"Oh, afterglow, look out below; we left a trail of dust behind.
As we parted ways, she held my gaze, and left an imprint on my mind.
I tried not to cry as we said goodbye, and hung the clouds above my town,
but I shed a tear when she disappeared, 'cause now I'm a stranger on the ground."
"Sunburn," by Owl City
Chapter 1 – The Calm Before the Storm
"HAHAHAHA!"
Dipper Pines lowered his head as he once more found himself to be the source of instant humiliation. He hurried though the onlookers, not daring to take a second glance back at the gathering mocking his current predicament. As soon as he sped pass the small crowd, he looked up and continued forward on his journey.
Despite his awkward situation, Dipper couldn't blame the bystanders for their reaction. The teen figured that if the situation was reversed – and he happened to catch some poor sap stuck like this, he'd probably laugh at their misfortune as well.
His tiny body ached and throbbed with every inch traveled, but the prize hoisted right in front of him was a constant reminder that all of his pain and suffering would be well worth the effort.
He had searched far and wide for the object of his affections – or to be more specific, her affections. Dipper's quest to seek it out had left him empty-handed in his summer-time home of Gravity Falls, Oregon. After a day of calling around, the determined twelve year had finally found his answer…two towns over.
Deeming the task to be too far to partake by foot, Dipper pleaded with any of his friends and family (especially those with valid driver's licenses) to help him, only to be told that the trip was too far out of their way.
Left without any other option, the tween desperately consulted with his twin sister, Mabel, in hopes of finding a solution to his problem. The petite girl draped in an oversized sweater leapt off of the worn out sofa in the parlor of the Mystery Shack and ran out the door. Dipper followed suit, becoming somewhat weary by what answer Mabel had come up with.
When he finally caught up, Dipper saw that his sister had gone around to the back of the dilapidated cabin, and with a swing of her arms, she proudly presented the key to his salvation, "TA-DA!"
Dipper stared at his metal-mouthed sibling in disbelief, "You…You've got to be kidding me, right?"
Her smile vanished as she placed his hands on her hips, "Well, do you have any better ideas?"
Faced with the awful truth, Dipper could only hang his head and sigh…
Seeing that there wasn't any other choice, he walked pass Mabel and hopped onto her prized pinkish-purple bicycle. As Dipper gripped the handles, he quickly let go as the tassels dangling from each side had gotten caught within his stubby fingers.
He glared down to see the beige, flower-stamped wicker basket fastened to the front of the bike. "Well," Dipper looked on the positive side, "At least I don't have to balance it on my legs on the way back…"
As Dipper was about to set off on his course, Mabel heaved a heavy, solid object into her twin's chest. His sights shot down as it landed into his arms, "What is this…WHAT?! No way, Mabel! I can't use this!"
"Don't be such a baby, Dipper!" Mabel commented, "You have to wear something! If not, the cops are going to pull you over! Besides, what happens if an accident happens and you get hurt…?"
Growing somewhat annoyed by the ever-changing terms that fate tossed his way, Dipper removed his trademark blue and white pine tree trucker cap and strapped Mabel's sticker-covered pink helmet onto his head.
Finally ready to leave towards his destination, Dipper peddled his way towards the edge of town (in hopes of avoiding being seen by any of the townsfolk) and proceeded onwards in his expedition. For almost three strenuous hours, he followed the directions the man over the phone gave him, braving seedy side roads, seemingly ever-lasting overpasses, as well as the occasional, ignorant, local huckster poking fun: "Whatcha' doing there, boy? That there's a girl's bike!"
At long last, Dipper had arrived. He slumped against the handlebars to catch his breath as his brown eyes scanned the scenery. Countless stands and tents stood anchored firmly to the ground. The smell of sweetened, greasy food filled the atmosphere, quickly invading the starving young adult's nostrils. Numerous rides towered above his small stature as they spun happy customers 'round and 'round until they reached the verge of nausea.
