, I…I'd rather not say. But, rest assured I most certainly DIDN'T buy it off of a shady guy who lives around my corner using a fraction of my college savings…and am pretty sure WASN'T convicted of mass murder. No…no siree…not at all." Candy rubbed her head in embarrassment.
"And I got you…" Grenda dropped the misshapen boulder she was carrying on her back onto the ground, causing it to shake the earth. "This big rock that kinda looks like the three of us standing on top of a whale carcass, together!" The three girls just looked at the rock for a few seconds, blank smiles on their faces. "Pretty sure that's Waddles on the whale's right butt cheek." Waddles sniffed the part of the rock that supposedly looked like him, before nibbling on it and giving out a squeal.
"He says he likes it," Mabel said, simply. Then, her eyes swelled with tears, engaging her friends and Waddles in an even bigger hug. "Guys, these gifts are so amazing! Thank you so much!"
"Anything for our lifelong best friend!" Grenda shouted.
"We couldn't let you leave without giving you the best gifts we could get." Candy added.
Waddles grunted in approval.
"Well, come on, guys!" Mabel shouted, ballroom dancing with Waddles. "Let's party it up like there's no tomorrow!"
"Ok!" Candy giggled, performing some disco moves. "Let's get jiggy with our bad selves!"
"Yeah! Woohoo!" Grenda shouted, jumping up and down, wildly. "Let's go crazy!" The force of her jumps were enough to cause tremors across the whole party, making several partygoers to fall on their behinds, and even some of them to yell "earthquake!" before running for the hills.
As the girls cut the proverbial rug for several seconds, a flash of realization hit Candy like how Grenda hits…well…everything. She gasped. Oh my gosh! I forgot about Dipper! "Wait…Mabel! Grenda! Hold on for one sec!" And with that, Mabel, Waddles and Grenda stopped dead in their tracks, save for a moment when Grenda gave one more jump to get it all out of her system.
"What's wrong, Candy?" Mabel worried. "You don't want us to dance, anymore?"
"No, no! I really do want to keep dancing with you guys," Candy assured her. She then found herself blushing really hard, twisting a lock of her hair, nervously. "But…before we continue to party like its 2099, I…I…really need to know something, really bad."
Mabel smiled, warmly. "Sure, Candy. What is it?"
"Do…you…do you…do you know where…" Candy mumbled. She grumbled out of frustration to herself, before finally shouting out, "Do you know where Dipper is, right now?! I really need to talk to him!" Candy covered her own mouth, turning the brightest shade of red her peach skin could muster.
Mabel and Grenda's eyes looked at her in surprise, then at each other for conformation for what they just heard, then back at Candy, again, and then back at each other, again, then back at Candy for one more time, then back at each other for one more time, before giggling to themselves.
"What?" Candy squeaked. "What's so funny?"
"Oh nothing, Candy," Grenda said, suggestively, before poking Candy in her rosy cheeks. "Just that someone's clearly in loooooooove!"
"Grenda! Stop it!" Candy whined as she jerked her face away to hide her cheeks. "I just…want to give him his present before too many people get here, is all." However, seeing that her friends weren't buying any this and just plain being tired of hiding her feelings (well, at least intentionally), she simply sighed and answered, "Ok, I admit it. I…have a crush on Dipper, again."
"Ha! I knew it!" Mabel shouted, hugging Waddles and pumping her fist in the air. "I really AM the best matchmaker, in the world!"
Waddles squealed in agreement.
Candy smiled, sheepishly. "I just…I just noticed how brave he was, during the, what was it called, again? The Strangepocalypse? The Abnormalclysm? I can't remember the name." Her friends just shrugged, not knowing the answer, themselves. "Well, anyway, he was just so brave during that time, and when you told me he saved you, himself…I just…I just felt it was right to give him another chance, you know?"
Grenda and Mabel squeed in joy, the former picking all of them up and spinning in excitement.
"OMG!" Grenda exclaimed. "Candy's gonna have a boyfriend, just like me!"
"And it's going to be my brother!" Mabel added, excitedly. She gasped in realization. "Candy could become my future sister-in-law! It's a dream come true!"
