When morning fell over Gravity Falls, Ada was sure to be up. The previous night's visit to the mechanic's shop had been successful; she was able to fill in for the former receptionist in a little over two weeks. Now that she had a pending job, she was able to focus on the other thing she had been looking forward to; the Northwest Fest. Mabel specified that she wanted Ada to negotiate with Ford and see if he could go. They both wanted Ford to go, just for different reasons. Ada needed that old man to see the light of day again, and to get out of the stuffy shack for once. It was obvious that his mental state was in some stage of decay from being isolated in the folds of his own thought process for too long. His own voice, his own presence, his own company had been the only thing entertaining Ford for so long that he needed something else to interrupt that constant stream of paranoid thoughts and negativity. In other words, Ford's brain was in desperate need of a vacation. She could only imagine that the weight of the black cloud hanging over his head was a hefty thing to carry.
On the other hand, Mabel wanted everyone to have fun at this festival. She had invited everyone; her family, her two best friends, and even people she just passed on the street, giving them all the same flyer advertising this party. It was the first Northwest Fest held since the Northwests had relocated to a more modest home after losing their house to Old Man McGucket- Preston Northwest would never live down something like that had his other family known about it- and the first time where the public was allowed. Now that Mabel and Pacifica were friends- at least in Mabel's book they were- she wanted this party to be wildly successful for her new friend, and they'll be inspired to throw more Northwest Fests for the town. The addition of Ford in this would mean two things; more people and more chances for Ada and Ford to finally confess those pent-up feelings! It was too obvious to her that they were either dating or totally crushing. There was no way her post-preteen magazines were lying to her.
Knocking on Ford's door, Ada was surprised to find it unlocked. The man she'd came to see was passed out on his couch, exactly as she left him. Perhaps his hangover was sill wearing off. She was grateful for the shag carpeting, because it muted her footfalls as she made her way over to the couch. She shook him awake once, and no response. Twice, no response. The third time, he stirred a little. Two more nudges, and he was fully awake.
She made no haste to state her business in his room. "Are you coming to the party tonight?"
Ford stared at her for a moment, as if she were a stranger. Then, a look of realization struck him and he spoke. "There's a party tomorrow?"
"Yeah, Mabel told me about it. It's this giant party in town that everyone goes to annually."
"Annual parties? I wasn't aware of any-"
"That's not the point, Ford. The point is that Mabel wants you to come. More specifically, she wants us," she gestured in the space between their bodies, "to go together on account that she thinks we're dating. So, you coming?"
Ford's face set into a deep frown and Ada's heart began to sank. It would seem that her great uncle was going to decline this offer to give his brain some sort of rest.
"I'll have to think about this," Ford said after a long silence. "Tell Mabel I'm on the fence."
"You got it," Ada said, forcing a smile to mask the disappointment. And also, you're coming to this party if I have to drag you by the ankles, she doesn't say. She stood up, ready to tell Mabel exactly what she needed to- that great uncle Ford was in attendance. Ada closed the door, leaving an oblivious Ford behind. The lie is gonna have consequences, Ada thought, but at least his brain will get a vacation.
She figured the kids would be sleeping, so it was best to wait until they were awake. Ada meandered the shack until she found herself in the kitchen, where Dipper and Mabel were already waiting. Mabel practically bounced on her heels when she laid eyes on the person she'd been waiting for all morning.
"Ada! Did you ask Grunkle Ford?"
"I did, and Ford is definitely coming to this party."
Mabel smiled wide, showing off her braces as she turned to her brother. "I told you he was coming! You owe me five dollars, bro."
Dipper stared at Ada, and the gaze seemed to pierce her in a way she didn't understand. It was the same way Ford had looked at her when he told her about the dreams, disbelieving and uncertain. Ada held Dipper's gaze, while Mabel gushed about how cute Ada would look with Ford at the biggest party in town. She began to tune the girl out right before she said something Ada didn't want to hear.
"And of course we're gonna make dresses!"
She jolted her head, snapping back into reality. "Homemade dresses?"
Mabel nodded. "You can meet my girlfriends when they come over!"
Then, as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Mabel gasped as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs.
"That must be them! Come on, Ada."
Mabel and Ada ran out the kitchen, leaving Dipper by himself. The door creaked open, and Ada beheld two girls about Mabel's age in front of her. One seemed to be Japanese (or maybe Chinese?) and was short and delicate while the other was stocky and almost mannish. Both were carrying more craft supplies than Ada had ever seen in her life!
