Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Part Seven
Dipper stirred as the bright sunlight broke through the window of the penthouse suite. Alarmed that the couple may be behind schedule for his day of fun that he had planned for his girlfriend, the teen nearly fell out of the bed. "Wendy! Wake up!" Dipper exclaimed as he began to get dressed. "Huh?... Wah?" the auburn haired woman said as she rolled over to see her boyfriend struggling to put on a pair of jeans. "Wendy! It's two o'clock! We've been asleep for seven hours!" the teen shouted as he wrestled with the denim. "Dude… The show doesn't start 'till, like, seven or so… Relax man, we've got time…" Wendy said as a yawn escaped her. "Yeah… But I wanted to do a bit of exploring before the show… I hear they have a nice Japanese Garden and I figured that we could go check it out… I-I mean if you wanna…" he explained while pulling a black t-shirt over his head, which was adorned with a logo from his favorite wrestler, Hawaiian Mike. "Y-Yeah… That'd be cool… Let me just get ready… I mean, here you are all dressed and… Well… Me? Not so much…" the nude woman said as she rolled out of the bed and began to gather her clothes from the floor. "By the way, aren't you gonna take a shower? I mean, we did work up quite a sweat this morning…" the freckled woman observed as she stuck her head out from the doorframe of the bathroom. "Nah… I'm good…" he shot back while checking his phone. "Dudes are gross… I prefer to look and smell my best…" she replied before retreating to the bathroom and closing the door. "I put on deodorant…" he muttered to himself before sitting down on a black cloth couch in the living room and flicking on the television.
About twenty minutes later, Wendy emerged from the steamy bathroom, still completely nude. Dipper took in the sight of his girlfriend's slender and toned body. Trying not to stare, he turned his attention back to the show about large food items he was watching. Wendy walked to the bedroom, where her clothes still resided in the green nylon duffle bag she had brought with her. She removed a pair of grey skinny jeans with tears in the knees and threw them onto the large bed behind her. Soon joining the pants was a black t-shirt, which was emblazoned with the initials of Seth Black inside of a crosshair in a white spray paint type pattern; complete with running paint and splatter around it. The redhead put on a pair of pink and black plaid patterned panties and a matching bra before getting dressed in the rest of her ensemble. "Ready whenever you are babe…" the young woman said as she walked to retrieve her shoes and jacket from the entryway of the suite. The brown haired eighteen year old turned off the television before putting on his black skate shoes. Dipper was about to shut the door, when an important thought crossed his mind. "You've got the tickets, right?" he asked his girlfriend. "Nah… Thought that you had 'em" she answered as the couple reentered the penthouse. Sure enough, the tickets were resting on the edge of the kitchen table, where he had placed them so that he wouldn't forget to take them. "That… would have sucked big time…" he remarked before once again exiting the suite and closing the door.
After a short elevator ride, the pair arrived in the grand lobby of the hotel. Once again the desk worker greeted the couple. "Mr. and Mrs. Pines! Great to see you again!" the middle aged woman behind the desk shouted. Dipper responded with a nod of his head and a hand wave while not breaking his stride. Wendy shot the woman an uneasy smile and a small wave as well, clutching the arm of her 'husband'. "Have a great day!" the woman said as front doors were opened by a man in a bright red uniform. The sky was adorned with a few dark grey clouds and peeks of bright blue sky as the couple stepped out onto the bustling city sidewalk. Dipper decided to call a Mega rideshare to take the trip, as the bus route seemed to meander all over the city and would take up time that they could ill afford to spend. After waiting a few minutes a white Fjord sedan pulled up to the curb and the pair got inside. "So, it looks like you're going to the Japanese Garden today… Good Choice! The colors really seem to pop on these sort of drab days we get. My name's Becca, by the way" the average built twenty something greeted from the driver's seat. "Nice to meet you Becca… My name's Mason… A-And this is my girlfr-" he began to introduce before being cut off by his auburn haired companion. "I'm his girlfriend Gwen… Nice to meet you as well…" she interjected as a puzzled look formed on the eighteen year old man's face. "Gwen? I thought she hated being called that?" he thought to himself. "So… Mason… Gwen… are you guys local or visiting?" the sandy haired woman asked as she checked her mirrors before merging into traffic. "We're from outta town… Here for a wrestling show and a concert…" Wendy informed the driver. "Oh, cool! Yeah, there's always something going on here… That's for sure…" Becca quipped as the trio began the journey.
