I really did mean to post this yesterday like I said, but FFN was glitching and I couldn't upload anything, not even this morning... Sorry about the wait.
Enjoy this Christmas themed tale of sibling love!
Mabel hummed cheerfully as she packed her books into her backpack. She couldn't wait to get home and get Christmas break officially started. Almost two whole weeks of fun, festivity, and family; what could be better? The eleven year old shut her locker, zipping up the bag and tossing it onto her shoulders.
Now, just to wait for Dipper… He was probably in their math teacher's room, getting extra credit papers to take home over break. Mabel shook her head fondly; she couldn't imagine wanting to do schoolwork during break, but here was her brother, ever the overachiever. Mabel leaned back against the lockers, inspecting a chip in her holiday themed nail polish… only to hear footsteps coming her way.
"Ready to go, Dip-" she cut herself off when she noticed that it was not her brother who'd stepped up to her. "Oh. Hi, Jessica…" She finished, hoping she didn't sound as apprehensive as she felt. Jessica had a history with Mabel, one the latter wasn't too fond of, but she tried to be pleasant nonetheless.
"Sorry to disappoint," Jessica said, her mouth twisted into a sneer. "Just wanted to check up on my favorite daydreamer." Mabel nodded, wishing Dipper would hurry up; where was he? "I saw you writing earlier. Was it another love letter?" Jessica asked, her tone offensively mocking.
"No," Mabel said. It really wasn't; but if Jessica knew what it actually was, it'd be even worse.
"I think I'll just take a look-" Before Mabel had a chance to react, Jessica grabbed her backpack and opened it, fishing around. "Oh my gosh, no way!" The bully said as she pulled out the envelope. "Addressed to the North Pole? Santa Claus? I can't believe it!" Jessica laughed, as Mabel looked on in horror. "You're even more of a baby than I thought!" Viciously, she tore open the envelope, reading the note aloud. "'Dear Santa, this year I'd love it if you could bring a new pair of roller skates, especially those new pink ones! Mine broke this fall, and I miss going out with my brother. Love, Mabel Pines. P.S., Kids at school are saying you aren't real, but don't worry. I'll always believe in you.'" Jessica barely made it to the end, rolling with laughter. "I can't believe you still believe in Santa! You're eleven years old!" Jessica continued laughing, as Mabel felt her cheeks getting hot with embarrassment. "Well, have fun with your delusions!" In one final act of malice, the bully tore the letter right in half, again and again, dropping the pieces at Mabel's feet. With one last laugh, Jessica turned away, heading out of the school.
Mabel watched, heartbroken, as the last pieces of her note fluttered to the ground. Sniffling, she got to her knees, picking up the shreds. How could that girl be so heartless? Just because Mabel was older than most people who believed in Santa, didn't mean she deserved to be mocked and ridiculed. Why couldn't she just have this bit of happiness? A tear escaped her eyes, and she quickly wiped it away; no, she couldn't cry at school.
"Mabel?" Mabel turned, seeing Dipper standing behind her, his concerned expression worsening upon seeing the tears in her eyes. "What happened?" In response, Mabel just showed him one of the torn pieces of her letter. "Did Jessica do this?" Dipper asked, and Mabel nodded, not wanting to speak for fear of losing it. Dipper's eyes narrowed, glaring in the direction the bully had gone. As much as he wanted to find her and yell at her for hurting his sister, he knew there was no point. "C'mon, let's get home." Dipper pulled Mabel back to her feet, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Solemnly, the twins began their three block trek home. It was quiet for a while, until Mabel broke the silence.
"Dipper, can I ask you something?" He nodded. "Is it wrong for me to believe in Santa?"
"Did Jessica tell you it is?"
"Not explicitly…" Mabel sighed. "But she might as well have."
"Do you think it's wrong?"
"I didn't. But I'm starting to." Mabel stopped walking, pausing to pull the holly pieces from her hair and throw them on the grass. "I am getting a bit too old, I guess." A new wave of tears threatened to escape her as she stared at the berry laden leaves on the ground. "When did you stop believing?" She asked, her voice so monotone and broken and not Mabel that Dipper felt almost unnerved.
Dipper thought for a moment. He had always thrived on logic and reason, and the idea of a single man not only traveling the entire world on one night, but stopping at every house too seemed impossible. He had started doubting the story in third grade, and had given up entirely on it last Christmas. But Mabel, with all her wild hopes and dreams, believed in everything from Santa to the Tooth Fairy. Dipper had some unusual beliefs, of course, like alien life and ghosts, but those made sense in theory… the others just didn't…
Still, one of Dipper's favorite things about his sister was her imagination. When he got so lost in the facts and couldn't see anything else, Mabel could always open his mind to new possibilities. She didn't believe in "impossible", and that mentality had helped Dipper through many a roadblock.
Dipper didn't want to take that away.
Mabel deserved this, to hold on to a piece of childhood as long as she could. So, Dipper just said, "I never did."
Mabel looked at him, shocked. "You… you still believe too?"
"Of course I do. You know I love the supernatural!" Dipper playfully elbowed Mabel before holding out a hand. She took it, and they continued their walk home. Once they got to their front door, Dipper reached out to open it, but Mabel stopped him.
"Thank you, bro-bro, for what you said. But… it's okay if you don't believe. Just knowing that you're here for me, no matter what, is all I need. I don't care what anyone else thinks; yours is the only opinion that matters to me." She smiled, throwing her arms around him. And, a moment later, Dipper smiled back.
What she said went both ways; all Dipper cared about was his sister's feelings. And as long as she loved herself, he was happy.
Have a great holiday season!