Now that the climax has come to a close, it's time for things to simmer down for a bit.
I hope last chapter sat well with you guys, but I will extend an apology to you guys if it seemed forced, rushed, or not really realistic.
This chapter, we'll mostly be seeing Edward Viscount III finally receive his comeuppance for being such a stuck-up, as well a smidge of progress regarding Mabel's plan to live up to her new goal to be a better sister to Dipper.
Hope you all enjoy the chapter, everyone! :)
Gravity Falls is owned by Alex Hirsch and Disney. (I do not own any of its characters nor its properties. This is purely a non-profit fanfic made for fun.)
SAUDADE
CHAPTER SIX: THE AFTERMATH
After spending his Saturday trying to run away from home, and ending with two seperate lectures with his parents and twin sister respectively, Dipper was purely thankful the worst of it was over.
Sure, while he was grounded for a month for his actions, his talk with his family had to slowly open his eyes to see what he truly he was; he was a valid member of the Pines family, and not a burden or a joke to anyone. Naturally, it was going to take some time for Dipper to fully accept on how he wasn't a hassle after all, but for now, he was just glad to be at home, despite how much he dearly missed his Gravity Fall allies.
As Sunday rolled around, Dipper spent his time without electronic amusement fairly well. He still had books to read and he did his chores as normal. He even helped out a little more around the house by his own choice, like helping with dinner and doing chores that weren't his own, like vacuuming downstairs or cleaning the den. Although his parents still kept his grounding status in operation, Jason and Kristen were still happy Dipper was talking this well and that he was taking initiative to try and make things right again.
It especially helped when Mabel offered to assist Dipper in every way he can.
True to her word, Mabel stood by Dipper's side and did whatever she could to help him with whatever he needed help with, whether it was chores, homework, or even emotional support. Despite Dipper politely trying to decline Mabel's offers, she stayed persistent and kept saying only this to prove how much she wanted to change.
"I'm staying true to my word and that's that, bro-bro…"
Dipper knew he couldn't really sway her anyways, and seeing as how she was serious about being more attentive, he decided to accept her help and Mabel proved to be as helpful as she can be. Although he was still split on the whole "forgiving Mabel" issue, he was proud of Mabel for sticking to her goal so far.
Still, even his mind cleansed and his overwhelming impulses toned down, he still couldn't help but to dearly miss his other true friends; Grunkles Ford and Stan, Soos, and especially Wendy. Even if Dipper wasn't sure if he still had feelings for Wendy, he still hoped he could see her again soon.
But still, that's a thing that'll have to wait for another time...
With the weekend over and Monday meaning that school was back in session again, Dipper and Mabel Pines continued their academic roles as normal. However, extra precaution was made, just in case Dipper were to plan another runaway.
Jason and Kristen dropped off the twins and stayed in the drop-off zone until both twins had fully entered the school, with Mabel carefully watching him by her side as they entered the building until it was time for them to disperse to their own classes. Admittedly, Dipper was a tad nervous with everyone watching over him like a hawk, but in his mind, he knew it was for the best.
Technically, he was the one who brought this onto himself, so he just had to grin and bear it for a while…
Luckily, the rest of the school day went by fairly well. Nobody seemed to give Dipper a hard time and he kept up to his studies as normal. His morning classes went by fine, and when lunchtime came around, Dipper sat by with Mabel this time and finally began to feel his mind come to ease.
It wasn't long until it was nearly the end of the school and Dipper was finishing up his final class. He did his school work, prepped up for his homework for tonight, and soon after, he would be ready to meet Mabel at the pick-up area for their parents to arrive.
For the first time in a while, Dipper felt his nerves and mind were finally relaxed after some time.
'Well, they said waiting isn't easy...but even if I have to wait another year to see my friends in the Falls again, then that's what I'll try and d-'
However, before he could even finish that thought, the nasally voice of the school secretary rang out from the intercom up above.
"MASON PINES TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE, PLEASE…"
That was when poor Dipper gulped heavily and felt his heartrate speed up, thus causing his poor nerves to go nuts yet again. Just as the day seemed to be going along fine, Dipper suddenly gets called to the school principal of all people? Why on earth would he need to see him?
Admittedly, Dipper, being a demure kid who tries not to make any waves, normally nevers goes to the principal's office unless if it's something involving Mabel or if something important is brought up, but either way, Dipper was completely uncertain of what he did.
He hadn't time to think about that as he decided it best to just go to the office and see what the principal wanted with him. He picked up his belongings and tried to ignore the strange looks his classmates were giving him as he got up from his seat and headed out of the classroom, down the halls to where the principal's office was located.
Hopefully, Mabel won't think he'd have run off again this time with him preoccupied.
Soon enough, Dipper arrived at the school principal's office door. He shuddered and sweated, unsure of what was to happen once he stepped through this door. While the school principal wasn't an overly-strict or a mean-spirited man, he still knew when to be stern to his students when necessary and even so, Dipper was no different in that regard.
Still, Dipper couldn't help but to think what could happen though. Did he do something wrong? Would the principal call his parents if that was the case? There was only one way to find out.
Taking in a deep breath, Dipper slowly opened the door to reveal a small wait-in room, where the lithe, brown-haired school secretary was seen sitting in her small desk, typing away on her computer. Dipper shambled up to her and coughed nervously.
