HAT: Over 40,000 words of pure story... I'm still not close to done... *hangs head* Darn it... These chapters just keep getting longer and longer... Well, enjoy anyway!
(Edited)
Disclaimer: If I owned Gravity Falls Grunkle Stan would take his fez off more often... no real reason- just because. The only thing I own is the plot and OCs.
It took about a week and a half for all three children to completely recover from their sickness. Just in time to have a little time to themselves before Christmas and choose the Christmas presents that they hadn't been able to get. Stanley decided to give them ten dollars each toget everyone a present, but Stanford managed to get him to hand over at least fifty dollars to each kid (Stanley was heartbroken at the loss of one hundred fifty dollars) and then they allowed them all to go on and buy their presents.
Pacifica decided to separate herself from both set of twins and walks around the mall to find a store that would call to her for each family member. She doesn't even walk into a store when she's ambushed by the two girls she once considered friends- or at least associates to make her image better.
"Hey, Pacifica," Jasmine- the girl with puffy brown hair wearing the pink dress- leers. "What're you doing here? I thought you were too broke to come here."
Pacifica crosses her arms over her chest. "Says the slowest girl on the team. I don't bother with having petty arguments with track trash like you."
Jasmine was one of the best until Pacifica came along and overtook her in track, but there was no need to give her any praise over her past accomplishments.
"Hn, I see the dork twins are back. I kinda feel sorry for you," Tiffany- the girl with magenta hair wearing the blue dress- says to change the subject. "It must suck to be stuck in a house full of freaks, weirdos, and losers."
"Wait, it makes sense," Jasmine says.
"Why?"
"Because she's a freak, weirdo, and a loser!"
They laugh and Pacifica's anger grows. "Shut up! You rich people make me sick."
"Newsflash, honey, you were up here with us before you fell from grace," Jasmine snaps.
Pacifica rolls her eyes and decides to ignore the false statement. "Yeah, whatever."
Tiffany shoves Pacifica. "Oops! Sorry... not really."
"I think we're gonna get those twins-" Jasmine starts, but stutters to a stop when Pacifica stands in her face in an instant with rage in her azure eyes.
"Don't you dare threaten them."
"We're not threatening, we're going to do," Tiffany says, earning a glare and making the girl with dyed hair take a step back, as if realizing just who she's dealing with- just like Jasmine.
"If you so much as blow a hair out of place on their heads I promise-"
"What? You're gonna do what? You ain't got no money to threaten us with," Tiffany snaps.
Pacifica grits her teeth. "You don't know what I can do without money. Stay away from my family or else you'll find out."
Jasmine scoffs. "Let's go, Tiff, if we stay with this trash anymore, we'll stink, too."
Pacifica scoffs and watches them walk away before she turns and goes back to looking for Christmas presents, ignoring the judgmental stares of the others around her.
A pariah- that's what this town has made her. They don't care if their shunning her hurts or if they talk bad about the people she cares about when she can hear them. When she really thinks about it she was always this way. They only went to her for money, but when it came to companionship they didn't want to give it to her without getting something out of her that would benefit them. Now that she doesn't have any they want to get back at her for everything that she's ever done or at her parents because they still hold power and she happens to be there blood. The fact that she's a child or the fact that she was disowned and thrown out or that she had gone through too many terrible things didn't matter to them.
They aren't worth it, she tries to convince herself, but she can't help the overwhelming feeling of defeat at their rejection. No, she doesn't need them- she needs her family and they have her back- but she'd like for them to stop treating her less than the dirt under their feet.
She had wandered into a random store and was looking for something for Dipper- these things looked like they would be of interest for him- and most of the ones she's eager to get him cost most of the money that she has and she has to be sparing otherwise she won't be able to get everyone else their presents.
"Pacifica?"
She turns around and finds a familiar black head of hair and hazel eyes staring at her with the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Travis?"
He smiles genuinely and walks forward with his hans stuffed in his jean pockets. "How's it going?"
"Good," she shrugs. "What're you doing here?"
"I was Christmas shopping with my brother, but then he ditched me for his friends," he answers. "What about you?"
"Christmas shopping. We all went our separate ways to get presents for each other."
Travis frowns. "That's a little dangerous isn't it? Y'know, being around the mall by yourself?"
She raises an eyebrow at him. "And it isn't dangerous for you?"
He scoffs. "It is dangerous for me, but I make sure to stay in sight of a lot of people since I'm not with my brother."
Pacifica nods. "Okay..."
"Um..." Travis scratches the back of his neck nervously. "You want me to walk around with you? Safety in numbers, y'know?"
After taking a moment to think she realizes that she's just as vulnerable in the mall as she is in a dark alley at night and she remembers how that ended up last time. Images of that night flash back unwillingly- Dan's eyes illuminating the darkness, the wicked grin, the pain... oh, the pain...
"Yeah... thanks," she says.
He hooks his thumbs in his pockets. "Need any help?"
"Yeah, I'm trying to find something that costs nineteen dollars or less for my cousin, Dipper," she says.
He raises an eyebrow. "Nineteen dollars or less? How much money did you get?"
"Fifty dollars for seven people," she answers.
He puts his face over his face then lowers it to rub his chin in thought before his hazel eyes brighten. "I know someone that'll make you stuff that'll last for a while that costs only a little. He's about a year older than us."
Pacifica's hand brushes against her pocket with the money in it. "How much?"
"Depends on what you request and such, but most of the time it's a whole lot less than fifty dollars and he's a real pushover so we can talk him down."
"You're startin' to sound like my papa," she says with a smirk before- internally- she cracks at the realization that she's starting to sound like said man.
He chuckles and holds out an arm to her. "Let's go, we gotta get there before his shift ends."
With a roll of her eyes she walks toward the exit. "C'mon."
He quickly gets unto step with her. "So- uh... I- uh- I was thinking that maybe... uh- we could- we could meet each other for Christmas? W-when you're free?"
The girl looks at the slightly taller boy and tries to think of what he's getting at. "Why?"
"I may not be your friend yet, but I'll treat you like my friend anyway," he says with a sweet smile.
"Why do you wanna be my friend again?"
He pauses, but keeps walking. "Huh, I never really thought about it... well- uh- you're strong-willed, you don't care about what others think, you're really sweet even though you act all hard, and you're not afraid to stand up for what's right..." As he talks his voice gets more confident and he stops for a second and looks in her eyes. "I think that you can help me come out of my shell... I think that I can help you come out of yours too... uh!- that is- if you'll let me."
She nods and averts her eyes because she can't bring herself to look at his sincere gaze. "Let's just get to your guy..."
He grins and nods. "Sure. I think you two are gonna get along well."
HAT: Shorter than normal? Yes. As you can see it's calming down a little... and at the same time not. Wait till you see what's in store for the future chapters.
Tyler: Write 'em! Write 'em!
HAT: ... as a grown man you should not be so adorable.
Tyler: *gasps with a grin* I am?
HAT: As much as I hate to admit it- yes.
Tyler: D'aww, shucks! Thank you, HAT!
HAT: Would you please say it?
Tyler: Review, please.
HAT: C'mon, who can resist a face like that? *points to Tyler's face*