Chapter 26

Tambry had jogged out of sight from the picnicking couple seated on the blanket.

"Can you believe that?" Wendy threw a hand with fingers spread in Tambry's direction.

"Believe what?"

"Tambry!" Wendy crossed her arms and looked to the side. "Humph! Bending over like that, how…how cliché!"

I better play it safe. "What, you mean picking up her Frisbee?"

Wendy turned her head around to look at him with an unbelieving tilt, her crossed arms still facing away from him. Her eyes not lowered in love, but in cynicism. It was pretty loud and clear: Come on, you can't be THAT clueless, are you? She turned back around without saying anything.

"Wendy?"

Dipper touched her shoulder. "Wendy?"

The redhead threw her hands up in the air fingers spread, and nodded as she spoke:

"OK, OK, I'm jealous all right? She bent over on purpose, she was flirting with you again Dipper! On purpose! Right in front of me!"

"Wendy, I think she did it more to make you mad, not for me."

"I don't think so." She crossed her arms again and looked away, closed her eyes, frowning.

Dipper now put his hands on both of her shoulders from behind.

"Wendy, don't you trust me?"

Wendy uncrossed her arms and slowly turned around with hurt eyes and her mouth open in revelation. She stared at the young man that continued to surprise her every day.

WOW. I did not see that coming from a fourteen and a half year old! He is SO mature for his age!

"Oh Dipper." She leaned over and hugged him as he simultaneously wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Oh Dipper, I'm sorry. Of course I trust you." And she leaned up. "I just don't trust her. Anymore. She has made it clear she is either going to use you as a weapon to taunt me, or…or…worse." She looked down.

"What do you mean worse?" He gently placed a hand under her chin and lifted her face to look at him.

"Dipper…she…"

"She what?"

Wendy still faced him, her chin still in his hand, but now she looked to the side.

"What is it Wendy?" She looked back up at him, and now with lips pressed tightly together but tears in her eyes.

"Remember…snif…when I told you…snif…I was your first, but not your last?"

"Yes, and it isn't true. You are my first and last and in between." And he kissed the first tear that ran down her cheek. It was the only thing he knew to do when she was sad.

Wendy now looked directly at him, straight into his eyes, right through her tears as her lips trembled in sadness.

"Wendy, I love you. And no one else." He kissed her but there was no receiving pucker, the frown remained, tasting of tears. He held her face with both hands now, and she reached up with her hands and grasped his wrists, holding on to him for dear life, and now she lowered her forehead to touch his.

"Dipper." She said it with so much pain and heartache, it scared him, he had never heard her cry like this before. "I love you too. So much Dipper, so much." And now she couldn't hold back any more: she cried with a loud painful sobbing, Dipper could only hold her and rock her as she let it out. Her mournful wail was breaking his heart, to see his strong, fearless Wendy collapsing from an unseen danger of the heart. Where is the tough girl I fell in love with? What is going on?

…

I am older than you Dipper. I have experience. And that means I can see into the crystal ball. Another girl will come along, and you will be tired of me. It will be *your* turn to taste new hearts, new lips, just as I did. But I am an old familiar taste now, my lips jaded and too well known. You love a beautiful mistress and her name is Mystery. She changes faces! And she will steal you away from me. I am your first, but I won't be your last…

…

Tambry felt a new freedom as she jogged back home, a liberation from the cyber-chains of her blogging. There was more to life than the internet! She went out and lived just one day of life and look what happened! She got a hug from Dipper! WITH Wendy's knowledge! Out in the open! And Dipper…he seemed to care about her, even defended her before Wendy's anger! She actually came out ahead from Wendy attacking her! Real life was far more stimulating and rewarding than blogging, and Dipper was SO much an upgrade over Robbie! His shaggy hair in my hands, the taste of his skin when I kissed his forehead, but even more, being held in his strong arms when he hugged me back. I could feel his breath on my cheek! And he smelled so good. She began to imagine her and Dipper together. Am I…could it be…no. Not love. Can't be. Not yet. He's…he's just a really nice guy. It must be the rebound effect from being dumped by Robbie…Well Robbie, I am dumping YOU! For a really nice upgrade…yeah…

…

Dipper was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

"What's so funny Dip?"

He turned to face his sister. "What?"

"What's so funny? You're smiling."

Oh crap. "Oh uh, just a wonderful day with Wendy, that's all. We had a picnic." She is going to be able to tell I'm lying. Wendy's crying scared the hell out of me, but…Tambry…her hug made me smile just now, just remembering it.

"You already told me that. Still thinking about it eh? Or something else?" Mabel smiled.

"Uh…yeah." And he rolled over on his side towards the wall. There was the Doctor Fun Times and Crew photo. With Tambry. The same Tambry who kissed him. I can still feel her soft moist lips on my forehead, as she held my face in her hands. Her gentle soft hands. She…I could really tell she cared about me. And when she kneeled in front of me, those thighs, those healthy thighs and smooth legs, and that tan skin, and her curvy hips filling out those shorts... but those eyes! Her eyelashes are so different from Wendy's…and her lips…

He was surprised when she kissed him. Pleasantly surprised. And later she hugged me. She was so soft and cuddly. Wendy is a little soft too but more firm and…well, she's got muscle. But Tambry…is different…

"Dipper!" He sat up in surprise, knocking his pillow onto the floor.