"E-Excuse me...I-I'm here to see t-the principal?" he stuttered softly and fearfully. The secretary looked towards the boy through her horn-rimmed glasses and nodded.
"Ah, Mason, Principal Chrish is awaiting for you in his office. You may enter through…" she stated, gesturing to the main door leading to the principal's room. Dipper nodded back and slowly made his way to the door.
Prepping for the worst of this situation, he summoned all his courage and opened the door to reveal the school principal sitting at his desk. The man was fairly middle-aged, with dark brown hair, and a small mustache and beard. He wore a gray dress shirt with a red plaid dress jacket, a matching plaid tie, and dark gray dress pants.
Principal Chrish looked up to see the Pines twin enter his domain and smiled kindly, in spite of Dipper's obvious nervousness.
"Ah, Mr. Pines, you've arrived. Please take a seat…" he offered, his tone sounding more gentler than Dipper had anticipated. Dipper carefully walked up to one of the big chairs sitting across from the principal. The boy gulped in worry.
"Principal Chrish, if I happened to have done something wrong, please, I can try and make up for what...I've…"
As Dipper tried to reason with the man to try and forgive for what he may or may not have done, the boy had reached up to his seat to notice another figure sitting in one of the chairs. Dipper's voice trailed off for a bit as he looked at the familiar, orange-haired, fancy-looking occupant with disbelief.
"Edward!? What are you doing here!?"
The snobby heir looked towards Dipper and scoffed lightly. "I could ask you the same thing…" he replied loftily, "Now, dear Principal Chrish, is there any real reason why I'm here? I have a polo game in an hour and my father does not approve of tardiness!"
Principal Chrish sighed at the young preppy teen's haughtiness. "I'll get to that soon, Mr. Viscount, just please settle down and I'll explain why you both are here…" he stated, his voice now becoming more serious.
And with that said, Dipper nervously and immediately sat down in the empty chair next to Edward, whom in return just glared at Dipper with annoyance. The principal coughed importantly before he began.
"The reason I've called you two gentlemen in today was because of a...disturbance that had occurred last Thursday…"
Dipper's eyes went wider than ever upon hearing that. Of course, he was referring to his encounter with Edward in the bathroom, which later ended up with a ripped-up farewell letter and a distressed Dipper running and crying in the halls. Now, Dipper seemed like he'd really be in trouble for having such an unwarranted episode.
Surprisingly, Edward seemed quiet and a tad clammy himself, but he still tried to remain nonplussed as Principal Chrish continued on.
"Now, I've gotten an anonymous tip from a pair of students this morning that apparently Mr. Viscount here started this little mess in the first place…" recalled the principal. He then looked towards Edward with a suspicious, stern glance.
"Is this true, young man?" he questioned ominously.
Even through feigning ignorance, Edward felt a lump grow in his throat that he could barely swallow. Having thought he could get away with terrorizing Dipper that day, he hadn't actually believed he be caught, but alas, here he was.
Regardless, Edward kept a stiff upper lip and did his best to keep his cool. "I haven't the foggiest idea on what you're implying, good sir…" he denied self-righteously.
Dipper rolled his eyes at that statement. It wouldn't have killed him to try and be humble for once? And as it seems, Principal Chrish wasn't that convinced himself as if he was reading Edward's mind.
"Hmm, I see…" he muttered simply, tapping his finger on his desk.
As a short wave of silence passed through the three, both boys grew worried as the principal got up from his seat and walked over to a small drawer behind him. He opened it up and retrieved an item in his hand. Principal Chrish turned back towards Edward with a sharp stare.
"Then explain this, young man…" he replied stoically. The item in his hand turned out to be a USB device.
At first, it didn't seem like that much to the boys, but as the man plugged in the small device into his computer and opened up a certain file, he immediately turned the monitor around towards the boys, revealing a video being played on-screen.
A video of Edward Viscount bullying and shoving Dipper Pines in the men's room.
Edward's eyes grew to the size of dinner saucers! He nearly wanted to faint on the spot right there. He really was found out after all! Even Dipper looked stunned as well, but not to the extent of his snooty rival. Quite frankly, the bookish twin was somewhat glad that Viscount may actually get what was coming to him.
Principal Chrish still wasn't finished, however. "Thanks to our lead-in from two of our students, we've checked this security camera footage from the bathroom and from the looks of it, it would you've been trying to harass Mr. Pines here…" explained the man with a stern tone.
Edward gawked in terror. Had under better circumstances, Dipper would've freely chuckled at the hilariously-mortified expression Edward was giving right now, but he managed to keep it to himself. Paralyzed from shock and disbelief at this turn of events, Edward Viscount made sure to make his opinion loud and clear.
"B-B-But I'm innocent, I implore you! I was...just...playing around with young Dipsti-I mean young Dipper here!" Edward tried to reason through obvious falsities, "I-Isn't that right, old sport!?"
He playfully nudged Dipper's arm with a false, fearful smile, as if to save his own butt from trouble. Regardless, Dipper simply frowned and kept quiet, uncertain on what to say.
Luckily, the principal was able to cut in before things got hectic as he flashed a serious, yet somewhat warm expression towards Dipper.
"Mr. Pines…" he began carefully, "Tell me the truth. Is what Edward is saying true?"
