This is the big one. I really truly love this friend group so I hope you enjoy their fright night shenanigans… Among other things.
"Dad, do you trust me?" Wendy asked as Manly Dan drove his daughter to her "fright night" graveyard sleepover, the backseat full of camping gear.
"That's a loaded question, trust you how?"
"Like, do you trust me to figure myself out and make responsible decisions?"
"I trust you to figure yourself out and to do your best. And I trust that you know there will be consequences AND forgiveness whenever you mess up."
Wendy could work with that. She just needed a bit of a push, if she could do this she could do anything.
"Thanks, dad, that means a lot to me. Can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"Back in September, when I told you I had a crush? I'm finally ready to tell you who that crush is on."
Manly Dan took a deep breath, preparing for the worst-case scenario.
"It's Cary," Wendy said, getting the words out quickly before she could back down.
"Pines?" Manly Dan asked in surprise.
"Yeah. Please don't hate me."
That took him even more by surprise since this wasn't even the worst-case scenario.
"Sweetheart, I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I'm just surprised."
Then he thought about it for two more seconds, "Actually I'm not even that surprised."
Wendy laughed, "Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, you two have always been close. And you've always been the type of person who knows what she wants."
"So… You support me?"
"I'd be a pretty crap dad if I didn't."
"Huh. That was way easier than I thought it would be."
"Are you going to tell her?"
"That's the plan."
Manly Dan smiled proudly.
"You remind me of your mother more and more every day."
Wendy lit up.
"Really?"
"Really. She would be so proud of you."
"Thank you, dad. This means a lot to me. Please don't tell anyone…"
"I won't. Good luck, kiddo."
"Thank you." Tonight could change everything. No, tonight would change everything.
Around the same time this important conversation was occurring, Stan was dropping Cary off and the two were idly chit-chatting.
"Remember to call me if anything happens," Stan reminded her for the 100th time. Though Cary had had a couple of sleepovers with Wendy and Tambry since she'd gotten back, this was the first time she'd be spending the night away from the Shack since returning from the Boiling Isles, so Stan was understandably nervous.
"I will, but nothing is going to happen. Worst case scenario, a tic will crawl up my ear again."
"Cary, we had to go to the ER for that."
"Oh yeah. I'm sure I remembered to pack bug spray." Someone would have remembered it, at least.
"Call me," Stan reiterated.
"I will! I'll be back by lunchtime tomorrow. Love you, dad!"
"I love you too." They shared their Team Pines fist bump and Cary grabbed his stuff and headed off to join the others in the cemetery.
Stan headed home alone, deciding to see if Ford wanted to watch a period drama with him. Those ladies in ridiculous dresses were surprisingly emotionally compelling.
When Stan got home, though, Ford was up to his neck in boxes.
"What're you doing?"
"Packing, Stanley. We leave in less than a week."
A pit formed in Stan's stomach. "Oh. Yeah."
"You're not chickening out on me, are you, Stanley?"
Stan looked offended. "Of course not. I'm just worried about Cary, is all. It was hard to drop them off for one night. I can only imagine how hard it will be leaving them."
"We'll be back, and we'll keep in touch."
"But what about the curse?"
"I've studied the curse. Cary is stable. And he has people helping him and looking out for him."
"Yeah, you're right. Dads just worry about this kind of thing."
"Ours didn't," Stanford snorted.
"Yeah, well, he's the kind of dad I'm trying not to be."
"You're a good parent, Stan. Cary is really lucky."
"Thanks. I just hope everything will be okay."
"It will be," Ford promised.
But the fears still lingered as fright night stretched on.
"I've got good news and bad news," Robbie said when the others joined him in the cemetery.
"Bad news first," Wendy said.
"We are no longer allowed to start a fire in the cemetery because it 'agitates the spirits' or whatever. But that means we get to order pizza and we can make s'mores in my microwave."
"I'm gonna explode so many marshmallows in your microwave," Nate promised.
"That's not so bad. No campfire means none of Robbie's lame campfire songs," Wendy teased.