"What? What?" And he looked at his sister. She wasn't smiling. Oh oh.

Mabel got up off of her bed, and came over to his, and sat on the edge.

"Brobro…just so you know…I know."

His eyes went wide in panic. "Know? Know what? What are you talking about?"

Mabel relaxed her eyes in loving concern but still wasn't smiling.

"Don't worry. I won't tell her, that's between you and her."

"Tell what? Who? What…"

"Last night, in your sleep you said 'Tambry'. You were dreaming about her. Pillow talk."

"What? No way! I love Wendy!"

Mabel put a loving hand on his shoulder. "Like I said, I won't tell brobro." And she leaned over and kissed his cheek, and then got up and went to her bed. "Goodnight…Don Juan! heeheehee!" and she pulled the covers over her as she turned to face the photo wall.

Dipper just stared at his sister. She knows me better than I know myself.

…

The next day Dipper and Soos drove down town in the golf cart to pick up a few cases of Pitt to stock up the vending machine. As they drove past the strip mall, Dipper saw his nemesis Robbie in the music store. Not again. What a loser. They drove to the next block to the warehouse and parked.

Next to the grocery warehouse was a woman's clothing discount warehouse. Soos got out and started walking into the food warehouse. He threw Dipper the keys. "Watch the cart dude, be right back."

"Sure Soos." And Dipper started checking out two teenage girls who just came out of the clothing warehouse, giggling and laughing. Then Tambry came out! She was wearing a casual grey running suit and white sneakers, carrying a bag of newly purchased clothes.

"Oh, Dipper! Hi!" She looks really glad to see me! She ran up to him.

"HI Tambry! Uh…you're not carrying any Frisbees are you haha!"

"Haha! Very funny Dipper, very funny, you little troublemaker haha!" and she reached up and pinched his cheek!

"Haha! Aw, you know I forgave you right? No big deal."

"Yeah of course…" she stopped smiling and now looked bothered by something. Dipper turned around.

"Well guess who's also fangirling over loser boy."

Dipper knew who it was before he even turned around. "Robbie, leave us alone."

"No, you leave her alone, she's outta your league little boy."

"Robbie, shutup!" Tambry folded her arms.

"What? You shutup! You left me without saying goodbye!"

"Well you didn't call me or text me to ask where I was…jerk!"

Dipper was getting angry and stood in front of Tambry.

"Leave us alone."

"Why, what are you going to do about it punk?"

Robbie stepped up to Dipper but then he quickly learned this was a different confrontation than the last one they had years ago. Dipper was the same height as Robbie and was staring him eye to eye.

"Go away Valentino."

"Make me, dork." And Robbie pushed him into Tambry, almost knocking her over.

Dipper turned around to look at her. "You OK?"

"DIPPER! LOOK OUT!"

He turned back to face Robbie and SMACK! Robbie punched his jaw, but Stan had kept teaching Dipper about fighting. When Robbie saw that Dipper was stunned but not yet down, he threw another punch, but he lost the element of surprise and Dipper raised his arm and blocked it, and then with his other arm he swung at Robbie and punched him straight in the nose! Robbie fell backwards into the golf cart and hit his head on the edge of the fender and fell on his butt on the ground. Now his nose and the back of his head were bleeding, as was Dipper's bottom lip.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Robbie jumped up and grabbed Dippers tee shirt by his neck before Dipper could swing, and twirled him around and threw him into the cart with a BANG as he hit the hood, but Dipper remained standing and swung at Robbie, hitting his cheekbone and jarring his head backwards, his jaw snapped shut with a double click! Robbie went down onto the asphalt, flat out stunned.

"Dipper! Dipper are you ok?" Tambry ran to him and held his arm, and touched his lip.

"Stay back Tambry!" But Robbie wasn't getting back up, it was all he could do to roll his head around and trying to focus on where Dipper was with crossed eyes, and then his head dropped back on the ground and he lay still. Various warehouse workers and store employees and customers all ran out and circled the battleground, and someone called the police…

…

"But officer, Robbie started it!"

"He was flat on the ground unconscious and your boyfriend was still standing, so I gotta book him."

My …my boyfriend?…I…I like the sound of that!

"But officer…"

"Sorry Miss. We already got your side of the story. Since he is a juvenile it will be up to the local DA to decide whether to prosecute or not, there will be an investigation and then we'll let you know."

And two other sheriffs handcuffed Dipper and put him in the back of the police car. He looked up at Tambry with a worried look from behind the bulletproof glass. She ran up to the car window with both hands and pressed her face to it.

"It'll be OK Dipper! And Thank you!" and closing her eyes, she kissed the window. Handcuffed wrists behind him, Dipper touched his forehead on his side of the window of her lavender lipstick kiss print. Then the police car drove away.

That's the second time this week he saved me. What a strong boy, I think I love him! I...LOVE…HIM!