Waddles squealed in happiness.
"Guys! Guys! Come down!" Candy giggled. "I haven't even asked him out, yet."
"Oh. Right," Grenda said, putting the three of them down. "Sorry, Candy."
"It's ok, Grenda," Candy said, chuckling. "So, Mabel…do you…know where Dipper is?"
Mabel gave a smug smile. "Oh…he's just talking to Grunkle Ford behind the Mystery Shack…but if you catch him…you could have a chance with him, too. WINK!"
Candy blushed, still rather nervous, but she did her best to hide her fears in front of her friends. "Awesome! Great to know! I'll go see him, right now!" And with that, Candy walked off to behind the Shack.
Mabel and Grenda giggled to themselves as their friend went to see her "man." They chanted, "Candy-Dip! Candy-Dip! This will be the greatest ship!"
Waddles squealed in tandem with their chant.
As soon as she was out of sight of her friends, she walked more slowly and anxiously as she approached Dipper and his uncle, madly rehearsing to herself what she would say to Dipper when she finally got to him, and she only had about a minute to come up with something. "Ok. Ok. You can do this, Candy. Let's see. Hmm.'Oh hi, Dipper, what's new with you…I like you…let's date!'" She face palmed. "No, that's too forced. Then, Candy went into a more "flirty" mode. "'Oh hey, Dipper…I think you're cute…and you look like a marble statue…and I just want to carve you up, and…" She stopped herself, as that line really gave her the willies. "Ugh. What am I? A slasher villain?" Finally, Candy attempted to speak in a more seductive way. "'Um…hey, Dipper…" She coughed, trying to make her voice lower and sultrier. "Hey, Dipper…Is that your thinking pen in your pocket or…'" Candy stopped herself in time to realize what she was about to say. She face-palmed once more, before giving out a loud sigh. "Oh boy, I'm so dead…"
"So," Grunkle Ford said, startling Candy and causing her to hide behind some bushes barely big enough to conceal her presence, doing her best to peek out her head enough to see the conversation without being noticed. "Are you sure you don't want to be my apprentice, Dipper? You've already proven yourself more than worthy, a thousand times over, by helping to save the world from Bill's influence."
"Thanks, Great-Uncle Ford," Dipper said calmly, but confidently. "But…I think I'd be much happier growing up with Mabel, if that's ok."
Ford just smiled. "I understand." He kneeled down to hug his nephew. "Just know this, Dipper; I'm still proud of you, no matter what you do."
"Thanks, Grunkle Ford," Dipper said, warmly, returning the hug. "So, what will do, now? Gonna go try to find another candidate for apprenticeship?"
Stan scratched his chin. "Something like that…" He pulled out a photo of Stanley and him as kids and looked it over with a smile. "And I think he might be closer than you think."
"That's great to hear, Uncle Ford."
"Well, Dipper," Ford, said, putting away the picture. "I've gotta go find Stan to make sure he hasn't mucked anything up or lost his memory, again," he said with a wink. "See you in a few minutes, Dipper."
"Yeah," Dipper said, waving to his uncle as he left. "See ya soon, Grunkle Ford."
"Aaaw that was so sweet," Candy mused. "Dipper is a really sentimental guy. Maybe this will be a lot easier than I thought."
"Candy?" Dipper questioned, causing the poor girl to squeak and fall on her back in surprise surprise.
"D-dipper!" Candy shouted, blushing a bit in embarrassment. "F-f-fancy meeting you here."
"Why are you haphazardly hiding in the bushes?" He eyed her, suspiciously. "Did Mabel put you up to this? Does she want to make sure that I said 'no' to Grunkle Ford's request, even though I said I would?" He became angered by the prospect. "Dang it, Mabel! I thought she trusted me! I told her to stop using others to spy on me! I hate people staring at me without me knowing…and I have serious body image issues, man!"
"No, no, Dipper!" Candy reassured him. "Mabel has absolutely nothing to do with this!" She blushed really hard, trying to find the right words to say. "I just…I just wanted to talk to you about something for a second, is all."