"Hi Mabel," the stocky girl announced, with a deep and baritone voice that surprised Ada when she first heard it. "Who's your friend?"
"Candy, Grenda, this is-"
"Ada," she said quickly, cutting Mabel off. "I'm Ada."
"She's Grunkle Ford's girlfriend," Mabel whisper-shouted in a not-so-inconspicuous attempt to embarrass Ada. She turned red at the thought, although she absolutely wasn't!
"Ooooooh," both girls awed in unison.
"Let's go upstairs and you can tell us all about it," Candy suggested.
The three teenagers stampeded up the stairs, while Ada followed at a calmer pace. Once everyone settled, Mabel began work on measuring everyone so that the homemade dresses would fit. Everyone was assigned a different task: Mabel cuts the fabric and picks out the colors, Grenda hot glues the Velcro strips in the right places, Candy makes sure the dresses don't fall off, and Ada was left to bedazzle both hers and the girls' dresses.
The three teens did not work in silence. Soon, the attic bedroom filled with talk about boys and Grenda's boyfriend, and Candy's long time crush, a seemingly ridiculous boy named Gabe Benson. While Ada was grateful for no awkward silences, she felt left out of the conversation. Ada didn't have much to say about hot boys because she didn't like boys. She'd been attracted to girls since she was 13. It was one of the paramount reasons why she couldn't be Ford's girlfriend. That, and between all the arguments that she and Ford have held, they wouldn't work well as lovers of their friendship was so unstable.
"So," Grenda said, turning her attention to Ada. "What's it like to date a guy like Ford?"
She froze. Did Ada really want to come out to these teenagers? It was always a gamble, because you never knew if they were okay with the idea of gay people. If they saw Ada differently, it would risk a potential friendship. It was exactly why she didn't say anything before, but Ada couldn't live in the closet forever.
"I, uh, d-don't, uh...," she stuttered, searching for the words. I don't like guys, a voice said, her internal monologue speaking. No, that might come off weird. I like girls? Nah. She stared at the patiently waiting girls. Come on, say something!
Ada exhaled before finally blurting out, "I'm gay."
Silence fell over the room. Good going, Ada. Just like when I told Harriet. The girls looked at each other before looking at Ada, then back at each other.
"That's so cool," Mabel said optimistically, handing Grenda a freshly cut piece of fabric. "So you're definitely not attracted to Ford?"
Ada shook her head. "Afraid not."
"So have you ever dated?" It was Candy who asked this as she examined a newly made dress.
"Only twice," Ada admitted as if she hadn't admitted one of her biggest secrets.
"You have to tell us more," Candy begged as she handed Ada the first complete dress.
"The first girl was Shelby," Ada said as she fiddled with the bedazzler. "We went to high school together. She was a real tough girl, the only one on the wrestling team, actually. We weren't good friends before she found out I was gay but we became best friends after that."
Candy, Grenda and Mabel worked and listened in silenced as Ada wove her tale of the prom debacle. That's what she called it, at least. When Ada and Shelby went to prom together, most people didn't enjoy the idea of gay people at her high school. The girls were hurled insults for most of the night and Shelby dumped her publicly. Ada didn't really like to think about it, but it was better than talking about her second girlfriend, Rose. Rose was worse than Shelby by a long shot. Maybe Ada shouldn't have told them that she had dated twice.
"Yeah, it was pretty humiliating," Ada said as she laid a newly bedazzled dress on Dipper's bed. By the time she finished her story, all three dresses were bedazzled and ready to go.
"Aww, that's such a sad story," Mabel lamented. "Hopefully this party will be a million times better than that stupid prom."
"Anything is better than that stupid prom," Candy interjected as Grenda successfully applied the Velcro on her dress.
Ada had Mabel help her with putting on her dress. Unfortunately the Velcro on the dresses wouldn't be enough for Ada's bigger body. However Mabel solved the problem with the use of safety pins, lined down the back of the dress. The dress fit like a glove, but just barely. She smiled at her reflection when she saw the final result. The color was a dark blue dress with completely mismatched and askew rhinestones all over it. It was a simple dress, which was unusual for something of Mabel's creations, but it was perfect to Ada.
"Are we ready to go to the party, girls?"
"Ready," Candy and Grenda said in unison.
"Ready," Ada agreed.