Chapter 2

Dipper straightened his hat in the mirror for the hundredth time. Wendy was due any minute, and he was determined not to look like the 12-year-old kid he knew she thought she was.

Mabel was wearing her rainbow star sweater. "Chill out, Dipper, you look fine."

Dipper turned to her. "You sure?"

"Positive. Girls don't like perfect guys anyways," Mabel assured him.

"I'm not perfect?" Dipper shouted frantically.

Mabel laughed and adjusted her headband. "Again, chill out."

The bell on the door jingled. Dipper couldn't tell whether his heart leapt or sank – Wendy was here.

"Sup, dorks," she greeted, her musical voice ringing out across the shack.

Dipper exhaled and spun around. "Hi, Wendy. Are you, um, ready to go?"

She shrugged. "Whenever is fine."

He couldn't take his eyes off her. She was wearing the same thing she wore to work, but the moto jacket over it made her that much sexier. God, she was so sexy.

Mabel pushed his shoulder, jolting him back to reality. "Ready for an adventure, guys?"

Dipper blushed. Sometimes Mabel could ruin his chances of trying to look mature in front of Wendy, with her constant talk of sparkles and unicorns. Then again, Mabel and him were as different as chocolate and vanilla. Maybe Mabel wouldn't affect Wendy's perception of him.

Wendy laughed. "So ready. Let's hit those woods!"

And out they walked, off the porch of the Mystery Shack and into the pine trees

Mist hung over the trees in (Dipper couldn't help but thinging this) the most romantic way. He thought he caught Wendy smile at him once, but it might have been his imagination. In fact, this could have been the most romantic scene ever.

If only Mabel wasn't skipping along, singing the theme song to Duck-tective.

Dipper knew that Mabel was only being extra loud because of the fact that no matter how she covered it up, she was slightly afraid of the woods. Not deathly, but enough that she got jittery and jumped at loud noises.

"Nice singing, dude," Wendy remarked. Dipper couldn't tell just how she could spin a possible compliment and a possible put-down into one and the same, but he liked it. He wanted that talent. He wanted everything about Wendy.

"Thanks!" Mabel yelled. After she started walking normally again, Dipper realized that her head was darting around and that she was walking closer to him. Yup, Mabel might be afraid, but you have to give her points on subtlety.

"So why are we here?" Wendy asked, stopping and sitting down on a log.

Suddenly, why they were here seemed incredibly stupid to Dipper. He pulled the book out and said "Um, I want to investigate where I found this."

Oh God, what was that? Investigate where I found this? He thought. He only realized now how nerdy it sounded, how much it sounded like a child on an adventure.

But to his relief, Wendy nodded. "That's cool."

Dipper flushed with pride. Wendy thought he was cool! Or, what he was doing was cool. Either way, she said cool.

Dipper motioned for them to keep walking. This will go great, he thought. Why was I worried?