Laughter drifted through the air as Dipper and Wendy approached the Mystery Shack. Dipper reached toward the gift shop door, but before he touched the knob, it was thrown open and he was tackled by a large man wearing a question mark sweater and a fez.
"Dude did I just shrink, or did you get taller?" asked Soos as he pulled back from the hug, grinning. "I'm only asking cause, you know, I've been shrunk before, so I know it's a possibility."
"Hey Soos," chuckled Dipper. "No shrinking this time, I swear. I'm just asserting my dominance as alpha twin. This isn't even my final form!"
"BOOOOO," shouted Mabel from somewhere behind Soos.
"So, man, are you going to let us in? It's mega cold out here," said Wendy, shivering.
"Oh, sorry dudes! I was just excited to see Dipper," said Soos, moving aside to let them in. "I'm happy to see you too, Wendy," he added as an afterthought.
"Gee, thanks," said Wendy, smiling wryly.
"Woah, Dipper… how's the air up there?" The voice belonged to a petite blonde teen, sitting cross-legged on top of the counter.
"Hey Pacifica." Dipper said, cocking an eyebrow. "Clean up any vomit lately?"
Pacifica smirked as she replied "No, but maybe I should take care of that mess next to you."
"Really, Paz?" Wendy said, feigning hurt. "And here I thought we were making progress at turning you into an actual human being!"
"Guys, guys, guys!" cried Mabel. "It's Christmas time! Be nice! And don't forget the reason we're all here… to plan a—"
"PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!" chanted Grenda, jumping out from behind a display shelf, making Dipper and Wendy both jump simultaneously.
"WOOT WOOT!" yelled Mabel, throwing a handful of confetti into the air, and tilting her head back to catch some in her mouth.
"Mabel, what are you—" began Dipper.
"Edible confetti! Blaaaaaaaah!" she said, sticking her tongue out so he could see that what appeared to be confetti was actually tiny star-shaped sprinkles.
Soos knelt down, picked up a few sprinkles and popped them into his mouth. "Girl Dude, this is, like, the best confetti I ever tasted."
"Do you… eat confetti often?" asked Pacifica, sounding half concerned, half scornful.
"Do you not?" Soos countered.
Wendy leaned closer to Dipper and whispered in his ear "I can honestly never tell if Soos is joking or being serious."
Wendy's warm breath in his ear sent a jolt through Dipper, giving him goosebumps. He suppressed a shudder, and tried to act casual as he turned to Wendy, smiled, and shrugged.
Turning back to the rest of the group, Dipper asked "So are we gonna plan this party or what?"
"Well," said Mabel, in her element, "what we plan depends on the theme, so we need to choose that first."
"Uh, question?" said Soos, raising his hand.
"Yes, Soos?" encouraged Mabel, sounding very much like a teacher.
"Isn't the theme of this Christmas party, like, going to be… Christmas? Am I missing something here?"
"Yeah, dude," agreed Wendy, "I'm a little lost too."
"Well, the reasonfor the party is Christmas," said Mabel, "but that doesn't mean we can't have a theme. Like, maybe Christmas Under the Sea? 50's Christmas Sock-Hop? C'mon people, we need ideas!"
"Sis," Dipper said, grinning "I have the perfect theme."
"Well, Bro-bro, spit it out!" said Mabel, impatiently.
"Enchanted Forest."
"Enchanted…Forest," said Mabel quietly. "It…is… PERFECT! Way to go Dipstick! We can set up the main party in the clearing outside and have a bonfire and put lights on all the trees and we can all dress as some kind of magical or supernatural creature—"
"I'm gonna be a fairy!" cried Grenda.
"What?!" screeched Pacifica. "No way! I was totally gonna call fairy! Shouldn't you be, like, a troll or something? It would be an easy costume for you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Grenda, stepping menacingly forward.
"Oh, you don't understand?" asked Pacifica in a snotty tone. "Let me spell it out for you: You. Are. Ug—"
"Hey!" said Soos loudly, stepping between the two girls. "You young lady-dudes need to just chill out. I'm invoking my privilege as proprietor of this fine establishment to decree that nobody can call dibs on any one costume." He turned and looked Pacifica, saying, emphatically, "You dudes would bothmake lovely fairies."
Pacifica shut her mouth, frowning.
"Dude, Soos, you been working out your boss muscles lately?" asked Wendy.
Soos grinned. "Did I do a good job?"
Dipper and Wendy both gave him two thumbs up.
"Hey, where did Mabel go?" asked Dipper, noticing his sister's absence.
They found her in at the dining room table, papers spread out in front of her, mumbling to herself as she scribbled into a notebook.
"She's gone into full party-planning mode, now," Dipper mock-whispered to the others, putting on an Australian accent. "We need to be very careful not to disturb her as she creates her nest. Bad things have been known to happen to those who interrupt the Mabelus Partius during the planning process."