It had taken Dipper days to find them, but he had tracked down the organization that had set up his Grunkle Stan's Mystery Fair earlier that summer. Still resting on Mabel's bicycle, Dipper scanned the newly established carnival until he found his goal. With renewed strength, he hopped off the bike and walked into the establishment with it in hand.
A sense of déjà vu quickly overcame Dipper as he noted the row of familiar looking inter-species plushies placed above a nearby booth. As if he was haunted by a ghost, the voice of his crush echoed through the back of his mind:
"I don't know if it's a duck or a panda, but I want one!"
Dipper forced himself to push the nostalgia from his thoughts. The last thing that he needed was to have history repeat itself. With a bit of gusto in his step, Dipper walked up to the counter and ruffled through his pockets in order to pay the fare.
The all-too-familiar carnie batted an eye at the exhausted lad, "Say, haven't I seen you before?"
Too exhausted to reply, Dipper panted breathlessly as the man went on with his story, "You remind me of a boy that I saw when we did a gig a few towns over. The lil' runt was trying to win one of these dolls for this pretty little thing at his side. It was a peculiar sight. The fella was about half her size; a bit bigger than one of these plushes…"
"I –Imagine that…"
"Instead, he ended up giving his lass a black eye!" The elder shook his head, "Poor kid; had to be the worst case of dangerous lumber I've seen in my life!"
Fed up with having his mistakes constantly thrown in his face, Dipper stepped up to the plate and threw a dollar down on the chipped, wooden finish. "One, please…"
After being handed the baseball, Dipper effortlessly hurled it through the stack of bottles at the other end of the display, making them clink loudly onto the ground. The barker was befuddled at the behavior of the child before him. Most of his customers would go into a frenzy upon winning one of his cheap wares, and yet, here this boy was, merely standing there as if he had done this a million times before.
"Congrat –"
"Can I just get the panda-duck, please?"
The man surrendered his prize without saying another word. Having the toy clutched tightly against his chest, Dipper quickly bowed his head and thanked the operator before retreating back into the crowd. The worker scratched his head at the sight of the disappearing adolescent, before setting his vision on new, approaching customers.
With his goal finally accomplished, Dipper loaded the stuffed creature of indeterminate species into the basket on Mabel's bicycle. He checked his watch to see that it was a few minutes after twelve-noon. If he was to leave this second, there was still a chance he would be able to make it back to the Mystery Shack before Wendy started her afternoon shift.
Hopping back on the somewhat-embarrassing bike, Dipper huffed and puffed back the way he came. The sun, now fully raised overhead, beamed down on the pint-sized traveler, making him sweat out of every orifice of his body.
After going on for what seemed like forever, Dipper felt a sense of relief as he flew past a nearby billboard:
"WELCOME TO GRAVITY FALLS!"
Dipper let out a heavy sigh, hoping that with a little bit of luck, everything would be over with, and back to normal in a couple of hours. Lost in his thoughts, he ignored the gawking townspeople and turned into Main Street. Dipper didn't care if random strangers were laughing at him anymore. The only thing that mattered was that he was going to do whatever it took to make things right with her. He slammed on the brakes as he passed the Gravity Falls Arcade. Just seeing the run-down establishment lifted some weight from his shoulders as It brought back somewhat happier (albeit, crazier) memories.
A few weeks before, he had celebrated his thirteenth birthday (alongside his twin sister, Mabel). That morning, Dipper had found a note sent by a mysterious admirer inviting him to the arcade. At first, he was incredibly nervous to set foot in the game room. It had only been a few days since he had accidentally released the video game warrior, Rumble McSkirmish, from the digital realm and deceived him into becoming his personal bodyguard. When the truth was finally exposed, Dipper received the beating of a lifetime before the crazed brute was returned back from whence he came.
