Chapter 2
It was a quiet evening in the twins' room. A quiet end of the day with one of the most known Friday night activities. A board game. We were playing something called How to settle. It was pretty boring. Dipper and I were battling for the first place, while Mabel was dead last. We weren't playing like three little lonely losers, we were playing like five fearless knights willing to conquer new lands. The 2 additions were Mabel's BFFs, Candy and Grenda, which were pretty much just conforting Mabel for her loss, and talking aside the game.
-I am 1 point away from you Dipper.
-Which you'll get right here but I am going to boost my farms and I will get two points, haha
-You are both such adorable nerdy, which makes you beautifully geeky.
-Thanks, Mabel, that's really sweet, and, my correction stopped in my throat
-Grenda, it's your turn, said Candy.
-I concede, take my resources or whatever, I am gonna go watch the news,
-What why?
-It's the BoyBandFaboulousFestival or BBFF, and they are announcing the ticket dates right now!
The following 5 minutes were filled with gruesome screams of the three girls just glorifying each and every boy band while Dipper and I were just casually continuing our game hardly trying to not cringe to death.
-Well it's a tie, well played Andy. . .
-Actually you beat me by 1 point because of the end-game achievements. Great job, I said while shaking his hand.
-Ummm, where did the girls go?
-Probably at the TV downstairs, while Stan is counting his money. We should hear their excited screams and giggles in 3... 2... 1...
My prediction was pretty much well founded, but it's expected. The western culture has always had this trend. Pre-teens and teens are funding this business ever since it started. This is not a grave disease, but it's the worst affliction that a boy has to support. It starts with these squeals, giggles and screams, and it ends with someone being kidnapped by a crazy fan. And by crazy I mean completely totally insane.
-How much do I have to support this phase, Dipper asked frustrated...
-Well the news end in almost 5 minutes...
-The allegedly biggest festival comes in this small town of Oregon and you think the news still follows regular schedule? It's half past nine, and this will keep going for another hour at least.
The look of fear is pretty blatant on my face...
-Why don't we just leave before our eardrums got punctured by their sharp squeals?
-Do you have any idea where to?
-Just lead me somewhere high up and far away from ... this.
This was a karaoke version of a song which soon proved to be one symphony of aphony...
-I know a place but let's go. Now!
We didn't even take the cart, this hill was on a small road right behind the shack. It was a nice walk, almost seeming like the beginning of a hiking. Anyway on top of the hill I could swear I could see even the town 20 miles away from us. But from up there every single light seemed to have a story of its own. The key was in the shade. People pacing around the house, people looking out the window, the street lights forming a small runway for planes to land on. On top of the opposite mountain was a small restaurant which was pretty much food inside a lightshow. Overall it was a feeling of power. You just guarding all the city with your sights, spotting every single couple just quietly walking and enjoying their love. This thought suddenly became larger. What is love? This was just a blink of my brain eyes, as my thoughts instantly wandered in the „Baby don't hurt me category" (I don't even remember listening to this song) However my night was of course going to be plagued by this thought. Sad. Either way this had two sides. A present side, which manifested in a question, and a long term side that killed my sleep.
-Dipper?
-Yeah. . .
-I remember seeing you at the pool with a girl,that also works in the shack. Who is she?
-Oh, you mean Wendy? She is a local from here. She is, pretty cool and she is always doing fun stuff, I mean we hang out a lot, not that I like her, no, no, he panicked instanly, and was pretty funny to look at.
-I didn't say anything, I said with a smile, which turned into a smirk.
-Guess I don't have to cover up more, right? He looked so disappointed, it was giving me second hand sadness.
-It's not as if I didn't already know. I think it's pretty sweet, don't worry. I won't bother you with any friend comforting such as:"Love is blind" and so on. I am just going to wish you good luck.
-It's ok, it's ok. . .
For a moment I thought that he was going to start crying. He started complaining. It wasn't half as bad. I was used to just hearing rich people just gagging about stupid things like:"Oh, I told my butler to bring me my Mercedes and he brought me my Mclaren ". Wow, such a dealbreaker. But this boy really had something meaningful and insightful to complain about. Be it repetitive and a bit boring to hear, it was remarkable how much drama he can hold up to (and hold in)
-That's so sad. I am sorry for you, Dipper, ehm but I am rooting for you.
-Yeah but she is 16 and I am 12, you know scaaaary age gap.
-Age is just a number. . . I felt as if I was going to explode out of the cliché things that came out of my mouth. I generally didn't have problems with controlling my speech, but now I couldn't figure out how to come up with something original and/or helpful.
