Dipper burst through the door. His father was lounging on the couch, lazily flipping through a magazine.
"This is your fault!" He yelled. Bud looked up at him, eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me?" He growled.
"You heard me. You were one of the men I saw, weren't you? You sabotaged my friendship with the Pines kids!" Dipper started pacing the room, waving his hands as he spoke. "You couldn't stand that I was friends with them so you destroyed Paz's bracelet and pinned it on me, didn't you? And don't lie to me because I'll know if you do." He stopped and pointed a threatening finger at Bud, who just grinned and looked back at his magazine.
"Those lowly bums weren't good enough to be friends with a Gleeful. And I didn't support your relationship with that blonde fellow. Will, was it?" He replied casually, as if he hadn't just ruined his son's social life.
Dipper's face flushed red. "Bill." He said through gritted teeth, fists clenched so his knuckles turned white.
"Yes, well, Stan didn't care for it much, either." Bud said, grin widening.
Dipper stepped back a pace.
"Mhmm, he was the other man you saw in that alley, boy." Bud didn't seem to care if he revealed information.
Dipper growled under his breath. "You…" his voice shook as he spoke, dripping with malice, "You…" As he went, his voice rose in volume. Finally he couldn't take it. He lunged at Bud and struck him in the jaw. Bud took him by the fist and lifted the kid off the floor, glaring at him.
"So you wanna play like that, ey boy? Fine. Let's play." He growled. He slapped Dipper and threw him aside, leaving him rolling across the floor until he hit a wall. Dipper groaned. Bud stalked off. Mrs. Gleeful rushed in and tried to help Dipper, but a snarl from Bud made her shy away, giving Dipper a look that pled forgiveness. He just gave a cold nod and looked away.
Life was going to get a lot tougher, but Dipper was going to stare Life in the face and shun it. The only way to survive in his world was to become emotionless towards it. Cold and cruel, it was his only chance at survival, so it seemed.
oOo
Bill and Pacifica got back to the shack and walked inside, plopping onto the couch. Pacifica still held the fractured pieces of her beloved bracelet.
"I just don't understand why he would do this…" Pacifica whispered, miserably.
Bill shook his head. "Neither do I, Paz. But whatever the reason, he clearly isn't our friend. Not anymore, anyway." He clutched his jeans tightly, face bent with anger and hurt. Mostly hurt. He had really liked Dipper. And I mean, really liked him. He was nice for a Gleeful kid. But apparently it was all fake. That's what hit Bill the most. He had gone after the main link between him and his cousin. That was where the line was crossed. He had denied it. That was where the anger sparked.
Pacifica knew how her cousin felt about Dipper. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling right about then. All she could do was comfort him.
"I thought… I thought that maybe…" Bill shook his head and steeled his nerves.
Pacifica gave him a hug. "It'll be okay. You don't need him around. You have me to have fun." She attempted to boost his spirits.
Bill sniffed a little and nodded. "Thanks, Paz. You're probably right."
"Of course I'm right!" She laughed, bad mood fading. "Now how about we get Wendy and go chuck water balloons from the roof at random tourists? Will that make you feel better?" She asked. She released him from the hug and was bouncing up and down now, her pig, Waddles, at her side. She had won Waddles at a carnival over the summer. Meanwhile, Dipper and Bill were trying to win a creature of undetermined species at a tip-the-bottles game. Bill pushed aside the memory, focusing on the present.
"Yeah. That sounds like fun." He replied, giving an awkward smile.
"Well, come on then!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room to the gift shop to get Wendy.
It would be alright. Bill had Paz and Wendy and everyone else. Except Dipper, but Dipper didn't matter anymore… right?
A/N: keep telling yourself that, Bill. Maybe it'll make it true. –Eye roll-