Should I be studying right now?
Yes.
Absolutely.
Definitely.
Thorns
"Ow! Dipper!" Mabel's voice split through the bathroom with a hiss of pain.
"Mabel, it wouldn't hurt so much if you would just sit still," Dipper chastised, bent over her hand with a pair of tweezers in his. His sister was sat on the toilet grimacing and whining as her brother worked to pull out the multitude of thorns caught in her arm. A first aid box rested on the edge of the countertop, within easy reach.
"Honestly," he sighed. He wanted to say 'you should've listened to me' but bit his lip. Mabel was frowning so hard she was almost pouting, brow furrowed and nose crinkled. Dipper's mind fell back to the torn up sweater they'd left behind; shredded and hanging from the blackberry bush by a few plaintive threads. Mabel's favorite sweater- the only one she'd ever received from their remaining grandmother- was out in the darkening woods where it would undoubtedly never be found again. He grimaced, gently plucking another thorn out of Mabel's arm.
He knew well that he was at fault for this.
If he'd been better about telling her to stay at home- If he hadn't been so eager to prove how tough he was- If he'd hadn't let Robbie rile him up like that- If he hadn't been so selfish this wouldn't have happened to Mabel. His expression tightened with determination.
"Dipper?" Mabel's voice held something like concern in it and he suddenly loosened his grip on her arm.
"Sorry," he said quickly, "just got a little lost in thought, that's all." It was clear Mabel knew there was more to it than that but she didn't have the energy to push him and let it drop.
Sleep came to her some hours later, with Waddles tight against her chest and tears in her eyes.
She would never know the fear that Grunkle Stan felt in the earliest hours of the following day; when Dipper Pines stumbled through the front door ripped up, bruised, and grinning like he'd won the lottery- an old ratty sweater clutched in his iron fist.
O = yes
X = nah