AN: I'm back! Another Sunday, another chapter!
Chapter Fifty-Six: Facade
Dipper's fist hovered over the door to Matthew's bedroom, poised to knock. But he didn't think he could, he didn't want to look at Matthew and his eerie cheerfulness, it made him scared, angry, and sad at the same time.
Matthew being single had traveled around Gravity Falls like wildfire doused in gasoline in the spam of an hour.
Why his brother felt the need to tell the world on social media, was a mystery to Dipper, maybe it made him feel better?
Matthew meanwhile had been quite awkward. He had this ever present smile on for the entirety of breakfast and was humming in his room cheerfully afterwards.
His facade may have fooled the other occupants of the household, but it didn't fool Dipper, and judging by the look Mabel had—her face looking as if everything happy had been removed from the world—she hadn't fallen for it either.
Matthew was obviously hurting, he was hurting so much that he had to hide his pain with a smile.
It made Dipper's burning hatred for Bill to become a raging inferno, but he was also angry with Wendy. His brother had made mistakes in his past life, and yes, just like a few weeks ago, he had been just like her.
But Matthew was a good person with a big heart, was she so blinded by grief that she couldn't see that anymore?
Dipper was snapped out of his thoughts when Matthew's bedroom door opened with a flourish.
"We're going for ice-cream," He announced with an eerily wide grin.
"Now?" Dipper asked.
"The Party starts in nine hours, we'll make it back in time! Not to worry!" The blonde walked down the hallway singing "Catch a Falling Star".
Dipper frowned sadly at his brother's receding form. "Oh, Matthew..." his shoulders slumped and he sighed.
There was the sound of another door opening, Mabel walked out, wearing an uncharacteristically dark sweater. It was of cracked shooting stars falling from the sky in a dark blue background.
He was already dealing with one sad brother, he really didn't want to deal with a sad sister, a.k.a The very embodiment of happiness.
"Matt's taking us out for ice cream," he said in a attempt to cheer her up.
Mabel perked up slightly. "I'm getting four flavours this time!"
"Last time you got three and got very sick," Dipper pointed out.
Mabel blew a raspberry and strutted down the hallway.
At least Dipper didn't have to worry too much about her.
Or so he thought, because in reality, he did.
…M-A-B-E-L…
"Can't we go five seconds without some girl trying to flirt with you?" Dipper asked, annoyed while Mabel sang happily behind her quadruple scoop ice cream cone.
She licked the very top layer while Dipper began scowling at the waitress who was not so subtly staring intently at Matthew's jean clad bottom as he bent to pick up a dollar bill he had dropped.
"No need for that," she purred. "On the house!"
Matthew smiled thankfully and she winked, walking away.
"To be fair, I should've expected this," Matthew stretched and licked from his chocolate ice cream cone. "Now that they know I'm not taken it'll be worse."
"How about the fact that everyone's meming Wendy...and they're all super mean," Mabel held up a phone, showing a Wendy meme that said, ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY DUMP MATTHEW PINES. And another one saying I'M WENDY AND I DUMPED THE HOTTEST MAN ON EARTH HUE, HUE!
Matthew's expression darkened before he slipped back into his cheerful facade. "Again, bound to happen."
The door to the ice cream shop opened and in came someone who was quite high on Dipper's People I Hate With a Burning Passion List.
Penelope Evergreen.
"Matthew darling what a coincidence!" She said, standing over the table they were sitting at and leaning forward towards the blonde.
Matthew frowned. "Something tells me you just read my status update and decided to come here."
"Details, details..." Penelope waved a dismissive hand. "How's you're little...situation going?"
Dipper saw Mabel look slightly guilty, he couldn't see why, though, on the other hand Matthew's facade had once more slipped, showing forth the heartbroken boy underneath.
Dipper hated Penelope for bringing that painful memory out.
"Why would you care?" Dipper snapped.