Dipper gulped. As much as he detested being a tattletale, he knew he had to come clean. Had he told any more lies like he did last week, that'd just cause him to be in more trouble. At last, Dipper let his honest answer flow freely out his mouth.
"...No...no, it isn't, sir…"
Edward's hopeful smile instantly turned into an outrageously-aggravated scowl. This little commoner was really gonna have the nerve to rat him out? He got out of his seat and glared defiantly at Dipper.
"No!? What do you mean 'no', you little sneak!? I ought to-" Before Edward could manage to lay a finger on Dipper, Principal Chrish immediately cut in as he banged his fist on his table.
"Viscount! Enough! Sit down!" he barked, his civil volume now reaching military sergant levels of loud. Thankfully, it was enough for Edward to shut up and sit back down.
The principal exhaled tiredly and rubbed his forehead, before referring his attention back to Dipper. "As you were saying, Mason? Edward wasn't playing around with you?"
Dipper gulped and nodded. "Indeed, sir...all I was doing was going to the bathroom when suddenly, my folder falls down and my papers then scatter across the floor…"
Principal Chrish nodded back. "I see...it also seemed like Edward was trying to keep away one of these papers away from you according to our video footage. Now, if it's okay to ask, what was this paper that Edward was keeping out of your reach?"
Dipper inhaled deeply. "...I-It was a letter I've received from Gravity Falls…" he answered simply.
Principal Chrish raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "Gravity Falls?"
Dipper nodded. "It's a town in rural Oregon. Me and my sister Mabel went there last summer. When we had to leave, our friends and family there gave us this letter with their names on it, as a farewell gift so that we wouldn't forget them…"
The principal nodded sympathetically. "I see…" he murmured softly, "And seemingly, according to the incident shown later on in the footage, Mr. Viscount here ripped up said letter?"
Dipper sat there in mild silence for a little bit. He looked back at Edward, who just gave him a grouchy, almost-warning look, before he looked back at Principal Chrish, who gave Dipper a serious, but kinder expression in return. Dipper inhaled deeply.
"Yes, sir...he did, sir…" he confirmed gently, much to Edward's rising annoyance.
"And also apparently, some time before that, is would appear that Edward shoved you and cause you to bump into the back of the bathroom stall, correct?" asked Principal Chrish gently.
Dipper nodded again. Although the pain from the impact wasn't nearly as bad as he felt from that Thursday, he still agreed that Edward did willingly do such an act regardless of the pain.
"Yes, sir…" he answered in a glum, honest tone.
That seemed to be enough for the principal to decide his final consensus onto this problem as he then sharply turned back at Edward with a stern, stoic face. Clearly, he had all the evidence he needed.
"Well, Edward, the evidence is all on the table. The footage has shown you assaulting another student and destroying another person's property, which is certainly an offense against student conduct…" explained the principal simply. Edward was outraged.
"Hold on! Why am I being blamed for this! Pines here was caught in this little spat, as well! Why isn't he being punished!" snapped Edward furiously. Principal Chrish didn't flinch away from Edward's glare.
"Because, he didn't try to assault you." Chrish pointed out curtly, "Although, you two should both know that I do not condone any violence upon my school grounds, regardless on what the reason was that started said fight!" He craned his neck towards Dipper and sighed to try and calm himself.
"However, Mr. Pines, though I understand you were simply trying to defend yourself, I'll only let you off with a warning, seeing as how you're one of my more well-behaved students. But I'd rather not see another repeat offense like this, young man, understood?"
Dipper suddenly felt a tsunami of relief wash over his mind and body upon hearing that bit of news. He sighed gratefully and practically sunk into his chair in relaxation, knowing he wasn't in any further trouble.
"Yes, sir...thank you, sir…" breathed out Dipper thankfully. He was too relieved that he hadn't even noticed the disgusted and appalled expression Edward was flashing at him. Sadly, Principal Chrish wasn't through with the preppy teen however.
"But in regards to you, Mr. Viscount…" stated the principal sharply, which caused Edward to flinch and give his full attention back to the man behind his desk. "You however were the first to try and assault Mr. Pines, and from the looks of it, it seems as if you've been tormenting Mr. Pines for a while, am I correct?"
Edward shivered in silence. Of course, what the principal was referring to was completely true, seeing as Edward adored to mock Dipper of his status, be it social or financial. However, the young heir was too shell-shocked to even say a syllable, out of fear of getting into more trouble. Unfortunately, this didn't sit well with Principal Chrish, as he only exhaled, preparing to
"Well, regardless...because of your actions of potentially harming a student, I'm afraid I'm going to have to suspend you, young man…" the principal finally proclaimed gravely.
Edward's eye twitched once, his brain nearly turning to mush at this revelation. Him? Suspended!? Naturally, this was not going to sit well with the haught heir.
"Dear principal, please, I-I can explain! I-"
*BANG!*
"Young Edward, what on Earth is going on here!?" spluttered a deep, posh-sounding voice.
The two kids and their principal turned and focused their attention on the incoming newcomer as he barged into the room importantly. It was a middle-aged man, tall and slightly pudgy with a gray toupee covering his balding, round head, as well as having a small, gray, triangle-shaped beard on his chin. The man was wearing an expensive-looking navy blue suit with a white dress shirt underneath the jacket, which was sporting an embroidered "E.V." on the right side of the jacket. He also wore matching dress pants, shiny black loafers and was carrying around a fancy, black walking cane with a derby handle.
