Say Something
Wendy Corduroy stared at her transfer papers with mixed emotions. She should be ecstatic, and for the most part she was. Portland Tech was the school she had her heart set on when she first started applying to colleges. It wasn't the most prestigious school in the Northwest, but that was hardly the reason Wendy targeted that school in the first place. She'd always wanted to live in a big city like Portland, and she'd be relatively close to home without her family being right on top of her. It just felt like the ideal spot for her studies, but unfortunately, four years of barely scraping along in High School wasn't quite enough to earn her a spot in a school that… Well, if we're being completely honest, didn't necessarily have ridiculous standards for admittance to begin with. That may have been the biggest blow to her pride right there. During her two years at CCU though, she actually worked hard and did well enough to finally earn a transfer to Portland Tech. The only real benefit she received from attending CCU other than the opportunity to improve her academic standing was its proximity to a pair of important friends to hers, two friends that, quite frankly, helped a great deal in calming those nerves caused by being so far from home for the first time.
Two friends she'd rarely seen and hardly spoken too in months, and she hated it. It wasn't by choice for sure… Okay, well maybe technically it was by choice, but one she'd made under duress so Dipper wouldn't be forced to choose between his best-friend and his over-dramatically jealous girlfriend. Making the choice for him just seemed like the right thing for one friend to do for another… Especially since she wouldn't have been surprised if Dipper chose her, indirectly or not. Even so, she only planned on distancing herself for a few weeks, giving her lordship Terra time to hopefully get over herself, and maybe she'd finally accept that her and Dipper were just friends. This didn't happen though… Terra never got over that brattishness of hers whenever Wendy was around, or even on the phone with Dipper with Terra in the vicinity. To spare her friend the grief she knew his girlfriend was inflicting on him, Wendy cut off pretty much all contact. Hell, it had been weeks since she'd even spoken to Dipper… She still talked with Mabel semi-regularly, but hanging out with her second favorite dork was kind of out of the question as well… It just didn't seem fair to leave Dipper out. Maybe all this was another sign for why transferring schools was the best possible option for everyone involved.
Hell, maybe it would get Terra off of Dipper's back a bit, knowing Wendy would be out of the picture completely in little more than a month. Better still, who gave a shit if she wanted to be pissy about it? If Wendy wanted to spend some time with her friends before she moved back to Oregon, she was sure as hell going to do it, and dared little miss priss to say anything about it! There was really only one thing holding her back… Just the tiniest bit of shame. For some reason, she felt it would seem really crappy of her to just call the Twins up and act all buddy-buddy again after avoiding them for months… Knowing she only had about a month before she'd be checking out on them again. Plus, she knew from a recent conversation with Mabel that the Twins were preparing for their Senior Prom. If what Mabel had told her was true, as enthusiastic about Prom as Mabel was personally, it would seem that even compared to her, Terra was a total prom-zilla. Maybe now wasn't the best time to try and reconnect with Dipper again…
Much on her mind, Wendy decided some fresh air would do her some good. She hopped into her car and took a quick drive to a nearby park. It was a quiet little place with a few hiking trails, a small lake, and even a couple of playgrounds for the kiddos to play on. The twins had introduced her to this place shortly after she enrolled in school, and she was thankful for it. It was like a little piece of Oregon smack in the middle of California. She took a walk down one of the many trails, headed towards the lake, and kind of wished she'd grabbed her jacket before heading out. Spring nights in that area of California could prove surprisingly chilly. Turns out she wasn't the only person out for a moonlight stroll, for once she reached the lake, she noticed a young man skipping rocks across it… Or attempting to at least. As Wendy closed in, she was quick to recognize whom she'd just stumbled upon. "Dipper?"
The boy glanced back at Wendy, surprised at hearing someone speak him name. It was still strange for Wendy to see him without his hat… He'd always been so self-conscious about his birthmark. It was Terra's doing, it had to be. The hat disappeared shortly after he started dating her.
Dipper gave Wendy a cordial nod before returning to tossing rocks into the lake. Wendy couldn't help but feel hurt by the indifference of his reaction, but she couldn't fault him for it either. She hadn't been around much, and if what Mabel had told her was accurate, her withdrawal from his life had wounded him greatly. Didn't seem to matter that she was presumably doing all this for his sake.
"Getting some air too dude?" And undeterred Wendy asked, as she stood next to him. "Been a while man."
"It certainly has… Sure you want to risk being seen with me?"
"Don't see Miss Terror… I mean Terra that is, so there's nobody around to get mad about it… Unless she has some kind of six sense for whenever I'm around you and comes walkin' out of the water like that movie we watched that one time…"
"Carnival of Souls… That's the movie you're thinking of, and no…You don't have to worry about that happening. Trust me, she's nowhere around..."