About ten minutes into the car ride, Wendy took off her leather jacket. Becca looked in the rear view mirror to see how her passengers were doing and noticed the large scar on the ginger woman's forearm. She debated whether or not to make a comment about it, as she had attempted self-harm as well in her teenage years. "I-Is the temperature alright in here? I saw you take off your jacket… I can change it if you want…" she politely asked the couple in the back seat of the sedan. "Nah… just felt like taking my jacket off…" Wendy replied to the driver. "Oh… Okay. B-By the way…" Becca nervously began, unsure if she should be saying what she was about to. "Yeah?" asked the auburn haired woman with curiosity. "Well… I-I couldn't help but notice your scar… A-Accident?" the sandy haired woman asked. Wendy hesitated for a second before answering. "What business is it of hers to know about my scar? I mean, I don't even know the woman… But then again… What if she's going through something like I did? Or Alexa and Candy? She may just need to hear that it gets better…" she thought to herself before replying. "I-It's a long story… But nah… I kinda did it to myself a few months ago when I felt like my life was going to shit… I'm better now though…" the redhead informed the driver. "T-That's good to hear… I-I know about that kinda stuff… " Becca said as she rolled up her grey sweater sleeve to reveal about a dozen horizontal scars on the inside of her arm. "It was over a boy in high school who I had a huge crush on… When I finally got up the courage to tell him how I felt, he shot me down… hard. So… I turned to doing that… A-And other things too…" the twenty something said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "But… After I tried to hang myself, I got some help… I-I'm sorry if I offended you by asking, but I just had a feeling that was what it was from… Whatever it was, it must have made you pretty down to try and do something like that…" she observed as the white sedan entered the 405 freeway.
The redhead recanted her tale of the summer that had been, while Dipper held her hand. He knew it was tough for her, but that she'd have to explain it from time to time as long as she had the scar. In a way, it felt therapeutic for the ginger woman to let it out and continue to recognize that it was real. The last thing she wanted to do was relapse into denial and guilt. Becca listened with great intent and was spellbound by all that had happened to the young woman and her boyfriend a relatively short bit ago. The car ride was nearly over as Wendy finished recalling the events and aftermath of June 3rd. "I-I couldn't even imagine… Bless you both… Nobody should have to go through something like that… Well… I'm sorry that I brought it up… I hope I haven't managed to ruin your trip…" the sandy haired woman apologized. "I-It's fine… Really… The more I talk about it, the more I realize that I did everything that I could… And probably more than most others would have in a situation like that… You didn't ruin anything Becca… Besides, I'm sure it was hard to talk about what you did…" Wendy reassured the driver. "I-It always helps to have a kind ear from time to time… Besides… I know that I'll have to explain it to my daughter sooner or later…" Becca said as Dipper paid the bill; leaving a sizable tip for the twenty something woman. "Well… Gwen and Mason, thanks for choosing Mega! Enjoy the rest of your trip!" she cheerfully said. "We will!" Dipper replied as he closed the car door and waved as she left the parking lot. "Gwen?" the brown haired boy asked his girlfriend as they walked to the entrance. "Yeah… I-I sometimes like giving a different name when they ask for one… Like, have you ever been to Bueno Nacho?" she asked her lover. "Y-Yeah… It's about the only taco place I'll go to…" he replied. "Well… let's just say that they know me as Riley… And Grill Out Burgers? I'm Maya when I eat there…" she informed Dipper, who wasn't quite sure how to process this information. "C'mon! It's fun! You'll probably never see those people again and it's neat to see what it would be like if you were given a different name by your parents…" she explained. "Oh, so kinda like playing dress up, but with names… I get it now…" he said with a chuckle. "Exactly dude! Now let's go take in all the majestic views and junk!" the feisty redhead said as she took off running for the entrance to the garden; her boyfriend giving chase.
The rest of the afternoon was spent taking pictures of the beautiful landscapes and awe inspiring views of both the metropolis below and Mt. Hood off in the distance. Just as the pair was getting to depart the attraction, a final koi pond appeared. Walking over, Wendy took a knee and stuck her hand into the slightly chilly water. "What are you doing?!" Dipper asked in a concerned tone. "I dunno… Petting fish?" she replied with a coy smile. "We could get in trouble…" the brown haired boy informed the alabaster skinned woman. "Could? So you're saying there's a chance we won't… C'mon dude… Come pet a Japanese fish with me…" Wendy invited as she stuck out a hand to her boyfriend. With a deep sigh, Dipper relented and joined his girlfriend on the ground. Within seconds of placing his hand into the water, a fish came up and brushed against it. "Whoa!" he exclaimed as he retracted his hand from the pond. "It's just a fish man… My family used to have to catch them out of the river with our bare hands for apocalypse training every winter…" the young woman nonchalantly said to the frightened teen. She grasped his wrist with her free hand and yanked him down; her intent to get his hand in the water. Not expecting the sudden pull, Dipper lost his balance and fell into the pond. Concern raced through the mind of Wendy as her lover disappeared from view momentarily.
