Jeez it's been a looooooooooong time. Sorry for that. But have this longer than average chapter to make up for it.
Also here's a riddle, I'll tell you the answer next chapter but let's see your answers in the reviews:
You are a bus driver.
At the first stop 40 people get on.
At the second stop 6 people get off and 14 people get on.
At the third stop half the people get off and one third of the people who got off at the second stop get on.
What is the bus driver's name?
Can't wait to see your answers!
#####################
Dipper sat in his and Mabel's room sulking. The bedroom itself was perfectly divided in half, one half being bright pink with rainbows, unicorns, discarded sweaters and yarn everywhere. The other half was completely plain, the only thing in it being a un-made bed, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe that was currently empty.
The only clothes Dipper currently owned was a simple shirt and worn out second hand jeans. He definitely needed to go clothes shopping.
"Hey uh- Dipper." Mabel started. "Do you want to go out later and I can introduce you to my friends from school. That way you'll know more than just me when you go back to school." she asked.
Dipper glared at her but silently admitted to himself that it was the wise thing to do. "Yeah sure." he said, standing up and leaving the room, not in the mood to listen to his sister's excited squeals. He walked around the house, nosily poking his head into every room until he found the bathroom.
Dipper walked in and locked the door behind him before standing in the middle of the room. It took a few minutes for him to remember he wasn't in the institution anymore, he didn't need to wait for a doctor to come and remove his clothes for him the wash. He didn't need to be careful where he walked in case a camera caught his privates. He didn't need help anymore, not that he ever did in the first place.
Dipper tugged off his jeans before pulling his shirt over his head, making his already unruly curls even more un-tamed. He walked over to the mirror above the sink and stared at his reflection. It had been years since he had last seen his face and it startled him. It was older looking and a few clumps of acney had worked their way to his forehead and chin. He had longer hair, making it look worse than what it was when he was a toddler. And his eyes. His eyes had changed to most
As a child he had huge round, chocolate brown eyes that were full of life, showing more emotion than possible for the child. They were his best feature, always attracting unwanted attention.
But now...
They were different, narrower, more cat like. The chocolate brown had a yellow tint to it and his pupil's were less round and more skinny, going the full way vertical from the top of his eye right to the bottom. And they looked much wiser. Dipper had learned things and his new found wisdom showed in his eyes.
He may be only 12 but he had learned things most 50 year olds didn't know.
Right before he turned away from the mirror he managed to catch a glimpse of a familiar triangular shadow behind him.
Dipper smiled before climbing into the shower and allowing the warm water to run down his body.
###################
Mabel waited for Dipper to leave the room before letting out a sigh. Being around Ma- Dipper was a lot harder than she remembered. He was more tense and he was different.
It wasn't the brother she remembered.
After a few minutes she heard the shower turn on and she drew the conclusion that Dipper was showering. Mabel stood up and stretched before trudging downstairs. Her mum and dad were sitting at the kitchen table, a plate of biscuits in front of them. They looked up when they heard Mabel enter the room.
"What's wrong sweety?" Mrs Pines asked, when she seen her daughter's unusually glum expression.
Mabel shrugged.
"It's Mason isn't it?" Her dad answered for her.
"Its Dipper now dad." Mabel muttered. "Don't let him hear you call him Mason."
Mrs Pines chuckled. "Honey, it clearly states on his birth certificate that he is Mason Shermy Pines and as his parents we decide what his name is."
"I guess." Mabel mumbled.
Mr Pines frowned. "Mabel honey is there something bothering you?"
Mabel nodded, looking at the floor sadly. "Dipper." She answered simply.
Mrs Pines frowned slightly. "Sweety you wouldn't stop complaining that you want him home and now you want him gone!?"
Mabel violently shook her head, gasping at what her parents believed. "No, I'm so happy that he's home but- but- I don't think he's better."
Mrs Pines chuckled. "Mable the doctors sent him home because he's better. He wouldn't be here if he was still sick."
"No mom, he's not the same! He needs to go back to hospital."
"Mabel, he's better."
"But he's not!" Mabel exclaimed. "He's not the brother I remember."
"That's the point sweety." Mr Pines explained. "He was sick so the doctors made him better. He will be different, just work around it."
"But dad are you not listening!" he talks to himself, he laughs randomly during the night, he- he threatened to hurt me!" Mabel insisted.
Mr Pines frowned. "Mabel you're letting your imagination get out of control."
"NO!" Mabel screamed. "He's not better!"
"Are you talking about me?" Dipper, who recently entered the room, asked. His curly brown hair sat dripping on top of his head and a towel was wrapped around his waist.
Mrs Pines laughed nervously. "Of course not Mason." she told him before reaching into a bag by her seat. She pulled out a few pairs of grey shorts, a couple red t-shirts and a cargo vest. She handed it to an unhappy Dipper.
"That's not my name lady." he growled, taking the clothes and marching upstairs. Mrs Pines gasped at her son's attitude, placing her head in her hands and sobbing lightly.
"Go up to see your brother." Mr Pines instructed, going to comfort his wife. "I heard you were taking him out to meet your friends later." he questioned.
Mabel nodded sadly, trudging up the stairs to her bedroom mumbling a soft, 'I told you so' under her breath.
########################
Mabel and Dipper sat in an uncomfortable awkward silence on a small empty bus on the way to the local mall. Mabel was carrying a small bag with $200 inside, courtesy of their parents. They had been instructed to get Dipper a few things for his room with the money while they were out with Mabel's friends.
"So uh- what have you been up to lately?" Mabel asked her brother, shifting slightly in her seat. Dipper looked at her with an unamused expression on his face.
"You can't be serious?" he deadpanned, looking at his twin bored.
Mabel nervously shook her head. "Well you must have done fun things in hospital." she pointed out.
Dipper chortled. "Yeah like sitting in a room all day, eating, drinking and going to therapy. So fun." he said sarcastically.
Mabel cringed. "Was it really that bad?" she felt bad for her twin. She never realised just how bad being in the mental hospital was. Her firm belief was not doing fun things would drive you crazy yet in a place to cure crazy people they don't do fun things! The idea confused the young preteen.
Suprisingly Dipper shook his head. "No I had one person to talk to." he revealed. Mabel was just about to ask more about this mysterious person until Dipper interrupted, "Is this our stop?" He pointed out the window and Mabel followed his gaze. She nodded, grabbing her bag and exiting the bus followed by her brother, mumbling a small 'thank you' to the bus driver.
Dipper went 5 years of his life with next to no human contact. He was sick, alone and upset.
And Mabel was determined to change that, starting today!
#############
Ta daa! Hope the chapter was worth the wait! Only a few chapters to go until the real stuff starts! Please remember to leave a review because it really inspires me to update ASAP and also don't forget the riddle up above! It's pretty fitting since the Mystery Twins ended up on a bus!
I can't express enough though how much reviews mean to me and I don't want to sound pushy but I've been having a really tough time recently, between loosing one of my closest friends and then getting a review on one of my new stories that I stole the plot. Someone maybe has used the AU idea before but I didn't purposefully 'steal' it! Being down in the dumps has really affected my writing motivation but every review brightens my day and inspires me to write!
Until next time!
~cookiebook322