-I know, but still, it's pretty sad to know that she is just going out with these . . .
-I see. You know it's pretty hard for you, I'll give you that. But courage is what is lacking here. You're afraid of a denial, therefore fear freezes you. Bypass that and you can calmly and confidently ask her out.
It was a pretty deep thrust. I was hitting hard with the truth, but you must be hurt in order to heal. Suddenly, he got up and just looked absently to the horizon.
-You ok, Dipper?
-Yeah, I was just letting my mind wander around this maze,that is...
-Your feelings?
-..., he just sighed in disbelief.
We were quietly walking back to the shack, everyone looking uncomfortable as if we just saw each other singing in the shower. I was just about to enter the shack, when I heard him.
-Thank you. . .
-For what?
-For being the first person to bear with me while taking about this.
He then told me how every time he started to open his heart to Mabel, she was just gleefully mocking him, or fall asleep or just go talk to some random boy. Comically enough, he had to bear through her just complaining for hours before she finally fell asleep.
-I am sure, she means well. She seems cute.
-Well you should hear the way she speaks of you then.
I assumed it was talking ill. It's a basic process of assumption leading to sophisms. Usually when you say something good about someone and the other person is like: "Then you should hear how he/she speaks of you" it's generally bad. Few are the cases when the assumption made is good. For example it's rare for someone to say that and then just boost your relationship. This was one of those epic cases, or not even epic, but legendary. He told me that Mabel had a crush on me.
-Wow. . . I am stunned.
-Don't worry, it's not the first time. But for the first time I think that she is not wrong and just going into a mindless feeling.
-What?
-You will see, he said a bit mysteriously, but happily in an equal measure.
The festival was tomorrow. Mabel and her friends were already there listening to the last song of the last band of the festival. I was just sitting with all the „not in a band" boys hating every second of our existence just because I couldn't have one more auto-tuned note pass my auditory canal. They were even selling headphones to us. That guy must have made a fortune. Anyway, the last show ended and Dipper and I were waiting outside for Mabel to come.
-Where is she, the concert is over.
-She's probably just admiring those fake guys' muscles, and bodies and faces, and dreaming of how immensely satisfying it would be for her to be having these models as slaves.
-Guys, guys, guys!
It was Mabel running out of breath as she ran towards us.
-Leave without me, she continued, I will come home later.
In a week I learned not to question anything of Mabel's behavior. We just walked away to the shack and went to bed right away. The loud music made my ears ring, and it was just painful to even think of this horrendous festival. In the middle of the night I woke up and went for a glass of water, I was drowsy so I didn't pay much attention to the road, to the fridge. Yet I was stunned, creeped out, frozen in place when I saw a 6 foot tall silhouette sneaking in and out of our closet room. I entered my self-defense mode taught to me by my amazing karate teacher. I slowly and silently walked around the corridor hearing my heart beat with every step. One. Two. Three. I was standing right next to the doorframe, when I picked up some sort of whispering, which meant there were at least 6 people in there. I had the element of surprise, and the skills to do it. I decided to just turn on the light and beat them all up.
It was just a matter of milliseconds for me to spot 6 people looking exactly the same sleeping in this closet room. It was a matter of my eyes adjusting to the once blinding light, for me to spot something familiar. It was a small tuft of pink behind one of those guys. Guess who it was. . .
-Mabel, MABEL! I whispered.
-Hu, huh, what? Pops is this kitten day?
Needless to say she was very drowsy. . . It was after 5 minutes, that I basically took her by the hand and dragged her outside to freshen up. Then I entered the molten core rage mode.
-Mabel. . . WHAT ARE 6 MEN DOING IN OUR CLOSET ROOM?
-Ummm, I. . . she interrupted every word with an insecure gesture : a small head scratch followed by a change of eye direction.
-Yes?
-I kidnapped... those guys... from the festival...
-WHAT?!
-Let me explain, let me explain, she panicked instantly. First off, I didn't really kidnap them, I set them free.
-I am going to count to ten, calm down and ask you. . . one, two, three. . . SET. . . THEM. . . FREE?
-Stop yelling at me! She seemed as if she was about to start crying. . . I was feeling bad, so I calmed down and came closer to her, then whispered:
-Ok. . . Tell me the rest. Her face immediately lit up.
-Yeah, so they were trapped in a cage with food and a small tank of water giving drops at a time,like a hamster's and they were cute, aaaand
-Ok, ok... Who else knows about this?
-Candy and Grenda...
-Ok, then I am going to tell Dipper.