The absolute last thing that Dipper wanted was to have a repeat of that day…
However, it turned out that his aficionado was none other than Wendy Corduroy, the tall, lanky, gingered cashier girl that Dipper had fallen head over heels for. Much to his surprise, the teenaged lumberjack had secretly plotted to give her pal the best birthday gift that she could think of: a relaxing day of just the two of them hanging out and having fun! She had even gone through the trouble of baking him a personalized chocolate birthday cake complete with a "13" candle lit on top!
The duo spent countless hours breaking the current high scores and playfully competed by one another. It had been the moment with his main squeeze that Dipper had always hoped for. Unfortunately, the second the usually-paranoid detective let his defenses down, tragedy struck.
Once again, Rumble had broken through to the real world and abducted Wendy, believing her to be Dipper's "freckled-face princess." He challenged Dipper to enter his dimension and find his crush before she was trapped there forever. Without a second thought, the brave lad dove through to the other universe, traveling from gaming world to gaming world in search of his friend.
At the same time, Wendy had escaped from Rumble's clutches and set off to find Dipper before he walked into the villain's trap. Together, the twosome faced off against several evil forces (including Wendy's gothic boyfriend, Robbie V., who had teamed up with Rumble due to their shared hatred for the twelve-year old) before finally reuniting.
It was also then that Dipper's greatest secret came to light, prompting Wendy to have a talk with her "little hero." While she admitted that she cared for him as he did for her, both adolescents acknowledged that there were several factors that kept them from being a "bona-fide couple." Nevertheless, to Wendy and Dipper, such a detail was dismal. The whole experience had only strengthen their bond and succeeded in bringing them closer together.
Upon discovering the way home, the pair awoke in each other's arms back in the real world, much to the shock of Mabel and Robbie. Much to Dipper's dismay, they claimed that the adventure was nothing but a magnificent dream. He tried his best to convince Wendy otherwise, but left without any evidence of their journey, she had to take the word of her co-worker and her boyfriend.
Before they parted ways, Wendy had made a promise to her young charge: even if everything she had gone through was merely a fantasy, she would never forget what had occurred between them that day…
Dipper took one last look at the Arcade before he continued back towards home. As he thought about the situation more, a brightened smile, the first he had in days, had spread across his face! In spite of the unusual circumstance, Wendy had indeed kept her word. He had officially become her genuine partner in crime, being included in nearly all of the girl's misadventures. It had gotten to the point that Wendy was hanging out with Dipper almost as much as any of her High School friends; something that the grateful tween truly appreciated with all of his heart.
He sighed in despair at the mere thought of having all that he treasured possibly ruined forever…
As he left the center of town, making his way towards Stan's Mystery Shack nestled deep within the Gravity Falls Woods, Dipper took notice of the gorgeous and majestic mountainside in the distance. Furthermore, one particular spot caught his eye, making a surge of bitterness rise up from within his small frame.
"Lookout Point…" Dipper scoffed. The mere mention of that place made him think about how this whole mess started in the first place. Earlier in the week, Dipper and Wendy were amusing themselves by creating hilarious voice-overs to the Gift Shop's security feed when Robbie walked in. The older teen invited his girlfriend to a small gathering on the cliffside, when Wendy exploded over being stood up the night before.
As the couple started to argue, Dipper retreated to the Mystery Shack's front room, only to eavesdrop from the other side of the door. He watched with glee as the furious redhead was seconds away from breaking up with his despised rival. At the last minute, the creepy pseudo-musician pulled a mysterious black-bottomed CD from a case shaped like the Necronomicon ex Mortis – the Book of the Dead – and proceeded to serenade his peeved beau.
Dipper raised an eyebrow as he noticed something changed within his beloved friend. The anger and rage had disappeared from Wendy's freckled face, only to be replaced with a wide-eyed and mystified look. She shook her head and rubbed her emerald eyes, as if she had just awakened from a long slumber. A moment later, all was seemingly forgiven, and Wendy agreed to Robbie's request, sealing the deal with a kiss on his pocked-filled cheek, making Dipper's mouth drop in disgust.