"Good…" Wendy hesitated, not sure exactly what to say. Dipper's coldness towards her was bothering her more than she wanted to let on. She settled for what should've been a safe, simple subject. "So, your Senior Prom is coming up pretty soon isn't it? I bet you're looking forward to that?"
"Hardly," Dipper laughed mirthlessly. "I hate dressing up and I have two left feet so no… Not really my thing. I have half a mind not to got but I already bought the tickets and rented the monkey suite so…"
"Not sure Terra will appreciate it if you decide not go. Judgin' from what I heard from Mabel, she was takin' this Prom thing real seriously."
"Whether I go or not shouldn't really matter to her at this point…" Dipper said with perhaps a bit of sadness, but otherwise it was hard to detect any fluid emotion on display from the boy. "Since I'm not her Prom date anymore."
Wendy looked at the boy in shock before an intense surge of anger washed over her… Dipper sat down and continued to stare out at the lake prompting Wendy to join him. "What happened?"
"Vance Richardson happened… He's better looking, a star athlete, his parents have a lot more money than mine… The decision didn't seem all that hard for her to make even though she already had a boyfriend… Who she's had to put a lot of work into changing everything about so she wouldn't have to be embarrassed being seen with him…"
"Seriously?! Right before Prom and she decides to dump you and go with somebody else?!" Wendy nearly shouted, her anger boiling over as she recalled the one-sided conversation she'd had with that girl months ago. She'd removed herself from the picture out of consideration for that little bitch!
"Oh, it gets even better than that!" Dipper snickered sullenly. "She technically didn't even break up with me… She actually excepted me to be perfectly fine with her swapping Prom dates last minute and go on like nothing happened! I might be pathetic, but not that pathetic, so I broke up with her... Had to preserve what little dignity I had left…"
"Oh… Well good. At least you got to dump her ass… Don't take this the wrong way, but it doesn't actually surprise me that she thought pullin' somethin' like that was going to fly."
"I'm not going to lie… It did feel pretty good after all the crap she's put me through… You and Mabel were right about her… I should've gotten out of that relationship a long time ago…"
"When… Did it happen exactly?"
"About a week ago..."
Wendy's eyes widened. "A week! And I had no idea…"
"How could you have known? You haven't exactly been around lately… Unless Mabel betrayed my trust and blabbed, there was no way for you to know…"
The hurt in Dipper's voice felt like a punch straight to her chest. "I'm sorry dude… I should've been there for you… I thought I was…"
"Doing what was in my best interest by keeping your distance…" Dipper answered for her, a wry smirk on his face. "I just wish you'd checked with me first before deciding what's best for me…"
"Maybe you're right… But I'm here now man," Wendy said, as she put her arm across his back in a friendly supportive manner. "Since the reason I haven't been isn't around to be all butthurt by my presence anymore! And I never should've let her be a problem in the first place…"
Dipper managed his first genuine smile since their conversation began. "You realize I'm trying to stay mad at you right?"
Wendy snorted. "Doesn't work for me dude. Besides, like you could stay made at me for long anyway. I'm way too awesome, and you adore me way too much for that, and you know it!"
Dipper laughed, his spirits lifted if only slightly. "Are we sure that's a good thing?"
"As long as it's convenient for me sure," Wendy joked, enjoying the moment briefly before getting serious again. "Are you really going to let that brat ruin your Prom experience though?"
Dipper shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe if I cared more about this kind of thing I'd be more inclined to show up just to let Terra know I'm not going to let her win but… Considering I wouldn't be accomplishing much other than embarrassing myself while looking petty in the process, it feels like I'd be doing so just to spite myself. My only options are to go by myself and be 'that guy' blending into the wall looking pathetic or… I considered asking a girl who might've had trouble finding a date but… If Prom is as important to them as it is to Mabel, I think they deserve better than a sad sack who's not really into it, and half the reason he asked them was just to get back at his ex…"
"I know that I joke about you thinkin' too deeply about stuff, but it's times like this I'm glad you do… You're a sweet guy Dip. Please don't ever let someone like Terra change you."
"I came pretty close to doing that didn't I?" Dipper self-reflected, almost shuttering at the thought of how much he did actually change his hobbies and habits just to appease a demanding girlfriend. "I've got to be more careful about that in the future… Say, do you think it's too late to try and scalp those Prom tickets?
"I still can't believe they charge us out the nose to attend an event we're socially pressured to pretend is the biggest day of our lives as High Schoolers," Wendy mused with a roll of her eyes. Those same eyes almost sparkled as an idea came to her. It was a bit impulsive, but it sounded good to her none-the-less.
"I've got an idea. Why don't you just ask me? As a friend I mean," she made sure to clarify once she saw Dipper's eyes widen, then narrow in understanding… And for some reason reluctance.
"I appreciate the offer Wendy, but I don't know… I'd feel like I was using you."
