IMPORTANT NOTICE: Tomorrow, there won't be a chapter 11! Chapter 11's going to be published Tuesday! Instead, a one-shot from a different perspective will be published in relation to this story! It's an event that takes place between chapter 10 and 11 and is only touched upon briefly in chapter 11 because Dipper, our eyes and ears, couldn't have been present!
So tomorrow, check out The Loveliest Lies. You'll get to understand more about certain characters and their actions/reactions this chapter. I'll say this though, you won't need to read this one-shot for the rest of the story to make sense. It's just a fun aside that I couldn't squeeze in because of the choice of narrative I made!
It hadn't taken much for Soos to convince his entire Book Club to attend the soirée organised by the Mystery Shack. Apparently, the group had eagerly been wanting to participate in a massive town event. It permitted for plenty of gossiping opportunities. Some of the ladies – and Soos – already had a list of people to watch out for who were most likely going to be up to scandalous things. Bill, obviously, had made all of their lists under the pseudonym of The Blond Don Juan. None of them actually knew he would be attending but all of the women were hoping. Tad was indifferent – he already had a boyfriend though he was admittedly curious to finally see the famed Blond Don Juan that had most of the women of Gravity Falls swooning at the mere mention of him.
Now the day of the party was finally upon them and everyone was deathly anxious. None of the people on the list Soos had made had declined the invitation and all said they would be present with their respective partners no matter what. It was the moment of truth, it was the time to learn which of them the Warlock was. In preparation for the event, Ford had nervously checked the ward he set on the Mystery Shack to make sure it was still going strong. He had even shown Dipper how to know whether it had been damaged or not and had taught him how to fix it if it broke. Dipper was just as nervous as his Great Uncle. He was both excited and terrified but he knew whatever would happen, they would deal with it and they would thrive. They always did.
However, Dipper was also nervous for an entirely different reason. As much as it was time to learn the true identity of the Warlock, it was also time to see if Bill could score a second chance with Ford. Mabel had made the ex-demon practice the scenario multiple times using Dipper as a stand-in Ford. It had been awkward, to say the least. Never had he imagined he would feel as tense as he did hours away from the party's start though. He honestly couldn't fathom why. By all means, Dipper should have been incredibly impassive, neutral, or even eager to see Bill fail. He had betrayed Ford and while having been his lover – which, arguably, made things worse. But, alas, it wasn't the case and Dipper felt the way he imagined a father would in light of their child getting ready to propose to their significant other. It was an odd comparison, granted, but he thought it described his feelings accurately enough.
Mabel was more relaxed in regards to that. Perhaps it was because she was very busy making sure the final preparations were all set which left her little to no time to delve into what could go wrong with Bill's situation. She ran right and left, hanging the last of the decorations and making sure the food they had placed on the banquet tables weren't completely disgusting – though Dipper suspected it was her excuse to snack on the job. Mabel had Stan working almost as hard as her, using him as her assistant because he was taller and could reach things she couldn't. Dipper watched as she ushered their Great Uncle onto a ladder to fix a banner she thought was crooked. It was funny but he was too nervous to laugh.
"You're tense." Ford noted as he came up from behind.
"How can I not be?" Dipper asked.
"We're safe." Ford reminded, "The ward is up. No matter how strong he is, he hasn't even managed to make a dent in our barrier even with the storm he kept going for nearly an entire month."
"I know, but there are still so many what ifs and different factors that could come into play." Dipper huffed and passed a hand through his brown locks. He also wanted to mention how nervous he was about Bill asking Ford out to dance but that was best kept to himself for the time being. He didn't know why he hoped for things to turn out well but he did.
"We've got this." Ford stated, "I've also added some of my magic to the ward, increasing its strength. If the Warlock tries to break through, I'll be alerted immediately. In addition, I installed a few more precautions I want to show you."
Dipper nodded and followed his Great Uncle. They stopped at the entrance of the room in which they would be hosting the dance. There was a rubber mat lying in the entrance, presumably to protect the large sound cables and to avoid people accidentally tripping on them. However, Ford raised the mat and revealed a thick salt line.
"If, by some miracle, he manages to get through the ward," Ford explained, "He won't be able to get into the room. You remember what I said about Warlocks?"
"They're vulnerable to salt and iron." Dipper confirmed, "But I didn't think they abided to the same rules as demons and evil spirits. They can't cross salt lines?"
"Their souls have been corrupted to the degree of making them something akin to evil spirits." Ford established. "That being said, unlike demons and evil spirits, they don't react to holy water."