Determined to find out what happened to his main squeeze, Dipper spent the entire day analyzing the strange disk, trying his best to learn the secret within. After successfully converting the track to old-fashioned vinyl record, the small detective was left unsure on where to take his research next, until Robbie V. himself unwittingly gave Dipper a clue; by playing the track backwards, he discovered that a hypnotic message was hidden alongside the cheesy rock-ballad.
At first, Dipper rejoiced at exposing the secret behind the song until he came to a horrific realization: Wendy had been mesmerized by the tune and was now in the clutches of his deceptive nemesis. Without a moment's notice, he flew out the door, and aided by his great-uncle, raced to the rescue.
After an hour of endless searching, Dipper finally spotted Robbie's rustic van parked all alone by the hillside (contrary to what he told Wendy earlier). With the velocity of a madman, his Grunkle Stan drove up the knoll, nearly wrecking his beloved, cherry-red "Stanley Mobile" in the process. Dipper rushed from the classic jalopy to his crush's side, presenting her with every piece of evidence he had uncovered.
Wendy instantly changed from shocked and surprised to disgusted and outraged. She turned towards her boyfriend, demanding to know the truth behind Dipper's claims. When all was said and done, the ginger dumped the constantly-fibbing goth, not because he had tried to use magic to warp her mind, but simply because the song Robbie had claimed to written for her wasn't truly hers!
Dipper cheered beside Stan (who lived vicariously through his nephew's efforts) as at long last, Robbie was exposed as the treacherous sneak he truly was. However, as Wendy walked away from the chaos, the hero chased after his damsel, offering to take her out for a game of bowling to put the ugliness behind them, acting as if nothing important had just happened.
Wendy turned around and let all heck break loose, shouting to the top of her lungs that her younger counterpart was just as self-centered and ignorant as her ex. Being the very last thing he ever expected, Dipper stood motionless like a deer caught in headlights as she persisted with her tirade. As soon as Wendy finished speaking her mind, she quickly covered her tear-filled green eyes and quickly disappeared into the darkness of the neighboring woods.
Dipper wanted to give chase after his heartbroken counterpart, but stopped in his tracks, figuring that anything he could say would possibly make things even worse. Later that night, Dipper sat alone with his thoughts, wondering to himself if he had done the right thing. Seeing the troubled youth, Stan joined him, offering to share an ice-cold six pack of Pitt Cola.
He confessed his thoughts to the old man, "…she probably hates me now…"
"Ah, chin up, kid!" Stan encouraged, taking a long swig of his beverage, "You were tryin' to do the right thing; even though you destroyed a relationship and part of my car…"
"You think she'll ever forgive me?"
"Ah, I bet she will…"
Dipper lowered his head as his mind became plagued by endless doubt, ensuring that he wouldn't get a good night's sleep. The next morning, the Pines twins were busy doing their individual chores in the Mystery Shack's Gift Shop when the screened door opened. Wendy stepped out from behind and saw the petite girl whistling to herself happily next to the register.
"Hey, there, sunshine!" the redhead greeted. "What's shakin'?"
"Wendy!"
A glimmer of hope shined in Dipper's heart as he watched the two girls converse from across the room. All worry disappeared from his consciousness as the fifteen-year-old appeared to be back to her friendly and laid-back old self. "It's like Grunkle Stan said," he thought to himself, "Maybe Wendy just needed time to let some steam off…"
He called out, "Hi, Wen – " only to stop in mid-sentence.
As soon as the smallest sound came out of Dipper's mouth, the teen instantaneously turned her head and shot him an angry glare, making him freeze in place. The emerald eyes that he loved so much were now searing through him like hot coals.
"Whoa! If looks could kill, I'd would have probably died five times over before I'd hit the ground!"
Without taking her sights off of the trembling boy in front of him, Wendy once more addressed his twin sister, "Say, Mabel. I was kinda running late this morning, so I missed out on some breakfast. Let's say you and I sneak away and catch a quick bite to eat?" Her brow narrowed as she finished, ensuring that Dipper received the implied message.