"Dude, it was my idea! That's pretty much givin' you permission. Think of it this way. When you show up to the dance with a hot college student, it'll shut up any jerk who would've thought about givin' you a hard time because your date swapped out on ya…" Wendy's eyes narrowed as did her mischievous grin. "And as an added bonus, seeing you with me will really piss off her highness."
"Oh, that would be fantastic," Dipper agreed, imaging the look on his ex's face. "But… It's not going to be weird for you, going to a dance with a bunch of High School kids just so I won't feel so lousy about myself?"
"Of course not dude! That's what friends do!" Wendy gave him a playful punch on her shoulder. "And I'm not that much older than you! Besides, I'm looking forward to being in the same room with Princess Terra again. I have some unfinished business with her…"
Dipper frowned slightly. "Please don't do anything drastic on my account."
"I won't, lumberjack's honor! Terra and I have some personal issues we finally need to settle. I promise nothing on that end though."
"That's fair enough…" Dipper was smiling slightly as he looked out over the lake. "You know Wendy, you've done the near impossible… You're actually making me look forward to Prom…"
Dipper doubted what he said was all that funny, but Wendy got a hearty laugh out of it. They sat their silent for a minute or two staring out at the lake, before Wendy asked. "Man, I'm starvin'. Have you eaten yet tonight Dip?"
"No actually… Haven't had an appetite until right about now." Dipper smiled at Wendy. "You offering?"
"Well that was my intention…" Wendy frowned as she recalled an important detail. "But now I've suddenly remembered that I'm a broke-ass college student."
Dipper laughed as he stood up, Wendy following his lead. "Well, I'll cover you this time just as long as it isn't too expensive. I'm only a slightly less broke High Schooler…" Dipper hesitated for a second before continuing. "Congratulations by the way… I heard you finally got accepted into Portland Tech."
"Thanks… Guess Mabes spilled the beans huh?" Wendy couldn't really be mad at her, she decided. It's not like she told her not to tell Dipper, but if she'd known she was actually going to have the chance, she would've liked to tell him herself.
"Yeah… I think she was trying to guilt me into reaching out to you, but I was dealing with the whole Terra thing at the time and wasn't in the mood to be guilted… I'm happy for you though, even though I'm gona miss you."
"Makes what Terra did piss me off all that much more… All that wasted time…" Wendy smiled over at Dipper. "We don't have her to worry about anymore though. I still have a few weeks before the semester is over, and I assume you guys will be spendin' the summer in Gravity Falls so we still have time… And best off all, we don't have to worry about a clingy nagging blonde hovering over your shoulder the entire time. You can go back to being yourself and not worry so much about what she wanted you to be."
Dipper didn't respond to that, but that didn't mean he disagreed. "I'm assuming you drove over here… Did you want to drive or ride with me?"
"Why don't we just walk somewhere?" Wendy suggested, craving that one-on-one time for some reason. Stuck in a car for any length of time just didn't feel personal enough to her. "You don't have Terra to report back to anymore, so we've got all night if we need it!"
"Not that I'm against the idea but… You realize I do still have a curfew right?"
"Way to kill the moment dude," Wendy teased as she put her arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. She couldn't understate just how much she missed this.
"Well somebody looks happy," Mabel observed as Dipper returned home later that evening. "Ewe, did somebody push over a porta-potty while Terra was inside it?"
"No, but I do appreciate you putting that image in my head. I did have a pretty good evening though. You should be happy to know that I actually found a date to the Prom, so I guess I'll be going after all."
"You did?! Seriously, brooding in the park actually worked? Maybe I should try that some time…" Mabel looked a bit too thoughtful as she mulled over that idea, worrying her brother just a bit that she might actually be serious. Thankfully, Mabel pulled a Mabel and appeared to immediately forget about it. "Who is it?!"
"That would be me." Mabel had been so distracted by her brothers news, that she hadn't noticed Wendy leaning against the wall in the hallway, almost directly behind Dipper, smirking smugly.
"Wendy!" Mabel gasped, then smiled broadly, practically bouncing in her chair. "Does this mean you two finally made up?!"
"We were never really fighting Mabel," Wendy laughed. "I was just tryin' to keep the peace… But yeah, we're cool now."
"Cool enough that you've gone from barely speaking to letting my brother take you to the Prom?" Mabel asked, barely even attempting to hold back the giggling fit trying to burst forth from her stomach.
"She's just doing a favor for a friend Mabel," Dipper interjected before his sister could get any wild ideas. "And to hopefully irritate the hell out of Terra."
Mabel's eyes grew wide, practically shinning. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I love it!"
"Figured you would," Wendy snorted. "I'm gona need something to wear though. I don't really own anything Prom appropriate, so I was wonderin' if you wanted to go shopping with me tomorrow to pick something out…"
Somehow Mabel's eyes got wider… And sparklier. "Situations like this are the very reason I exist."
"And here I thought you were broke," Dipper snipped dryly. Wendy's only response was a smirk and shrug.
"Let me go ahead and cool your jets there Mabes… Nothing crazy okay? I am a college student on a budget."
"Oh, we'll find a way to do this, and make sure you look gorgeous while doing it! Did you have a particular color scheme or pattern in mind?"
Wendy pretended to mull the question over for a moment. "I dunno… Do they make flannel dresses?"
Mabel looked positively horrified… Only to realize she was being messed with when Wendy nearly fell over laughing at her reaction. "Gesh, give a girl a heart attack why don't you…"
"I'm not a picky girl… Something green preferably, but we can talk about that tomorrow. Tonight, I just want to hang with my two favorite dorks and watch a movie or somethin'… Now that my presence anywhere near Dipper's vicinity is no longer 'taboo'…"
"That's right… We can just hang out now like we used too can't we?!... I don't know about a movie though… I'm not a big fan of that scary stuff…"
"Don't worry Sis. We'll pick something neutral that you might enjoy too."
Mabel smiled in appreciation. "Cool! I'll go make some popcorn! Ooh, I hope we still have root-beer…"
Wendy smiled as she watched Mabel dive into the Pines family pantry on the hunt for salty snacks. She noticed Dipper shooting her a wiry grin out of the corner of her eye. "What's up? Something on your mind dude?"
"Nah, just in a good mood…" Dipper said as he walked towards the living room. "And imaging what you'd look like in a flannel dress for some reason."
Wendy laughed as she followed Dipper to the sofa.
The eve of the Prom had finally arrived, and Dipper was nervous as hell. Of course he was, any guy taking the girl of his dreams to the Prom would be a nervous wreck. Dipper didn't care that they were just going as friends either, it still counted. He was fully prepared to be knocked on his ass by Wendy's beauty when she finally did arrive that evening… No, that was a vicious lie, he wasn't prepared at all. Dipper had no idea how Wendy could wear what would look rather basic on most girls and still look absolutely stunning. Basic emerald-green dress, white gloves, and barely a hint of makeup that he could tell, and he still struggled to breathe in her presence from the second she walked in the door. Her hair was up, that was differen't and a rare sight indeed. This went without saying, but Dipper was going to need to locate his socks before they could leave for the dance.
"You… Look amazing Wendy." Yes, he managed to get all the words out without stuttering. First victory of the evening.
"You clean up pretty well yourself Dip," Wendy teased the blushing boy, only making it worse when she straightened up the collar of his tux for him.
A few minutes later and they were headed for Mabel's car, accompanied by Mabel and her date for the evening. As they got in the backseat, Wendy continued the playful teasing that would eventually become the theme of the night. "What, no limo?"
Dipper had recovered enough from his initial shock to actually fire back at her. "If you were an actual 'date' you might've gotten a limo. For a favor, you get the backseat of my sister's car. Sorry, those are the rules."
"Point taken, but I still feel gypped." Wendy would actually be lying if she said she didn't prefer things this way.
It was barely a ten-minute drive to the school, and another five of stalling in the parking lot for Dipper to work up his nerve, but he and Wendy eventually made their way inside. Now Dipper had no idea exactly what type of reaction they'd receive when they walked into that gym. It wasn't anything corny like in the movies, where everyone at the dance stopped and stared at them or anything like that. A handful of people did turn their heads as they walked by and gawked in surprise that their dorky classmate had shown up to the dance with a hot mystery girl few people recognized. One person did though and her stunned, and soon after livid, reaction was exactly what Dipper had been hoping for. If he were forced to leave right there and then, he would've considered the night a success. The second Wendy noticed Terra, she made sure to snuggle up extra close to Dipper… An act the boy wholly understood the intention of, but that wasn't going to stop him from enjoying it.
"So umm… You've been to one of these before, so what do we do now?"
"I dunno… How about we dance you goof?"
"Dance at a dance? Doesn't make any sense to me, but if you say so," Dipper joked nervously, earning a chuckle from his date that helped boost his confidence a bit. "I'm afraid I'm not very good though…"
"Don't worry about it! Just let me lead, and you'll get the hang of it."
Two songs later, Wendy was getting the impression she'd been had. "I thought you said you didn't know how to dance?"
"I don't… I think… Why, am I doing alright?"
"You're a little stiff from tryin' too hard not to mess up, but yeah you're doin' great! Better than my Prom date who spent half the night on top of my feet!"
As the next song started to play, the pair was approached by an attractive blonde boy who Dipper recognized, but he couldn't remember the guy's name for the life of him. He asked if he could step in and have the next dance with Wendy, the girl in question looking up at him as if to ask if it was okay. Being the gentlemen he was, Dipper gave her a nod to say it was. To his surprise she looked a little… Annoyed by this? Dipper decided not to dwell on it… And that he didn't feel like watching Wendy dance with another guy, so he made his way to the refreshment table… Only to get a bit of a shock to see Terra standing there, almost as if she'd been waiting on him. For some reason, he just couldn't keep the smirk off of his face.
"Terra, you look lovely this evening…"
Terra was less than interested in Dipper's insincere banter. "You're unbelievable… Actually, I take it back, it's completely believable! You actually brought *her* here…"
"Well, I didn't have many options… You know, after my original date canceled on me on short notice so she could go with somebody else…"
"Well, what can I say Dipper? I had the opportunity to upgrade, so I took it!"
"I get it Terra… Guess you can say I did the same thing," Dipper fired right back. Oddly enough, he hadn't felt offended at all, but watching Terra's arrogant smirk turn into a sneer brought another smile to his face. "And from the looks of it, your date is looking to upgrade too…"
Dipper motioned towards the other end of the table, where Terra was shocked to see her date flirting with another girl. Terra seemed to forget her ex-boyfriend was even there, as she stormed right over to her two-timing date. Dipper watched with amusement as she started yelling at the boy, putting a punctuation mark on whatever it was she said by tossing her drink into his face, before angrily storming off towards the bathroom. It was around this point where Dipper stopped enjoying what he was seeing… Sure he did want to show up Terra tonight and rub Wendy in her face a little bit, but this… Now he just felt like a dick.
"Wow, what's with the dramatics?" Dippers own date asked, as she joined him at the table.
"Apparently, the guy Terra dropped me to come to Prom with wasn't above trying to pick up other girls while his date was distracted. Can't say I feel bad for her but… Eh, I'm not enjoying the show anymore. I got my point across anyway, so let's just enjoy the rest the night without having to worry about her."
"Sounds good to me! I just need to run to the little girl's room first, and I'll meetcha back on the dance floor… Oh, and by the way Dip, don't let other dudes cut in and ask me to dance. I came here with you, not to dance with a bunch of horny teenaged boys."
"Dully noted. Won't happen again." Wendy nodded before power walking towards the bathroom. Dipper failed to even register that Terra had just entered that same facility a few seconds before.
Terra had parked herself in front of the mirror, almost absently fussing over a spot on her dress that was barely even visible, caused by some of the backsplash from the drink she'd tossed in her jackass dates face. She barely even registered the bathroom door opening, let alone did she pay any mind to whoever it was that had joined her in the restroom. She certainly wasn't expecting the person to creep up behind her like an axe-murderer stalking her prey. At least that's what it felt like to Terra when she saw the reflection of the person practically pressing her chest against her back. Terra jumped as she turned to face the other woman, and no, the predatory smile on Wendy's face did nothing to calm her nerves.
"What's the matter Terra? Not happy to see me? You got somethin' to say, go ahead and say it.
"Wha… What do you want Wendy?" She tried not to act frightened but considering Terra couldn't even bring herself to look up at Wendy, any delusion she had of acting tough was fairly pointless. "You already won… Rubbing it in my face isn't going to accomplish anything…"
Wendy's predatory smile turned into a scowl. "What exactly did I win? You broke my friend's heart when you ditched him to come to this dance with somebody else, so I helped pick up the pieces… What exactly would you have considered winning for you Terra? Seeing Dipper huddled in a corner feelin' all miserable about himself? Yeah, I definitely wouldn't put that level of entitlement past an emotional vampire like you!"
"That's… None of your business!" her voice trembled, too unfocused to come up with anything wittier for a comeback.
"I strongly disagree," Wendy replied coldly. What she did next both surprised and terrified Terra. Wendy gently grabbed Terra by the hand and lifted the appendage up to her face, that smirk of ill-intent back upon that face. Wendy appeared to study the hand closely. "You've got the most delicate little fingers you know… Do you remember what I told you was goin' to happen if you ever hurt Dipper?"
Terra gulped visibly trembling, memories of a pumpkin exploding flashing in her mind, quickly followed by another vision with her head in the pumpkin's place. "Umm… Vaguely."
"Good, so tell me then…" Wendy's smile completely fell from her face as she gave the hand a squeeze. "Which finger would you like me to break first?"
Dipper hummed to himself obliviously when he heard a scream originating from the girl's bathroom, followed almost immediately by a figure flying out the door.
"Your date's a psycho Dipper!" his exe shrieked as she streaked passed him and straight out of the gym.
Staring after Terra wide-eyed they narrowed slightly when the alleged psycho slowly made her way back to his side.
"Wendy… What did you do?"
"Nothin'… All I did was admire her dainty little fingers… Got no idea what spooked her so bad." Wendy gave Dipper a wink, and the boy just couldn't fight off the smile trying to form on his lips. Just as long as Wendy hadn't actually hurt Terra, he could live with it. "Now that the personal business is taken care of, want to go dance some more?"
"If you're that desperate to get your feet stepped on then sure."
Wendy bumped shoulders with him before leading the boy back to the dance floor, eliciting a few more looks from classmates wondering who the redhead was. For the next hour or so, something happened that Dipper had never quite imagined. He was actually 'enjoying' Prom. He danced with Wendy some, chatted with Mabel and her date a bit, thoroughly enjoyed the shocked looks of a pair of boys from his English class when they told them Wendy was a college student. Dipper was never going to be a fan of events like these in general, but for this one night… He was really enjoying himself. He was going to have to find a way to thank Wendy for helping make this night so memorable. Maybe he could start by actually doing just that…
"Thank you for tonight Wendy… I went from dreading prom, to getting depressed over Terra, to having what's been a fantastic night… None of this could've happened without you."
"I haven't exactly been bored myself Dip." Wendy nudged him with her elbow. "You've been a lot more fun than my date from my Prom."
"You'd understand why I'd be skeptical of that?"
"Well, you've only stepped on my foot once, and seein' as you haven't hurled on me yet, yeah your prom's goin' a lot better than mine did!"
"You're kidding? Your date actually threw up on you?"
"Yup… I can't really fault him for it though…" Wendy smirked. "I did help Nate and Lee spike the punch after all…"
"You didn't…" Dipper paused as he remembered who he was talking too. "Of course you did… Thank you for not repeating that stunt here tonight."
"Awe, but I have a flask full of the good stuff!"
"Since I'm only half sure you're joking, I won't tempt fate…" As happy as Dipper had been most of the night, something was still nagging at him. With the evening winding down, that feeling was getting stronger and threatening to put a damper on what had been an otherwise enjoyable night. "Hey Wendy… If you don't mind, I could use some air… Will you be okay without me for a minute or two?"
"Sure I guess… I could just go with you, ya know."
"Thanks, but I just need a moment to myself to clear my head. Just give me a minute, I promise you'll barely even notice I was gone."
"Okay dude…"
Wendy did exactly what she promised and gave Dipper exactly a minute before she went after him. Something wasn't quite right… Dipper seemed sincere when he told her what a good time he'd been having, so maybe he had some outstanding issues with his ex on his mind? It didn't take long for Wendy to find Dipper, who has hiding out behind the school, away from the parking lot where there weren't any people. As good a place as any to be alone with your thoughts at a public school she guessed. She wasn't really surprised at Dipper's lack thereof when she came walking up to him.
"Took you longer than I thought it would," Dipper joked, no hint of irritation or insincerity in his voice.
"Sorry dude, but you had me worried looking all bummed out like that all of the sudden. I thought you were havin' a good time?"
"A wonderful time actually… Which is why I felt like a massive ass for getting moody all of the sudden, so I was hoping I could walk it off… Didn't want you to think it had anything to do with you."
"What is this about then?... If you don't mind me asking'," Wendy said, as she leaned up against the wall next to Dipper.
"It's just… I dunno. Even though I wouldn't trade my current date in for anybody, still… It would've been nice to find somebody who wanted to come to this thing with me because they liked *me*… Rather than a pity date because my friend felt bad for me because I broke up with my girlfriend right before Prom. I mean, my own girlfriend didn't think I was good enough to go to this stupid dance with… If that's not an indictment against a man's desirability, I don't know what is… Is what I'm saying making any sense to you?"
"Other than you unnecessarily dunkin' on yourself, yeah I kinda get what you're sayin'. I've dated quite a few guys Dipper, and a lot of them looked at me like nothing more than a piece of ass, or assumed I was easy because I have a bit of a rebellious side. Yeah, so I do know how it feels to wish you could meet someone who'd be willing to get to know me enough to like me for me, and not just what they can get out of me."
"I think we have two separate issues here though Wendy. You have guys lined around the block interested in you. I've had a grand total of one, and I'm having a hard time figuring out what she ever saw in me considering she didn't seem to like and wanted to change everything about me! I think that's why I clung to that relationship for so long even though I knew it was toxic and she wasn't good for me… She felt like my only chance, and then I noticed I was tweaking everything about myself just to appease her."
"Dude, you can't let one bad relationship define you. Trust me on this, I've had about a dozen of them! Are you really going to let Terra ruin what's been a pretty fun night otherwise?"
"Terra isn't the problem, it's me… I always do this! Sometimes I really miss my twelve-year-old self. He may have been an awkward sweaty dork, but at least I was comfortable with who I was back then. It seemed to me though, as soon as I hit fourteen and puberty slapped the crap out of me, I feel like I like myself a little less everyday… All I see is this hopeless pathetic loser that's getting what he deserves…"
"Whoa, whoa dude! You're neither pathetic nor a loser! You're intelligent, sweet, loyal to your friends, dedicated, not bad on the eyes at all," Wendy laughed, then paused and blushed as if she had just let something slip she hadn't quite intended too. Dipper's only response to the comment was a slight twitch of his eyes, so Wendy felt safe to continue. "You're goin' to meet a girl someday who's goin' to be totally into you, that'll like you for who you are and do it without expectin' you to change for 'em. It's not goin' to happen overnight, but it will someday. You just gotta be patient dude… You're only seventeen!"