The upscale gentleman was squinting his beady eyes towards Edward, with the boy in question trembling uncontrollably in his chair at the sudden sight of this man looming above them.
"Ah, your Mr. Edward Viscount II, then? Edward's father?" questioned Principal Chrish curiously. The posh man nodded and grunted.
"Indeed…" he hummed drolly, "Now, what's the reasoning that my son is here? Me and our chauffeur are waiting outside in the Bentley for him to come out!"
Principal Chrish coughed awkwardly, knowing he'd might as well break the news to Edward's father while he's here. "Well, my apologies, sir, but the reason why Edward is held back here is because he was terrorizing this student right here…" he explained carefully, gesturing towards the meek, male twin close by.
Dipper gulped and worriedly waved at the smartly-dressed man with a crooked smile. Mr. Viscount II gaped incredulously at the trio, before setting his sights straight towards his own offspring.
"Excuse me!?" he rumbled out. Edward Viscount III giggled and blushed nervously. Principal Chrish nodded.
"Well, apparently, our video cameras have caught footage of your son shoving around this boy here and was basically messing around with his stuff in one of the school bathrooms…" he explained, which caused Mr. Viscount II to become even more enraged.
"I see…" he rumbled softly, glaring daggers towards his son, who in question was still sitting in jittery silence. Then, he looked towards the equally-as-nervous Dipper sitting next to him. Mr. Viscount II raised a stern eyebrow.
"So, you're the student my son has harassed?" he asked simply.
Dipper shuddered slightly under the big man's stare, unable to get out a clear word right away. However, he still stayed truthful and managed to keep his cool.
He breathed in and out once again and looked back into the eyes of his rival's father's eyes. "Yes, sir…" he uttered out.
Mr. Viscount II nodded, his stern frown softening a bit and he gazed towards the brunette boy. "Well, child, I sincerely apologize for my son's rash behavior. I hope he hasn't done anything to severely harm you." he apologized, his grumbling and uppity tone sounding more softer than usual.
Dipper's lips curled into a tiny smile at this, happy to not that, at least, Edward's parent was more kinder and sympathetic than his own son. "I-It's okay, sir, really!" assured Dipper gently, "N-Not really any trouble at all…"
The posh father still seemed a tad concerned though. "Well, regardless, if it helps, then here…"
He then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a coupon. "This coupon is worth $25% off any suit jacket you purchase at Viscount's Discounts. Just a token of gratitude, so long as you don't mention this incident to the gentlemen down at the country club, of course!"
Dipper gave the man a funny look. He wasn't really sure he even needed a tuxedo, especially since his father wasn't really at that keen on shopping at Viscount's anymore, but still, he decided to just grin and bear it as he kindly accepted Mr. Viscount's offer.
"Uh, thanks...sir?" he replied in a stilted voice. Mr. Viscount II nodded back and gave him a small smile before Principal Chrish cut in.
"Well, the thing is, sir, because of your son's behavior, I'm afraid I'll have to suspend him for his actions…" Just as those words left the principal's mouth, Mr. Viscount II gawked back towards his nerve-wracked son with an incredulous look.
"Suspended!?" he rumbled, his volume loud and angry. Edward managed to find his voice again.
"Now, Father, I can explain!" he yelped out in reassurance, but his father wasn't really in the mood.
"Oh, you better, son!" snapped the wealthy patriarch, "And it better be a good one at that!"
Principal Chrish coughed to try and catch their attention. "Well, if it helps, we have the footage of what exactly happened, so if you want, sir, we could go over it together…" he explained kindly, referring to his computer screen. Mr. Viscount II still gave his son an irritated look, but complied nonetheless.
"Very well, then…" he murmured eerily, causing Edward III to gulp and shudder unhappily. The principal nodded and turned back to Dipper.
"You're free to go now, Mr. Pines. Sorry for the inconvenience…" ushered the principal kindly. Dipper took this as a chance to amscray while he still can before things got nasty, so he picked up his books and supplies and got ready to leave for home.
"Thank you, sir!" he replied gratefully, trying not to look at the seething, yet terrified Edward beside him. Principal Chrish nodded.
"Just remember, I'm letting you off with a warning this time!" reminded the man carefully, to which Dipper nodded back.
"I understand, sir! I'll keep my head down from now on, I promise!" stated Dipper with a small smile as he exited the principal's office, leaving the Viscounts to deal with their own problem on their own.
The brunette boy gave out a heavy sigh in relief, happy to know he wasn't in real trouble. Should his parents find out he was suspended for his little episode, they'd really be upset with him, even if he was still grounded for a month. Still, DIpper took in solace knowing that he was somehow in the clear as he walked past the secretary and was ready to go home.
Although, judging by the booming sounds he heard from the principal's office, mostly likely coming from Edward's father, Dipper knew this may not end pretty for his high-society rival in the end...
A little bit later, Dipper had finally trotted out of the office. After that whole encounter, he was quite exhausted and just wanted to go back home to rest. Still, in his mind, he hoped Mabel wouldn't have been too worried about his disappearance.
Thankfully, he hadn't to fret about that as a familiar brown-haired girl wearing a rainbow-colored sweater ran up to him, nearly scaring him to death as she immediately brought him in a tight hug.