"Dip, you can go now," said Mabel without looking up from her work. "Wendy, you're off the hook too. Just make sure you're here at 6p.m. on Christmas Eve, in costume. Grenda, Paz, Soos, get over here. We have plans to make."
"Bye, guys!" said Dipper, wiggling his fingers at his sister and friends.
"Later, dudes," Wendy said, following him out of the Mystery Shack. "Man, your sister gets intense about her partying, huh?" she asked Dipper, as they began walking back in the direction of the Corduroy cabin.
"You have no idea."
/
"So, more movies tonight?" asked Dipper, as they arrived at the Corduroy cabin and let themselves in, tossing their coats on the floor next to the coat rack.
"Nah, man. You have to do your own thing tonight. I have plans."
Crestfallen, Dipper mumbled, "Oh…okay."
"Ha! Relax, dork!" laughed Wendy, as she lightly punched Dipper in the shoulder. "I'll still be here. I just want to get started on my costume for the party. I have an awesome idea, but I'm keeping it secret. So you'll have to hang out in my brothers' room or the living room or whatever while I'm working on it."
"But Christmas Eve isn't for a week!" pouted Dipper. "Do you really have to start working on it now?"
"Dude. This is going to be one badass costume. Badassery doesn't just happen. I have to makeit happen," lectured Wendy. "Besides, maybe you can use the time to figure out your costume."
Dipper opened his mouth to interject, and was promptly silenced as Wendy narrowed her eyes and poked him in the chest, saying, "And your costume had better not just be putting on a santa hat and calling yourself a gnome, dude."
"Get out of my head!" cried Dipper. "You know me too well."
"Yeah, I do," said Wendy, crossing the living room to the fire place. She bent over to pick up a log and place it on the grate. "For instance, I know that you talk in your sleep."
Dipper caught himself staring, and shook his head to focus on the conversation. "Wait, what?!"
"Don't worry dude, your secrets are safe with me," said Wendy. She turned around and zipped her lips with a mischievous smile, then turned back to kindle a fire.
Dipper panicked. "What secrets?!" he asked, worried that he had revealed his true feelings for Wendy in his sleep. After all, most of his dreams involved her. But she had made it clear last summer that she thought she was too old for him, so he was trying his hardest to see her as just a friend. He wasn't doing a very good job.
"Sorry," mumbled Wendy through a partially closed mouth. "Lips already zipped!"
"I-uh… I mean… if I said anything—embarrassing…you wouldn't hold it against me, would you?" Dipper managed to stammer.
Wendy turned to face Dipper, wiping her hands on her jeans, a small fire crackling merrily in the hearth behind her.
"Do you reallywanna know what you said?" she asked. "Like, you're sure?"
"Yeah, I want to know. Please," pled Dipper, the heat rising in his cheeks.
"You might wanna sit down, dude," said Wendy, putting a hand on Dipper's arm and steering him toward the sofa. She pushed him down, and he sat with a thud. Sitting next to him, she asked, "Are you ready?"
Mutely, Dipper nodded, staring at the floor.
"Okay," said Wendy softly, leaning in close to Dipper, her breath hot on his neck as she whispered to him: "I'm totally messing with you, dude."
Dipper's head shot up, relief flowing through him. "You jerk!" he laughed, pushing her playfully away.
"You should have seen your face, dork!" she laughed, launching herself toward him, getting him in a headlock and giving him in a noogie.
"Hey, not fair!" said Dipper, chuckling as he struggled out of the headlock. "If we're gonna throw down at least give a guy some warning!" He got out of Wendy's grip, stood up off the sofa, and got into fighting stance.
"Okay," said Wendy, her cheeks flushed, "Warning!" Once again she launched herself at him, but he was ready. He evaded her grasp and caught her by both shoulders, their combined momentum swinging them around, and sending them crashing to the floor, both gasping with laughter, until Dipper suddenly realized that he was laying on top of Wendy. She was pinned to the floor with his body, and he could feel her every curve, his face inches from hers. They lay like that for a moment, laughter cutting off as their eyes met.
"Bathroom!" cried Dipper, his voice cracking, as he leapt up. "I mean, I have to go—to the…" he trailed off as he backed away from Wendy, who was still laying on the floor, her cheeks a brighter red than her hair, a confused look on her face.
Dipper nearly tripped over a chair before he finally turned around and high-tailed it to the bathroom. He leaned against the sink, heart racing. His whole body felt electric. He could have kissed her. He almost did. And that look on her face when he got up… what was that about?
Dipper closed his eyes and tried to calm himself, breathing deeply. He lost track of how long he'd been in the bathroom, and was startled by a knock at the door.