"Um…" Mabel went back and forth between her brother and her co-worker, well aware that something was definitely amiss, "…yeah…sure! Sounds great!"
"Good!" Wendy flashed a smile, making her way towards Dipper, "I'll check around to make sure Stan's out of sight…" As she slowly walked past the still-stunned child, the same furious expression glued on her dimpled face, every hair on his body stood on end until Wendy had reached the parlor door, "I'll be waiting for ya outside, okay?"
The second Wendy's footfalls disappeared into the distance, Mabel ran to her twin's side and repeatedly shook him by the shoulders, "WHAT – WAS – THAT?!"
Dipper merely hung his head, "Tell me about it…"
Mabel gave him a sly grin, "Ohhh…" she laughed, "I get it now!" She playfully poked and prodded at her sibling's midsection, making him groan and twitch as she sang in a sing-song voice, "Somebody's in the doghouse!"
"That's not funny, Mabel!" Dipper shouted, pushing her stubby hands away from his ticklish spots, "To be honest, it's…" The haunting image of his livid beloved was burnt into his mind, "…it's kinda scary…"
"Yeah," she agreed. "I don't think I've ever seen Wendy that mad…well, ever!"
Seeing Dipper sunk further into the dumps, Mabel reached out in support, "You wanna talk about it?"
Dipper shook his head, "Not really…"
"Mabel! Get a move on!"
She quickly ran past Dipper, following the sound of Wendy's voice. "Don't worry," she replied, rolling her brown eyes, "I'm sure that I'll hear all about it one way or another…"
"Wait a second!" Dipper twirled around and threw out his arms, "You're still going?!"
"Why wouldn't I?! It's free food, and besides, Wendy's not mad at me!"
Dipper went to raise a finger to protest, but after quickly closed his gaping mouth, knowing when to admit complete and utter defeat. As Mabel headed out the front door, he took Wendy's position on the stool behind the counter of the Gift Shop, since he was the only one left to watch the Shack. Lowering his head onto his open palms, Dipper sat in misery, waiting for any unsuspecting travelers to stumble upon the tourist trap, as he pondered on what to do to get himself out of this mess…
Although his legs and back were throbbing in pain, Dipper swiftly pulled up to the backyard of the Mystery Shack and jumped off the purple bicycle with his prize in hand. He peeked around the corner to see that Wendy's red bike wasn't locked up in front. He still had time to pull off his caper!
Using the family entrance, Dipper opened the door, panda-duck tucked carefully under his arm, and found Mabel sitting with her pet pig Waddles in Stan's giant recliner as they watched the worst that Gravity Falls Television had to offer.
Mabel looked to her left to see her brother in the doorway. "Hey, there!" she welcomed. "So, are you out of the doghouse yet?"
He set down the doll as he opened a nearby drawer, "That's still not funny, Mabel!" Dipper searched through its contents until he found remnants of a red ribbon. He carefully tied it evenly around the plushie, finishing it off with a purposely-huge bow at the tip. "There! It's perfect!"
Her brown eyes widened upon seeing the oversized toy, "Ooh!" she adored, leaping from the chair. Mabel raced towards the panda-duck, nearly clipping Waddles in the process, "I want one!"
"Ah-bah-bah!" Dipper hoisted the gift above his head, "This isn't for you!" As he walked into the Gift Shop, Mabel followed along at her twin's heels.
"Oh, come on, Dipper!" she complained. "Just let me get it! It's not like it's going to work anyways!"
A sense of panic rose up within Dipper's already-nervous psyche, "What do ya mean it's not gonna work?! It's got to work!" He walked around Wendy's counter, and placed the toy on the desk with careful, pinpoint precision. Dipper hastened back towards the parlor, only to have his sister go on behind his back.