"Dipper!" cried out Mabel, "I heard your name on the intercom! What happened!? Are you in trouble!?" Dipper gently eased her down from her worrying.
"Mabel, calm down! Everything's fine actually!" he reassured with a small smile. Mabel ceased her jabbering and managed to settle down a bit as she let go of the hug.
"Y-You're not in trouble?" she questioned curiously. Dipper shook his head.
"Nope. Principal Robert had gotten word about Viscount bullying me last week and everything must have caught up to him." explained Dipper with a shrug. "He also stated that Edward's now suspended for his actions…"
Mabel giggled back at that bit of news. "Well, it serves him right for messin' with my bro-bro!" she chuckled as she patted his back proudly. Dipper chuckled back, but slightly weaker than Mabel's.
"Heh-heh, yeah...apparently, the principal gotten a tip from two other students ratting out Edward and explaining what happened…" said Dipper off-handedly.
Suddenly, realization struck Dipper at that moment. The two students may have been anonymous, but perchance, could one of these students be someone he already knows? He decided to venture further with this as he turned fully towards his sister.
"Mabel…?" he asked carefully, "D-Did you rat out Edward?"
Mabel raised an eyebrow and grew worried. "I-I didn't say anything, Dip." she explained confusedly, "I spoke with these two kids who usually hang out with Edward at lunch. And like I said on Saturday, I've tried to get answers from Edward, but he wasn't budging!"
Dipper scratched his chin and pondered for a minute. "Well, then possibly these two kids must've told Principal Robert about the situation...but then again, who could these guys be anyway?" he asked curiously to himself.
"Well, why don't you ask those guys yourselves?" came an unknown, helpful voice.
The twins turned their heads at the source of that sound to see two smiling boys walk up towards them. And judging by the separate blonde and red hair colors these two were sporting, it didn't take long for Dipper and Mabel to recognize them. Their eyes went wide out of bafflement.
"...Y-You guys ratted Viscount out?" gasped Dipper in surprise. The duo nodded in return.
"Pretty much so, yep…" confirmed the redhead coolly. Dipper was still quite puzzled.
"B-But why?" he cried out in response, "I thought you hung out with the kid!" The blonde boy coughed awkwardly.
"Well...only by choice…" explained the blonde kid nervously, "We only hung around Viscount to make it seem like we could be cool kids, you know...we honestly never really believe or go through with whatever that guy is saying…"
The redhead chuckled. "Yeah, it's always 'commoners' this and 'pip pip cheerio' that with him, and then there's the 'poor people are lower than slime' schtick he keeps yapping about!" chortled the redhead as he put on his best, exaggerated snooty-British voice ever, which did prompt a good-natured laugh from the group, including Dipper.
However, their laughter was cut short when the door leading to the principal's office swung open and revealing a livid Edward Viscount II dragging his distressed son out of the door. Edward III whined and begged to his father to try and see some sense, but his father was have absolutely none of this as he gripped his jacket collar and led him towards the school's entrance.
"Father, please, I beg of you! It was all mere tomfoolery was all! I never meant to harm the kid, really!" shrieked Edward unhappily, much to his father's ire.
"I did not raise my son to behave uncouthly to other students" he scoffed, not caring to hear another word from his son.
"I wasn't being uncouth! I was simply going by my grandfather's words that 'poor people aren't fit for this world!'" reminded Edward hastily. Mr. Viscount rolled his eyes and groaned.
"Honestly, young man! You shouldn't take everything what that man says to heart! I swear, it seems every school we go to, you always wind up causing trouble for others!" rumbled the father sternly. Edward frowned deeply and tried to release himself from his grasp/
"But it's the truth I tell you!" Edward tried to cry out. He then noticed Dipper and Mabel close by noticing his little episode, along with two familiar cronies joining with them. Edward then decided to snag some sympathy from them as well.
"Y-You two believe me, don't you!?" he gasped out to the redhead and blonde, "D-Don't you!?"
The redhead pondered mockingly for a second and hummed to himself. "Hmm, I dunno, Eddie...quite frankly, ya should've seen it coming…" he mused cheekily.
"Yeah!" chortled his friend, "Good thing two certain guys managed to give the principal a little tip about your little run-in last week…". He capped off his statement by smugly slapping a high-five with his redhead chum.
Edward stared off in disbelief, as if the wheels in his head were turning, trying to process what his former cohorts were talking about. Then, something suddenly clicked in his mind.
"YOU TWO WERE THE ONES WHO SNITCHED ON ME!?" he screeched incredulously. The two kids smirked and lead back a chuckle.
"Maybe yes...maybe no…" teased the redhead coyly, with his blonde friend
At this point, Edward was straight up ready to throttle someone's neck. He furiously tried again to release himself from his father's grip, but it was no use as the wealthy man securely kept a firm hold on his jacket as he forcefully yanked Edward back before he could do anymore damage.
"Edward Viscount III, that is enough!" he shouted crossly at the preppy teen, giving him such a nasty, unamused glare, "After your boorish actions today, I believe we should consider having you attend a different school!"
Edward trembled slightly at the threat. The four other kids standing across from the sidelines simply watched with amusement. With the righteous fury his father was giving him, they'd almost feel sorry for the poor kid at this point.
