Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Part Fifty-Four: Final Exam

The Pines sisters and their hosts finally made it home at around four thirty in the morning and both Mabel and Pacifica were tempted to fall asleep in their dresses. Eventually they changed into some sleep clothes and managed to get about six hours of rest. A little after eleven in the morning, they found themselves back at the speedway for their final day of driving instruction. A full course with multiple challenges was set up for the teen girls. Mabel was first to attempt it and set a respectable time, while only scoring a few deductions for clipping cones and going off course. Pacifica sat behind the wheel and took a deep breath to try and focus herself. Her run was slightly quicker, but she also managed to spin out in a particularly tricky stretch of the course. The girls felt far more comfortable behind the wheel of an automobile than they had just a few days prior and thought that this would be the end of their driving adventures in the Tar Heel State. They changed out of their racing suits and emerged from the media center to find Lyle and Logan waiting for them.

"Girls, I can say with confidence that you are almost ready for my seal of approval. That being said, how someone performs on a closed course is vastly different than what happens in real world conditions. You have to factor in each individual driver on the road and what they may or may not do. Some drivers will be distracted. Others will simply not follow the rules of the road and end up taking you completely by surprise. It's been said before, but the best offense is a good defense. What I mean by that is that you must always be aware of your surroundings and try to anticipate what the traffic around you is going to do." Lyle began as the teen girls shared an equally confused look upon their faces. "That is why Logan, and I are going to let you drive us to Darlington Raceway for the race this weekend. It's about one hundred and fifty miles from here to the track, so it will give you lots of practice navigating real world conditions." he finished. "So, let me get this straight. You want us to drive you to the racetrack tomorrow?" Mabel asked in an unsure voice. "Yeah. That's exactly what I mean." Lyle said. "Cool!" Pacifica exclaimed. "Thought you might like it..." their mentor commented.

After arriving back at the Karson compound, the girls returned to the guest house and began to pack their bags. "Seems like we just got here..." Mabel said in a somewhat sullen tone. Pacifica stopped packing her luggage, walked over and placed a caring hand on her sister's shoulder. "I really wish there were a way to make it work between you and Logan... Really, I do. He seems to be the perfect guy for you and let's be honest here... There is nobody like him in Gravity Falls. Not even close. Who knows though? Stranger things have happened." she remarked. Mabel began to tear up at the words, but knew her twin was right. Soon enough this would all just seem like some sort of dream. In a few short days, she'd be sitting back in class and thinking about days gone by. From fighting dream demons from other dimensions to traveling to another country and everything in between, it would all be a memory. Lessons and homework would dominate her daily life soon enough. "Thanks for snapping me back to reality sis... I mean, this was nice and all, but it was just a glimpse into a life I'll never have..." she replied in a sullen tone as she looked out on the lake. "Mabes... If you really want this life, I mean really want it, you can have it. You just need to work hard and have a little bit of luck fall your way. I believe in you." Pacifica said as she tried to cheer her sister up. "You think so?" the redhead asked in an optimistic voice. "No. I know so." she said with a smile. The sisters embraced as they watched a sailboat pass by.

Wendy had woken up early and headed into work. Although her co-workers had been nothing but polite since her return, she couldn't help but think that they thought differently about her since the voicemail she had left. Nevertheless, she soldiered on and before she knew it, it was time to head home. "Hey Mason..." she began as she placed a call to her husband. "Hey! How was work?" he asked. "It was alright, I guess. Just the usual stuff today since the Labor Day crowds are gone. I'll be prepping the park for winter before I know it..." she remarked. "It's good to hear that you had a good day?" he replied in an unsure tone. "Yeah! It was good. I just feel like everyone is kinda acting differently around me since I left that voicemail..." Wendy said as she continued to drive home. "Like they've never had a crazy night out?" Dipper responded. "I guess you're right. I'm probably overthinking this whole thing. Just in my own head, like I always am..." she said in a dismissive tone. "Wendy... Do you wanna talk about it?" the brown-haired man asked in a caring tone. "I just... Never mind..." she began before stopping herself. "What?" Dipper asked. "I just don't want people to treat me any differently. It's just like when people slowly found out that I tried to... Uh... You know... Kill myself all those years ago." she said in a softer tone than usual. "Wendy... Honey... I know it's hard for you to let people see other sides of you than you want them to see, but honestly, if they judge you any differently than they did before then that's on them." he said. Wendy thought about it for a moment and realized that he was right. That it wasn't her fault that people couldn't handle the fact that she was a normal person and just wanted to blow off a little steam for once in her life. "Thanks, Dip. You always know just what to say..." she said in a grateful tone. "Just trying to be helpful..." he remarked. "I'll pick us up a pizza and be home in a little bit... Okay?" she said. "Sounds like a plan. I love you." he replied. "I love you too. See you soon..." Wendy said as she ended the call as a content smile formed on her face. At the end of the day, she knew that she could always rely on her husband to be there for her when she needed him most.