"Face it, Dip!" Mabel nagged further, "None of that other stuff did the trick, so what makes you think that this will?"
Dipper stopped in his tracks, reflecting on what was just said. It wasn't that the thought hadn't crossed his mind; he simply wished the doubt away, burying it layer after layer within his awareness. Still, Mabel's comment did have ounces of truth within it…
Nearly a week had passed since the incident at Lookout Point, and the aftermath was starting to get to Dipper; the constant, irritated stares, the seemingly-everlasting bouts of silent treatment, and overall sense of extreme loneliness had driven him to the breaking point. It was there and then that Dipper decided that he couldn't wait another moment for time to heal Wendy's wounds. He had to do whatever it took in order to get back into her good graces again.
Later that day, as Wendy was making her usual rounds outside of the Mystery Shack, Dipper had crept into the empty Gift Shop and prepared a surprise for the ginger that he hoped would melt her icy heart. He had spent his morning in the Gravity Falls Forest, searching for and gathering the loveliest flowers that he could find (his hands fresh with thorn wounds for his efforts). Dipper tried his best to create the most eloquent bouquet despite his limited resources, leaving the gift on Wendy's counter and sneaking away into the living room just before the super-tall redhead walked in.
For what felt like hours on end, Dipper sat alone in Stan's recliner, nervously jittering as he lifted his head every few seconds towards the door leading into the Gift Shop, praying that any moment, Wendy would appear from behind it, and just say anything to him. He knew that it was beyond reasonable asking to expect a forgiving hug (or heaven forbid, a peck on the cheek), but at this point, the wrecked boy was desperate for any sort of positive interaction with the friend he missed so much.
As night fell as last, Dipper's ears perked up as he heard a voice shout out from the next room: "Hey, guys! I'm heading out for the night! I'll see you tomorrow morning!"
The exit door slammed loudly, prompting Dipper to rise to his feet. He tip-toed to the Gift Shop entrance and opened it slightly, peering into the area. The usually-messy store had been straighten and swept up neatly. Wendy had indeed gone home as there wasn't anyone behind the register. Much to Dipper's chagrin, all traces of his present had vanished from the room.
When he approached the cleansed countertop, something in the garbage pail next to the wooden structure caught the corner of his eye. He peeped into the can, only to gasp aloud at the discovery.
Wendy's bouquet lay torn, broken, and wrecked at the bottom of the trash. The boot prints embedded in the soft wrapping clearly indicated that the defenseless plants were mercilessly stomped on. Being sure to leave the mess in a freshly–laid bag where it was easy to see, Wendy had obviously made her intentions clear.
Dipper pulled his head back as his stomach began to boil, "I knew I was in trouble…but this…"
He made a tactical retreat to his attic-converted bedroom in an attempt to calm his shaken nerves. Regardless of his failed attempt, the wheels in Dipper's mind began to turn as he contemplated on what course of action he should take next.
Over the next few days, Dipper made sure to be extra careful to not to bump into Wendy, lest risk increasing her rage. At the same time, he opted to do several odd jobs around the Shack in order to get a few extra dollars from his Grunkle Stan (something that he would have to fight tooth and nail to get out of the shifty senior). With his hard-earned money in hand, Dipper headed to the local bakery and ordered a box of the fanciest chocolate candies that he could afford. Sensing that the lad had someone special in mind with this treat, the kind-hearted clerk helping Dipper made sure to prepare the box with tender, loving care, sealing the package with a lavish bow.
Dipper whistled happily to himself as he made the trek back to the Shack with the sugary treat clasped underneath his noodle arm. This time around, he would try a different approach in winning back his enraged crush. Knowing that they had almost identical tastes when it came to their favorite snacks, Dipper figured that the best way to reach Wendy was through her stomach.
As was the case with his last attempt, he waited for the plucky lumberjack princess to leave her post, only to promptly sneak inside of the Gift Shop and place the small package in the middle of her register. He figured that there would be no way that Wendy would miss it.