...Almost…
Edward gulped, hoping to find some sort of silver lining to this outcome. "Y-Y-You mean to another boarding school, right?" he asked endearingly. Sadly, his hopes were crumbled to dust as his father gave him such a haunting look in return.
Mr. Viscount II sneered threateningly. "No, son! You'll still be going to a military school!" he answered back sternly.
As if he was hit with fifteen separate Vietnam flashbacks in a row, Edward's face paled white in absolute terror. His pupils shrunk to tiny dots, he felt a massively nauseating feeling in his gut, and he nearly felt the need to get a conniption. He was now going to be toiling away at some loud, brash, rogue military school? It was all too much for Edward to stomach. It was especially heart-wrenching as he distinctly heard Dipper, Mabel, and his former "friends" giggling like mad close by.
"...Y-Y-You w-w-wouldn't…" the boy whimpered out pathetically. Mr. Viscount scowled back at him.
"I can and I just did!" he confirmed harshly, "I send you here to try and work on this highfalutin attitude of your's and clearly that isn't doing any wonders for you! Mayhaps military school could try and shape you up for the better, young man! Ugh, just wait until your mother hears about this!"
Poor, silent, traumatized Edward felt his eye twitch like mad as Mr. Viscount continued to drag him away out of the school, too frozen to even react to his red and blonde-haired companions smugly waving "goodbye" to him. However, the father hadn't left the building, not before letting one more tiny, little detail come clear for Edward as they rounded a corner towards the exit.
"And you can forget about being the heir to my tuxedo franchise, young man!"
It was then when the foursome jumped in surprise as the gargled sound of distressed, prolonged screams echoed across the halls, proving that evidently, the now-former heir wasn't taking this news along very well. Still, that didn't stop the four from sharing another laugh as Edward's horrified screams trailed off in the distance.
"Well, heh, that was something…" commented Dipper lightly as the laughter simmered down.
"Yeah, serves the kid right, though…" smarmed the redhead back, before something popped in his head, "Oh, crud, we should probably introduce ourselves. My name's Aaron, and this is Rob…" he introduced kindly. The blonde, now named Rob, smiled and immediately shook Dipper's hand.
"Pleased to meet ya!" he chirped, nearly jostling Dipper around with his strong handshake. Nevertheless, Dipper smiled.
"Nice to meet you, guys…" smiled the male twin, as his sister stood back and grinned widely, "Uh...thanks again for helping out with all this...y'know...stuff with Viscount."
Aaron shrugged. "No biggie. We're just sorry for not doing it any sooner, had we known he was gonna cause so much grief to ya…"
Rob spoke up again. "We were, uh, also hoping to try find you last week to apologize to you, Dipper, for us not trying to keep Viscount under reigns, y'know…" he admitted meekly. The redhead agreed as he rubbed his arm shyly.
"We honestly never meant any harm to you...we were just trying to get noticed was all…" sighed Aaron guiltily.
Rob coughed nervously. "You, uh, think you could ever forgive us for being so dumb, Dipper?"
The two boys certainly weren't expecting for Dipper to forgive them (or at the very least, right away), so it came as a bit of a shock when they saw the Pines twin in question slowly smile at them, coupled with this phrase that mildly surprised the duo.
"It's okay, guys...I forgive you…"
Rob and Aaron gawked at Dipper weirdly. "You do?" they asked quizzically. Dipper nodded with a empathetic smile.
"You only did it just to try and fit in with the hip crowd. Admittedly, if I was in your shoes, I'd pretty much do the same thing...but as of now…" Dipper then pulled Mabel close to him in a side hug, as he grinned and gave her a subtle wink.
"Well, basically, I'm content knowing I'm surrounded by friends and family who do care about me…" he earnestly stated, his sincerity enough to bring a huge smile to Mabel's face.
Aaron and Rob smiled at Dipper humbly showing off his dexterity, although one certain tidbit seemed to be floating around in their minds. For quite some time, they only seemed to be sitting in the sidelines, trying to ride the coattails of more popular students to get noticed more by the student body, with little to no results. They both didn't have a large group of friends themselves, so even though were had good intentions, they now saw that following a bad crowd doesn't mean they be more respected.
And with that said, they knew they had to make amends to Dipper, to at least try and become actual friends with someone more kinder, aside from being "allies" to some foppish jerk. Luckily, both boys seemed to share this thought as Rob spoke up with an awkward stutter.
"S-So, if any case, i-is it cool with you that if we can...you know...start all over and try to be friends?" offered Rob timidly, his tone sounding quite guilty and genuine.
Dipper stood there silent for a minute. His mind soon began processing all of this. He himself didn't really have any friends here at school, especially not an abundance that his sister Mabel has at the moment. He was bookish and shy, and try as he might, he never seemed to land a good friend here for quite some time. And yet right now, here standing before him were two boys, actually wanting to be his friends?
Although it almost sounded too good to be true, and that Rob and Aaron did sincerely feel sorry for their actions, Dipper was absolutely more than happy to take them up on their offer!
He extended his hand in gratitude and gave both boys a welcoming, thankful grin.
"Absolutely!" he confirmed with unabashed glee. His response came in the form of two equally friendly smiles from Aaron and Rob as they each graciously accepted his handshake.
Mabel, meanwhile, couldn't help but to squee happily at this sweet scene. Her timid, awkward twin brother now managed to muster the courage to make his first true set of friends, not in Gravity Falls, but in Piedmont, a place where Dipper thought he'd never find an acceptable friend! It was almost too much for Mabel to handle!
