Reputation

Tarun Bajaj was good at dealing with new environments. With a father that was highly involved in foreign affairs and a mother who was fluent in eight languages, he had undoubtedly inherited their mastery of social settings. Which was crucial for him as his family never stayed in one place for more than a few months.

That was the case with Piedmont, California. His father said that they would be moving to India after he signed a contract to be a liaison for an international company. In the meantime, his mom had insisted that he enroll in public school 'for the experience'.

Don't get him wrong. Tarun didn't mind going to school. It never failed to entertain him, both the eccentric students and the joke classwork. Technically, he was homeschooled, self-taught, and tutored when necessary.

So that was how he found himself in the office of the local high school. The secretary, who had introduced herself as Mrs. Bender was processing the last of the paper work as he waited for his escort. He bounced his knees restlessly, drumming his fingers on the arm of the uncomfortable office waithing chair. This was always the worst part.

The door clacked as it was pushed open. In walked in a girl of average height, flipping, long, shiny black hair over her shoulder.

"You wanted to see me?" She announced, her voice hinted at just a slight accent.

Mrs. Bender peered over the eye-level desk, and nodded in Tarun's direction. "We have a new student. I'd like for you to show him around."

The girl turned on Tarun, almond shaped eyes narrowing as they met his. Mrs. Bender introduced them, obviously not trusting high schoolers to possess the manners nor presence of mind to be polite. "Tarun, this is Rin Kawasaki. She will help you locate your locker and classes for the day. Rin, please answer any questions Tarun might have."

"Of course." Rin said evenly.

Tarun stood, but instead of shaking her hand, he bowed cordially. "Pleasure to meet you Kawasaki Rin-san. Please regard me kindly."

Rin responded likewise, with the perfect angle and rigidity of a practiced Japanese descendant. Tarun noticed a tiny glimmer in her charcoal eyes and the slightest twitch of her mouth. She was smug. A glance at the secretary confirmed his suspicions, as her face was one of plain confusion and bewilderment.

"Please." Rin held the door opened and gestured to the hallway, "Let's begin."

Once out in the hall, the girl sniggered. Tarun finally released the chuckle he had been holding back.

"Why did they ask you to do the tour?" He wondered as they started down the hall.

Rin tilted her chin up, a superior smirk on her face. "Besides the fact that I'm a model student. I can only imagine they wanted to present themselves as diverse and inviting. White people have the strangest ideas sometimes."

Tarun nodded, not fully agreeing or disagreeing with her, but acknowledging her opinion. The state of California did have one of the highest populations of Asians, and yet, many people still had much to learn.

The tour was as boring as he had expected it to be. Nearly every school he had attended, whether public or private, was always, in essence, the same. The hallways filled with lockers and the classrooms numbered in a way that attempted to be conventional and the rank smelling gym to top it off. Rin seemed to pick up on the vibe, dark eyes searching him intensely.

"It's fine if you think you don't need me for the rest of the day." She commented, "I won't complain."

Tarun concurred with a tilt of his head, "I think I will be fine. But before you go, there was something I wanted to ask you."

"Sure."

He was cut off as a bell rang, obviously signaling the end of class as the hallway became flooded with students. Rin snagged the sleeve of his jacket, pulling him to the side and out of the direct course of the stampede. Yet, before they could continue their conversation, they were interrupted again.

"Rin!" a girl maneuvered her way over to the pair. Her eyes sparkled with delight. Her smile ran on enough wattage to power a continent. Her long brown hair, tied back in a headband, flowed behind her, occasionally whipping a wayward student in the face. Tarun didn't miss the tiny sigh of exasperation that the Japanese-American let slip before her neutral expression fell into place.

"Mabel. I've asked you before not to shout my name when there are so many people present."

"Oh, sorry." The girl whispered, but her smile didn't waver, "It's such a pretty name, though. I would scream it from the hilltops if there were any around here."

"Is there something you need, Mabel?" Rin asked.

"Yes." Tarun didn't think it was possible for her smile to grow any bigger or brighter, but it did, "I saw you over here talking with a boy, and I thought 'Rin must've gotten a boyfriend and thought that now would be a perfect time to tell me all about it.' So when and where is your first date? I'll be your photographer. I take really cute couple shots. You can ask Tia."

"Mabel."

"Yes."

"You're rambling."

"When am I not rambling, Rin? But I'm serious. Photoshoot after school? I brought my camera."

Mabel whipped out a, frankly, very nice Canon from a case decorated with stickers and plastic jewels. In the blink of an eye, she had removed the cover, powered it on, and began to frame a shot. But Rin, no doubt expecting this, placed a hand over the aperture, careful not to touch the lens.

"Mabel, this is Tarun. He's a new student here. Not my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Tarun!" Mabel enthusiastically grabbed his hand a shook it. With faux secrecy, she leaned in and whispered too loudly, "Rin is super beautiful. You'd make a great couple."

Heedless of the way Tarun and Rin's faces flushed, Mabel jumped back and yelled "Match made!" loud enough to draw the stares of those passing by. With a wink, she skipped away.

"So," Rin began as the hallway began to clear at the impending doom of the next bell, "What was it you wanted to ask?"