"Noted." Dipper said.
"I also lined the windows of the room with more salt." Ford said as he dropped the mat back into place. "Granted, it wouldn't be very subtle if he tried climbing in through the window."
They left the entrance to make their way to the food lined up on the long tables draped with a white cloth. Ford snatched a biscuit and Dipper copied him; both quickly stuffed the stolen food into their mouths and pretended not to be chewing when Mabel looked over. They simply smiled and waved.
"Next thing," Ford continued, having swallowed the food, "I put a bit of salt in literally everything. Of course, it's not enough to actually taste it, but, for the Warlock, it'll be enough to get a noticeable reaction."
"So you've taken all these precautions to figure out who he is by setting little 'traps' everywhere," Dipper said, looking over at the windows and entrance which were lined with salt, "But what if he just decides to go crazy regardless of the people he's around?"
Ford gestured towards the ceiling. Dipper looked up curiously. Mabel had decorated it with Chinese paper lanterns of different colours and shapes. It looked really nice, but Dipper didn't understand what the man was trying to show him.
"Can you see it?" He asked.
"No." Dipper admitted.
"Good, it means the Warlock won't notice them either." Ford said, satisfied, "I've had Mabel and her friends scribble runes into the paper lanterns. These particular ones inhibit the use of magic within the room. Neither I nor Bill can wield magic here and, by extension, same thing goes for the Warlock. If he wants to get into a fight, he'll have to do it with his bare hands."
"Hun." Dipper sighed and glanced at the lanterns again. He tried to find the runes Ford had spoken of but really couldn't. He supposed it was better that way.
"But," Ford added, breaking the short moment of silence that had occurred between them, "This is probably all going to have been excessive and unnecessary because the chances of the Warlock getting through the ward without alerting us is impossible."
"Good, well, let's hope the ward doesn't break on us." Dipper breathed, "I feel better knowing about the precautions you decided to take, though."
"Good." Ford said, he then offered a more light-hearted smile as he said: "Now go get changed. The party's about to start soon. Also, that redheaded friend of yours should be arriving soon."
Dipper blushed lightly at the mention of Wendy and nodded. No one could ever know he had never really moved on. Especially Mabel.
He marched over to the living quarters area of the establishment, passing by Bill's room along the way. He hadn't intended to stop, opting to go straight to his room and look presentable for Wendy. However, the blond immerged from his room the moment he stepped past it and dragged him in. Dipper hadn't seen her in a year because she had decided to go on an exchange program abroad. He hoped he looked different now – more mature – so as to make their age difference less of an issue.
"Bill—!" Dipper snapped as the ex-demon slammed the door shut and leaned against it nervously.
"I don't think I can do this, Pine Tree." He admitted hastily.
"What do you mean?" Dipper frowned and he noticed the other was trembling a bit.
"I think I'm sick." He said, and it appeared to be more of a legitimate concern rather than a lie to excuse himself from what he had been initially set on doing.
"Why do you think that?" Dipper asked.
"I've got the shakes." He said and raised his hand. It trembled noticeably from where Dipper stood. "And I've got this weird, nauseating feeling in my stomach."
It took him a minute to realise what was going on at which point he huffed out a smile. "That's called anxiety, Bill." He said, "It's a normal human reaction to something that makes you feel nervous."
"I-I'm not nervous!" He stuttered, struggling to appear confident. "But…I am sick." And Dipper rolled his eyes. Now he was just trying to excuse himself from asking Ford out to dance.
"Okay, Bill," Dipper tried, taking a step forward, "Breathe in and breathe out deeply." The ex-demon did as he was told, following the fluid movements of Dipper's hands meant to guide him through the respiratory exercise. "Good," he continued after a moment, "Do you feel calmer now?"
"A little." Bill mumbled.
"Now Mabel's better with this whole motivational speech thing but I'll have to do." He said, "Asking him out is important. If Grunkle Ford says no against all odds, you won't be creating new tensions that hadn't been there before so you won't gain new negative repercussions. If he says no, you also get to move on with your feelings."
"True…" Bill conceded.
"But if Grunkle Ford says yes…" Dipper started and he didn't exactly need to finish what with the look that popped up on Bill's face upon mentioning the possibility. He was smiling with a rosy blush painting his cheeks and staring at the ground with a love-struck expression. It was as strange as it was adorable. To think the man had tried destroying all life on Earth a mere four years ago. "We've practiced this." Dipper added after a moment, "There's no need for you to feel so anxious. You've got this."