"Oh. Phew," Dipper said, feeling relieved as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "So, what's up, Candy?"
"Well…I... I just…" Candy found that the words she wanted to say were caught in her throat. Come on Candy! her mind shouted. Say it! Say that you want to date him! "I just…I just…I just…" She stammered, causing Dipper to tilt his head in confusion. Come on, girl, you're losing him! Pull yourself together! "I just…I just…" Say it! Say it, now! But, despite the hyping her brain was giving her, she just couldn't say the words. Instead, she just gave a frustrated sigh. "I just…wanted to thank you for saving Mabel, and rest the world. I thought that was very brave of you to do."
Dipper smiled, blushing a little from the attention. "Aw shucks, Candy, thanks. But, really, it was Grunkle Stan who saved the world. I just…kinda helped, a little."
"But it was you who inspired us to rise up against the triangle guy and save our home," She added, before hanging head down from her past guilt. "And I was wrong to think you were just a coward and a jerk…I'm…I'm really sorry about that."
Dipper smiled, warmly, and patted her shoulder, causing her to blush even harder. "Hey, don't worry about it, Candy. All water under the bridge. And you were really brave, too, ya know?"
Candy perked her head up in surprise. "R-really?"
"Sure," He said with sincerity. "Not many girls I know would just hop into a giant robot and fight an army of demons to save the world."
Candy felt very short of breath, her heart racing from his acknowledgement of her accomplishment. "Gee Dipper…I…I…" Now's your chance, Candy! Say it! Say it! Say it! She open her mouth, trying to force out the words she really wanted to say. But again, all she could do was huff and hang her head low, before bringing it back up to give him a weak smile. "Thank you, Dipper. That…means a lot to me."
Dipper smiled back. "Don't mention it, Candy. See ya at the front in five?"
"Yes, Dipper. I'll see you, then."
"Great. Take care, Candy."
As Dipper walked off, Candy hung her head in defeat, feeling so stupid and weak. However she realized that she had forgotten to give something to Dipper. "Dipper! Wait!"
"W-what is it, Candy?" Dipper questioned, slightly worried. "Everything alright?"
"I…I forgot to give you your birthday present."
"Can't you just give it to me when the party starts?"
"No!" Candy angrily shouted, causing Dipper to flinch in alarm. Realizing what she did, she calmed herself down and said, "I…I wanted to give you and Mabel something before the party to show how much I really appreciate you guys. In the short time that I've known her, Mabel has become one of my lifelong best friends, and you…well…you're the bravest boy I've ever known, and you helped save my home even when it all seemed impossible and…well…you're my hero, Dipper."
Dipper blushed, rubbing his shoulder in embarrassment. "Gee, Candy, I…I….thanks."
Candy pulled off her bookbag, ruffled through it a bit, before taking out a journal to give to Dipper. "Here. A little something from me. Something to start your new adventures into teenagehood and beyond."
Dipper looked through the finely detailed journal in amazement, its brown, leathery cover perfectly accented by the slightly yellowed pages, giving it a very authentic, rustic look. "Wow! Candy, this…this is amazing…" Then, small pen attached to a leather string tethered to the book fell out. Dipper gasped in wonder. "And it comes with an ultra-durable travel pen, too!"
Candy added, "For when you get tired of having to find an extra pen you always keep losing in the seat cushions or your dog's tummy."
Dipper began choking up from this and, despite himself, decided to embrace her in a hug, causing Candy to blush harder than she ever had before. "Thank you so much, Candy. This was gift was really cool."
Candy found herself short on breath, her body tingling from the sensation she was feeling, right now. Dipper was actually making physical contact with her, and couldn't quite figure out what do with herself, in the moment. "Y-you're welcome, Dipper." Tentatively, Candy puckered her lips and slowly moved them towards Dipper's cheek. That's it, Candy! Give him some of your sugar! Embrace your womanhood!
"You're a really great friend, Candy," Dipper said, causing Candy to cease her advances. "Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."