The next morning, the girls loaded their luggage into a pair of sport utility vehicles that they would drive to Darlington, South Carolina. Although the teenage girls now had a bit of time behind the wheel, it still felt a bit odd to sit in the driver's seat. Mabel, Logan and Caitlynn would ride in one vehicle, while Pacifica, Aubrey and Lyle would take the other. The two-hour drive was rather uneventful, which both Lyle and Caitlynn were thankful for. After stopping at a security checkpoint and driving through a tunnel that passed under the racetrack, they arrived in the infield of the sprawling complex. Hopping out of the sport utility vehicles, the burnt grass and sandy ground beneath their feet reminded them of just how far from home they were. Lyle was quick to break off from the group, as he headed towards his team's transporter to change into his racing suit and catch up with his crew before his qualifying session for the next day's race. Pacifica, Mabel and the rest of the Karson family made their way inside a large motor coach where they would spend the night. "This is like an apartment on wheels!" Mabel commented in an excited tone as she began to explore. "Yeah, it is pretty nice as far as homes away from home go..." Caitlynn said as they got settled in.

"QUALIFYING FOR THE OPENING RACE IN THE 2032 FASTCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!" an announcer bellowed over the public address system as the Karson family and their guests climbed atop the pit box of Lyle's team so they could watch the session. "This is pretty wild..." Pacifica commented to her sibling before a racecar roared past them at over one hundred and sixty miles per hour. "I know, right?!" she agreed. After a few more cars had their turns to earn a start spot for the race, it was Lyle's time to qualify. They watched as his car took off from pit road and quickly came up to speed. In front of them, the crew members watched about half a dozen screens, which displayed all sorts of telemetry and data. His first lap was only good enough for tenth place, but his crew chief reminded him that his second lap would be the one that mattered, as the tires would be at optimal temperature. In the middle of turns three and four, the stock car scraped against the outside wall, but kept its pace. Lyle's lap was good enough to place fourth. "Well, that wasn't too bad..." Logan commented as they watched the car return to the pits. After talking to his crew chief for a moment, he rejoined his family and their guests. "I still can't believe that you do this every week..." Mabel said as Lyle checked a tablet that displayed the data from his laps. "You know, sometimes I still can't either..." he replied with a chuckle. After the session was completed, they returned to the motor coach to unwind. "You girls haven't been to the Atlantic coast before, have you?" Caitlynn asked as Lyle took a shower. "Nope. We've never been to any ocean before." Pacifica responded. "Well, that settles it then. When Lyle gets out of the shower, we'll call in a favor and go for dinner on the beach. How does that sound?" she asked her teenage guests. "That's mighty nice of you and all, but you don't have to do all that just for us..." Mabel replied. "It's no big deal. I mean, we've done it before and honestly, it'll be a lot better than the food options around here" Caitlynn reassured the fifteen-year-old girl.

Caitlynn informed her husband of their dinner plans and soon they headed towards a helipad outside of the fourth turn of the racetrack. "How long will it take?" Pacifica inquired. "Only about half an hour or so..." Logan answered. After getting seated inside the helicopter, the girls watched as they took off. "Everything about this week is just crazy..." Mabel said. "Sometimes I forget just how lucky we are to be able to do this..." Aubrey chimed in. "So, you get used to all this after a while?!" the redhead asked. "I guess so? I mean, it's the only way we're able to keep up with our crazy schedules. If we had to drive everywhere or even fly commercial, there is no way we'd always be on time. Thank you for reminding me of how absolutely none of this is normal..." the slightly younger woman said. Mabel could tell by the look on her face that she was being genuine. She wondered how quickly she would forget what a privilege it would be to live a life of such luxury. Although the Pines family was far from destitute themselves, the Karson family was on a whole other level when it came to what they considered normal. She wondered if it was what the life of her late aunt, Pacifica Elise Northwest, was like before her untimely demise. She was shaken from her introspective thoughts as her phone began to ring. It was her mother. "Hey Paz! Mom's calling us!" she excitedly said as she showed her the mobile device.