"I wanted to ask about the students. What kind of cliques there were, who to steer clear of, who to befriend. I guess I just got a small taste, though."

Rin crossed her arms, "A small taste of Mabel Pines can be enough to set you up for the rest of the day."

"You don't like her?"

"It's not that," Rin muttered, shaking her head, "She's just a little too… enthusiastic for me. Don't get me wrong. I like her. She is always nice to me, she complements me a lot, and she tries to help probably more than she should. But she never goes halfway and it's kind of overwhelming. Maybe I'm just not used to it."

"Maybe." Tarun said, "Anyone else?"

"'Mabel has a twin brother, Dipper Pines. Weird name, right? He's the complete opposite of his sister. Pretty quiet and reserved. Pretty smart. Doesn't have many friends. A lot of people think he's weird; like, paranoid, conspiracy theorist, head in the clouds weird. There are some far-fetched rumors that he's messed with some people you don't mess with – Chad Walker (don't buy anything from him, ever), Shelby Dean (do yourself a favor and never talk to her), and Adam Cole (grade-A asshole)."

"Strange. Have you talked to him?"

Rin shrugged, "He's in most of my classes. But I can't say I've interacted with him beyond passing homework and papers back." She went on to talk about the rest of the school, but her overview practically went in one ear and out the other. This Dipper kid sounded interesting.

At lunch, he snagged a plate of questionable food from the cafeteria line before scanning the sparsely populated tables. He had arrived early, and he didn't see Mabel, so he asked the nearest person, "Do you know where Dipper Pines is?"

A flash of something that might be fear or confusion flickered across the other boy's face, "Why are you asking?"

"I'm new here." Tarun fibbed, "I was supposed to talk to him about the literature unit, since we're in that class together."

The boy looked relieved as he pointed to the other end of the cafeteria, "That table by the doors. He's the one with the brown hair."

"Should I say 'hi' for you?" Tarun asked, just to see the boy's reaction. "What's your name?"

"Jason. And no." the boy sidled away, nervous again, "Don't mention anything about me."

Tarun watched as the boy practically ran in the other direction. Curiouser and Curiouser, to quote his favorite novel. Rather than delay the mystery, he made his way over to the table of one, Dipper Pines.

"May I sit here?" he asked.

Dipper looked up, his brown eyes briefly unfocused as they adjusted from his book to the person in front of him. Confusion curled his brow, followed by an attempt at casual.

"Sure."

Tarun sat across from him, noting his wiry frame, skinny arms, and plain clothes. It would be easy to say that Dipper Pines was nondescript. There was nothing on his immediate person that stood out other than a strange set of leather bracelets, a single golden triangle sewn into the worn material of each one.

But that was just the surface.

Dipper was studying him intently. Tarun could feel himself being expertly sized up. Paranoid, Rin had said. But Tarun was no stranger to such scrutiny. It had happened on too many occasions at too many dinner parties with his parents. Best solution: conversation.

"What are you reading?"

Dipper tipped the book up so Tarun could read the cover. It read 'The Long Earth' in blocky letters on a background of fields with multiple planets floating on the horizon.

"What's it about?"

"The multiverse."

Conspiracy theorist, Rin had said. "Interesting."

"Who are you?" Dipper asked somewhat coolly, "I may not be extraordinarily observant when it comes to people, but I know I've never see you before."

"I'm a new student. Tarun Bajaj." He offered his hand.

Dipper returned to his book.

"Not fond of handshakes?"

Dipper stiffened. "Mysophobia."

It was an obvious lie. But it was so interesting. He had been here for less than half a day, and already, Tarun had so many questions about this kid. He wasn't even sure where to start. But most importantly, he didn't want to set Dipper on guard. If that happened, he would never learn a thing. And it would happen if he wasn't careful.

"If it isn't Mr. Tarun." A cheery voice came from behind him. Tarun turned just in time to see Mabel smack down her lunch tray and sit beside him. Again, her gigawatt smile was in place. "How did you happen to come across my dear brother?" she turned to her twin, "And gasp! Dipper, are you actually making friends?"

"No." Dipper's voice was monotone as he flipped a page.

"A boy named Jason told me that you were the right person to catch me up in Literature class." Tarun offered a variation of his earlier fib, "Though he seemed a little on edge. What was that about?"

Mabel stifled a giggle behind a hand. A razor smirk crept across Dipper's face. Tarun wasn't sure whether he should be amused or afraid. There was something off here, and Rin's words once again came back to him: 'he's messed with people you don't mess with'.

"We have a little arrangement with Mr. Wright." Mabel patted Tarun reassuringly on the shoulder, "It's no big deal."

Dipper scoffed.

"Anyway." Mabel continued, "Dipper, I have drama practice after school. Are you planning to stay at the library, or are you going home?"

Flipping another page, Dipper responded, "Actually, I was thinking about going to the park. You know," he glanced at Tarun, "to practice. Dad said I can't try the new ones within one hundred yards of any buildings or trees."

"Playing with fire, dear brother?" Mabel teased.

Dipper stuck out his tongue.