"Honestly, Pine Tree," Bill smirked, "Sometimes I don't understand why you're helping me like this."
It was an odd confession, to say the least. Bill was in no way complaining, but what was the point in making such a declaration? It got Dipper thinking. After being stuck in a house with Bill because of a freak storm caused by a Warlock for nearly a month, his opinion of him had changed. He had gotten to know the blond better and, frankly, he found him more relatable now. Maybe it was because his human-like vessel was making him less insane or something of the like, but it didn't change the sixteen year old's opinion.
"At first, I felt bad for you." Dipper admitted, "You know, when you came to us drenched and covered in mud and blood, it was really pathetic. But then you got better, you recovered, and you went back to your insufferable self, though you weren't like you usually were. You're changed. Dare I say it, you're actually a decent guy, Bill."
"Oh no," Bill lamented, "Are we having a sappy moment?"
"I think we are." Dipper grinned.
"Let's make it stop." Bill suggested, "This is too weird."
"Right, well, I need to get dressed anyways." Dipper said.
He left and went to his room, feeling a little less nervous himself. The ward was up and it would keep the Warlock out. Grunkle Ford had taken the precautions of adding more lines of defense against the powerful foe in the event he somehow got through the ward without drawing anyone's attention. In regards to the Bill situation, he was going to be okay. Their little plan would go off without a hitch. Everything was fine. There was nothing to worry about.
Dipper slipped into a dark blue dress shirt and a pair of clean, beige pants. He fixed his hair to look more presentable and debated for a moment on whether he should slip on a tie. He elected not to – the last thing he wanted was to appear far too formal in a sea of people wearing fairly casual yet clean clothes. Standing out in the crowd was the worst of his fears and he thought the tie might do just that. For a moment, Dipper also thought about pulling on his signature pine tree cap, but he knew Mabel would grab it and toss it beyond the salt lines or hide it somewhere. She really hated that hat. She thought it ruined most of the outfits he wore.
He walked back down stairs and just in time for someone to knock at the door. The touch was lighter and, for the first time, hadn't rendered Dipper a anxious wreck. It wasn't the Warlock – it couldn't be. He opened the door worriless and found Wendy. She too was clad in semi-formal clothing of a style Dipper never imagined she would wear. She sported a black blazer which she kept unbuttoned, revealing a white shirt which was tucked into her black skinny jeans. It made her look sharp in a way her flannel could not and brought out the red of her hair. Dipper forced himself not to sigh dreamily.
"Hey, Dipper!" She grinned toothily. "It's been a while!"
"It has." Dipper smiled back, "How was France?"
"Parfait!" She answered and walked into the house, "The Frenchies made fun of my accent but they were worse in English than I was in French."
"Oh…that sucks?" Dipper said unsure if it was the sort of response Wendy was garnering.
"No, it was fun." Wendy assured, "My friendships there were founded on making fun of our flaws. We're super close, so it's all good. Just a bit of good fun and teasing, you know?"
"Yeah." Dipper nodded and then pointed out: "The clothes are new."
"Yeah," She said and grinned wider as she looked herself over, "My friend Gaston helped me pick it out."
Gaston. Dipper forced himself not to feel jealous.
"Hey, where's Mabel?" Wendy asked and glanced around.
"She's organising the final few things for the party." Dipper said as he led the way, "I think she's done now. Thanks for coming."
"I wouldn't miss another Stan Pines scam for the world." She laughed, "This is what this is, isn't it?"
"Partially." Dipper admitted, "I mean, Grunkle Stan has every intention of overcharging anyone he can, but something else's going on. I'll tell you about it later."
"Sounds good." Wendy said, "But, just to make sure, we do get to enjoy the party at some point, right? We're not going to be stuck sitting at the front table, making sure everyone pays the whole night?"
"Yep." Dipper assured. "We're just going to miss, like, the first thirty minutes or so. There shouldn't be too many people even if we did invite the whole town."
"Maybe I should steal some food while there's still some left." Wendy mused as they walked into the party room.
"Wendy!" Mabel shouted from the other end of the room. She was holding the ladder for Stan as he attempted to climb back down.
"Hey, kiddo!" She shouted back with a wave.
She ran over to them as soon as Stan was back on the ground. The latter took the ladder away while Wendy and Mabel chatted about everything and nothing. They were mostly catching up. Mabel was asking her a million questions about France and the boys she had met there. Dipper refused to acknowledge his jealousy as he listened. It was only when they had switched the topic of conversation he realized he had been gritting his teeth the whole time and that his jaw was slightly sore.
