/Chapter 2:Hidden Feelings

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When Dipper returned to the shack, he was greeted by the crying face of his sister, and the angry face of his uncle.

"Mason! Bro-bro where'd you go! You've been gone all day, and Grunkle Stan was gonna call the police. Please don't ever do that again!" Mabel smothered him in a hug, crying and wheezing.

"Your sisters' right kid, never do that again. And where the heck did you go?" He'd never seen someone look so mad at him, it reminded him of how nervous he was. How much he didn't know about the people here.

"I-I was putting up signs as you said... then I met someone new and got distracted. I didn't notice how much time had passed until now. I... I'm sorry for disappearing." Dipper nervously looked at his feet, the overwhelming feeling of panic and anxiety taking over. 'No...not here... not now!' His thoughts began to take over and he panicked.

"Attic. Bed. Now." Grunkle Stan said. He didn't even look at Dipper, he angrily took a sip of Pitt cola not bothering to say anything else. Mabel, on the other hand, was staring at him with crocodile tears in her eyes. Dipper didn't even know how he knew, but he knew Mabel was lying for attention. As per usual. She always did this to make him feel guilty, but now it just didn't affect him at all.

Without another word, he went right upstairs got in bed and started reading into the journal. The book had personality, and it was certainly interesting. Maybe he could just sit here a while and read through everything. Before he knew it, the sun had set and the moon had risen.

Bill Clericson awoke in the small place he now called home. His father was probably in the living room waiting for him. Walking downstairs, Bill saw his father on the couch.

"Hey, dad! I made a friend yesterday! His name is Mason, but I call him Dipper because of his birthmark." Bill sat down next to his father whistling happily.

The older man thought for a moment. "What's the kids' last name?" He said gruffly, his eyes a bloodshot red.

"I think he said his last name was pines." Bill looked up at him, becoming more worried as his father grinned evilly. "...dad?"

"Mason Pines...Hehehe...Billiam Triangulum Cipher the third I have never been so proud! Going for high ranks already!" The man pulled his boy in for a suffocating hug.

"Hold on just a sec, D-dipper invited me over later! Which is now! I can't die now."

"Sorry kiddo, I got excited. But don't worry, I Billiam Triangulum Cipher the second will ensure that your friendship lasts! I'm coming with you kid." Bill Sr. stood up and brushed himself off. "To the mystery shack kid!"

"To the mystery shack!" The younger Cipher happily jumped up and out the door. He was so giddy, usually, his dad was terrifying beyond belief. As in like, one wrong move and you're dead. But today, he seemed cheerful and excited. Was Dipper special like he was? Bill remembered when he first arrived here, that huge dome seemed so scary but no one noticed or cared. Passing through it hurt, like a lot. It was so weird, but what was even weirder is that he had a feeling that once he entered that he'd be unable to leave. At first, it freaked him out, but now it comforted him.

Mabel was downstairs when she heard a knock at the door. "Grunkle Stan, I'll get it!" She ran up to open the front door, and too her surprise she saw a young blond boy, with an eye-patch. Inwardly she squealed. 'Finally! A cute boy came to me. OK! Put my charm on full blast!' "Hello there! I'm Mabel, are you looking for someone, or," She leaned in closer. "Are you looking for me?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm looking for Mason. I met him in the forest and we decided to hang out. My name's Bill." The boy-Bill apparently- smiled nervously and looked away from her.

"You sure? Mason is a super mega boring nerd, while I do cool stuff." Mabel started laying it on thick, hoping to get his attention off her brother.

"Listen, I'm just looking-" Bill was cut off by his Father putting him in a choke-hold. "A-ACK! DAD!"

"Kiddo, I know you're excited but you can't run off like that!" After a few moments, he was let go. "Oh hey, can you grab an adult little lady? I wanna know if it's okay for my son to hang out here." The man had shaggy blond hair and an eye-patch like his son.

'Maybe it runs in the family?' "Sure, lemme grab Grunkle Stan!" Mabel chirped happily, skipping off to find her great uncle. "Hey, Grunkle Stan! Someone wants to talk to you at the front door!"

"Is it anyone from the government?" A loud gruff voice called out. As soon as they heard that both Ciphers looked at each other with concern.

"No! It's someone who wants to talk! I think they're from town!" Mabel said before returning with an older man wearing a wife beater and boxers.

"Oh hey, didn't you two just move to this town? The Celeron's right?" Stan squinted, realizing that the two were extremely similar. As in like they could be the same person in a different year. It was kinda freaky.

"Yes, we did just move in! We're the Clericsons. I'm William, and this is my son, Bill. Nice to meet you." 'William' held out his hand for Stanford to shake, a wolfish grin wide on his face.

"I'm Stanford Pines, nice to meet you too." He said and shook William's hand in an iron grip. "So, what are you doing so far out into the woods?"

"I met Mason earlier in the woods, and I wanted to know if we could hang out sometime today." Bill quickly spoke up, fixing his ruffled hair, and dusting off his clothes.

'What? No way, this cutie wants to meet Mason? But he's a loser! I need to get blondie away from him!' Mabel was smiling on the outside, but on the inside, she was scowling with rage.

"Alright, one sec...He's probably mad at me cause he got in trouble earlier." Grunkle Stan cracked his back a little bit before going upstairs to get his great-nephew.

Meanwhile, Mason was reading one of his mystery novels. It was one of the things that made sure to distract him from the fact that he hadn't eaten in five days. The rest of his family often forgot he existed and didn't make him food nine times out of ten. Sure, he stole food sometimes, but it just wasn't enough. It would never be enough. No matter how much he ate, there was a lingering feeling in his stomach. An eternal hunger he could never satisfy. A burning fire that simply would not go out! An everlasting-

"MASON! SOMEONE IS HERE TO SPEAK WITH YOU! GET DOWN HERE!"

He rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping as he shoved the journal he'd found into his vest. "Coming Grunkle Stan!" And there was Bill, and someone from his family probably.

"Dipper! Dude, you wanna go explore with me?" Bill was jumping up and down excitedly. He had a bright smile on his face, and Dipper nearly melted right then and there. He didn't know why, but Bill had this sorta aura around him, which made Dipper want to get closer to him.

"Can I go, Grunkle Stan? I'll be back before nightfall! I promise." Dipper hoped for once in his life that someone would say yes to him. If he said no, Dipper would probably sneak out through the bathroom window.

"If you don't come back before five you're on cleaning duty for the rest of the summer."

Dipper had never felt more grateful to an old man in his life. "I owe you one! Thank you thank you thank-"

Before he could continue, Bill grabbed his wrist and the two were off running into the woods.