Tarun had begun to munch on his food as he watched the siblings converse. But his French fries were disgustingly soggy and tasteless. Excusing himself, he got up to grab a few packets of salt and pepper. When he returned, the siblings were engaged in a heated discussion.

"What are you talking about?" Tarun asked as he ripped open a paper packet. Pepper floated up into the air, tickling his nostrils. A deep breath and a brief moment later, Tarun heaved a giant sneeze into the crook of his arm.

"Bless you." Dipper said absentmindedly.

"Thanks." Tarun answered, returning to his food.

Only to find that his tray was now brimming with nearly three times as many french fries as he remembered receiving in the cafeteria line.

"What the?" Tarun muttered. His confusion drew Mabel's attention and her resulting squeal almost made him jump.

"Dipper!" she laughed, "You did it again!"

Dipper, Tarun noticed, was staring at the overflowing basket of french fries, red creeping into his cheeks. "It's not funny, Mabel." He grumbled, his tone laced with exasperation.

"You're right," Mabel wheezed, "It's not funny. It's hilarious. Do mine!"

"No."

"Um, guys." Tarun interjected, "What just happened?"

"Dipper, magicked your food." Mabel tried to catch her breath, "It sometimes happens when he isn't paying attention."

"Magic?"

"To answer your question," Dipper diverted the conversation, "We were talking about when we were going to go hunting for a Lorous."

"What's that?" Tarun queried, picking up one of his mysteriously multiplied french fries – and there was no way he was letting the magic thing drop.

"They're perspicacious creatures that will answer one question for you every time you catch them. I need Mabel's help, because she's much better at it than me." Dipper explained.

Head in the clouds, Rin had said.

"Could I come with you?"

Both twins turned to stare at him as if his food had magically multiplied again.

"What?"

"No one's ever…" Mabel began.

"…Offered to come with us." Dipper finished.

Tarun shrugged, "I don't see why not. It sounds like fun."

"Okay then." Dipper took a deep breath, "Meet us at the bus stop on Sunnyside Drive by eight on Saturday morning. The fare will be about ten dollars total."

"Cool." Tarun smiled at the little victory.

"And sorry for magicking your fries, man."

"Why are you apologizing?" Tarun exclaimed, "I have more french fries. And they taste even better than before!"

Dipper offered a small smile.

So when Saturday rolled around, Tarun found himself standing under the eaves of the local bus stop, wrapped in a hoodie to ward off the early spring chill. Dipper arrived shortly after, yawning, but looking otherwise prepared with a backpack stuffed full of who knew what. When Tarun asked where Mabel was, Dipper simply responded that she was usually slow getting out of bed and would be there shortly.

Which she was.

Carrying a small, sparkly thing cupped in her hands.

"Mabel," Dipper sighed, "Why do you have a pixie?"

Upon closer inspection, Tarun observed two things: a small humanoid thing with wings and raw scratches crosshatching Mabel's knuckles.

"I cut through the park to get here," Mabel said rapid-fire, spilling the story to her brother, "And you know that rock troll that lives under the bridge by the gazebo? Well, he was bullying the pixies by pulling up all the wildflowers. And I got mad and punched him. But punching a rock troll isn't super effective. So I came to get you and this pixie offered to heal my hands with her pixie dust in exchange for our help."

Sure enough, as Tarun stared, he saw glitter shed off the pixies wings, sink into Mabel's skin, and shrink the abrasions on her knuckles until they were just red splotches.

Either the Pines twins' weirdness was contagious, or this was real.

Dipper turned to Tarun, his face simultaneously apologetic and serious, "It looks like we might need to do the Lorous hunting another day. We better go deal with the troll first."

"How are we going to do that?" it was only due to years of practice that his voice remained steady.

Dipper pushed up his long sleeves, and in the early morning light, Tarun caught sight of his scars. A pattern of welts that looked suspiciously like the word 'BEWARE' and tiny columns of four dots that were reminiscent of fork imprints decorated his arms in addition to his leather bracelets. But most of all, he noticed that Dipper's smile had grown to fill his face, its intensity rivaling his sister's for the first time since they had met. A spark jumped between his fingers.

"Magic."

And while Tarun's stint at Piedmont High School was short, it sure as hell was interesting.

Whelp. This one got away from me. But I've been wanting to write about this character since I started working on this story: someone who is just as smart as Dipper, only with different interests. They are good friends, sounding boards for each other's ideas, and confidants for their true career goals (originally, this kid was supposed to have a political agenda, but I had to scrap that because it wouldn't fit). Tarun was born to be savvy and handle himself well in pretty much any situation. He's not easily surprised and likes exposure to all sorts of new ideas.

I had quite a few people mention (Wild card in the deck, Guest, maybe others?) that they wanted a new student, gathering the word on the street about the Pines twins. So this idea is like, an outsider's outsider look… sorry, that doesn't make much sense XP

Anyway, I have one more chapter for the main series. But take heart! For after that, I have written an epilogue (or two :|) which is longer than the normal chapters. And there is this other GF project that I've been working on... *mutters incoherently* …that still needs TONS of work.

Thank you all so much for reading this far. You're reviews and comments brighten my day so much, you have no idea ^.^