Waking up to a Sunday morning in Gravity Falls was about as close to waking up to a normal morning in any other town. Dipper remembered that as he woke up from his first sleep in town since 2012. He rubbed his eyes and looked around the room, which was lit up by the light of the morning sun shining through the triangular window overhead. The feeling of waking up in their room at the Shack again felt so familiar that it was hard for him not to smile.
He then glanced over at Mabel's bed on the other side of the room and saw her still knocked out cold. Her sleep rotations somehow led her to the edge of the bed, where her arms and half her face hung off the side as she snored. Far from her most flattering appearance. But given the events of the previous day, he couldn't blame her in the slightest.
As such, he had no interest in disturbing her, but he also wasn't going to wait around for her to awaken. His stomach was already calling to him and he needed to answer it. He daintily stepped out of bed, trying his best not to wake her, and walked out of the room.
With a yawn, he casually made his way down the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, he took a turn straight into a kitchen.
"Mornin', dude!" Soos greeted.
Dipper stopped dead in his tracks in surprise as he glanced over at Soos, Melody, and Abuelita sitting together at the kitchen table. Soos was eating, Melody was reading a magazine, and Abuelita was drinking tea, but they all looked up at him as he entered the kitchen. Still readjusting from his slumber, he had only just now remembered that Soos, his girlfriend, and grandmother were all residents of the Shack, and he didn't even consider encountering them this early, much less with his bedhead and unkempt evening wear.
"Hey, Dipper!" Melody greeted as she looked up from her magazine.
"Buenos dias," Abuelita said as she mixed her tea with a spoon.
"Oh, uh, hey guys!" Dipper awkwardly waved. "And, err... buenos... dias?" he returned in the best way he could, fully aware of his poor Spanish-speaking abilities.
"How'd you sleep, dude?" Soos asked as he ate a spoonful of oatmeal. "Cheese smell wasn't a problem, was it?"
"Um, no," Dipper replied stiffly.
"Aw sweet! Good to know," Soos said as he ate another spoonful of oatmeal. "Still kinda sad that I had to throw out most of those sandwiches. Though, a lot of them had gone bad anyway, so I guess it was for the best. Heheh."
Melody appeared to notice Dipper's stiff appearance and speech and raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. "You okay, Dipper? You seem kinda off."
"Oh, no, I'm fine," Dipper reassured, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "It's just... I kinda forgot you guys lived here now. I wasn't really expecting to run into everyone so early."
"No sweat, Dip-dawg," Soos brushed off. "Heck, this is gonna take us as much getting used to as it will for you guys. But before you know it, we'll all be rooming like one big, tight family."
Suddenly, Mabel skipped into the kitchen.
"Morning, bro-bro!" she said gleefully as she skipped right past him.
Unlike Dipper, she did not even seem fazed by the presence of Soos, Melody, and Abuelita the way that he was. Instead, she casually went up to them one by one.
She raised her hand up to high-five Soos. "Soos! There's my favorite elbow-licking man-child!"
Soos smiled and gave her a high-five. "Elbow-licking man-child... I like it!"
Mabel ran up to Abuelita next and hugged her. "And Abuelita! Still not looking a day over forty, I see!"
Abuelita smiled. "Aye, chica. You are making me blush."
"And lastly, Melody! Rocking the polka dots like always!" Mabel said as she went up to her next. "Although, I gotta speak from personal experience: Polkatopia is a farrrr superior brand than Superpolka."
Melody's eyes suddenly widened. "THANK YOU! My aunt got me this top for Christmas, and while I'm incredibly grateful and it is really cute, I've always told her that Superpolka only makes their tops from polyester and that they're the least comfortable thing in existence. The only reason I'm wearing it now is that she requires monthly photo evidence that I actually wear it, so I might as well get it out of the way now."
"Polyester is a crime!" Mabel agreed. She examined Melody's top closely. "But that pattern is pretty simple. I think I could easily replicate the same top out of straight cotton."
Melody put her hands on her face with genuine shock. "Dude... if you do that for me so I could please my crazy aunt and wear something comfortable and cute, I'd basically owe you a life debt."
"No life debt necessary!" Mabel said. "It's on the house! If I get started now, I can have it done by the afternoon."
Melody caught Mabel by surprise by hugging her tightly and excitedly. "Okay, like, I still have yet to get to know you properly, but you're already one of my favorite people on the planet!"
Mabel chuckled and hugged her back acceptingly. "I get that a lot."
They all started laughing and Dipper simply stared in surprise. A looming sense of embarrassment clouded him as he stood from the side like an outsider looking in.
"Look at us!" Mabel spoke out amidst the laughter. "We're already getting along like one big, tight family!"
"Yeah! Haha, it's kinda funny actually," Soos began. "Dipper forgot we were living here when he walked in. You're basically doing the opposite of what he did. Now that's irony right there!"
Dipper narrowed his eyes in slight annoyance. He was well aware of his own accidental ignorance, but leave it to Soos to unintentionally pour salt on the wound. Something that wasn't exactly new, but still just as annoying as it had always been.
"Oh wait!" Soos shouted, shooting up from the table. "Where are my manners, dudes? You two must be starving. Let me fix you guys something to eat."
"Aw man, I'm so hungry I could go for almost anything right now," Mabel said as she and Dipper walked up behind Soos.
"Granted Grunkle Stan's hair isn't in it, at least," Dipper added.
"Uh oh," Soos said as he looked around the kitchen pantry.
"Uh oh?" Mabel echoed fearfully. "No one should ever have to say that when searching through the pantry!"
"Welp..." Soos began as he closed the pantry doors shut. "We're all out of food. Sorry dudes."
"NOOOOOO!" Mabel cried dramatically.
"What? Seriously? There's no food at all?" Dipper asked.