Dipper allowed himself a small smile. "I'll file those words away for later when I'm more in the mood to believe them… Thank you Wendy, that does help… You always seem to know just what to say… Same to you in the relationship department. Hopefully, you'll have better luck with the boys in Portland."
"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that…" Wendy sighed, suddenly sounding distant to Dipper. "I haven't quite decided if I'm goin' to accept the transfer yet or stay put."
Dipper frowned. "Why would you be having doubts all the sudden? You were working really hard to get accepted into that school."
"That's part of the problem… Doin' well in my courses these past couple of years well… It felt really good! I actually felt accomplished… Once the goal of enrollin' in Portland Tech has been reached, what if I lose my motivation and go back to being a loafer like I was in high school?… What if livin' in the city isn't as great as I always hoped it would be? Maybe I should just stay put where I'm comfortable and doin' well for myself…"
"Don't be ridiculous… Of course you're going to go."
Wendy smirked at him and snorted. "Oh really? Because you decided for me?"
"No, because you're Wendy Corduroy, and you're not intimidated by any challenge. Plus, you don't need to be making life choices based off your concern for an angsty teenager who'll be fine once he gets over himself."
"That's not one of the reasons I was thinkin' of stayin' Dipper!" Wendy claimed, but her blush hinted otherwise. It was a half-truth if she was being honest. Her concerns over losing her motivation once attending Portland Tech and feeling out of place in the city were genuine concerns.
"It doesn't really matter what your reasons are… They're more excuses than reasons anyhow. If you need motivation to work hard and excel at your new school, then do it for yourself because you want to succeed! You've already proved your capable, your issue has always been whether or not you're willing… And even hundreds of miles away, I'll still be there to help you out whenever you need it. Assuming we can both afford internet!"
"Careful, I will take you up on that… So, you feelin' better? Ready to head back inside?"
"I am feeling better, but I think I'm fine staying right here if you don't mind… I'm already with the person I wanted to be here with tonight anyway."
Wendy merely smiled in response, her hand clasped around his, somehow without either one even realizing it. They remained there quietly for a bit until Wendy heard a song over the school's PA she definitely had not expected to hear that night. "They're playing this song? No way!"
Before Dipper could ask Wendy to elaborate she began to softly sing along. "I can't remember when you weren't there… When I didn't care for anyone but you… I swear…"
"I don't recognize the song…"
"I'm not surprised, the song's older than the two of us combined," Wendy chuckled. "My Mom loved this song… She used to sing it all the time when she was cookin' or doing the laundry. I guess it makes me smile because it reminds me of her…" Wendy looked over at Dipper and grinned before pulling him out onto the field behind the school. "What do ya say Dip? One more dance before the night's over?"
"I'm not going to object to that…"
Wendy spun him around in a circle once, giggling as he stumbled but still helped him steady himself before easing into a simple slow dance. Dipper focused primarily on not stomping on Wendy's feet, while Wendy continued to softly hum along with the song. "I can't remember what I used to do… Who I trusted, whom… Dipper dude, when exactly did you get taller than me?"
"Right, because I just tower over you… I have maybe half an inch on you at best… That might've meant something to Mabel, but for me, it just means I don't feel like a kid anymore when standing next to you."
"Well it's buggin' me… Hunch down a little bit."
"Sorry, no can do. You'll just have to strain your neck for once…"
"You know, I can play dirty too Pines… I guess you leave me no choice…"
Rather than becoming the victim of a witty comeback as he expected, Wendy's return salvo came in the form of placing her head on Dipper's shoulder. She got exactly what she wanted too as she felt Dipper immediately stiffen and tremble ever so slightly. If only she could see his face, which she had no doubt was as red as her hair at the moment. That would've been perfect.
"You're absolutely evil, you know that Wendy?"
"Yeah, but you love me that way and you know it…"
"Ye…" Dipper started but stopped when he realized what he was about to say. Or more so the implications of it. It wasn't soon enough though, and Wendy picked up on exactly what he had almost let slip. Instead of feeling exasperated like she once would have, for some reason she felt her heart start to beat faster. A strategic change of subject was required.
"I'm sorry Dipper… That I haven't been around. If I'd known what I know now, I wouldn't have stayed away to placate her highness."
"Don't worry about it… You did what you felt you had too because you were looking out for me… I can't stay upset with you over that. Your too awesome remember?" he asked, harkening back to something Wendy had said the week prior, bringing a smirk to her face. "We still have almost four months before I start college and you move to Portland… We'll just have to make the most out of the time we have left."
"Oh we will… You might live to regret it though."
