HAT: Three days... Not even by the time that you read this so basically about two days before the wait is over and we can watch Gravity Falls A Tale of Two Stans. We'll continue this later, for now read.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls nor its characters. I own the plot and OCs.
Ever since that incident Stanldy had her boxing at least twice a week with him (sometimes up to seven days in a row before he gave her a break) and insists that she doesn't miss a day of track practice and tries to get her to compete in everything from sprints to cross-country. The next day of school no one really showed concern except for Mr. Roberts- her Aerospace teacher- and the librarian. She'd catch Travis- Travis Woods, she found out his name was- glancing at her every now and then with a guilty look on his face, but other than improving her physical prowess most attention was given to Stanford who refused to eat.
Stanford had all but locked himself in his room and started pouring over research with the information that he had over Dan to find out what he is. He would often ask her for more information than she could really give and wouldn't eat because he was so engrossed by his research. That'd been a few months ago and now they were a few days from Christmas break. It took McGucket and Pacifica's puppy-dog eyes, two buckets of water, and a rolled up sleeve from Stanley in order to get the man to stop long enough to eat an entire meal. Most of the time they manage to get him to take a few bites of food, but that's about it.
It irritated her whenever she entered his room with a plate of food in her hand to see that the last plate brought in hadn't even been touched and she would snap at him about it which would make him take a bite and make some sarcastic comment before dismissing her and going back to research.
I hope he finds something soon, Pacifica thinks as she listens to McGucket trying to talk some sense into Stanford in the back. He was starting to waste away and- to her surprise- this happens every time he finds something interesting, new, dangerous, or all of the above. Funny, I kinda miss his annoying, pointless questions...
And this timing is just perfect since Dipper and Mabel are scheduled to come to live with them today while he was in this funk again. While she wasn't looking forward to having to deal with the younger set of Pines twins since their friendship wasn't exactly solidified she didn't want them to miss time with their other grunkle just because he's been obsessed over figuring our what she got attacked by- someone that turned out to be a something that isn't even on the internet from what she can see other than a vampire.
She shakes this from her mind when Stanley walks in with his cane and eyepatch to show that he'd been scamming- er- entertaining the tourists for at least the past hour.
"What're you doing here, don't you have track practice?"
"Yes, but Uncle Stan's locked up in his room and McGucket's trying to talk some sense into him since he can't drive me," Pacifica answers, though whether or not she goes to track won't bother her- it'll just bother her coach who will run her to death the next practice.
Stanley groans and rubs his temples. "Alright, go have Soos take you to track and by the time you get back Dipper and Mabel will be in. You did clean your room like I asked, right?"
"Yeah, sure," she replies before hopping out of the chair. "Where's Soos?"
"I think fixing the heater."
She leaves her guardian and searches for Soos. She'll be about fifteen minutes late for practice, but it's better than missing out all together. Her coach would understand that there were problems- hopefully- so he won't do anything this time like make her run an extra lap or something like that.
"Hey, Soos!"
"Yeah, Pep?" He calls and sticks his head into the hallway.
"Could you take me to track practice? Uncle Stan's busy again."
He nods. "Sure, dude, no problem."
"Thanks," she replies and grabs her sports bag and walks out of the Shack to Soos' truck.
The drive is filled mostly with Soos' chatter and the rap song that he currently has an obsession with. It suddenly occurs to Pacifica (and the writer) that she often doesn't do the chattering (in her mind (not the author's sometimes)), but instead is the one listening to the chattering. She might want to engage in conversation more often, but considering the fact that she interacts with people more than Stanford, she's going to take that as a small victory.
"Alright, Pep, knock 'em dead! Oh, and call if you need a ride home."
"Sure thing," she replies and power walks to the track.
"What took you so long?" the coach asks.
"Sorry, Coach, my ride had some problems," she half-lies.
He sighs and runs a hand through his jet black hair. "Alright, Pines, give me five laps around the track."
She drops her bag and starts her running. She likes running- it's the only reason she stays on the track team. It clears her mind because all she has to focus on is the movement of her body and how long until the finish and how badly she wants water. She doesn't have the time to think about her troubles most of the time. Sprints are the best to clear her mind, but they are too short and cross-country is too long so she had enough time to think about everything. Still, it's great.