"Genius is unappreciated in its time," was all Robbie said in response.
"I've never been inside your house before," Cary lied. "Is it as creepy and weird as you?"
"I wish, birdbrain," Robbie bemoaned, keeping up Cary's little lie. If anyone found out they were actually sort of friends it would be majorly embarrassing for both of them.
"Don't call her birdbrain," Wendy said, nervous energy coursing through her body. If tonight was the night she confessed to Cary, she wouldn't want it tainted by their friends being dicks.
"Whatever," Robbie rolled his eyes, "do you guys want to actually do something or are we just going to talk about doing things?"
"Let's play truth or dare," Thompson suggested, giving the group a way to make him the butt of the joke instead of Cary.
"Fine," Lee took the bait, "Thompson, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Have you asked Duncan out yet?"
"Uh… I changed my mind. Dare."
"Ask out Duncan."
Thompson turned red, "Guys. I thought you were cool with it."
"Oh we're cool with it," Nate said.
"Super cool. Which is why we're trying to help you land this guy. If you wait too long you're going to Thompson out and lose your chance," Lee added.
"Did you just use my name in place of the word chicken?"
"We use your name in place of a lot of words," Nate said.
Thompson sighed and held up his phone, "Fine! I am asking him out. Happy?"
Lee and Nate grinned and nodded, watching like vultures as Thompson typed out the message that would seal his fate.
Nate then read it out loud for the others, deciding at the last second to forego rubbing salt in the wound by reading it in a funny accent.
"Hey, Duncan, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me sometime before the play."
"You have to tell us what he says," Robbie said, finally showing a little bit of interest in Lee and Nate's ridiculous scheme.
"Nuh-uh, that wasn't part of the dare." Thompson made a show of turning off his phone and sticking it in his pocket.
"He's right," Cary said, "the answer is between him and Duncan. I'll go next. Truth."
Even though Lee had asked the last question, he jumped at the chance to pry into Cary's personal life.
"Do you have a crush on me?"
"No."
"Have you ever had a crush on me?"
"That's a separate question," Wendy objected.
"It's fine, he can have two questions. No, Lee, I have never had a crush on you. And, before you ask it, there is zero chance I will ever have a crush on you. Trust me. I can see the future."
Wendy and Nate both snorted.
"This is a stupid game," Lee decided.
"Well, it's your turn, bozo," Nate said, "truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"I dare you to lick a gravestone."
"Easy. Want me to make out with a skeleton next?"
"Necrophilia is strictly prohibited within the cemetery," Robbie said in a very bored, monotone voice.
He was tired of wannabe Frankensteins coming in to do some literal lovemaking. Everyone knew it didn't even work. Everyone brought back from the dead came back wrong, like a cheery child who'd gotten sick and came back dark and edgy.
"Licking the tombstones isn't prohibited though, right?" Nate asked since Lee was already doing it.
"Yeah, that's probably fine. Just watch out for restless spirits."
"We're too old for your ghost stories, Robbie," Wendy said with a laugh.
"I deal with zombies every day now," Robbie said. "Weirdmaggedon really fucked up the funeral business."
"Dude," Thompson said nervously, "you're not supposed to talk about it."
"I'm not afraid of Sheriff Blubs and his taser. There was an apocalypse. It was shitty and scary and we survived because Gravity Falls is tougher than that."
"Actually you survived because my dad had his mind erased," Cary reminded him.
Robbie shrugged, "Which was cool or whatever but he got most of it back. Also, what do you know? You were at summer camp." Robbie was very good at lying, for himself or for other people, so maintaining Cary's charade was pretty easy.
"I did nearly die at summer camp," Cary said, with an air of practiced nonchalance.
"Seriously?" Nate asked with wide eyes. "How?"
Cary thought about all the demons and witches who had wanted her dead. "Bear attack."
Robbie rolled his eyes, "Sure. Wendy, truth or dare."
"Truth," Wendy said, still feeling jittery about her impending confession.