The only thing Dipper would regret by the end of that summer was that neither he nor Wendy realized it would be another two years before they saw each other again.
Later that evening, after dropping Wendy off at her apartment and the Twins returning home, Dipper found himself out on the deck in their backyard looking up at the stars. In his hand was a partially crumpled piece of yellow notebook paper with four creases from where it had originally been folded when Dipper had first stumbled across it a couple years back… Tucked away in a secret compartment he'd discovered in his old attic bedroom back at the Mystery Shack. Oddly enough, the note was addressed to him, and while the author didn't name anyone else specifically, the other person described in the note sounded suspiciously to him like Wendy. At first he believed that Mabel had written the note as some attempt at a warped joke, but she had sworn up and down it wasn't her, nor did she appear to have any previous knowledge of the hidden compartment in the wall.
Truth be told, he probably should've tossed the time ravaged note in the garbage years ago, but curiosity got the best of him, so he hung on to it. While the message was somewhat cryptic, and likely designed for the sole purpose of messing with him, he always found what little he could gather from the authors words somewhat comforting.
-For the Eyes of Dipper Pines Only!
You don't know me, at least not yet, but I know you. More importantly, I know your heart or at least who's in your heart. Sure, your heart may take a few detours along the way, you may fool yourself into thinking those feelings have faded over time, but we both know when you reach the end of whatever road you're traveling down, when you look within yourself you'll see the same pair of green eyes staring back at you. What I want to tell you more than anything is, don't give up! Be patient and over time you'll see that many of those obstacles keeping the two of you apart will no longer seem so insurmountable.
If you ever reach the point where you've won her heart, or she's at least open to offer it to you, show her this note, and her alone. Show nobody else but her, this a quest for the two of you to share alone. If you still need help unlocking her heart, you may find the key deep beneath the cellar of the woods.
Dipper had no idea what the hell the 'cellar of the woods' could be, but he supposed that was the part of the mystery that needed to be solved. If there was any mystery at all, and this wasn't some kind of perverse joke… Though he couldn't think of anyone warped enough to prey on his feeling for Wendy, who would also have detailed enough knowledge of the Mystery Shack to be aware of a hidden compartment in the wall that almost no one that even lived in the building knew existed. The note wasn't horribly constructed, though perhaps a bit amateurish… Like someone young writing in a manor they thought a more learned person would write only to come up a tad short. The over-emphasis on the word heart rather than finding alternative ways to say the same thing for instance. Those were some of the reasons he initially suspected Mabel, as it looked very much like something she would try to write. Dipper hadn't thought about that note in months until his experience with Wendy that evening… Those moments outside of the school, just the two of them, were enough to make him fish the note out of the dresser drawer where he kept it hidden.
Dipper got yanked clear out of his musings when he heard the sliding door to the deck opening. Dipper hurriedly shoved the note in his pocket before, hopefully, whoever had joined him on the deck could notice him hide the evidence.
"Hey Bro-Bro!" Mabel greeted, showing no signs she had noticed. "Watcha doing out here? Literally staring off into space… Didn't you have a good time with Wendy tonight?"
"A wonderful time actually… To think I actually seriously considered not going to Prom at all... I realized some things about myself tonight though Mabel, and I'm undecided whether it's all good or not. Remember when I was twelve and I had that massive crush on Wendy?"
"Yeah, duh! Everyone in town knew, Dipper. Hell, it was so obvious, I'm pretty sure everybody three towns over had at least heard the legend. Honestly, I don't think your crush really ended until you started dating Terra…"
"Well, you're not wrong… And for most of that time I would've sworn that I was in love with Wendy as preposterous as that sounds now. I've matured a lot since then though, and now I know the difference between love an infatuation. That's all that crush was, infatuation… I was enamored with the idea of Wendy and who she was, but if I tried to convince myself I loved her, I'd have to call myself out as a liar."
"That's a good distinction to be able to make… When exactly did you come to his revelation?"
"A while ago… Probably right before I met Terra, but I don't think I quite understood exactly what it all meant until tonight."
"Wait… Wha?... Which is it then? What happened to you tonight Dipper?"
Dipper regarded his twin with a sad smile. "What happened was, tonight was the night I realized I was in love with Wendy… And what I feel now is a hell of a lot differen't then what I felt back then."
End Chapter 3
-For those of you still wondering where the 'Say Something' part of the story was well… It was originally intended for it be the several heart-to-hearts Wendy and Dipper shared without spelling it out exactly. I didn't want to approach the prompt too literally. Then I decided to just have fun with it and code it into the story wherever I could. Everywhere from Wendy not being around to say anything at all, to the note figurately speaking to Dipper at the end.
Well, I wanted to include a couple of chapters focusing on Dipper and Wendy's strengthening friendship and trust before I got into the heavier stuff… I've got one half of the equation on the right path, so now there's only one more to go.