Penelope gave him a side ways glance and sneered at him. "Because I'm nice."
"You're anything BUT nice!" Mabel protested.
Penelope's eyes glinted dangerously before she turned back to Matthew. "I didn't see you at the audition yesterday, what happened?"
"I was helping Dipper—"
"Goodness Gravity, Matthew! When will those brats realize your entire world doesn't revolve around them?"
"Hey!" Mabel complained standing up sharply, causing three layers to fall off her cone. "Aww..." she said forlornly.
"I'll get you another, Mabes," Matthew stood up and Penelope grabbed his arm. "Matthew, you need a break from them."
"But—"
"Sweetie, trust me! You'll enjoy it if you come with me! Just for a bit!" Penelope smiled.
Matthew opened his mouth to protest when a sudden feeling crept up his spine. Penelope smirked as Matthew flinched violently at the strange unnatural feeling, his cone dropping.
"Sure," he said finally.
Penelope smiled and wrapped an arm around Mathew's shoulder, leading him out of the store.
Looking over their shoulders, the raven haired girl saw the twins glaring hatefully at her.
She winked at them and turned back around.
"She's up to something..." Mabel squinted at the receding forms of Penelope and Matthew.
"Something shady," Dipper agreed. "I mean, remember? Matthew said she let him get kidnaped by Damion."
"Who wants him to be Demon King...you think she's apart of the plan?" Mabel turned to her brother.
"That's what I'm worried about. Matt's already been hurt, what if he gets hurt again?"
"Well, duh! We won't let that happen! We'll make sure of it!" Mabel put on her "serious" face. 'I hurt him once, not again.'
Guilt pooled in her stomach.
'Not again.' She repeated in her mind.
…M-A-B-E-L…
Penelope sat next to Matthew on the piano bench in her father's auditorium as he played a fast song.
In reality she hated classical music, but everyone knows that you can't please a guy unless you make him feel like everything he likes is interesting! Logic 101!
Perhaps Wendy didn't get that but she sure did!
"That was beautiful!" She gushed, clapping her hands.
"You think so?" Matthew smiled. "Thanks, Wendy."
Penelope forced a laugh but was internally bristling. "It's Penelope, sweetie!"
"Right! Right, crap. I'm sorry I just..." Matthew's facade slipped once more and he swallowed thickly.
"I know. It's hard when you're in the dumps..." Penelope patted Matthew's arm.
She really didn't know in fact; she'd never been dumped before, GIRLS did the dumping, not the other way around! Of course, then she'd kill the poor souls who's hearts she crushed into powder.
Of course no one needed to know THAT, but again, Logic 101!
At least Wendy got SOMETHING right.
"Teach me?" Penelope said moving closer to Matthew on the bench so there legs touched.
Matthew turned to her, his eyes taking on a sad look. Of course, Penelope wouldn't understand, but...Wendy had said the exact same thing weeks ago, hadn't she?
Back when she still loved him.
He closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Yeah...yeah sure, I'll teach you."
Like back then, he patted his lap, Penelope grinned wildly and sat on the offered seat rather abruptly.
Matthew grunted and pitched forward, his hands slamming the piano keys and causing a discord to sound through the auditorium.
"Oh! Sorry!" Penelope said.
Matthew gave a tight smile and moved Penelope's hands over the keys.
Soon he was washed over with déjà vu, he was no longer in the auditorium with Penelope.
He was in Harrison Manor with Wendy. He could feel how tense and nervous she was, and he found that cute, finally he saw beneath the tomboy mask she liked to wear.
Matthew could hear Wendy's light laughter as he cracked some jokes here and there, and he smiled when she played the C Major scale perfectly.
"You're a fast learner," he mumbled to Wendy.
"You're a good teacher," Wendy—no, not Wendy—Penelope said.
Matthew was pulled out of the flashback, Penelope was looking back at him with a smile.