Before long, Mabel directed them into setting up the paying table in front of the party room's entrance outside. They carried a folded table and a table cloth to the designated area. Mabel then placed a makeshift register and a sign indicating people to pay there. Dipper and Wendy brought their own chairs and sat down. The sun was just beginning to set and people would start arriving soon. Dipper and Wendy took their seats, easily chatting for a good long while before the first few couples began to arrive.
When the light had almost completely gone from the sky, more people and couples began to arrive. Soon they had a long line of individuals waiting to pay for admission and many more were already inside, dancing to the music, laughing, and eating. Wendy was quickly getting impatient with her task, itching to join the fun inside. Not to mention the temperature was dropping. It was still the summer so it wasn't particularly cold but it wasn't warm either.
"Dudes!" Soos exclaimed when it was finally his turn to pay. He had Melody at his arm and she offered the sweetest of smiles. "How's it going? A lot of people, hun?"
"Tell me about it." Wendy huffed, "Sounds like one heck of a good time in there."
"How was France?" Melody asked.
"Plaisant." Wendy grinned, "I'll tell you two more about it later."
"Sounds good." Soos said and handed over the money to pay the entrance fee. He was about to go when he stopped to ask Dipper one final question, "Have any of the girls from the Book Club shown up?"
"I don't know most of them." Dipper admitted, "I'm pretty sure Janine and Roger are already here though."
"That rules Roger out." Soos said.
He left moments after and Wendy gave Dipper an inquisitive look. "I'll tell you later." He said.
"You Pines." Wendy sighed exasperatedly but smiled, "Never up to anything normal."
"Strange is our game." Dipper shrugged.
"I'm sure Stan's aggravated by that." She laughed.
"You have no idea."
Another hour passed before people stopped showing up. By then Dipper had dealt with so many different people that he couldn't remember who from the list Soos had made had shown up or not. He and Wendy waited ten more minutes to make sure no one else was coming before setting the table away and ditching the makeshift register in the Mystery Shack's safe. They would count the money they made later – or, rather, Stan would.
"Time to party!" Wendy cheered and she grabbed Dipper's hand, dragging him to the celebration Mabel and her friends had organised.
The room was impossibly crowded. People of all ages were dancing on the dance floor and only few people were near the tables, eating food as they chatted with other people. Dipper hadn't expected many people to show up but perhaps the recent storm had encouraged the citizens of Gravity Falls to go out and take advantage of the good weather. They had been dealing with terrible rain for almost a month and surely everyone was itching to properly enjoy the two remaining months of the summer.
Though Dipper was hungry, Wendy dragged him to the dance floor and forced him to dance. He wasn't much of a dancer. Honestly, he moved rather awkwardly and Mabel often made fun of him over it. That being said, love had the power of making people do crazy things. He forgot about his insecurities and abandoned himself to fun. He moved around, dancing to the best of his barely existent abilities, following the beat of the rapid, joyous song currently playing. The next thing he knew, Mabel, Candy, and Grenda had joined them seemingly out of nowhere. He would have been angry had they not brought more fun with them. The group danced and laughed until they were completely exhausted. Wendy had led the way to the punch bar and given each a red cup of juice.
"Oh – we can't drink from that one!" Mabel explained quickly, "There's alcohol in it, so it's only for the adults or people of age."
"I won't tell if you don't." Wendy shrugged and shoved a cup of spiked punch in her hands.
Mabel was understandably nervous about getting in trouble for underage drinking. Dipper was as well but no one was really paying attention to them and one cup wouldn't hurt.
"Cheers!" Wendy said, and the other four raised their glasses before taking a sip.
"Bleh. This tastes strange." Candy commented, staring into her cup, "I kind of like it…"
"I feel so rebellious!" Grenda exclaimed. "I feel like a true teenager!"
"Have you seen Bill?" Mabel asked, leaning over to Dipper so as to be heard over the sound of the music.
Dipper had completely forgotten about the blond. "No, actually." He said, "Have you?"
"No." Mabel frowned.
"Should I go get him?" Dipper asked, "He seemed a bit freaked when I last spoke to him."
"Yeah—"
But Mabel had barely finished uttering the word when a bunch of women began squealing and stampeding over to the door that led directly to the Mystery Shack. The most they could see from where they stood was that the door was open. The twins exchanged perplexed looks but soon enough, Bill was pushing his way through the women and scanning the crowd for them.
