First of all, sorry for my long, LONG absence- I've had school exams, left school, and am in further education- but I'm hoping to make time for writing. I am NOT an American school student, so please forgive me if I've made errors related to American education, but I did try to check it through research.

I hope you enjoy this update!

A fire drill was never the most orderly event in a school- what with kids always straying away from their classes to talk to their friends, and teachers frantically trying to do head counts before they permanently lose students to friend groups.

What made this one ten times worse was that the word 'drill' was missing from that statement and the disorder and chaos that ensued was ten times worse.

...

Thankfully, Miss Lee had evacuated her class of 8th graders, and was doing a quick head count. "Missy Owens," she announced, looking up from a clipboard with a class list on it.

"Here, Miss Lee!" Missy simpered, not once looking up from her cell phone as she took a selfie- probably her thousandth of the day, if not the hour.

"William Pane?" the blonde teacher announced, looking along the line to a chubby, sweaty, brown haired boy just behind Missy.

"..."

"William Pane."

"..."

"...WILLIAM!"

"Agh- I'm here, Miss Lee!" William started, blinking in confusion at what had just occurred.

"Mason Pines."

Dipper didn't acknowledge the calling of his actual name- he was too busy staring at the burning building in front of him, wondering if they had got out.

"Mason Pines," Miss Lee spoke again, this time more firmly.

Dipper jumped out of his skin as he felt someone shove him back into reality- that 'someone' being Theodore Reed.

"Oh...here, Miss," he announced, half-heartedly, as he waved a skinny, pale twig of an arm at her sheepishly to signal his presence. Miss Lee just sighed in irritation, and marked Dipper as present, before moving on to Theodore, and then Sarah Signs.

No sooner had she moved away from Dipper did he notice that Mrs. Harper had arrived with her eighth graders.

"Alright, class!" Mrs Harper said shrilly, clapping her block like hands in what she hoped made her look professional and efficient- but only served to unknowingly contradict her own hopes. "Line up in alphabetical order, everyone, please!"

There was a chorus of eye rolls as the other class shuffled round to fulfil Mrs. Harper's request- but Dipper knew they often liked to knot their k's with their t's, and stick r's with p's. This was going to unravel under her nose before half- no, quarter way of the class list.

Normally, Dipper was amused at how they achieved this so quickly (though, it was hardly surprising given the attention span of the plump teacher) but today, he had a bad feeling in his stomach. He waited on tenterhooks as she read through her list with the pace of a pregnant snail. His attention wafted to and fro, and it was not until she reached 'p' that his attention tuned in.

"Wendell Pence,"

"Here, Mrs. Harper," Snorted Wendell, like a pig.

"Belle Philips,"

"Here, Mrs. Harper," Belle said quietly- so quietly, Mrs. Harper almost didn't hear her.

"Mabel Pines,"

Dipper's blood turned cold when no cheerful reply came. He stared up at the burning building in horror- reds, oranges and black engulfed the entire school- no, no she couldn't be-

"Mabel Pines- Mabel Pines, if you're here, please raise your hand!" Mrs. Harper snapped.

Dipper realised that his gut feeling had been correct- even more so when he suddenly felt a sharp pain flare across his left arm for no particular reason.

He glanced over quizzically at Belle.

"Belle, have you seen"-

"You, young man in the dark blue vest- don't interfere!" Mrs. Harper snapped, whirling round and pointing a pen at him. "I'm trying to take a head count!"

"Well, I'm trying to find out about my sister!" Dipper snapped back, surprising himself- but he didn't dwell on this.

"We'll find your sister, Mr Pines," Mrs. Harper said sardonically. "The fire brigade will be here. We are not allowed to go back into the building."

Dipper was about to retort when a second flash of pain swept across the back of his legs, and he realised that Mabel must be in trouble.

Well, he couldn't stand here and wait for help- Mabel could die! He nearly lost her before due to his mistakes, and he was also the one who saved her when she ran into trouble.

He never forgot Mrs Harper, Miss Lee and all the other teachers roaring at him to get back in line- away from the fire-away from Mabel...

...

Tendrils of smoke wafted into his nose, tempting him to lie down and sleep...but he had to stay focused.

So, he shrugged off his vest and pressed it to his face, got down on his knees and began to crawl through the burning flames.

Heat rolled off his cheeks and he coughed as he found himself getting weaker and weaker as he continued on his journey.

"Must...find...Mabel..." he wheezed to himself. Oh, if only he knew where she was!

"...help..." a voice whispered, almost devoid of consciousness and life. But Dipper heard it- a cry for help.

Unless someone else was trapped in here...it could only mean he was either hallucinating, or...

"Mabel!" He shouted.

Only the crackling flames and creaking roof supports answered him. "Mabel, where are you?!" He yelled.

"Sweet mother of Bill, how am I going to find her?" He groaned.

"Mason, wait!" A female voice shouted, sounding somewhat muffled, and Dipper turned, feeling very hopeful he had found his twin, or the other way around- but he frowned when he saw Belle Philips behind him, also on her knees. She was holding her arm across her mouth.

"Belle, what are you doing here?" He asked her impatiently.

"I...I came here to help you," She said, looking at him with her wide grey eyes. "I know...I know we do not interact a lot, but I want to help Mabel too."

Dipper sighed. "Well, unless you saw her before the fire started, or have any information on where she is, you better leave."

Belle hesitated a moment- this was the most she had spoken to Dipper, and she was shy. But she forced herself to swallow her fear.

"I...I last saw her heading for the bathroom round the corner from our room."

"Quickly- we have to find her, and get out of here!" Dipper said impatiently, and they hurried to classroom 18a as fast as they could- on their feet, but crouched down.