Chapter 3 - "Change"

"Wow… that was a nice puppet show, Mabel." Even if he was still a bit mad at Mabel, he had to admit it was pretty good for a puppet show thrown together in just a few days. The show had went without a single hitch. Even if some one the lines… ugh. "Though "Let's sing and kiss at the same time-" Seriously, Mabel? Isn't that a bit much even for your standards?" Dipper said, giving a playful, soft punch in Mabel's arm.

"Aw, come on, you know you loved it, bro!" Mabel said, in a teasing voice, playfully punching back Dipper, which in her turn her 'soft' punches were admittedly harder than Dipper's. "So, we can work on figuring out the laptop tomorrow, night, right?"

Dipper felt his smile slowly slide off his face. "Wait, tomorrow? Aren't you going to help me out tonight? I mean, you did promise to help me after the puppet show after all."

"Oh," Dipper watched as Mabel's cheeks grew redder. "Well, um, you see I got a date with Gabe tonight…" Her cheeks only grew redder in color as she spoke.

"Oh," Dipper said, biting his lip slightly, before an idea popped into this head. "Well you're going to help me tomorrow morning, right?"

"Um… I got something planned with the girls tomorrow morning…" Mabel said awkwardly, before averting her eyes from Dipper. Dipper felt whatever was left of the grin on his face before wash away. For a few moments, they just stood there, not saying anything, until a voice called out.

"Mabel! You're coming right?" Gabe's voice sounded behind them as he strutted over to them, two puppets still on his hands like always.

Immediately, Mabel brightened up a bit, at least from Dipper's perspective. "Oh, yeah!" As she nearly jumped up in excitement to walk towards Gabe, she hesitated for a moment before looking back at Dipper. "Tomorrow, right?" She said with a small smile.

"Um… yeah, sure." Dipper muttered, and with that, Mabel began to skip towards Gabe, leaving Dipper behind. His eyes trailed her for a second, before she skipped right out of view, and he let out a small sigh.

"You alright Dipper?" A voice called behind him, and he nearly jumped into the air, before a smile overcame his face. "Wendy!" He said, before turning around.

"You seem a bit down. Anything wrong?" Wendy said, a smile on her face, but it hinted a bit of concern.

'Oh… um, yeah fine. It's just… well, nothing really." Dipper said, trying his best to hold the smile in place on his face, but soon, it fell.

"Oh, come on, Dipper, it's fine! You can tell me!" Wendy said, her smile growing larger. "C'mon, maybe I can help."

"It's just… well, I kind of feel left out," Dipper admitted finally, letting out a small sigh. "You see, me and Mabel… well, we always kind of hung out with each other all time back in California. When no one was talking to us because of some stupid fight or something at school, we stuck by each other's side. And when we were really little, we never really wanted to play without one another… I know it's stupid and everything…" Dipper said, feeling his cheeks light up red as he finished, closing his eyes tightly. It must have sounded so stupid - Dipper just knew it. Especially to Wendy.

So that's why it surprised him when Wendy laid a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, I suppose I kind of can relate to that…"

Dipper's eyes sprung back open in surprise, before he turned his head to see Wendy smiling down on him. "But… don't you, I don't know…"

"Oh, I understand!" Wendy said, giving Dipper a playful shove. "I have three brothers, I know how it's like to feel left out, believe me. It isn't fun." And Dipper felt surprise fill him a bit more as Wendy sighed, and as she averted her eyes. "It feels like you're in the dumps, I know…" Wendy then turned to face him again, once again smiling. "that you always have to keep your head high, and your ups and downs with your siblings too."

Dipper felt himself blush a bit, before pushing that feeling that as a genuine smile came upon his face. "Thanks Wendy… you're right. Are you and Soos driving me again?" He said, his voice keeping that bit of hope in it that she'd say yes - just what he needed to make the night a bit better.

"Oh, Stan said he'd drive you home," Wendy said, shrugging a bit. "He said since he didn't even know why he was really here, he'd just drive you home."

"Oh," Dipper said, the same feeling of disappointment swell in his chest like before.

"But I'll see you 'round the shack, right?" Wendy said, giving Dipper a smile, and in response was a little nod. "C'mon Soos!"

As Dipper watched her go, Dipper was surprised when he felt a hand on his back, and he looked up to see Stan beside him, hand on his shoulder. "Uh… you okay kid? You seem a bit down."

"Yeah… I'm fine, Grunkle Stan…" Dipper mumbled, shaking his head slightly. "Can we please just get back to the Mystery Shack? I kind of feel sick."

"Ugh!" A pillow flew across the room, where it bounced harmlessly off the opposite wall, falling right onto Mabel's bed.

When Dipper had gotten home, he had simply went to his room and waited. But after an hour, Mabel still wasn't home, and Dipper's frustration was getting the better of him.

"Come on, Mabel, where are you…" He muttered to himself as he slowly picked himself up from his bed, and went to the window sill, sitting down there. No sign of Mabel coming home.

Dipper let out a small groan, before he rubbed his drooping eyes. Even with him being mad at Mabel, he could admit that she had one thing right. He needed some sleep. Desperately.

Reluctantly, Dipper slowly got back into his bed, fumbling with the blanket for a few moments, before pulling it over his head, and waited for sleep to come.

And waited.

And waited.

After ten ,minutes, DIpper simply let out another frustrated groan. Now he couldn't even go to sleep!. Sitting upright in bed, Dipper's eyes traveled around the room, trying to see something that might make him sleepy. Nothing.

Maybe I just need a glass of warm milk… then I'll fall back to sleep. Dipper vowed to himself, before sliding off the bed, and walked to the door. That's all I need.

"Today was the best day ever!" Mabel chimed to herself as she entered the Mystery Shack, before looking back and waving at Gabe excitedly, before closing the door behind her. Everything had went absolutely perfect. From the moment the play started, to the moment she got home. She finally had her first successful summer romance.

"Dipper! You in here?" Mabel said, as she traveled down the hall, before poking her head into the living room. "Boo- you're… not in here." Mabel said half to herself as she looked at the empty living room, if you didn't count Waddles.

"Hm… where could he be?" Mabel said cocking her head to the side slightly as she thought about it. It wasn't that late. Well, maybe it was. Ten forty-five was pretty late now that she thought about it. Maybe he's sleeping, or working on the laptop… again. He really need some sleep.

Mabel climbed up the steps, and knocked softly on the door, before putting her ear to it. Silence. Frowning, Mabel opened it slowly, and her eyes widened with surprise at the sight before her, and she took a slow step back.

There in front of her were pieces of the broken laptop scattered around the room, completely broken, while Dipper lay peacefully on the bed, a small smile on his face.