"Unfortunately not, dude," Soos shook his head guiltily. "Got so caught up with you dudes coming back that I forgot to get groceries yesterday. I'd do it now, but I'm supposed to open the Shack in a few, so we won't be able to go out and get more until later."
He looked back at the kitchen table and noticed his half-eaten bowl of oatmeal. He grabbed it and held it out for the two.
"But you dudes can have the other half of my oatmeal!"
Dipper looked at Soos' mushy and watered-down oatmeal in disgust. "I'll pass," he politely declined.
"Aw, what?" Mabel asked. "I was gonna let you have it since you were the first one here, but if you don't want it, I'll gladly take it."
"Have at it, hambone," Soos said, handing the bowl to Mabel.
Mabel took the spoon and began eating out of the bowl without issue, walking over to the table. Dipper had no regrets about his decision, but he was still very much hungry. Another idea came to mind.
"Soos, why don't I go out and get your groceries for you?" he suggested.
"For real?" Soos asked as he fixed up his Mr. Mystery outfit, adjusting his hat and tie. "That'd be great!"
"Of course! I'll go get dressed, and then I'll walk on over to the grocery store and back," Dipper said, beginning to walk out of the kitchen.
"You're gonna walk over to the grocery store?" Melody asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's like two miles there and back."
"Well, I mean, I could take the bus or something," Dipper said.
"Why bother?" Soos asked as he picked up a pair of keys. "Here, take these."
He tossed the keys over to Dipper, who caught them. He stared at them, confused. "What are these?"
"The keys to my pickup."
"Wait, seriously?" Dipper asked, eyes widening.
"Of course! I mean, you dudes got your licenses, right?" Soos asked.
"I do," Dipper said, raising a hand.
"I don't," Mabel said, somewhat jealously.
"Oh," Soos said, somewhat surprised. "Well, I mean, Dipper, if you and Mabel ever need a ride, then you're more than free to use my pickup. I mean, I know you dudes are gonna be itching to go out and do stuff, but with me running the Shack and all, I'm not always gonna be available. So if you ever gotta be somewhere, you don't gotta wait on me."
"Wow! Thanks, Soos!" Dipper said excitedly. "That's so cool of you!"
"Anytime, dawg."
With newfound anticipation for the day, Dipper quickly ran upstairs with the keys in hand to get properly dressed for heading out in public. Mabel continued to sit at the table alongside Melody and Abuelita, eating the oatmeal. Soos then turned to her.
"So, uh, I can trust him with my pickup, right?" Soos asked, somewhat nervously.
"Who, Dipper? Of course!" Mabel nodded. "The guy can drive a golf cart like a pro. Learning to drive was never an issue for him."
"Huh, yeah, you do have a good point," Soos realized. "But how come he has his license and you don't?"
"Not sure. I guess these hands were made more for designing clothes than turning steering wheels," Mabel said, holding both her hands outward dramatically. "Also, let's just say there's a reason my driver's ed department is looking for a new evaluator..."
Soos, Melody, and Abuelita looked at her in surprise for a brief silence.
"Oh..." Melody spoke up, rubbing her neck.
"That's, uh... wow," Soos said.
"Maldita sea, esa chica está jodidamente loca..." Abuelita whispered to herself.
"Yeah... my driving scared her so bad, she quit her job," Mabel told them.
Soos and Melody had an immediate sigh of relief. Abuelita looked to relax a bit too.
"Oh, thank goodness," Soos said.
"Wait, what did you guys think I meant?" Mabel said, raising an eyebrow.
There was yet another silence in the room for a good moment. Soos and Melody glanced at each other.
"Oh, is that a tourist I hear?" Soos pretended. "I better get to work. See you later, dude."
"Yeah, and I should get ready myself," Melody said, standing up from the table and quickly walking out of the kitchen.
Mabel and Abuelita were left alone in the kitchen. Abuelita continued to stir her tea while Mabel just awkwardly picked at the oatmeal in her bowl with a spoon. She looked up at Abuelita with a smile.
"So, how have you been all these years, Abuelita?" Mabel asked.
"Oh, you know. Mantenerse alejado de posibles asesinos locos," Abuelita replied. "The usual."
"Same," Mabel nodded despite having no idea what she just said.
Dipper stood in line for one of the registers at Tons grocery store, having just finished gathering a good cart's worth of food for the Shack. The person in front of him moved up in line, and so he stepped up to the cashier.
"How are you doing today, son?" the cashier asked politely as he began to scan Dipper's items and place them in plastic bags. He was a cheery-looking old man with glasses.
"I'm doing fine. How about you?" Dipper asked, returning the kindness.
"Oh, just peachy," the man answered. "You new in town? I've gotten used to seeing and knowing the same ol' folks around here, and I don't think I've seen you before."
"I'm not necessarily new, per se, but this is my second day here this summer," Dipper explained. He offered his hand out to the man. "Name's Dipper Pines."
"Oh, you're one of the Pines family, eh?" the man said as he shook his hand. "Aren't you kinda famous around here?"
"Famous? Well, I wouldn't say that..." Dipper chuckled, amused by the thought of being famous after events such as Weirdmageddon. However, it was a thought that quickly got way too deep into his head. "Do people really think I'm famous around here? Because, man, that's a lot of credit to take. And don't get me wrong! I'm totally willing to take it, but man... Does that mean I got a statue or something around here?"
The old man chuckled. "Well, I mean, plenty associate the Pines name with that Mystery Shack and that old boss Stanford Pines and his knick-knacks and such. Quite the fame you have being related to such a man."
Dipper's excitement quickly dwindled back down with this elaboration. "Oh... Yeah... I guess..."
"By the way, the name's Richard Dalton. But you can just call me Dalton. I own the store."
"Ah, Dal-Tons," