Dipper breathed in the smell of pine trees and dirt. He watched as birds flew from tree to tree, small animals skittering around, and felt the breeze rush against his face as he drove down the road leading to one of his favorite places in the world, Gravity Falls.
He looked to the seat next to him. A backpack was lying on its side, its contents sprawling out around it. One was a journal with the silhouette of a pine tree on its front. He smiled as the memory of his sister giving it to him at the end of their summer in Gravity Falls almost seven years ago resurfaced. He thought of it every time he looked or picked up the journal. In the seven years he had it, he never got a chance to write in it. No matter how much he wanted too, there was nothing interesting enough to write about in Piedmont, California, his hometown and where he was currently going to college.
As Dipper passed the familiar Gravity Falls sign, signaling the start of the town, he started to feel a nervousness creep into him. He hadn't seen any of his great-uncles or friends from Gravity Falls in seven years. Soos, Wendy… did they even remember him? Were they different? Had they changed so drastically that he wouldn't be able to even recognize them?
He didn't have much time to think about it because a giant totem pole and a huge cabin, home to one of the most lucrative tourist traps in Oregon, The Mystery Shack, distracted him. He pulled into the parking lot, and as he was parking, three people came rushing out the door with excited smiles on their faces. Dipper got out of his car and didn't even have time to close the door as he was bombarded by three people all hugging him at once. As they pulled back Dipper was able to see his sister, and two great-uncles, Stan and Ford. "Ahh! Dipper, it's been so long! Seriously, those five months not seeing you were horrendous." Mabel exclaimed, bouncing on her heels. She still hadn't lost her energy. "Hey, it's been seven years since I last saw this guy!" Stan said, giving Dipper another back-breaking hug. "You guys should've come sooner, it has been way too long! I was afraid I was gonna die before seeing you knuckleheads again!"
"Well, yes, though Stan's always had a flair for dramatics." Ford rolled his eyes, smiling. The group headed towards the Mystery Shack, Dipper making sure the car door was closed before heading inside. As the door opened Dipper felt a huge wave of nostalgia wash over him. He walked into the cabin, looking around and into the living room, with its lone, yellow, worn out chair in front of a TV next to a T-rex skull being used as a coffee table.
"Is it just me, or is the shack smaller than I remembered?" Dipper asked, looking up the staircase near the front door. He could've sworn it was much taller, wasn't it? "That's exactly what I said!" Mabel said. "It seems so much smaller." "Well, considering that your height has drastically changed in the last seven years, and you were much shorter last time you were here, it makes sense that everything seems smaller." Ford explained. "Hey, can I see the attic?" Dipper asked, looking back at Stan and Ford. "'Course, kiddo." Stan replied. "Ooh, I haven't seen the attic yet! I'll come with you!" Mabel said. They raced up the staircase and once they got to the top, Dipper breathed in the nostalgic dusty air. Two beds sat on either side of a big window at the back.
"Wow, these beds are so much smaller than I remember…look!" Mabel laid down on the bed to the right. The bed was so small, Mabel's ankles hung off the edge. "Wow." Dipper laid down on the other bed. The middle of his calves and down hung off the edge. "Are we going to have to sleep in these for the rest of the summer?" He asked, sitting up. Mabel sat up as well. "We better not. We're definitely going to have to find some alternate solution."
Dipper laughed as he agreed. It felt like things were already going back to normal.
Thank you for reading! I'll try to get chapter 2 out as soon as I can, but I might want to wait until I have more feedback. I don't if there's anything that I need to improve on, plus I need to figure out how to get the story where I want it.
Don't worry, the Reverse Falls AU will be coming soon, maybe in the next two chapters, we'll see.
In the meantime, please review so I know what I'm wrong, or even what I'm doing right. It'd be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, and I'll see ya later, entertainers!