Chapter Twenty-One

(Bill)

Dipper rubbed his eyes drowzily, yawning. There were rings below his eyes, but they were much lighter than they had been when he first came to stay with me. That was enough of a victory for me, I supposed. "You sure you don't want to stay longer? You're looking a lot better after finally getting some sleep," I pointed out cautiously. Dipper shook his head, picking his pencil back up and pressing the lead against the paper. I frowned. Of course he was too stubborn for that. I sighed and leaned over his shoulder to see what he was up to.

He was drawing. And as far as I could tell, he was pretty damn good at it. The picture was unfinished, but it appeared to be a blacked out silhouette of a creature with long, winding antlers. Its eyes were the only part of it that weren't shaded in and it seemed to be following behind two children, casting a shadow over their heads and reaching out thin, clawed hands towards them. I whistled. "Quite an imagination you got there, Pine Tree," I said teasingly, resting my chin on my shoulder to watch him sketch what I assumed were the roots of some kind of tree around the kids' legs, crawling up their bodies. I raised an eyebrow. That seemed a bit dark for Dipper, but alright.

He laughed awkwardly, clearly forcing it. "Yeah... It's uh... It's not that good," he muttered, closing the sketchbook and sitting it down beside him. I blinked, reaching out and taking it before he could stop me. I stood up, holding it above my head. Dipper jumped up as well, trying to tear my arm down to take the sketchbook back. "Bill! Seriously!" he yelled, earning a few questioning looks from other half-awake students who had arrived at the school early. He didn't really seem to care though, and continued jumping up to reach the pad of paper.

I scoffed, opening it up and looking through the pages. And I was right. He was really good. I passed by a picture of Mabel in the dress she'd worn to the Halloween party, various creatures, assumed demonic entities, Waddles, more of Dipper's family, and his friends. He had a real gift, I could tell. Why keep his talent secret? I flipped through more of the pages, coming across one in particular and stopping. It was a picture of a teenage boy, one arm beneath a pillow to support his neck and a blanket raised up to his chin. His eyes were closed and there was a small smile adorning his lips, accenting his sharp, freckled features. His hair was disheveled, bangs tossed askew over his forehead, and it appeared that someone had been playing with it. I recognized him immediately. I felt my face burn a little bit, mouth slightly agape as I grappled for something to say.

"Pine Tree, when did you draw this?" I asked, lowering my arm. Dipper snatched the book out of my hand, blushing furiously and averting his gaze from mine.

"Last night..." he muttered, closing his sketchbook. "I couldn't sleep and I... I don't know."

I just stared for a few moments until my grin widened into a smirk. "And you decided to draw me?" I questioned, although it was phrased more so like a statement. Which it kind of was.

Dipper looked down at his shoes, his cheeks ablaze. "I... Yeah..."

I chuckled, ruffling his hair playfully, which was surprisingly not covered by his hat. "Oh, I'm just teasing ya, Pine Tree! It's really, really good," I insisted, a hand on the back of his neck, pulling him forward. I ignored Dipper's embarrassed expression and the looks I received from other students, brushing my lips against cheek. There was a snigger or two from snobby boys and not-so well hidden giggling from a few girls in the classroom with us, but besides that, the place was silent.

"You never cease to amaze me," I murmured softly, lips against his ear.

(Dipper)

I leaned down to grab the soda from the bottom of the vending machine. I pulled it out, sliding my backpack off over one of my shoulders to slide the bottle into it. I then took off towards the cafeteria. I didn't usually eat at the school, but it was always a good opportunity to hang out with my friends. I was zipping it back up when I felt someone collide into me. I stumbled backwards in shock, almost falling flat on my ass in the process. I felt someone grab my wrist, steadying me. "Woah. Sorry about that. I wasn't really paying attention," the boy in front of me said. I just narrowed my eyes. I knew him.

Henry. I scowled, tearing my arm away from him. "It's fine," I hissed, turning to leave him.

Henry laughed, and I cringed at the sound. "Forgetting something?" he asked, and I spun back around, arms crossed. He had leaned down to pick up a bottle of Pitt Cola. He held it out towards me with this obnoxious grin on his face. I said nothing, snatching it from his hand and turning around once again to get away from him. "Hey, no hard feelings, right?" he questioned snarkily, and I clenched my fists at my sides as I made a break for it.

Striding through the cafeteria, I came across the group I was looking for. I sighed in relief, forcing myself to choke down my anger towards the boy I had just passed. "Hey," I greeted, sitting down beside Bill. He grinned, giving a slight nod. "What kept you, Pine Tree? You're usually here before I am," he pointed out cheerfully, watching me open the bottle in my hand. I just shrugged, taking a drink of my Pitt Cola. It tasted a little less sweet than it usually was. I didn't think anything of it, though. Probably just going flat from being shaken up earlier.