"Hello!" Mabel said in a cheerful tone as she answered the video call. "Hey! How are you guys? Why is it so loud where you're at?" her mother asked. "Oh, this is why..." she said before flipping the camera around so that she could show her the view from the aircraft. "Are... Are you dudes in helicopter?" the thirty-six-year-old woman asked with a bit of bewilderment in her voice. "As a matter of fact, we are!" the auburn-haired teen confirmed. "Whoa..." was all Wendy could manage to say in response. "We're going to the beach for dinner..." Pacifica chimed in. "No way! That's so cool. I'm mad jealous of you two, for real..." Wendy replied. "We'll take lots of pics and send them to you!" Mabel said as the helicopter began its descent. "Sounds like a plan. We're having pizza later, so you know, you're missing out on that..." their mom said in a sarcastic tone. "Aw man..." Pacifica remarked with faux disappointment. "Love you!" she said to her teenage daughters. "Love you too!" they replied in unison as they ended the call. "So, what was it that your mom does for a living again?" Aubrey asked. "She's the Chief Park Ranger at the State Park in our town" Pacifica answered. "That must be so cool..." the slightly younger girl said as the helicopter touched down. "She says that it's nice to be outside in the woods a lot, but that it's like any other job where she has good days and bad days" the brunette added. "I wouldn't mind just having a normal life like that sometimes..." Aubrey commented as she looked out the window of the helicopter. Kaitlynn had overheard the comment and took note to have a talk with her daughter later so that she could make sure she was alright.

The meal was delicious, but the Pines twins couldn't help but be distracted by the nearby ocean as the sound of the waves crashing upon the shore provided the soundtrack to their dinner. Finally, they had finished eating and made their way down to the waterfront. After walking over a dune, the beach came into view and both girls were awestruck by the sight. "It just goes on forever..." Mabel uttered as she looked towards the horizon. "I've never seen something so beautiful in my life. I mean, sure, we've seen it on TV and stuff, but it's just so much more impressive in person, you know?" Pacifica added as she tried to take in the enormity of it all. "I wanna go in the water!" Mabel proclaimed as she stepped closer to it. "Do you wanna run in?" Pacifica asked as the sisters looked at one another. They smiled and sprinted towards the waves as their hosts looked on. "I'm glad we could do this for them..." Kaitlynn said to her husband. "Me too. This whole thing has made me more grateful for everything we have and all that we get to do. I guess it's just taken for granted sometimes..." Lyle agreed. He made a note to himself to look into helping other youths to experience moments like this through his foundation when got home from the race weekend. The girls weren't dressed for the beach, but that didn't stop them from taking a dip in the mighty Atlantic Ocean. The saltiness of the water took both girls by surprise, as well as the pull of the tide. They watched as the setting sun behind them painted the sky above in a beautiful variety of brilliant colors on a late summer evening in South Carolina.

Author's Note: Sorry that this chapter took so long to come out, but as usual, my life has been crazy. I really wanted to fit in a beach day to this story, but couldn't commit to an entire chapter. I might do a short story down the line of a day at Lake Gravity Falls. Anyway, what a fun day for the girls. What does the final day of their trip hold for them and how will they adjust to returning home and starting the new school year? Just what have the rest of their friends been up to while they've been away? Find out in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax! - iKLOT

My Playlist:

Paramore - "Crushcrushcrush"

Haim - "The Wire" (Made me think of Wendy & how she feels about herself)

Little Image - "Out Of My Mind"

MGMT - "Electric Feel (Justice Remix)"

Thirty Seconds To Mars - "Stuck"

Rosa Linn - "Snap (Fargo Remix)"

Party Favor - "In My Head" (Made me think of Mabel & how she feels about Logan)

Sigala/ Mae Miller/ Caity Baser/ Stefflon Don - "Feels This Good"

Tiesto - "Lay Low"

Weezer - "Feels Like Summer"