"Do you currently have a crush on anyone?"
"Yes," Wendy said cautiously, trying her hardest not to look at Cary. If Tambry knew about her crush Robbie certainly knew, despite Tambry promising she hadn't told anyone.
"Who?" Robbie pressed.
"I don't have to answer that. Cary, truth or dare?"
Robbie smirked, the fact that Cary was the person she'd defaulted to confirmed his suspicions. This would be a very interesting fright night.
"Dare."
Wendy thought about it for a minute and then, with the devil on her shoulder winning out said, "I dare you to kiss me."
Cary immediately went red and Lee began to cackle.
"This should be fun to watch," Lee said.
"Don't be gross, Lee," Thompson and Robbie said at the same moment.
Wendy was expecting one of two things, either Cary would switch to truth or Cary would give her a quick and meaningless kiss on the cheek or forehead. Cary, never one to "Thompson out" did neither of those two things.
"If that's what you want," They said before going in and leaving a kiss that lingered just a second too long on Wendy's lips.
It was in that extra second that both of them knew that there was something there, something more than just an unrequited crush.
Cary pulled away, dazed by the realization that there might be something there between them.
Thompson graciously didn't give them time to dwell on it. "Robbie, truth or dare."
"Dare. Give me something challenging."
"Say one nice thing about each of us," Thompson challenged.
Robbie grimaced, "Fine. Wendy, you're the second-best girlfriend I've ever had, Cary, your hair is almost cool, Thompson you somehow managed to land a guy way out of your league, Lee and Nate, you're kind of competent when you're together."
"I said nice things," Thompson said, crossing his arms, "those are backhanded compliments."
"Yeah Robbie, speak from your heart," Wendy teased.
"You're really going to make me do this?"
"Yes," Cary, Nate, and Lee said in unison, a rare example of all three of them agreeing.
"Ugh. You guys are the worst."
Robbie took a deep breath and closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to face his expectant audience. "Wendy is a badass, Thompson is the reason we're all friends, Lee and Nate, somehow you're the best friends I've ever had, and Cary… Cary is pretty smart. For a birdbrain."
"I'll take it," Cary said with a grin.
Thompson was also secretly gloating.
Lee punched Robbie in the arm. "You're our best friend too, dork."
"You should let us in your band," Nate said.
"You need to have talent to be in my band," Robbie said, happy to no longer be confined to the stipulations of the dare.
"Then why are you in the band?" Cary teased before turning to Nate. "Last one! Nate, truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"I dare you to prank call Tambry," Cary said.
"Truth." After being effectively rejected by Tambers over the summer he was not going to risk incurring her wrath.
"Smart," Robbie said.
"Okay, truth… Who would you rather fight, Robbie or Wendy?"
"That's not even hard. Wendy has an ax, and Robbie has AXE body spray. I'm fighting Robbie any day."
"You want to put your money where your mouth is?" Robbie challenged.
"Do you?" Nate shot back.
"No. Let's order pizza."
Since everyone had gone once the game kind of fell apart after that, with Robbie going inside to order pizza and secure drinks and snacks and Lee and Nate badgering Thompson to check to see if Duncan had answered.
"I'm not going to check it until tomorrow," Thompson said, half because he was terrified and half to annoy his friends who wanted to use his love life as free entertainment.
"Boo," Lee said.
"Boring," Nate agreed
While Lee and Nate badgered Thompson about his relationship, Wendy and Cary slipped behind the monument erected for the late mayor to discuss their own relationship.
"Hey, I'm sorry," Cary said.
"What're you sorry for, Feathers?"
"That kiss was a bit much."
"Nah. It was a dare. I'm sorry if the dare made you uncomfortable though."
"It didn't."
"Good." They fell into a comfortable silence, leaning gently against each other.
Wendy was just about to say something else, say something important, when Thompson started screaming.
Both of them jumped to their feet and ran over. Wendy pulled out her ax and charged into battle, hacking at the zombie who had grabbed Thompson's ankle.