"Oh my god." Candy mumbled.
"Whoa, who's the stud?" Wendy grinned.
"It's Gale." Grenda said elatedly.
"No, I think his name is Greg." Candy said.
"Whoever he is, he's hot." Wendy said and Dipper forced himself not to feel jealous. Bill liked Ford anyways. He wasn't his competition.
"Hey, Bill!" Mabel yelled, grabbing the blonde's attention. She waved him over and he offered a rather timid smile.
"His name's Bill?" Grenda asked, "I was sure it was something that started with a G."
The ex-demon walked over and let out an uneasy breath, running a hand through his blond locks. He was wearing the outfit Mabel had chosen for him. It had been a good choice seeing as no one nearby could keep themselves from glancing at him frequently.
"How are you feeling?" Mabel beamed and nudged him with her elbow.
"Like I want to throw up." Bill said.
"It's fine." Dipper encouraged, "You've still got a moment before the first slow song comes up."
"What's up?" Wendy asked, clearly not enjoying being out of the loop.
"Bill's going to ask his crush out to dance." Mabel practically sang and it had the ex-demon blushing.
"Bill…" Wendy mused, "That name's reminding me of something…"
"Don't think about it too much." Dipper recommended, "I'll explain everything to you later."
"Okay…" She drawled suspiciously but didn't pursue the matter.
"Speaking of," Dipper said, "I think I want to go find Grunkle Ford. You know, in regards to the other situation."
"Right. Good plan." Mabel nodded.
Dipper left, handing his cup to Bill who, after learning it was spiked with alcohol, downed it in a second. Ford was at the other end of the room where he had a good view of everyone. The list Soos had made was in his hand and a pen was in the other. He seemed to be crossing out names when Dipper had gotten to him. All of the men were crossed out with the exception of Tad Strange and Mayor Cutebiker.
"So it's either Tad or Mayor Cutebiker, hun?" Dipper said, alerting the other man to his presence.
"It seems so." Ford said grimly and shoved the paper in his pocket, "I don't know how Stan will react. I know he was really good friends with Tad Strange. For his sake, I hope it's Mayor Cutebiker."
"What's our next move?" Dipper asked seriously.
"We figure out which is the Warlock." Ford said, "Then, if we still have the element of surprise, we kill him."
"Kill?" Dipper asked. They'd never really killed a supernatural being before. Even the terribly deadly ones had been spared.
"It's our only option." Ford said, "If he's looking for power, he's up to no good. He might be aiming for world domination or something of the like." He then placed a hand on Dipper's shoulder, "But don't worry. It's something I'll take care of."
"I want to help." Dipper said with conviction.
Ford smiled, "You're very brave, Dipper. I'm proud of you."
Dipper's heart swelled with happiness. He admired his Great Uncle for a long time. Finding out the author of the journals that had been responsible for the most exciting and terrifying summer of his life was a member of his family had been one of the greatest feelings. It meant adventure was in his blood. To now hear that same man he aspired to be one day was proud of him though, well that made Dipper feel ecstatic.
"Tad!" Stan yelled, cutting through the moment Dipper and Ford were having.
The two turned their gazes to the nearby entrance. Tad Strange and Mayor Cutebiker had arrived together albeit late. They held hands, walking over the hidden salt line with ease. Stan chatted them up for a moment, excited to have his friend join the party and prove his innocence. He guided them away, refusing the entry fee the two were ready to pay – something that was rather surprising considering how greedy Stan was by nature.
"What the hell…" Dipper muttered.
Ford waited a moment before running over to the entrance and removing the rubber mat to look at the salt line. Dipper was right behind him and frowned deeply upon seeing the thick line was very much intact and unbroken.
"The Warlock shouldn't have been able to walk in here." Ford said and he sounded seriously confused. He pulled out the list Soos had made and looked over the crossed out names.
"Everyone's here…" Dipper said, glancing at the crowd wearily.
"We'll have to ask Soos if he's sure he didn't forget anyone." Ford said, "If he didn't, then that means your earlier hypothesis was right. Someone else had been having a conversation regarding Bill's scars at the same time as when the Book Club was also speculating."
"And you're sure there was no way he could have gotten in here?" Dipper asked.