"Oooh, this is so exciting!" she squealed happily, "My bro-bro is making friends here in school! Ohh, I'm so proud of ya, Dipper!" she then unexpectedly gave Dipper a big, sisterly grin and hug combo, with her blushing brother in question chuckling out of both embarrassment and joy.
A sudden thought sprang up in Mabel's mind as she let go of Dipper. "Oh, geez, where's my manners?" she said as she too offered a handshake to Rob and Aaron.
"My name's Mabel!" she introduced in her usual, exuberant demeanor, "Any friend of Dipper's is a friend of mine!"
Rob was first to kindly accept her handshake. "Nice to meet ya, Mabel!" he chimed as Aaron was next in line.
"Indeed…" mused Aaron in a weirdly coy fashion, "Enthralled to meet a young lady such as yourself." he suavely remarked. Mabel giggled at his compliment with a slight blush.
"Oh, stop it, you…" she tittered with a wave of her hand. Dipper stood back and playfully rolled his eyes. Even when she's planning to be more attentive, she can still be as boy-crazy as she always was.
Even Rob couldn't help but to smirk at his friend's performance. "Okay, slow your roll, Romeo…" he eased down to his redheaded chum, "No need to make our first meeting awkward…"
Aaron coughed to himself, knowing he may have gotten a tas carried away. "Er, right…" he uttered with a blush. Luckily, the ice was broken enough for the group to break into friendly, good-humored laughter once again, all while sporting joyous smiles…
...with Dipper's being the biggest grin he'd shown in some time…
However, before the four kids could partake any more friendly merry-making, the quick buzz from Mabel's smartphone indicted she had gotten a text. She pulled out her device and nearly fell over once she saw who was texting her.
:DAD: Waiting outside. Where are u guys?:
Mabel gasped in surprise as her eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. She frantically tried to grab hold of Dipper's vest, sputtering and stammering on the spot while trying to get her words out.
"D-D-Dipper! Mom and Dad are here! We gotta go!" she yipped, causing Dipper to immediately shift gears as well.
"Oh, geez!" he cried out, hiking up his supplies in his hands before he looked back towards his new friends, "Sorry, guys, but we gotta split!"
The two boys nodded in understanding as the twins were ready to head back outside. "Gotcha! If ya guys want, we can all try and meet up again to hang out at some point!" called Aaron kindly.
Even with himself and his sister now raring to leave, Dipper felt his world slightly paus of a brief moment. These kids actually wanted to hang out with him now? Now, it really sounded too good to be true. Luckily, his sister was there to help get his head on straight as she was now dragging his frozen state away towards the school exit.
"Sounds great, guys! We'll see ya soon!" confirmed Mabel with a friendly, though hasty smile as she and Dipper soon sprinted away, waving goodbye to their new friends as they disappeared, with Aaron and Rob happily waving back.
And as the plucky twins both rounded the corner and jogged outside towards the busy pick-up area, Dipper couldn't help but to smile broadly at the mere occurrence that just happened a few minutes ago.
He managed to gain two new friends here in Piedmont, a place where he'd never thought he's belong in, as opposed to Gravity Falls, somewhere that he could fit in better in comparison. Although he still may be seen as a nobody to the rest of the school's populace, they may be some sliver of hope that Dipper can branch out and actually succeed in getting friends here rather than in Oregon.
It seemed like a great sensation, but for now, Dipper was content to know he had successfully managed to make two, genuine friends...
And quite frankly, he wouldn't have it any other way...
"So, that boy's really going to military school, then?"
Mabel nodded rapidly at her dad's question. "Yep! And Edward's dad also took his heir thingy taken away from him!" she giggled, as her brother also couldn't help but to chuckle alongside her from the backseat of the car..
"Yeah, you've should've seen his face when his father even mentioned 'military school'! I thought he was gonna throw up!" replied Dipper, causing Mabel to break into another giggle fit.
"It was so hilarious!" squealed the girl, "You guys should've been there!" Kristen sat in the passenger side, wrinkling her brow in sympathy as even she managed to muster some smidgen of concern she had for Edward.
"Well, regardless of his...questionable actions, I just pray he at least winds up okay. I'd hate to see someone suffer through something as brutal as military school." she replied in a somewhat-worried tone, before sighing to himself, "Oh well...I suppose this'll show him the error of his way, right, honey?" she asked to her husband.
Unfortunately, Jason, on the other hand, was too busy finding the situation somewhat funny as he was currently trying his best to hold back his chuckles. Thankfully, one annoyed look from his wife was enough to cease his immature actions.
"Ahem, er, uh, right, d-dear…" spluttered out Jason from behind the wheel, "B-But still, I'm at least glad you didn't get in any trouble with the principal, son…"
Dipper exhaled softly in relief. "You're tellin' me, Dad…"
Then, in a more softer, more guilty tone of voice, he spoke back up to his parents. "Uh...guys?"
Kristen turned back from her seat again as Jason carefully peeked through the car's rear-view mirror. "Yes, son?" they asked curiously.
Dipper gulped gently and began to ease his troubled mind as he rubbed his left arm shyly. "I-I know all the apologies I can make probably won't make up for what I did on Saturday, but...I really am sorry for what I did. I clearly wasn't thinking straight and I only thought that running away...you know...would've benefited more for you guys…"
Jason and Kristen looked at each other briefly, their expressions worried, yet understanding. Kristen then looked back to her offspring.