"You're not allowed to be eaten by zombies until after the play," Cary said, helping Wendy push the creature back into its grave.
This was not a usual fright night. And the most frightening thing was yet to come.
It wasn't Robbie's ghost stories or Nate's exploding marshmallows that brought the frights. It wasn't even the restless spirits. The scariest stuff happened right at the tipping point of midnight. It started innocently enough, though.
Lee hit Cary with a marshmallow.
"Hey, read my future."
"You're gonna die alone."
"I'm serious. Come on, Bird Girl of Oregon."
Cary grimaced, "Don't call me that."
"So Robbie can call you birdbrain but I can't call you the Bird Girl of Oregon?"
"That's not my title anymore. I'm the Oregon Oracle now."
"Whatever, Oracle. Why don't you read my future?"
"I can't do it on command."
"Lame."
"You're lame."
Lee hit them with another marshmallow.
"I knew it. You're a sham just like everything in that Shack. Just like your whole family. Fake mysteries, fake magic, and a fake witch."
"What did you call me?" Cary asked, her eyes darkening.
"A fake witch."
A growl escaped Cary's throat, "I am not! There is nothing fake about me or my family. You have no idea what I'm capable of."
"Prove it."
Cary grabbed Lee's shoulders in anger, hands turning into talons, talons digging into flesh.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa," Nate yelled. Lee was too terrified to speak as Cary transformed from an annoyed teen into an angry monster.
"What the hell?" Robbie shouted. "Is she possessed?!"
"No," Wendy said, eyes wide as the beast emerged, "that's Cary."
"Hey! You're not allowed to turn into a crazy monster until after the play!" Thompson yelled, distracting Cary enough for her to drop Lee.
Nate rushed over and began to yell at Robbie, "Get your parents! Get first aid!"
While the others attended to Lee, who was bleeding, Cary flew off, still raging.
"I'm going to get Cary," Wendy said, "It's going to be okay." She didn't fully believe it, but she was Wendy fucking Corduroy so she would make it true.
"Are you crazy?" Lee asked, shaking off his daze for the first time, "She nearly killed me!"
"I've dealt with this before. It'll be fine. Cary knows me. I can get her back."
"You have a hell of a lot of explaining to do," Nate said, waiting next to Lee while Robbie ran to get help and Wendy ran to get Cary back.
It was late and dark but Wendy knew what she was doing. Her dad had taught her to track wild animals and her summer with Dipper and Mabel had helped her learn how to track monsters. She stayed quiet and listened, and finally, her ears led her right to the agitated beast, who had nestled in a tree and still looked rather frightening.
Wendy wasn't afraid, though.
"Cary? You want to come down here?"
Cary roared.
"Alright, Feathers, I'm coming up."
The beast did not protest as Wendy climbed up and only grumbled a little when Wendy was next to them, shining a flashlight in their face.
Wendy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from gasping. Unlike the first time Cary had transformed, this was a complete transformation. Cary looked like the mix between a lion and an owl and suddenly Wendy was a little afraid.
"Wow, Feathers, you really go big or go home."
Cary let out a little snarl.
"You know I'm not going to hurt you. Let's go back down to the others, okay?"
Another snarl.
"Cary, I know you're in there. I'm not afraid of you. I don't know where we are or where life's going to take us but I'm right here. I'll be right here waiting for you for as long as you need."
Cary seemed to settle a little. Feeling encouraged, Wendy leaned forward to gently rest her hand on Cary's arm, or rather, what had been Cary's arm. That was her mistake, trying to move on an unstable branch, which snapped and took Wendy with it.
The way down was quick and painful, with branches scratching against her face and arms. Wendy awaited the awful impact but the impact never came.
She opened her eyes and found herself in Cary's strong feathered arms, dark eyes shifting back to gold as the transformation reversed.
Cary was still holding Wendy when he had fully transformed back into himself, tears beginning to dribble down his face.
"I'm so sorry, Wendy, I'm so sorry."