Once again, he hid himself away in the next room as he waited in agony for a sign that his token of apology had worked to some degree. All of a sudden, the Gift Shop door swung open, making the over-anxious kid skip from his seat and exclaim, "I knew you'd – "
Instead of seeing his beloved acquaintance, Dipper's eyes lowered to ground–level as the door swung backwards. Waddles had contentedly galloped into the room, releasing a series of happy squeals and oinks. Dipper bent down on one knee to see that the pig's adorably-chubby face had been messily smeared with chocolate. It only took him a split second to realize what had happened.
"…like it…"
Dipper sunk down in hopelessness as Waddles fell back on his hind legs and started to lick the disappointed teenager's face.
"I guess…back to the drawing board…"
"Because it has to, Mabel!" Dipper argued back, wiping away all of his recent failures from his mind. He turned around to meet his doubting sister, "Because…if this doesn't work…I…don't know what else to do!"
Mabel took on a serious tone as she tried to offer her best advice, "Dipper, instead of trying to do all of these crazy things for Wendy, why don't you just apologize to her face-to-face?"
"How can I, Mabel? Wendy won't give me the time of day, yet alone let me talk to her!"
Despite the sincerity in her twin's voice, Mabel could tell there was something off.
"You are sorry for everything that happened, right?!"
After a moment of slight hesitation, Dipper replied, "Of course…"
Mabel holded her sweater-laced arms and stared crossly at him.
"Kinda…"
"What do you mean "kinda?!" she shouted, "How could you say that?!"
Dipper started to walk around the shop as he narrated, "You think I like making Wendy sad and having her hate my guts?" He twisted around, "But what was I supposed to do, Mabel? Just leave her like that with Robbie? Who knows what kind of awful fate he had planned for her? He coulda turned her into a vampire, or a zombie, or whatever kind of monster he really is!"
"Or," Mabel answered, "They could have just been playing "kissy-face" all night long…"
Upon hearing the disturbing detail, Dipper threw his hands upwards and started to rub his face, "You're really not helping here, Mabel…"
She walked up and put a supportive hand around his shoulder, "Look at it this way, Dipper: Robbie may have broken Wendy's heart, but you're the one that made her cry. What does that tell you?"
"But I had to stop him, Mabel!" Dipper threw his fist into his other empty palm, "It was for the greater good! Sure, I know it made Wendy mad, but at least she's safe. And if that's the way…"
He stopped in mid-sentence as they heard the sounds of heavy steps approaching the exit door. "It's her!" Dipper grabbed her hand, dragging Mabel off her feet, and into the living room.
Hiding behind the door, the Pines twins listened as their friend made her way across the counter. Abruptly, the sounds of her mud-stained boots faded away, only to be replacement with a mystified "Huh?!"
Shaking with anticipation, Dipper gently nudged his sister towards the edge of the opening, "Take a look inside, PLEASE!" The braced girl squinted into the lit-up crack as Dipper went on, "Is she holding it? Is she hugging it?"
*RRRRRIIIIIPPPPPP!*
Mabel looked back at him with a pained expression on her face.
"Umm…maybe you should look for yourself…"
She stepped out of the way as Dipper took her spot at the slightly opened door. He glanced inside to see Wendy sitting on her stool at the Gift Shop register with her nose buried in the latest teen magazine.
"But where – where is…" As Dipper's sights aimed downward, he covered his mouth to avoid making his presence known.
At the side of the timber counter, the purple panda-duck lied decapitated against the trash bin. The torso sat comfortably against the silver cylinder; a pile of white fluff seemed to flow endlessly from its neck. The mixed-up head was placed upside-down on the other side. Its cheesy smile almost made it seem like the innocent doll hadn't suffered a dreadful fate.
Suddenly, the redhead looked up from her periodical and glared into the distance, directly into the widen eyes of Dipper Pines, as if she knew he was secretly watching. Her cold, green pupils dug into Dipper's very soul, prompting him to push away from the door.
