Mabel's POV
I sat in the recliner and watched Dipper pace around the living room. He kept mumbling things about the journal's mysteries, the author of that journal, and if the blank pages could possibly stand for something. Maybe the author disappeared, maybe he didn't. Maybe this, maybe that. I wasn't really listening to any of what he was telling me—it sounded more like he was talking to himself anyway.
I placed one hand over my stomach and sighed. Nobody seemed to have noticed the bump yet. Could be the sweaters. They were kind of loose, not very tight at all...Yeah. I could keep wearing them for a little while longer but...what would happen in about another month? I couldn't go back home like this. What would my parents think? And Dipper, what would he think? What about Grunkle Stan? Wendy? Soos? Candy? Grenda? And Pacifica would have just one more reason to rag on me. Everyone would judge me, no matter where I went or who it was.
And Gideon was a huge worry for me. He finally got out of jail and was just... He'd tried to kill my brother before.
Who's to say he wouldn't come after my baby?
Yeah, that's right. I made a stupid mistake and in several months, would have a child. Nobody—not even the father—knew about this. I never planned to tell anyone but I might have to. I didn't know what to do with this baby. I certainly didn't know how to take care of one. I'd babysat before but that was a lot different.
And another concern was that the summer was drawing to an end. I couldn't do this to my family. If I went home everyone would have the assumption that my parents raised me wrong or were just bad parents overall. Dipper would be so disappointed in me, probably as disappointed as the rest of our family would be.
At the same time I couldn't bring myself to have an abortion. A life was a life no matter how big or small. And by now I was sure it already had a heartbeat.
Plus, to keep myself occupied, I'd made a mental list of names, most of which I couldn't even remember. Once you name something, you get attached to it. Well...I was about to name something really big. I kind of already had a little attachment to it.
So far I was thinking Jessica for a girl. There were other names too, though, that I loved just as much. Like Tabitha? It was unique, that was for sure. I liked unique. But Jessica and Tabitha just didn't seem right... For a boy, I was thinking somewhere along the lines of Oliver or Elijah. Oliver might be okay. I don't know, neither of those sounded right either... I had almost six months to figure it out so I wasn't that worried, especially since I didn't even know if it was a boy or girl yet, but it was fun to think of names.
"Mabel, you okay?" my brother asked.
I nodded and took my hand off my stomach, resting it on the arm of the chair.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"What are you thinking about?"
Oh...a lot of things really. None of them were directly related to him though. And I didn't want him to find out I was pregnant. I couldn't let him down like that, not my brother. Nor could I let the rest of my family find out, or my friends—they could tell my family. I didn't want to be judged and I certainly didn't want my child to be judged.
...The only one who wouldn't judge it was the father but I couldn't force a kid on him. We were both far too young to be raising children. I was pretty sure neither of us was ready for it—not at seventeen.
And the age would only cause scorn on me among my mom's side of the family. Aside from Grunkle Stan, my dad's side of the family wasn't very inviting as it was. They may well shun me and my child despite being related by blood. It was shameful, really, but in a way, I felt like I deserved whatever I had coming. I was the one who made that mistake; I was the one who would pay the price for it.
And there was always Gideon—always Gideon—to think about. Not just Gideon either. Who knew what other threats—human or inhuman—lay within this very town? It was decided in that moment. Gravity Falls was no place to raise a child.
The only place left to go was back to Piedmont. What good would that do me? It would tear me up to suffer that kind of wrath from everyone. And Dipper, the one who had always had my back? He wouldn't have it this time. What if he was so upset with me that he chose to shun me as well?
The summer was almost at its end and we were due to go back home in just a few days. Most of our things were already packed. Aside from toiletries we were pretty much all set to go.
Back home both and I my child would suffer. Here both I and my child would suffer. I didn't have anywhere else to go though. A decent place to raise a child without all the judgment and ugly looks being shot at us... Did it even exist?
I'd heard of kids committing suicide because of bullying from their peers. It gave me yet another reason to turn my back to Piedmont and Gravity Falls. Gravity Falls was a bad idea, Piedmont was a bad idea, so what else was there? I couldn't go back to the father. It was best if he never knew. If he knew and rejected me, I would...I...I didn't even know what I would do, but I was already hormonal and anything he said would be taken to heart even if he wasn't talking about me or the baby. He cracked one joke and boom, that was it. I'd be sent home bawling.
I thought of the money I had saved up over the time I'd worked in the Mystery Shack. Maybe it was a stupid idea but I had to do something. I didn't want to risk my baby eventually killing itself because of the scorn of my family and I couldn't stay here in Gravity Falls because of all the strange happenings. Looking much closer, both were dangerous. I couldn't go back to either.
So I worked the rest of the day as normal, pretending to feel completely energetic and lively. It was easy to pull off and today was especially busy. Unlike Wendy and Soos, Dipper and I were paid by the end of each day depending on how much work we did.
I did as much as I could possibly do, which probably didn't go unnoticed, and was paid double at the end of the day. I either worked harder than I thought or Grunkle Stan knew something was up.
Impossible. I hadn't told anyone.
I chose to go to bed early, sneaking toiletries into my bags as I went along. My plan? Wake up early tomorrow—so early that it was still dark out—and leave.
Naturally I wouldn't leave without a note to say goodbye. If I said my goodbyes in person someone was bound to stop me and keep a close eye on me for the rest of my stay. My parents would be notified of this and, unfortunately, discover my dirty little secret. Maybe I was just thinking like a mother but no, I wouldn't have that for my child.
So I did just what I'd planned. All the hard work I'd done paid off in both money and an excuse to be "tired" so I could go to bed early. In reality I was too nervous to be that tired and did in fact only sleep when Dipper hit the hay.
And that nervousness actually came in very handy the next day. Although I was tired from waking up so early, I hardly noticed it.
I changed into some clothes and brushed my hair but skipped brushing my teeth for two reasons: I didn't want to make noise with the running water and it was easier to simply leave the toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag.
My goodbye note was written out to Dipper, telling him that I chose to leave on my own for various reasons—which were not listed—and that although the journal said to trust no one, he could trust me when I said I was safely away. I left it on the nightstand between our beds, right under the lamp so he would see it first thing when he woke up.
It pained me horribly to leave him like this, but it was for the best. I had someone else I had to think about now and as sad as it was, Dipper couldn't be part of the picture. I had to put my baby first now. It would stay that way for as long as I lived, and nothing would ever change my mind. So I left Gravity Falls behind. I left my brother, my great uncle, Candy, Grenda, Wendy, and Soos behind. And I left my mother behind. I left my father behind...
All to begin my new life.
A/N
Tell me your thoughts! :) Do you like where this is going so far? Like the idea? Anyone who can come up with a better summary, please oh PLEASE do help me. :( I'd be glad to hear anything out!
A heads-up for the next chapter: HUGE time skip is coming (although you've probably already guessed that).
Nobody ask who the father is! AND NO IT IS NOT DIPPER! There will be no Pinecest in this story.
And a last thing; this story WILL switch POVs, but the prologue is in Mabel's POV because I wanted to show you her thoughts while she's into her early pregnancy.