"Hey, Dip?" Wendy called out tentatively. "You okay in there?"
"Yeah, I'm good. Be right out," Dipper said, as he flushed the toilet, to make it seem as if he'd actually used it. He tried to mentally prepare himself for the awkward conversation that he was sure was coming, but Wendy didn't mention their play fight at all. They ate some cold pizza and tried to guess what all their friends would dress as for the party.
Wendy finally excused herself to her room late in the evening, to start working on her costume. Dipper went to her brothers' room and lay down, trying to clear his thoughts and go to sleep—but sleep evaded him. His mind kept looping back to the way it felt to be on top of Wendy, the look in her eyes, her flushed cheeks.
"Wendy..." he sighed. "What is going on?"
/
The week leading up to Christmas Eve passed fairly quickly, with much less awkwardness. In fact, it almost seemed as if Wendy was going out of her way to not find herself in any more compromising positions with Dipper. During the days they kept busy at the Mystery Shack with Mabel, Grenda, and Pacifica, hanging decorations and fairy lights in surrounding trees and preparing for the party. They took some Christmas cookies to Soos' abuelita at the nursing home she'd been moved to. They played two-on-two laser tag with Soos and Melody one day. When evening rolled around, they would watch one or two movies in Wendy's room, before she kicked Dipper out to work on her costume. Dipper used that time to put his costume together, as well.
Finally, Christmas Eve arrived. The morning sun shone weakly through a veil of gray clouds, illuminating a light dusting of snow resting on the trees and grass like powdered sugar. Dipper got out of bed and stretched, yawning. He wandered into the kitchen, and was greeted by a sleepy-eyed Wendy, wrapped tightly in a tartan bathrobe.
"Merry Christmas Eve, dork," she said, grinning. "You want pancakes?"
"That sounds really good, actually," said Dipper as he sat down at the table. "And Merry Christmas Eve to you as well."
"You excited about the party tonight?" asked Wendy, as she began pouring pancake batter onto a sizzling cast iron griddle.
"Definitely. I'm especially excited to finally see your costume," said Dipper. "You've been very secretive."
"Well, you're not gonna get it out of me before tonight, so don't even try, dude," chided Wendy. "Womanly mystery, feminine wiles, and, you know, all that junk."
Dipper smiled and cocked an eyebrow. "Womanly mystery? Feminine wiles?"
"Shut up and eat your pancakes," said Wendy with a scowl, sliding a plate in front of him.
"Can do," he said. Then looking around he asked "Butter and syrup?"
"Fridge and cabinet," said Wendy, crossing her arms. "You get to get it yourself, for making fun of me."
Dipper stood and walked to the fridge. Before opening the door, he noticed a picture of a smiling Wendy, surrounded by her dad and brothers. Below was a note, scrawled in sloppy handwriting: Have a good vacation sweetie! I know you can take care of yourself, but I have the satellite phone, and want you to call me if you have any problems. After all, you'll always be my little girl. Love you, Dad. A number, presumably for the satellite phone, was written at the bottom of the note.
Feeling like a jerk, Dipper grabbed the butter and syrup, and sat back down at the table across from Wendy.
"Wen, I'm sorry," he said. "I was just teasing. You're plenty feminine."
Wendy glanced up, meeting his gaze. "It's just kind of a sore spot, you know?" She sighed. "Ever since my mom disappeared, I've been the only girl in the family. I like roughhousing with my brothers, and I can toss the caber better than most guys. My dad tried, for a while after my mom left, to, you know, like fix my hair pretty, and take me shopping. I eventually told him he didn't have to. It wasn't the same as having mom around. But I still like to feel like a girl sometimes. I feel like everyone sees me as just one of the guys."
"Trust me, that is not the case for me," said Dipper sincerely. "You are awesome and it's really cool that you could beat me to a pulp if you wanted to, but you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He turned red and shoveled a huge bite of pancakes into his mouth, nearly choking.
Wendy smiled. "Easy there Dip. Just because you went all awkward on me doesn't mean you have to commit suicide by pancake." She got up and poured him a glass of milk. "Here," she said, handing it to him. "And thanks, Dipper. What you said—that meant a lot to me."
Dipper gulped the milk, and finally able to talk again, wheezed out "No problem. Any time you need a perfectly good situation made awkward, you know who to call."
Wendy kissed the top of Dipper's head, sending a jolt down his spine. Laying a hand on his shoulder, she said "It's good to know I can count on you. I'm gonna go get my shower now."
Dipper watched her walk away, unable to move. Wendy was an enigma. Every time he thought she couldn't possibly be interested in him as more than a friend, she went and did something like this.
Sighing to himself, Dipper got up and took his dishes to the sink. This Wendy situation was driving him crazy. Something had to give, and soon.