"I'm absolutely positive." Ford confirmed. He sighed in frustration. "I knew this couldn't have been so easy…"
Suddenly, the upbeat song that had been playing ended. The colourful lights dancing around the room slowed and moved around lazily as a slow song began. The opening was solely played by a piano with no accompanying instruments and it was rather beautiful. Dipper had never heard anything quite like it. It was the first slow dance of the night. Ford frowned and made a face, displeased by the couples around getting very intimate as they danced slowly.
"I guess this is my cue to leave." Ford said, "I'll be doing research in the basement if you need me."
Dipper wanted to object but when his Great Uncle turned around, he nearly bumped into Bill who had been shoved forward by Mabel. She stood just a step behind, a smile plastered on her face, with Wendy, Candy, and Grenda further away – all three of which bore disappointed expressions. They had figured out Bill wasn't interested in women and so none of them had a chance with him.
"Heya, Sixer." Bill said nervously and offered a clumsy smile.
Ford looked him over unimpressed. "Bill." He said and tried to move, but the blond side stepped in front of him. He quickly became annoyed and practically glared at him, "I don't have time for your games." He nearly snapped.
"I-I just…uhh…" Bill stuttered tensely, scratching the back of his head, "I mean…you…want to dance? With me. Obviously."
"Look, I—" Ford started but he stopped himself when the blonde's question had finally register in his head. His mouth fell open expressing his disbelief, "Wh…what?"
"Go dance with him!" Mabel encouraged, stepping closer to tear the list from Ford's hand.
"Hey—"
"You can do your research tomorrow." Dipper smiled gently. "The Warlock hasn't killed anyone yet and he likely won't any time soon. You can have fun, you know."
Ford wore a baffled expression and for a moment he couldn't say anything. He stared at his niece and nephew in complete incredulity before glancing at Bill and then back to them. "You…you know about…?" he asked without finishing his sentence. And despite the poor lighting, a blush was still visible on his cheeks.
"It doesn't matter." Mabel said, "Just go dance."
The vocalist began to sing when Ford glanced at Bill. The latter smiled softly and offered his hand which Ford reluctantly took and he allowed the ex-demon to lead him amidst the gathering of couples. Mabel jumped excitedly as Dipper sighed a breath of relief. She then dragged her brother to a different position to get a better view of the two. Ford had his hands on Bill's waist and Bill's hands were on the former's shoulders. The two looked very tense around each other. Though Bill had a nervous but honest smile on his face, Ford seemed hesitant and uncomfortable to say the least. The nearby couples kept glancing in their direction. The women mostly stared at Bill with a disappointed expression and turned back to their respective partners who seemed a bit miffed by that.
"Do you think he's going to tell him now?" Mabel asked.
"I don't know." Dipper admitted, "Hang on—"
They were too far to hear exactly what Bill was saying as he began to speak. It annoyed Dipper that he hadn't yet learned how to lip read because it would have been rather useful in their current situation. Nonetheless, they could deduce he was confessing what with the embarrassed look on his face and how he avoided eye contact so blatantly. Ford's bewildered expression also served as a confirmation. Mabel grabbed Dipper's arm nervously as they waited to see how their great uncle would respond. Dipper had never felt more restless in his entire life and neither had Mabel.
Then, as the song broke into its second instrumental part, Bill pulled away, likely muttering something that was probably an apology. The twins sighed in disappointment. However, before the blond could leave, Ford stopped him. He grabbed his arm and pulled him into a kiss that had Mabel squealing and jumping in place excitedly. They were lucky the music was so loud, otherwise her reaction would have undoubtedly ruined the moment. The two kissed for a moment and when they broke apart, Bill expressed his confusion. Ford answered with something that quickly had him grinning like a fool and he then buried his face in his chest.
"Oh my god, we did it!" Mabel exclaimed excitedly.
"Who would have thought?" Dipper smiled, "I'm glad it worked out. I was going to have a heart attack. I was so damn nervous."
"Same." Mabel admitted with a laugh. "I'm so happy for them."
The slow song ended with a final few notes from the piano. A pop song gradually faded in and the couples broke apart to dance a bit more wildly with the exception of Ford and Bill. The two continued to sway lazily in each other's embrace as if the former song had never ended. The sight of them brought a warmness to Dipper's heart – that was until he saw his great uncle's expression. Though a small smile was etched on his face, his gaze was distant and he seemed troubled. The sixteen year old tore himself away from the sight of them and took Mabel's hand, dragging her back to Wendy, Candy, and Grenda.
"Let's leave them be." He said.
At least one good thing had come from this party. Or so he hoped.