"Oh, sweetie, we know things can be tough for you, but you have to know that running away is absolutely not the answer to one's problems…" explained Kristen in her usual motherly, careful demeanor. Jason nodded.
"You're mother's right, son…" agreed Jason, as his voice suddenly became more quiet, "We'd be crushed if something had happened to you."
Dipper sat in the car in humble silence. Saturday had proved to be a hectic turn of events for not only him, but for his sister and parents as well. While he didn't originally intend to hurt anyone in his plan, he did wind up hurting his family emotionally, and at that moment, Dipper knew his actions when indeed askew and no matter how much he still misses his allies in the Falls, he still had a life here in Piedmont.
Luckily, his parents were sure to knock this bit of knowledge straight into his mind.
"What we're trying to say, sweetie, is that we all love you, and we want to help you out with whatever is bothering you…" assured Kristen in her unwaveringly motherly nature.
Jason smiled and looked back through the rear-view to his children again. "Indeed…" he confirmed, "If you ever feel the need to talk about anything personal, we are all hear to listen to you. Just please don't keep your feelings hidden from us, okay?"
Dipper felt his smile slowly return to his face. Albeit a sad, slightly unsure smile, but Dipper was still happy to know that his family certainly did want to look out for him and to help him with his troubles. The mere thought that maybe he wasn't a burden after all made the young adventurer's heart flutter with joy and relief. He exhaled thankfully in his seat.
"Thanks, guys...thanks for everything…" he muttered warmly.
"However, mister, this doesn't mean we are ungrounding you, you know…" reminded Jason in a stern tone of voice. Dipper's smile faltered a bit, almost forgetting that his grounding was still in play.
He winced softly to himself. "I know…" he admitted with a glum shrug. Kristen noticed his depressed tone and decided to shed a bit of light onto his predicament.
"Oh, sweetie, I know you're upset throughout all this. We don't like having to ground you, but it is for the best. But trust us, the month will go by faster before you know it…" she replied tenderly. Jason nodded and smiled.
"I agree," he said, "and besides, you and Mabel will still be able to see your friends and family again in Gravity Falls next summer!"
And finally, in came Mabel as she slung a sisterly arm around Dipper's shoulder, while giving him a broad smile. "Mom and Dad are right, bro-bro! We'll still be having lots of fun together...as twin brothers and sisters should…" she confirmed with a proud, joyful grin.
It was at this point where Dipper nearly shedded a tear from the kind reassurance he was receiving all at this moment. While it may take a little while longer for him to accept that he wasn't a hassle to his family, he still was grateful to know he'll still receive enough love here in his hometown while he was still miles away from Gravity Falls. True, he may still consider Gravity Falls as his more proper home, but he was still content to be with the ones he does care about here, especially with his twin sister.
His point was made just as clear as he too wrapped a caring arm around Mabel's waist, returning her kind smile as he gazed into her cheer-filled eyes.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Mabel…" Dipper answered back to her, his tone and smile both equally as bright and loving.
That only caused Mabel to grow her already-wide smile as she immediately leaned over to hug Dipper, which he graciously returned. Jason and Kristen looked back at the twins with warm, proud, and knowing looks of their faces as they continued down the street, both happy that their children's bond were still holding up strongly. And as they were nearing home, Dipper had one last thought swimming about in his mind as he unashamedly kept hugging Mabel tightly.
'Maybe my family's right...maybe this month will go by fast…' he humbly thought to himself as he and his family headed down the road towards home, as the weekday sun shone clearly down across the town of Piedmont.
TO BE CONCLUDED...
And that ends another chapter, everyone!
Basically, this chapter was to make sure Edward wasn't going to get away scot-free with his actions, as evident with his encounter with both the principal and his own father. Admittedly, I feel that maybe I went a tad harsh on him, what with the whole military school angle, and then having Edward lose his position as heir to the Viscount tuxedo shop throne, but hey, I guess he got what was coming to him...
A few more references I spliced in with some of the characters; Principal Chrish is meant to be modelled after the show's creator, Alex Hirsch. His last name "Chrish" is an anagram to "Hirsch", only so I could try and be subtle with the obvious name placement.
In addition, the previously-unnamed boys are now given names; the redhead being "Aaron" after episode director Aaron Springer, and the blonde "Rob" is named after show producer Rob Renzetti. I essentially wanted both their personalities to that they are best friends with each other, both certainly well-meaning, but they do want to feel popular and noticeable in some way. Individually, Aaron's more of a suave and cool-minded doer, while Rob is a somewhat reserved follower who tries to also keep Aaron's ladies-man persona under reigns.
Now, don't worry, folks, we still have an epilogue to wrap things up, where we get to see Dipper sort-of "reunite" with a certain friend from the Falls! Who that friend is, I don't wanna spoil! ;)
Thanks a ton for reading, favoriting, and reviewing so far, guys! Hope everything was to your likings and I'll catch you all soon in our final and hopefully not-as-lengthy chapter, "The Nightly Chat"! This chapter shouldn't take too, too long, as I'm hoping to get this story all wrapped up before the new year, but still, I'll see you all soon! :D
~Thunderbyrd