CHAPTER FOUR - THE TRUTH GETS OUT
As the stocks were wheeled onstage by the ginger strongman Manly Dan, a murmuring was heard from the crowd. Still tired from the exertions of shouting out loud for the best part of an hour, they were nevertheless bewildered as to why a medieval torture device would be needed, for what up till now had been a friendly gathering.
As Dipper and Grunkle Stan continued to stare alternately at the wooden stocks and the pair of Pacifica and Mabel (who were still on stage) a presence was felt near them. "PHEW! Haven't seen a turnout like this since Woodstick!" Dipper immediately recognised the voice of his former crush, and now best friend, Wendy Corduroy.
He turned round to the lanky teen and said "Hey Wendy, where have you been? And what's with your dad and those stocks?" She sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Well, I came to work this morning... But SOMEONE forgot to inform me he was closing up for the morning." (Grunkle Stan looked the other way as the redhead shot an accusatory look at him) "The place was abandoned, except for a pig that was so hungry he was eating all the money in the till."
"WHAT?!" Grunkle Stan turned several shades of red at this revelation, and started hyperventilating. "MY... GUMPH... MONEY... GAH... EATEN... BY... GUH...THAT...WALKING... GRR...PORK CHOP?! If Krakatoa before it exploded was the living embodiment of a person, that would be Grunkle Stan at this very moment. Almost as abruptly, he changed from doing volcano impressions to cartoon dogs, with a very convincing Scrappy Doo... "LET ME AT HIM! LET ME AT HIM!" Both Wendy and Dipper had to hold him back, as he looked to rush back to the shack to start a new career as a butcher.
"WOOOOHH" Wendy said, as she pinned one of her boss's arms against his back. " Calm down, dude. I was only kidding. I was trying to get you back for leaving me in the lurch this morning. I saw Waddles was starving, so I fed him some of his usual slop before I noticed a lot of people heading in this direction... And so, here I am." Stan calmed down after hearing this, but he still needed to pick up a nearby paper bag that was blowing around to breathe into while he recovered. "YOU'RE FIRED... GASP!... YOU REALISE THAT... PHEW!... DON'T YOU?!" Wendy wasn't worried, though. She'd done FAR worst to Stan in the past, and had FAR worse threats in return. She was confident she'd back to be lazing around on the front desk the same time tomorrow.
Eager to escape the slightly smirking tall redhead and his tittering grandson, he threw the bag back down on the ground, before sauntering his way onto the stage. There were whispers in the crowd as he passed them "Is he alright?" He's a most peculiar colour." "HEY! THAT GUY OWES ME TEN BUCKS!" But he ignored all of them, as he approached his granddaughter and her new friend.
When he'd stopped chuckling to himself, Dipper, turned to Wendy and said "Wow, that was a great prank, why can't I ever think of something like that?!" His former crush beamed at him, before giving him a noogie " When you're got three younger brothers, you learn from the best dude. I can teach you some if you like! " Dipper nodded "I might just take you up on that offer...". Before he stopped. The mention of Wendy's family had reminded him of an unanswered question from a few minutes earlier.
"So, what IS the deal with your father and those stocks?" He said " Shouldn't they be in a museum or something?" The redhead shrugged her shoulders and looked confused. "I have no idea. All I can tell you is we got a phone call last night, and afterwards he told me I'd have to help the kids get up and ready this morning because he had a big job to do. Then, he left... And this is the first time I've seen him since."
Dipper pondered the situation. He thought Wendy might be able to clear things up, but her statement had deepened the mystery further. He could see his Grunkle on the stage, talking to Pacifica, while Mabel stood a few feet away. The twins gave each other a perplexed look... Just before Pacifica went back to the mike.
"Citizens of Gravity Falls" She stated "We've all had a good time today so far... And I have too. But now, I want to tell you the story of a spoiled little rich girl, who had everything handed to her on a plate. Because of what her parents taught her, she grew up mean, selfish and dismissive of everyone around her. She thought because she had wealth and status, she was better than everybody else. I know this, because..."(She paused to wipe a tear away). "That person... Was me."
"But it was all fake. My feelings of superiority, were fake. My friends, were fake. My hair, was fake. Even my own family... (She paused again) " Is fake. And here's the proof." Immediately, dozens of aides working for the mayor started handing out A4 size pieces of paper. Dipper craned his neck to see what was on them, and he didn't have to wait for long for a sheet to be passed to him so he and Wendy could scan it directly.