"I'm…" Dipper stuttered, backpedaling as far as he could. "I promised Soos that I…that I would get everything ready to catch that flying creature the town's been talking about…"
Mabel confronted her stunned sibling, "But, Dipper…"
He had already raced up the stairs leading to the second floor by the time she could respond.
Taking a deep breath, Mabel pushed the door open, knowing that she would probably live to regret this meager attempt to aid in repairing the strained friendship.
Flashing the brightest smile that she could, Mabel greeted her co-worker, "Hiya, Wendy! What are you up –"
Without warning, the aggravated teenager slammed her reading material down on the counter and rose to her feet.
"Look, I know he's your brother…"
"But…"
"…and that you guys are close…"
"Yeah, but…"
Wendy pointed straight at the pint-sized pixie in front of her, "But don't think for one second that you're going to help his sorry, little-"
"But, Wendy!"
"WHAT?!"
Mabel pulled her arms behind her back and sheepishly said, "I was just seeing how you were holding up…"
The ginger pulled back, releasing that she had crossed a line with her outburst. "Sorry…" Wendy shrunk back down into her seat. In a calm manner, she admitted to her friend, "I didn't mean to snap like that, short stuff. It's just that lately, everything's been so – "
In her frustration, Wendy let her brown trapper hat fall into the counter. She shortly buried her face into it as she groaned out loud: "AAARRRGGGHHH!"
Seeing the bothered state of her buddy, Mabel walked up to Wendy, and placed her hand on her flannelled elbow, "This whole thing is eating you alive as much as it is Dipper, isn't it?"
Wendy replied, her voice muffled by her flurry cap, "My boyfriend turned out to be a total jerk. My other friends have been avoiding me because they don't want to get in the middle of Robbie and me, and Dipper…"
She turned her head to face Mabel. The little teen was surprised to see that Wendy's emerald eyes, now soft and shiny, were nearly tear-filled.
"Why won't he apologize to me?"
Mabel squeezed her harder, "Dipper's a smart guy, Wendy, but it just takes him a bit longer to get these kinda things."
With a *SNIFFLE*, Wendy sat back up, and used her hands to dry her eyes. Knowing that Dipper was no longer around, she reached down and retrieved the two parts of the fallen panda-duck doll. Opening the drawer in front of her, her fingers fiddled through the contents until she was able to find a sewing needle and some thread. Wendy carefully lined up the tears on the plushie and began to stitch the ruined toy back into one piece.
"So, you did like the dollie!"
"Of course I did, Mabel." Wendy explained as she went to work repairing her gift. "You don't know how long I wanted one of these guys!" She stopped momentarily as she finished her thought, "But at the same time, I can't let what Dipper did slide. If I do, it'll only tell him that what he did was okay…"
Mabel nodded in agreement, "I hear ya, sister. The way I see it, this is something that he has to figure out on his own; otherwise, he won't learn anything from this whole thing!"
"I know, right?!" Wendy spun the panda-duck around and double-checked her handiwork. Upon finishing the mend, she picked up her present and held it up to her chest, squeezing it as hard as she could. "But, how long is that going to take?"
"Give him time," Mabel suggested as she made her way back to the living room, "He'll come around, and before you know it, everything will be okay again!"
All alone in the Gift Shop, Wendy leaned back on the stool, panda-duck still in hand, and wished for the best.
"I hope so, kiddo. I hope so…"
Unaware to the fifteen year old, Wendy was being stalked from the outside window by two shadowy forms. As they listened with glee to her grim situation, they turned towards one another while bearing a sinister grimace.
"Imagine our luck…" the taller creature stated.
"This will be easier than we thought…" its shorter counterpart noted.
"I'll take the low road…"
"And I'll go high!"
The wicked beings laughed as they disappeared into the darkness of the forest, each rushing to carry out their own part in the otherworldly plot that had been bestowed upon them…