The grey-eyed girl got up and smoothed her pink teal skirt before spinning around. "Daddy'll Let you in for sure!" She promised.
Matthew chuckled lightly. "Good to kn—" his voice cut off when Penelope pulled him into a kiss.
He was shocked for a second, and when it wore off, he still didn't kiss back.
He didn't feel explosions and butterflies like with Wendy; Penelope didn't seem to be kissing him with passion.
It was more like possession.
Penelope furrowed her brow. Why wasn't he kissing back?
Maybe he needed a little push...
Matthew flinched violently once more as the same strange sensation as before took over.
His arms wrapped around Penelope's waist, pulling her in as he kissed her passionately.
That was more like it.
Penelope pulled back, satisfied as Matthew blinked twice slowly.
"What—?"
"I'll tell Daddy about your inclusion, 'Kay?" Penelope giggled and strutted down the walkway as Matthew stood there wondering what on Earth had just happened.
"C'mon! I have another place in mind!"
…M-A-B-E-L…
Dipper and Mabel popped out of the bush they were hiding in, and watched the duo walking out of the auditorium.
"He looks fine..." Dipper said.
"The bad thing could happen later! C'mon!"
Dipper nodded and he and his sister continued to follow.
While Dipper moved from behind trees to benches to alleyways.
Mabel was content on doing an army crawl while singing the "Mission Impossible" theme.
Matthew and Penelope went into a bakery, Dipper took out his binoculars and looked through them.
"Ba-BA!" Mabel said loudly finishing off the theme, and popping up next to her brother.
"What do you see?"
"They're just talking," Dipper responded. "Nothing diabolical, yet."
Penelope laughed at a joke and took Matthew's hand from across the table, smirking for she saw other girls glaring at her from the corner of her eye.
Turning to the window, she frowned upon seeing Dipper looking at her and Matthew with binoculars.
Dipper and Mabel yelped and ducked behind a nearby bush.
Penelope turned back to Matthew and gave him a tight smile. "Why don't you get us something, hm?"
"Uh, Yeah, sure," Matthew said, still feeling nervous. He felt like he was cheating on Wendy, but he knew he wasn't, she dumped him.
He sighed and lay his face on the table. He almost wished he WAS cheating, at least he's know that Wendy didn't hate him...
Penelope walked over to the bush the twins where hiding behind with a smirk. With a flick of her wrist, they both flew into the air with a cry of surprise.
"Don't get in my way, sweeties..." Penelope smiled. "I have big plans and I don't need you two to be ruining them!"
"Don't you do anything to Matthew you-you-you TRAMP SKANK!" Mabel yelled.
Penelope gasped and the two fell unceremoniously. "Pardon?" She said in an eerily quiet voice.
Mabel didn't repeat herself, just glared.
"Watch yourself..." Penelope whispered, spinning on her heel.
She did not need brats ruining her life...
…M-A-B-E-L…
This is what you get when you break up with a popular local pretty boy.
You get hate.
Wendy walked through town, getting looks of hatred everywhere she turned.
"I knew this'd happen y'know," said a girl dressed in red to her two friends dressed in green and yellow. "Why would he date an ugly girl like her? She OBVIOUSLY screwed her way into his heart!"
"Maybe it's because she has a large cup size," The yellow one said. "It's at least a D..."
"What?! I have a C! Her size is SO not bigger than mine!" The red one snapped.
"You sure?" The green one said.
"Shut up!"
The three girls passed Wendy and gave her identical scowls before continuing their gossip.
"Hey, Wendy!"
What was this? A non hostile voice?
Wendy turned to find Robbie.
"Uh, Hey, heard you broke up with Pretty Boy," He laughed. "Good riddance, am I right?"
Wendy forced a smile. "Yeah..."
She could still see Matthew's heartbroken face. "Yeah."
She gent guilty but she didn't know why.
…M-A-B-E-L…
AN: Try to count all the pop culture references, Lol
Fantasy Fan OUT!