In a bit of a daze, Wendy asked for the second time that night, "What're you sorry for, Feathers?"
"I lost myself and I nearly lost you and I can't lose you, because I love you."
Wendy exhaled sharply, unable to bite her cheek to keep her surprise inside this time.
"I love you too, Cary."
"No, Wendy… I'm in love with you. I'm sorry if that messes up our friendship…"
"It doesn't mess up anything," Wendy said, wrapping her arms around Cary's neck and kissing away the tears streaming down their cheek.
"I was going to tell you tonight, but with the zombies and the beast and the others being themselves I just… Didn't get a chance. But Cary, I truly, truly love you too. You have always been my Cary, and you always will be."
"Even though I'm cursed? Even though I hurt people?"
"You didn't hurt me. You took back control and you saved me. I know you can do that again. I know you can master this curse."
Wendy paused for a moment, "You should probably apologize to Lee though."
"Oh god, everybody saw me…"
"Yeah, we're going to have to tell them what's going on. But I've got your back, Feathers. We're going to do this together."
"Right. Together." Cary set Wendy back on the ground and looked around. "Do you have any idea where we are?"
"No clue. But we'll figure that out together too."
They walked in silence for ten minutes, gathering their nerves, before Wendy spoke up.
"So um… What does that make us?"
Cary laughed tiredly, "You that antsy to label everything?"
"Labelling things is how you keep from accidentally leading a guy on for months because you forgot to break up with him."
"Your experiences are not universal."
"Anyway," Wendy said, "do you want to date me?"
Cary laughed again, this time out of delight, "That's only been my dream since we were nine."
Wendy punched them lightly, "Why didn't you say anything? I wouldn't have wasted my time with all those dumb guys if I'd known you were an option. You're definitely an upgrade."
"Gee, thanks."
"That came out wrong. I just… I'm glad all the chaos led us here."
Cary looked around, "Where exactly is here?"
"I still have no clue." Wendy took Cary's hand. "Um… What do you want me to call you? I figured girlfriend is off the table."
"Partner is good. Or you could just call me your Cary like you always have."
"My best friend, my partner, my Cary."
Cary beamed.
"I don't want to tell the others just yet. It's bad enough they saw the beast."
"We don't have to tell anyone yet. Oh uh, but my dad knows I like you. And Soos. And Tambry but I didn't tell her. And probably Robbie…"
"Oh, Robbie definitely knows. He called me out on it when he cut my hair."
"Wait. Robbie cut your hair?"
"Yeah. That's just between you and me, though."
"This is so stupid," Wendy said, her face turning red, barely lit up by the moon.
"What is?" Cary asked, curious about what would embarrass someone as brazen as Wendy.
"Don't judge me."
"No promises, love."
"That haircut made me reflect on and realize my feelings for you. So it's like my ex helped me find my true love."
Cary blushed at the words, "true love."
"What a weird night," Cary said with a goofy grin.
"Yeah. Very weird," Wendy agreed, squeezing Cary's hand.
After walking for way too long, the pair found some familiar landmarks and made their way back to the graveyard and their very impatient audience.
Surprisingly, Tambry was now also there.
"Robbie texted me that Cary turned into a monster and mauled Lee so I snuck out."
"It was just a scratch," Lee insisted, his arms now cleaned and bandaged. "I'm tough."
"Yeah, you are," Cary agreed. "And I am so so sorry for attacking you. I was angry, but I still shouldn't have let the beast slip out."
"Yeah, yeah, I forgive you. But what the hell was that? If you have actual magical powers you have to tell us."
"Well… I do."
Robbie passed Cary a flashlight. "If you're going to tell a ghost story, you should have a light. Don't worry, my parents don't know what actually happened."
Cary and the others settled down in a circle around the empty pizza boxes and Cary began their tale.
"The rumors of my origin are only slightly exaggerated. My dad met a conwoman in Las Vegas and they-"
"Hooked up," Nate interrupted.