Mabel went back to telling some story about dressing Waddles up in a sequined suit and making him dance with her. Pacifica and Bill listened intently, laughing as she explained how difficult it was to get him into the costume. Grenda was off on the other side of the cafeteria, "flirting" with a boy that was clearly terrified of her. And Candy? Well, Candy kept staring at me, but always averted her gaze whenever I glanced back at her. She forced herself to look at me, cheeks flushed. I raised an eyebrow questioningly. "You alright?" I inquired, interrupting Mabel's tale of woe and triumph... and also glitter. Everyone went quiet, interested in the new conversation occurring. Candy's shoulders tensed, and she looked down at her lap with panicked brown eyes.

I took another long drink of my soda, awaiting her response. "I... I-I'm fine. I just wanted to a-ap-apologize for what I did on Halloween. I was a little bit d..dr-" I cut her off with a wave of my hand, rolling my eyes good-naturedly.

"Nah, it's fine," I replied with a reassuring smile. "No sweat. I think we were all a little out of it."

Candy gave a sigh of relief, her hand on her chest like a weight had been lifted from it. She nodded, beaming merrily. I chuckled, taking yet another sip of my Pitt Cola. I furrowed my eyebrows. Why was it leaving such an unusual taste in my mouth? It had become bitter, almost metallic. I looked the bottle over, eyes narrowed. I shook it lightly, noticing a slight discoloration at the bottom that mixed into the drink and faded away when I did so. I crinkled my nose, deciding that I didn't want anymore. I felt too sick to drink anything else anyway. Sick? Wait, why did I feel sick?

The back of my head began to throb dully, and I held it in my hands. White noise buzzed against my eardrums like angered wasps and my stomach churned more and more as each second passed. Bile rose in my throat. I felt like I was about to vomit. This feeling was horribly familiar... Bill placed a hand on my shoulder, and I forced my gaze to meet his. "Woah, Pine Tree. You look really pale. Are you okay?" he asked, worry brimming his eyes as he reached out to press the palm of his other hand against my forehead. "Kid, you're on fire. What's going on?" I shoved his hands away from me and shook my head, although just that slight movement was enough to make me dizzy. I grit my teeth and stood up. Everyone at the table watched me in confusion, concern evident on each of their faces.

I spun on my heel and ran off in the opposite direction. Mabel called after me, but I ignored her and continued on my way to the boy's bathroom, dizzy. I swung the door open, ignoring the weird look I received from a senior at the sink, and fell to my knees in front of one of the toilets. I retched, not bothering to close the door behind me as I did so. My throat burned and my heartbeat pounded against my ears, blocking out the sound of the teen behind me asking if I needed help getting to the nurse. Tears filled my vision, and I arched over one more time, stomach convulsing.

I leaned back after a few moments, not having it in me to look at what was swirling around in the water. I closed my eyes, waiting for everything to stop spinning. A few minutes ticked by in silence. I stood up, flushing the toilet. I turned around, bleary-eyed, to see that the boy had scurried off. Thank god... I thought to myself, making what was probably a wise decision to go see Penelope.

She took one look at me and sprang into action. She placed her hands on my shoulders, ushering me to sit down on the little bed in the corner. I watched her pull out a thermometer and a small cup. She filled the cup up with water and shoved it into my hands. "Drink this," she ordered, taking on the authoritative tone she only ever had when someone was injured or in pain. I wanted to refuse, because the thought of drinking anything else made my stomach twist, but I did as I was told anyway. It was cold and crisp against my tongue, and seemed to rid me of the burning sensation in my throat, which I thanked god for. Never before had water tasted so fucking fantastic. I shifted in my seat, silently hoping she'd offer me more, but I didn't complain when she brought the thermometer closer to me. "Stay still."

I complied, trying not to let my discomfort show as she inserted the metal object into my ear. I seriously hated these things. But I didn't say anything as she held it in place, watching the digits rise ever upwards on a tiny screen. It beeped, signalling that she could remove it from my ear, which she did immediately. Her eyes widened. "Why the hell did you come to school in December with a one-hundred and two degree temperature?!" she questioned irritably, eyes catching my own. I felt myself shrink under her gaze, and shrugged. She sighed, pressing a button on the thermometer. "I'm calling your uncles," she said, spinning around, her long obsidian hair whipping behind her as she did.

"They're working..." I muttered, taking my head into one of my hands. Stan had the shop to tend to and Ford was off giving a guest presentation at the college out of town. Besides, I didn't want to end up inadvertently dragging her into the whole 'stalker' mess. "I'll just walk home," I went on weakly, my voice rasping. Gideon was here at the school anyway. I didn't need to worry about him.

