Pacifica Northwest missed being twelve years old. Not just because of high school, with its endless hours of classes and complicated subjects, but also because of the adventures she had when the twins came to town. She vividly remembered the trouble the two of them got everyone into, or rather, the trouble Dipper got them into with his insatiable curiosity about the mysteries of that place.
Dipper. She clearly missed him, even though she denied it to herself. Every summer, she waited for him to return, but it never happened. The mansion episode regularly played in her mind, unsettling her.
She had sent the invitations a few weeks ago to California. She had no idea if they would come; after all, who would leave the city just to go to a party in a small-town place?
In front of the bedroom mirror, Pacifica sighed.
"Pacifica, your friends are here," she heard her mother's voice from the other side of the door.
She smiled and looked at herself one last time before heading down, quickly adjusting her hair.
She strutted out of her room in her high heels and a violet dress that reached her feet. Even though she was excited about their presence, she clearly wouldn't show it; after all, she was still a Northwest.
She descended the stairs of the new mansion. Her parents had quickly rebuilt their fortune after going bankrupt, buying another enviable house.
Trying to hide her anxiety, she scanned the hall with her eyes, searching for anything striking. She knew that if Mabel was there, Dipper would be too.
"Pacifica!" she heard shouts from behind and turned around with a smile on her face.
A girl in a short blue dress with brown hair, alongside another in a pink dress with black hair, approached her, waving.
"Ca... Cameron? Rebeca?" Her smile faded, but Pacifica forced another as the girls got closer.
"What's with that face, Pacifica?" Cameron, the one in the blue dress, said, covering her mouth in a concerned gesture.
"Oh... nothing," she replied.
The girl tried to hide her disappointment by looking around. She knew she was waiting for them, just as she knew they wouldn't come. Expectations disappoint, she had learned that already, but still, she hoped they would show up.
"I can't believe you invited the..."
"Excuse me, girls?" Pacifica interrupted before she could start talking nonstop about some boy at school. She had no patience for that kind of conversation at the moment, and all she wanted was to be alone. "I need to... uh..." She took a few steps back, searching her mind for an excuse. "I think my parents are calling me."
"But your parents are over there," Rebeca pointed out, making Pacifica turn to see her parents engaged in a conversation with some friends.
"Oh, right..." Pacifica forced another smile, taking a few more steps back. "You know, my mom really wants me to do something and..." She couldn't continue as something bumped into her back, almost knocking her down.
She heard her friends' high-pitched screams as she stumbled, trying to regain her balance. When she finally did, she huffed in irritation. She glanced at the girls for a moment, who looked incredulous.
She knew she was red, and nervously, she turned around, ready to kick out whoever it was.
"If I got hurt, I would..."
"Sue me?"
Pacifica looked up, seeing a boy a few inches taller than her, with brown hair and freckles on his face. Her mouth opened in surprise.
"Dipper?"
He looked different, but in a way that made her heart skip a beat. The suit he wore seemed to contrast with the memory she had of the awkward boy, but there was a new confidence in his eyes. When had he become like this? She hadn't noticed this change on social media.
She shook her head, snapping out of her trance.
"You're wearing a suit?" she asked with a smug smile.
"Are you kidding? He spent the whole week talking about your party and what he would wear," she heard the annoyingly cheerful voice she knew so well.
Dipper rolled his eyes, making Pacifica laugh at his reaction.
Mabel jumped out from behind Dipper with a wide smile on her lips, moving to Pacifica's side and wrapping her arm around her neck while glaring at her brother. She placed her hand in front of her mouth and spoke in Pacifica's ear, not bothering to lower her voice.
"I think I'll go talk to some cute guys, could you take care of Dipper for me?" Before Pacifica could respond, Mabel darted away.
The two of them stared at each other for a long minute. Pacifica looked back, seeing her friends still watching the scene with interest. Or maybe they were watching Dipper—she couldn't tell.
"Do you want to go somewhere else?" she asked without thinking. When she realized what she had said, her eyes widened. Dipper, embarrassed, ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. "I mean... My friends..."
"Yeah, I know."
Pacifica smiled and, without asking for permission, grabbed Dipper's hand and dragged him through the hall. She led him to the garden at the back of the house, the place she always went to escape reality. The air there was fresher, filled with the sweet scent of gardenias mingling with the soft sound of water flowing in the fountain. The trees cast dancing shadows under the moonlight, creating the perfect refuge for what she felt.
Pacifica stopped with Dipper at the steps in front of the fountain. She sat on one of them, and he followed. She felt breathless from the closeness, but she tried to act naturally.
"Aren't you going to stay at your party?" Dipper asked as he admired the vast garden.
"It's boring in there." She made a face, eliciting a laugh from him. She stared at him. "I invited those weird little friends of your sister," Pacifica distractedly played with the hem of her dress, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice, "I think they must have found each other by now. Not that I cared, of course..."
Dipper looked puzzled.
"Why did you invite them if you don't like them?"
"Because I thought you would come."
Dipper fell silent, his eyes darkening for a moment as he processed her words. She really wanted him to be there. She wanted to say so much to him, but still, none of it came out.
When Dipper started talking again, he told her about life in California. He talked about Mabel and what they did during the holidays. Pacifica laughed at his stories and shared some of her own school mishaps. Alone, the two laughed and talked until the girl heard her mother calling her.
She stood up quickly, already knowing that if her mother saw them together, and so close, she would drag her inside, preventing her from seeing him for the rest of the night.
"Pacifica, let's cut the cake," her mother said as soon as she spotted her. However, she hadn't yet noticed Dipper.
As soon as her eyes landed on the boy accompanying her daughter, her mother glared at her.
"What are you doing alone with a Pines, Pacifica?"
"Nothing, we're just talking."
Her mother gave them both a scrutinizing look. Pacifica knew what that look meant. She had to leave immediately and return inside, to the party.
"You have five minutes."
Pacifica didn't respond, she just watched her mother return to the hall, leaving her alone with Dipper again.
She sighed.
"I have to go," she said, not looking at him.
She started to climb the steps slowly until she felt Dipper's hands wrap around her wrists.
"I haven't given you your gift yet."
Pacifica stared at him for a few minutes. Dipper climbed the steps, stopping one below her.
He smiled and ran a hand through his hair. She knew he did that when he was nervous or embarrassed. And then it was her turn to smile.
Pacifica leaned forward, her heart pounding so hard she could almost hear it. The world around her faded, leaving only Dipper, so close that the warmth of his skin seemed to blend with hers. When their lips finally touched, it was as if time had stopped. The kiss was gentle but full of feelings she couldn't ignore. Her hands trembled slightly as they wrapped around his neck, feeling a mixture of nervousness and an indescribable joy as Dipper tightened his grip on her waist, pulling them even closer.
More than five minutes had passed when they pulled away.
"Sometimes you're not that smart, Dipper Pines."
He laughed.
"Happy birthday, Pacifica."