"Yes, Nate, way to make it weird. Anyway, she stole his car and when he recovered it there was an egg in the backseat, just like the story suggests. On Halloween, I hatched out of that egg."
"We've seen your little show, birdbrain, get to the point," Robbie said.
"That woman, my mother, is a witch from another realm. And while Gravity Falls spent the summer being terrorized by creatures from another dimension, I was in another dimension myself, training with her, learning how to be a witch and control my curse."
"The monster," Thompson guessed.
"The monster. Mom calls it the owl beast, I just call it the beast. She was cursed when she was barely older than me, which means I was cursed too, and there's nothing I can do about it."
"So, wait. You are a real witch?" Lee asked.
"Not in my mom's eyes, but yes. She never saw me transform into that monstrosity, never saw me peer into the future-"
"So you can see the future. Why won't you read my future?" Lee asked.
"I promise when I learn how to do it on command I'll read your future, happy?"
"Well, it's the least you can do after ruining fright night," Lee muttered.
Wendy shot him a glare and Cary continued.
"At the end of the summer, she sent me back here and told me it was too dangerous for me to return because she didn't believe I could do magic. It was only when I was back in Oregon that the beast finally emerged. I had barely been back a day when it happened. Wendy talked me back down. I don't know if I would've been able to become me again without her."
"Wait, you knew about this?" Tambry asked.
"Well, yeah."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"I don't tell other people's secrets," Wendy said pointedly.
"I haven't told anyone your secret," Tambry shot back, noticing how both Wendy and Cary bristled at that. "So what happened tonight? With the beast?"
"Oh it was crazy," Wendy said, taking the flashlight.
"I tracked Cary deep into the woods and then I had to climb up a tree to get to her, and just when I thought I was getting through to Cary… Snap! The branch broke. I was a goner. But Cary took back control and caught me, landing us safely on the ground before transforming back."
"Oh, that's why you're all cut up, you lost a fight with a tree," Robbie teased, passing her the well-used first aid kit.
"The tree fought dirty," Wendy said.
"Thanks for saving her," Tambry said. "Someone has to when I'm not around. So, what else did I miss?"
Cary slipped her hand into Wendy's hand and squeezed it, not ready to share that part of their night. Instead, Lee and Nate started talking about truth or dare and Schrödinger's date since by now Duncan had definitely either rejected or accepted Thompson's offer.
It was almost three AM on Sunday when they finally crawled into their tents. Everyone had a lot to say about Cary's curse, but finally, they were all too tired to keep talking. Tambry left and so, as they'd always intended, Wendy and Cary were alone in a tent.
"Maybe we should talk about earlier," Wendy admitted.
"Can't you just hold me for now?" Cary asked, bone-tired.
"Mm-hm. But we're going to have to tell your dad."
"He already knows I have feelings for you," Cary said sleepily, nestled up close to Wendy, who held them securely.
"I meant about the beast."
"Oh. He's leaving soon, if we tell him he'll just freak out."
"Normally I'd endorse hiding stuff from your dad but this is pretty important. And you promised you'd be honest with each other, especially about this."
"And Teams Pine don't break promises," Cary mumbled as she fell into a deep, dream-filled sleep.
Wendy took a little longer to fall asleep. Tonight felt so surreal. Everything from the curse to the confession felt like it had happened to someone else. She had bandaids on her hands and face that proved it had all happened to her, but even still. It had really scared her, and she couldn't quite believe everything had worked out.
"I'm going to keep you safe," she whispered as she fell asleep holding Cary. "We're going to get through this together."
I think Cary's friends probably wouldn't have forgiven her so fast if they weren't afraid of incurring the wrath of the beast (and Wendy).
Also, it's really fun for me because this chapter (or at least everything set after midnight) is set on my birthday, October 28th. So on the same day I saw Brave for the first time, Wendy was forcing herself to be brave and confess to her crush.
Next chapter will also take place on my birthday because Cary has something important to tell Stan. Hopefully, it will be much shorter than this chapter.