What's even better than running at times is boxing. Any frustrations she has she can channel into her fight and get all the anger and negative emotions out of her until she's too exhausted to even think about it. Win or lose, the outcome of her state of mind is the same- exhausted to the point sleep and water are all that she can think about. It lasts even longer than running and that's one of the main reasons she sticks with it... the other is so that she won't have to feel as hopeless as she did when she was attacked by Dan.
Practice is over a lot quicker than she expects because when she finishes on her fifth lap the coach says it's time to go home. After calling home she goes to sit out in front of the school and wait for someone to come get her. It's more than likely going to be Soos because Stanford has the twins there now- she heard Mabel in the background of the phone call- and he has to try and get Stanford to get out of his room.
Maybe I can skip seeing them and go to McGucket's or something? Pacifica thinks when she sees Soos' truck.
"No going out without someone with you anymore." Stanley and McGucket said that while Stanford had merely told her to keep her cellphone in her pocket as that night it was left at home on the couch on the charger.
Automatically that answer was no since they didn't want her going to the junkyard anymore, but McGucket often times comes by so she has a little hope.
"Dipper and Mabel are at the Shack," Soos informs.
She nods. "Yeah, I know. I heard Mabel while I was on the phone with Papa Stan."
He glances at her. "You alright, Pep? You sound a little sad."
Pacifica glances at the man and sighs, knowing that if there's anyone she can say anything to and get sound advice from over 50% of the time it's Soos. Sure, Wendy's good at listening, but her advice isn't always sound (about 30% of the time), McGucket's great at listening, keeping it to himself, and giving advice, but his moments of sanity bring that down to about 40% of the time, Stanley's answers more often than not lead to punching someone in the face, but he keeps the information to himself at least, and Stanford is able to keep information to himself- like how she was abused before she was found by McGucket (she did tell Stanley eventually and Stanford had to hold him back from going to his car and punching her "parents" in the face) and he will more often than not give sound advice, but it's stated in a way that makes her have to think about what he's said until she figures it out. Soos is her best option.
"I'm not all that sure I want to see them... I mean, I know we kinda started getting along before I disappeared, but I don't know exactly how excited either of them would be to find out I'm their new cousin."
He stays quiet for a few moments before he shrugs. "Dude, no one ever said making friends was easy. I had my doubts about you when I first saw you around the Shack, but then you grew on me. There's no doubt in my mind that's what you'll do with them."
She smiles at him sadly. "You sure?"
"No doubt about it!"
She wishes that she had that confidence. Still, there's nothing more to do than to wait for the car ride to be over and to flee to Stanford's room and try to talk him into eating when she enters the house. Both of them are in the house and there'll be no way to avoid them so- despite what she wants- she might as well face them.
Yeah, just face them when you get there! Pacifica thinks, trying to bring her courage up as the truck comes to a halt in front of the Mystery Shack. She grabs her bag and hops out of the car with her mind racing over scenarios that she isn't prepared to go through. Any number of them could happen and she's leaning more toward them rejecting her right away than accepting her.
She opens the door and walks through the gift shop and walking directly into the house part of the building. It's better to just walk in and at least let them know she's there now instead of sneaking in through the window and them finding out later- despite how tempting it sounds to her at the moment.
Immediately upon entering the living room she sees Dipper and Mabel Pines.
HAT: I really hope that A Tale of Two Stans does not have anything in common with A Tale of Two Sons because we all know how that ends. If you don't know what it is and aren't going to play it or aren't in the middle of playing it (SPOILERS IF YOU ARE), it's a video game about two brothers that go on a quest to save their father, but the older brother dies near the end and the younger is left to go back alone to give their father the cure he needs... yeah...
Alonzo: Hey-
HAT: Wrong fanfic.
Alonzo: So this isn't-
HAT: No... Is Lazy Susan in there?
Lazy Susan: *walks in* Hi everybody!
HAT: Oh, no, what've I done? *hands head.
Alonzo: *sneaks out*
Lazy Susan: *pokes camera lens* Is this where the little people are? Hi, little people!
HAT: *gently moves Lazy Susan away from camera* Just repeat after me, okay?
Lazy Susan: Okay!
HAT: Please, review for HAT.
Lazy Susan: What hat?
HAT: I-I'm HAT.
Lazy Susan: Silly girl, you're a person! *shakes head* Silly girl.
HAT: *falls over and groans* I give up...