Penelope turned to face me, one hand on her hip and the other grasping a black phone that looked like it belonged in an eighties movie. "Like hell you will. I'll drive you," she said, tapping her foot.

I waved a hand, smiling to give the illusion of being perfectly fine. "It's alright. Really. I've walked home under worse conditions," I responded, actually not lying when I said that. "Home isn't very far from here anyway." Penelope was silent, a conflicted expression on her face. I knew she wanted to insist that I let her drive me home. I also knew she wasn't allowed to leave work, especially not with a student. Especially not with a male, underage student. Yeah, that did seem kinda sketchy. Even if I was just sick. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She had obviously taken that into consideration.

Penelope pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly not happy about any of this. "Kid, I don't care if your uncle works until midnight. At five-thirty, I'm calling him. Or your boyfriend, or whoever. His number is in the school's system, you know," she said seriously, putting down the phone and crossing her arms. "If you aren't with one of them, I will track you down, drag you back home, and put a padlock on your door so you get some fucking rest. And that also means no physical exertion beyond just walking back to your place. No work, no touchy touchy business with Bill, no nothing. Am I making myself perfectly clear, Dipper?" I nodded, a blush taking up my entire face at her mentioning Bill. She grinned, although her eyes still reflected her worry, and she took the cup from my hand.

She spun around, filling it back up again, then holding it out for me to take. "Here. You were eyeing the sink like a lost puppy, so take it," she teased, ruffling my hair like I was a child. I chugged down the entire thing gratefully, earning a chuckle from the school nurse. "Make sure you drink as much water as possible. It'll help flush all that nasty stuff out of your system." I nodded, and she took the little cup from my hand, tossing it into the waste basket. I stood up, smiling at her before turning to go. "Thanks," I called as I left, making my way through the hallways and towards the exit.

I opened the door, feeling the icy winter wind whip against my face mercilessly. I shivered, stepping outside. My head spun, and walking too fast made me dizzy. My stomach felt hollow, but also like the tiniest little thing would make me throw up again. All and all, my body seemed completely against me as I took slow, careful steps, my shoes tapping lightly against the concrete. I stopped, glancing left and right. I could go to the Shack, but that also meant walking through the woods, which had become a somewhat terrifying feat as of late. I could also go to Bill's place. I knew Lily would be there. She'd see me, insist I lay down, take my temperature, and probably treat me like a child for a few hours until Bill came home and told her to lay off.

Neither option seemed terribly pleasant, but at least I wouldn't have to walk through empty, dark woods on my own if I opted to go to Bill's place. Yeah, that was probably my best option. I sighed, watching my breath puff out in front of me as I headed in that direction. I didn't make it very far. The sound of laughter erupted behind me. I narrowed my eyes, cringing at the sound. It was the same laugh I had heard before that first stone had been thrown.

I spun around, seeing something much larger than a rock being flung at me through my peripheral vision.

(Bill)

The bell rang. Dipper wasn't here. I felt concern bubbling up to the surface, and began tapping my foot. The teacher began calling out names of students. My leg began to shake from nervous tension. "Bill Cipher?" she questioned, and I muttered a halfhearted "here." She hummed, going down the list. I let my head fall against my desk. Maybe he had simply gone home. Or he was in the nurse's office with Mrs. Donovan, letting her take care of whatever issue had sprang up. Still, that didn't explain why he had gone from being fine to looking like a ghost in only a matter of seconds. He had seemed a bit wary of the drink in his hand, and I recalled the expression on his face when he took that last sip of it. Plus, he wouldn't have spent two whole periods in the office, no matter how sick he was.

"Gideon Gleeful?"

My head snapped upwards, eyes wide. There was no response. "Oh my god," I breathed, eyes darting around the room. There was no sign of the little bastard anywhere. Panic shot through my entire body like electricity. The teacher paused, eyes directed at me. "Is something wrong, Mr. Cipher?" she asked, exasperation dripping from her tone. I stood up, hands against my desk. I spun to face the blonde in the opposite corner of the room. "Pacifica," I hissed darkly, voice low and serious.

She looked up at me, eyes blown and filled to the brim with fear. "We've gotta go. Now," I said. That's all I'd needed to say. She knew what was happening. She knew what had occurred. So did I. She stood up, giving a faint nod. Her expression hardened into pure hatred, and she stepped towards the door. I bolted out into the hallway, and she did as well. The teacher called angrily after us, but a simple yell back of, "It's an emergency!" shut her up. We ran for the exit, swinging the doors open and darting outside without so much as a second thought. This was probably going to get us suspended. Or worse. But none of that mattered at the moment.

