Chapter 4: Feelings
Pacifica's POV
"Dipper!", I screamed
"I thought I just told you I can't trust anyone who can be bought off by my parents!", I said with a concerned look on my face.
"And yet, you brought me to the one place with the greediest man in all of Gravity Falls!"
"It's a risk we need to take Pacifica!", Dipper said
"We can't just hide away in the forest at night, it's too dangerous."
"Besides we have a med-kit at the shack for emergencies that you could really use right now."
Dipper was happy that the Mystery Shack actually had a med-kit, like every business should. His Grunkle Stan didn't do a lot of things to save money that were required by the state in a business. He thought most of those things were not needed or a waste of time and money. But the med-kit is one of the small things he actually followed through on. But reminding himself of how cheap Stan was, he knew Pacifica was right about it being a big risk.
"Look…I-I know it's a huge risk trusting Stan when there's money or the possibility of a reward involved. But I trust him to do what's right for your well-being. He might be cheap but he isn't heartless. When it comes to me and Mabel, he always puts more thought into what he does. And I know he'll do the same for you."
I looked at Dipper still concerned. But I never knew how highly he thought about that cheap Grunkle Stan. I don't know if I can trust him, but if Dipper can think so highly of him that he'd trust him with my well-being, then there should be some hope at least.
"Please Pacifica! Please trust me!", Dipper pleaded
I turned away from him and said, "I thought I already told you…You are the only person I do trust Dipper."
I then slowly turned back to him and said, "As long as you know how big the risk is… For every day I'm away the angrier my parents will get and the harsher the punishment will be when I'm caught. If a week passes by and your Grunkle Stan turns me in, there's the possibility that they could kill me…"
I stood there in front of him, with my head down, my eyes closed. I started to shiver and grip myself tight as I imagined it. My parents barging into the Shack. Stan counting a stack of money in his hand from a brief case full of it. The police taking Dipper away on charges against me that my parents made up. Being dragged into the limo and slowly being beaten to death, until they pull over and throw my lifeless body into the dark woods, never to be seen again.
I started to curl above on the ground, I didn't want to think about it anymore. Was this a mistake? Maybe I shouldn't have left. I'm now only causing trouble for everyone who gets involved, and the last person I wanted to get hurt was Dipper.
It was then that I felt a huge tight hug wrap around me. Why did his hugs make me think that everything was going to be fine? Why did I feel so secure in his arms?
I then heard Dipper say, "I will never let anything like that happen to you! Even if it takes me the rest of my life I promise I will keep you safe!"
I turned to look at him. He was looking at me with such a serious face. I decided to tease him a little.
"Dipper", I whispered
"Ya", he said
"Is that a marriage proposal", I quietly chuckled
Dipper suddenly let go and jumped away nervously screaming, "W-What are you t-talking about?"
I got back up on my feet and turned towards him.
"Well you basically said you were going to spend the rest of your life with me to protect me, right", I said as I started to slowly walk towards him.
Dipper was trying to back away from me to keep me from getting any closer.
"I didn't mea-", Dipper tried to spit out. But I interrupted him before he could finish.
"I mean how else are you going to protect me my entire life? If you know a better way I would gladly hear you out."
I smiled at the face he made as he was shocked to find out he could walk back no further.
"And I hope you remember that we both just turned thirteen!"
Dipper was now pinned between me and a tree. His face was so red from embarrassment. It was so cute I could hardly stand it, I had him right where I wanted him and there was nowhere he could run.
I kept getting closer and closer to the point where our faces were centimeters from each other, one wrong move from Dipper and he would steal my first kiss. And with the look in his eyes he knew it too.
But thinking about kissing him suddenly made ME feel embarrassed and turn red, so I quickly turned the other way. Wait…Why did I feel embarrassed? A couple of days ago I teased him like this all the time. Did… Did I start to have feelings for Dipper? I mean after everything he has done for me, especially when he believed I could become a better person than my parents and that I could make my own choices and live my own life. I'm sure anyone would fall for somebody who affected their life this much, but why was I just realizing this now?! I nervously looked back to see Dipper, now not only embarrassed but confused to why I suddenly stopped teasing him.
I quickly looked back in front on me. "I bet he'd make a great husband", I thought. But realizing what I was saying I quickly shook the idea out of my head.
"You shouldn't bring my hopes up so much Dipper", I whispered. "No matter how much I want what you said to be true, unless you are willing to do anything for me, you shouldn't make promises you can't keep.", I said
After everything he has seen tonight, he should know I'm not the strong person I make out to be. There's no way I could add heartbreak to the mess.
I looked back again, and I saw Dipper just staring at me with a sad face. I wasn't even sure if he heard what I just said, but I held my hand out to him.
He grabbed my hand without hesitation this time.
After a few moments more in silence I asked, "Shall we go!"