There were two sides to it, and both had photocopies on them. One side was a replica of the evidence that Dipper had handed Pacifica that fateful Pioneer day, just before she went off in her limousine, which proved Incontrovertibly that her great-great-grandfather did not found Gravity Falls, and was in fact a waste-shoveling idiot. The other was copies of photos taken in that secret room full of paintings at the Northwest mansion that he and Pacifica had fallen into, which showed off what her ancestors truly were: a bunch of power-hungry lying criminals.
Dipper was absolutely speechless. He knew by now of course, that Pacifica was ashamed of her family and desperate to right the atrocities they'd pervaded... But he didn't think she'd go THIS far. This was absolute dynamite... It would DESTROY the Northwest's reputation in town, and possibly even lead to jail time for fraud. No amount of money could make this 'Go away'. Not after nearly everyone in town had seen these images. The only people that could help them now was The Society Of The Blind Eye with their memory erasing device... And, thanks to him and his friends, they no longer existed.
He wondered what her parents would do when they found out about this familial treachery. They would absolutely kill her. He scanned around for any trace of their presence in the now very vocal crowd. Of course not... It was bad enough from their perspective having the dirty riff-raff at their posh party... There was no way they'd lower themselves to go to the town square to socialise with them, no matter how big the gathering.
His sight eventually rested back on Pacifica, and for the first time... He truly appreciated just how brave and selfless this former snobbish bully had become in the space of just seven days. She'd sacrificed a life of luxury, renounced her old ways completely, and was now playing the role of the iconoclast to show the town just how dreadful her family truly was. Dipper couldn't say they didn't deserve it, but even he wasn't sure he could be that courageous to call them out in such a public way. He realised she would have a lot more enemies now, and within him grew a steely resolve. He MUST protect her, whatever the cost. She deserved it. And glancing over at Wendy, he suspected she felt the same...
As the murmuring from the crowd gradually ceased as the assembled people came to terms with just how much the wool had been pulled over their eyes by the despicable and despotic Northwests, Pacifica went back to the microphone again, next to an uncomfortable looking Stan and a bemused Mabel. " I hope you all now realise now my family name means nothing. Years of untruths and criminality... It deserves to be shamed forever. But, I hope to change all that. As a future and present Northwest, I swear to use my money and power to benefit every resident in the town, not just myself and a rich, elite few. I promise to be honest in all my dealings, and to never again let false propaganda take the place of the truth. And, finally I pledge..." She took a step towards the stocks, before opening them up and sticking her head inside." To pay for my OWN crimes, starting from now." She dropped the mike, as the stocks snapped shut.
There was a mixed reaction from the crowd. Some were outraged by the years of lies perpetuated by the Northwests to such an extent, they wanted to take their anger out on Pacifica there and then... Even IF she was just a child who'd delivered the most heartfelt of speeches. Some of those with calmer heads were still a bit cross, but recognised the humbleness with which Pacifica had presented her case and were very reluctant to take things further. The most rational among them could see it wasn't HER doing that her parents and ancestors were monsters, and, like Dipper, were struck by admiration for this mature-beyond-her-years young lady.
Nevertheless, Pacifica felt so strongly about proving her humility to those present she'd arranged in advance for Manly Dan to build these stocks last night, and for the local greengrocer to rescue some of their most mouldy, smelly fruit from the inside of their bins, and now the same aides that had distributed the leaflets were now hanging around the crowds like ice cream usherettes at the cinema, with trays of the disgusting produce. An orderly queue was forming... And Grunkle Stan was at the head of it. This wasn't accidental... Pacifica had told him, out of the earshot of Mabel, she WANTED him to have first go... In return for the pelting she'd arranged him to have on Pioneer day.
Stan shifted his eyes around with uncertainty. A week ago, if you'd told him he could get his revenge on the spoilt Northwest brat by pelting her with rotten tomatoes, he'd have given up his entire years worth subscription to Gold Chains For Old Men Magazine without hesitation. But seeing her now... In this position... With what she just said... And all the bonding they'd done ever since she'd arrived at the mystery shack with just one bag to her name... A far cry from the spoiled bully she used to be... Gave him more than a bit of hesitation.
It did seem as though it was what she really wanted, though, he reasoned. Dipper, Mabel and Wendy could only watch, transfixed by what was unfolding. But, as he reached for the first piece of rotten fruit, in what was bound to be a splattering of epic proportions... A loud voice was heard to yell out...
STOP!
I'm quite proud of this chapter, even if I do say so myself. If you like it... COMMENT! Or send me free things. Preferably, money.