Candy gave Dipper a weak smile to hide her embarrassment and frustration. "Yeah. Right. Friend," Just wanting to let this awkwardness end, she gave a cough and hastily said, "Well, gotta go, Dipper. See you at the party." And with that, she took off like a shot, really confusing Dipper.
"Candy, wait," Dipper called to her, but she had already turned the corner. Dipper scratched his head in confusion. "Was it something I said? Was it something I did? Do I smell bad?" Dipper sniffed his own pits, before scrunching his nose in disgust. "Phew! Yeah, definitely the smell that drove her off."
"No! No! No! Bad Candy!" Candy shouted as she hit her head in anger. "Stupid, stupid, stupid Candy! You totally blew it! He had you right in his arms and you blew it!" She sobbed into her hands. "I thought I could do it. I thought I could ask him out without freezing up like an opossum on the side of the road." She brushed the tears from her eyes. "Now, what am I going to tell Mabel and Grenda?"
"Hi, Candy!" Grenda shouted, suggestively, as Candy turned the corner, causing the latter to jump in surprise. "So, how'd it go?"
Candy blushed, and rubber her arm. "Well…I…I…"
"Yeah, tell us, Candy?" Mabel said with her hands smooshed on her face, all ears to the events that unfolded. "Did Dipper say yes?"
"Well, he…he…" Candy whimpered.
"Yeah, tell us, Can-Can. Did you…" Grenda said, folding her index fingers together. "Finally tie the knot with Dipper?"
"I Just…I just...I just…"
Waddles grunted and tilted his head, questionably.
Candy blushed in embarrassment, feeling herself shrink as her friends hounded her with questions. "I…I…I…" Candy try to say, feeling a great deal of anxiety of seeing her friends stare her down in anticipation. She sighed and held her head down in defeat, deciding it would be too painful to admit the truth. "He said no."
"What!" Mabel and Grenda shouted in surprise.
"But…how could he?" Mabel questioned, extremely miffed. "You're so cute and adorable…" she picked up Waddles and made him do some punching motions. "And a total butt-kicker! You would've been totally perfect together!"
"Grrr! I swear to a non-specific deity," Grenda said in bloodthirsty rage, crushing a small rock in her hand. "That I'm gonna beat his face in for rejecting my best friend's advances!" Grenda stuffed the gravel into her mouth and grinded it with her teeth, but instead of spitting it out to show her toughness, she took a liking to the taste and swallowed it, making her demeanor more chipper. "Mmm. So, that's why birds like to eat this stuff. Yummy." Then, her demeanor quickly return to its bloodthirsty state. "Errrgh! But I'm still mad as heck! Let'me at him, Candy! I'm gonna give Dipper a piece of my mind AND my fist!"
"Grenda! Grenda! It's ok!" Candy said, trying to dissuade her friend from violence. She hung her head in disappointment. "Honestly, I think it's better this way. I mean, you guys are gonna leave very soon, anyway, and even if he had said yes, I don't think we could handle a long-distance relationship." She sighed, sadly.
"Aw, Can-Can," Mabel said, tearing up, and went in for a hug. "I'm so sorry."
"Yeah, Candy," Grenda said, equally teary-eyed, hugging them both and picking them straight up. "You deserve better than this."
Candy simply smiled, warmly, and returned their hug in kind. "Don't worry about me, guys. I'm just happy I got to be here for my best friend's birthday party. "So, let's just celebrate with our frowns upside down, ok?"
After a moment of contemplation, Grenda and Mabel decided to smile back, realizing it was not as bad as it seemed.
"You're right, Candy!" Mabel said with new vigor. "Let's just have fun, together, for one last time!"
"Yeah! Woohoo!" Grenda agreed, carrying the other girls to the front of the Mystery Shack while chanting, "Upside down frowns! Upside down frowns!" of which Mabel and Candy quickly started chanting along with her, Waddles squealing in joy as he followed them.
However, as Mabel and Grenda continued to chant, Candy took notice of Dipper from over Grenda's shoulder as came from behind the shack, writing in his new journal. He also took notice of Candy, smiling and giving her a friendly wave, of which was like a knife being twisted into her heart. She waved back at him with a forced smile, before turning away to wipe a tear from her eye.