-Noooo don't, he will freak out. . .
-But you realize he will find out anyway, right?
-Yeah. . . Popsicles!
We decided to just remain silent, me to tell Dipper about it tomorrow, and we were going to keep Stan away from this. Just this once. I went back to my room, only after I swore these anyway. In return for this I got an unexpected suffocation hug for allowing a little girl fulfill her dream of having the favorite people in her life sleep with her.
I had a feeling something was wrong... And it was. The next day I told Dipper, and after his jaw dropped hard on the floor and after he freaked out so much that I had to hold him not to go tell Stan, he calmed down and decided to go away from the shack for the following days. He seemed to go as far as to explore the forest all by himself. I don't question it. I would have done the same had it not been for Stan noticing I had slacked off from work and being forced to guard the register and broom the floors.
I wasn't sure about Mabel anymore. I mean she seemed to lose a bit of her sanity trying to tame those guys up and teach them the wonders of LIFE. I mean these guys were basically bred in cells like aliens to be the perfect boy-band stars. Which come to think of it adds meaning to the saying born a star. Be that as it may, this whole thing has started to go to their heads. Which lead to them falling out a bit. I mean they became possessive, sharing time with them, making some sort of chart for it too. It was eerie how they just objectify people. Even if they were already seen as mere tools for fame and wealth, they were still people... This is what pretty much triggered the following situation. I happened to go in the attic (or the remains of it at least), in order to search for some supplies, when I heard a slightly... disturbing conversation. I am not gonna even try to remember this, but let's just say that the creepiest thing I've heard. They were arguing about whose turn it was to be „worshipped" and/or play with the boys. That was the moment when my mind drew a blank... I had to do something. I waited for the moment the girls were pretty much dance-kicked out of the room („Oh no they are dancing aggressively towards us"). In order to go and talk to the Queen... of lunatics.
-Hey Mabel?
-Yes... She was sitting atop of the boys' shoulders therefore: Boys! Down!
-WE need to talk... alone...
-Ooooh, she suddenly lit up and told the boys to go sit in a corner, their backs turned.
-Umm can you make them cover their ears or something?
-Sure thing. Said and done.
-Mabel, you've got to let them go. . .
-What? Why ?I love them and they love me. It's dangerous outside. No, I won't.
Those words came out of her mouth in a single breath of air, and with little to no understanding of the message I conveyed.
-Mabel.
I got my serious and deep look now, gazing straight into her mind and soul.
-I heard you wanted to teach them about life. How it is to live truly... Do you really think that by holding them in here and treating them as pets will do that?Do you think it's really worth it losing your friends just because you got carried away?
-Hmmmm.
The following was unexpected. The boys just turned around and uncovered their ears and each of them started their plea
-But we love Mabel!
-Yeah, she gives us baths and food!
-Plays with us!
-She got me this blanket to sleep on! Awesome!
-ENOUGH! Mabel yelled.
-You see what's the big problem now? I said looking at her dissappointed.
-I do... I am sorry, Andy ... Do you forgive me?
-I don't need to forgive you... Your BFFS must.
She called them over. They had a long and seemingly endless talk in which they burst into tears and finally made up. The breakup between the band and Mabel was touching.
-You are free guys! Go. . . Explore. . .
-But we don't want to. . .
-GO! Before I change my mind. . .
The boys walked away in a synchronized fashion, then turned around and said:
-We will never forget you, Mabe-dog. . .
Then they vanished in the forest. God knows where they are now. . . However Stan tells us he sees one „blonde haired weeb just eating out his trash".
Tomorrow morning Dipper came to me after I haven't seen him for two days. . .
-Where have you been the past two days?
-Studying the diary in a remote place far away from you and your teenage drama.
-Solved may I say.
-Good for you. Now listen. Tomorrow I am going to the Eye-Mountain to search an ancient species thought to be alive inside it
-Species of what?
-I don't know. Either way do you want to come?
-You ask? Of course I will.
-I'll go ask SooS you ask Mabel.
-Sure thing.
Needless to say she accepted, knowing that her mind had to be cleared from that whole fiasco. I started packing right away and I spent the following afternoon and evening just remembering all that I learned from my rock-climbing courses (and parkour for that matter). The night was just right for some hyping up. That was until my dreams turned into nightmares of me falling to my death inside the caves of the mountain. Then being mauled by that species of whatever. Then. . . I fell completely asleep in my dreams. That didn't stop me from being ready at 6 AM in front of the cart packed up, with my stomach full and ready for some highlanding (No I don't have Scottish roots).