Much to Wendy's relief, her boyfriend's brown mop of hair soon broke the surface and the teen grasped for the stone side of the pond. The auburn haired woman took the soaking wet hand of her lover and pulled him back onto land. After a few coughs, Dipper caught his breath. "What the hell?!" the moist teen asked as he stood up and began to wring the water out of his clothes. "Sorry dude… I-I didn't mean for that to happen at all… Sorry…" the auburn haired woman said as tears began to run down her cheek. While he was mildly annoyed that his wallet and clothes were dripping wet, he was far more concerned with his upset girlfriend at the moment. "Wen… Shhh… Shhh… It's alright…" he comforted the upset woman as he pulled her into a light hug; not wanting to get her clothes wet as well, but wanting to show compassion. "It's fine… My phone is waterproof as long as I don't go deep sea diving… Yeah, my wallet got wet, but… Oh shit! Damn! Damn! Damn!" the teenager began to reassure the upset redhead before he remembered that the tickets to the wrestling show were in his pocket. He removed the brown leather wallet to find the pair of tickets were falling apart in his hand. "Fuck!" he silently cursed to himself as a look of concern remained on his girlfriend's face. "E-Everything alright Dip?" Wendy asked as Dipper turned around with a handful of mushed up paper. "Not exactly… I-I'm sorry Wendy… I-It looks like we're not going to the show tonight after all…" he said in a defeated tone. "I-It's my fault…" the auburn haired woman said as fresh tears formed in her eyes.
A group of about ten men and women happened to be walking by and had taken in the scene that had played out before them. One of the slightly shorter men, who sported long black hair and a short black beard murmured to a few of his companions before approaching the young couple. "You kids alright?" the man asked. The voice sounded familiar to both Wendy and Dipper, but they couldn't quite place whose it was. "Nah… Not really, sir…" Dipper began, turning around to face the inquiring man. "Y-You're…" he stammered as his girlfriend turned around as well. "OHMYGODIT'SSETHBLACK!" the redhead shouted at the top of her lungs. "Yeah…" the long haired man replied before being wrapped up in a tight embrace by Wendy. "Nice to meet you too!" Seth said as Wendy released the death grip she had on the wrestler. "So, what's the matter guys?" he asked; taking note of their shirts. "Well… You see Mr. Black…" the awestruck young woman began before being interrupted by her favorite grappler. "Please… Call me Seth…" he said before allowing her to continue. "Seth… We had tickets to tonight's show… A-And I was being a bad influence on my boyfriend… He wouldn't pet the fish, so I pulled him down to do it… A-And he fell in…" she continued, before pausing to catch her breath. "That sucks…" the pro wrestler quipped. "Y-Yeah… But that's not the worst part… H-He had ticket to the show tonight in his pocket… A-And now…" she continued before tears escaped her emerald eyes once again. "Okay… That really sucks… Let me talk to my friends here a second and see if we can maybe help you two out…" the man said as he placed a hand on the upset woman's leather jacket. Wendy nodded as she wiped the tears away.
Seth walked back over to the group he was with and began to confer with them. Dipper and Wendy recognized his company as being fellow wrestlers Dean Moxley, Roman Leakee, Owen Steen, Sasha Martinez, Lexi Kaufmann, Summer Moniet, Finn Devitt and Hawaii Mike. Breaking from the huddle of grapplers, the dark haired man walked over to the couple. "Well… Me and the guys talked… And we would love it if you were guests at our show tonight. Come a little early, hang out backstage, and then we'll hook ya up with front row seats… How does that sound?" the burly man asked in his trademark scratchy voice. "Th-Th-Th… That would be incredible! T-Thanks Mr. Black! I-I mean Seth!" Wendy practically squealed. "No problem kid… What can I say, I like your shirt…" he quipped back. Meanwhile, Dipper had made his way over to the group of wrestlers and was profusely thanking them. "You guys need a lift back to the city?" the haggard looking Dean Moxley asked. "If you wouldn't mind?" Dipper politely asked. "Nah… We got this bus, so there's plenty of room… Plus it's on Vance Meekmahon's dime… So why not?" he said as they all walked towards the long black van and began their journey towards the Rose City, where the event was set to begin in a few hours' time.
Author's Note: So… I know I said I was gonna reveal what was in the journals, but I just had this idea brewing in the back of my mind and needed to get it out before I lost it. I won't make any promises about the next chapter, but rest assured that you will find out what's in it by the end of the story. Also, in case you didn't know, I'm a huge pro wrestling fan, so it was an easy thing to write about. As always, feel free to review this or any of the other stories I've written. Also, if you have anything that you'd like to see addressed in this AU, let me know and I'll try to see if I can work it in. Until next time!
Once again, here's the chronological order of my stories for those of you that are new to my AU:
Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel
Five Years Later: A Shooting Star Falls
Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story
What Has Been & Never Shall Be Again: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story
After a short break, here's my playlist while writing this chapter:
Stone Sour – "Song #3"
Kygo & Selena Gomez – "It Ain't Me"
Death From Above – "Freeze Me"
Cults – "Go Outside"
Metric – "On A Slow Night"
Kaleo – "No Good"
Pinback – "Blue Harvest"
Tash Sultana – "Jungle"
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – "Heart In Your Heartbreak"