"Dipper!" Pacifica screamed at the top of her lungs, in hopes that if she was loud enough, he'd hear her. I began to do the same, frantically making my way through town, yelling his name like we were looking for a runaway dog. "Pine Tree!" There was, of course, no response. Pacifica and I exchanged a glance, and I noticed that she was trembling. I rested a hand against her shoulder, giving her the most comforting look I could muster. "We'll find him," I said, although even I didn't believe my words. How could anyone from the way my voice had faltered?

(Dipper)

I ducked, ignoring the pounding in my skull as I just barely dodged the bat being swung at my head. I stumbled backwards, eyes coming down to rest on the teenage boy clad in a blue suit before me. He scowled at me, furious that he had somehow missed. "How are you still on your feet?!" he snarled, swinging mindlessly. I recoiled, moving back as quickly as I could, seeing double. Surely if I could just stall him long enough, someone would see me. It was the middle of the day, after all. "Stay still!" Gideon screeched, waving the bat in my direction. I narrowed my eyes, shooting out my hands to grab it. There was a dull crashing noise and the palms of my hands stung like hell, but I ignored those two facts as I yanked it back.

Gideon wasn't ready to let go, though. He held tight against the other end, grappling for it with just as much force as I was. I felt my brain fogging over, and knew I had to decide the outcome of this little bout quickly. I lunged at him, knocking him onto the ground and shoving the wooden bat into his face. There was a loud crack and a shrill cry of pain. Blood spurted from his now upturned and likely broken nose. I forced the bat out of his hands, holding it high above my head to swing it at him. Gideon narrowed his eyes disdainfully, kicking one of his legs upwards and into my stomach. I gave a sharp gasp, dropping the object in my hands with a sputter.

He shoved me off of him, grabbing the bloodied bat and standing up. I was still trying to catch my breath, wheezing as I groaned in pain from the blow to my stomach. I was choking back more vomit, but the effort really drained me of whatever energy I had left. The condition my body was in did nothing to assist me, either. I rolled onto my back, picking myself back up slowly. My blood felt like it was boiling below the surface of my skin and my skull felt like it had been split open. Gideon chuckled, stepping towards me. I looked up, horrified. He lifted the wooden item in his hands, ignoring the thick red liquid oozing from his nostrils. "Stay down, Pines," he ordered. Through my blurred vision, I could see him fling the bat at me. I did the only thing I could think to do. I brought my hands up to protect my head.

There was a sickening crack and a wail, presumably from my own mouth, a throbbing pain in my skull and my wrist, and that was it. I blacked out moments later.

(Bill)

Pacifica brought her knees close to her body, sobbing loudly. It was past dark. The moon hung in the sky like a puppet on a string, and the only sound that could be heard was coming from the girls beside me. Mabel had joined in searching for her brother once school had let out, and we'd had no luck in finding him. Upon meeting back up at the school, the only information any of us had to share was that we knew it had to have been Gideon that took him. I just stared down at my feet with my hands in my lap. I was silent, focusing most of my attention on not breaking down into an emotional wreck in front of people I'd like to at least look strong in front of.

Mabel wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders, burying her nose into the other's neck and crying like a child that had just had a nightmare. I could understand. This was a nightmare. I sighed, running my fingers through my bangs. "I'll... I'll drive you guys home. It's late," I murmured softly, fiddling with the collar of my shirt absentmindedly. Pacifica sniffled, nodding slowly. She was able to soothe Mabel after a few minutes, and the two distraught girls stood up. I followed suit, leading them to my car and unlocking it. They both sat down in the back seat, holding hands and whispering comforting words to one another to stop themselves from crying again. It wasn't like I would've minded it, though. If they needed to, I wasn't going to stop them. I'm not that big of a jerk.

I drove them back to their houses. Few words were exchanged. A simple "bye" was all I had given either of them as they left. I didn't feel like talking. I didn't feel like crying. I didn't feel like doing anything. I felt empty, hollow, like the shell of a person. And it was the most unpleasant, frustrating feeling I could possibly imagine. I parked my car in the driveway, talking myself into actually getting out. I glanced at my phone and turned it on. It was now ten-twenty six, and I had four missed calls, all from the same unfamiliar number. Starting at five-thirty on the dot. I furrowed my eyebrows. Odd. Still, I wasn't really in the mood to return any calls. I opened the door to see my mother pacing around the living room, biting her fingernails. She turned her gaze to look at me, relief evident on her face.

"Oh, thank god!" she exclaimed, running over and throwing her arms around me. And for once, I let her, my head falling against her shoulder lightly. "Mom... He's missing," I whispered, closing my eyes.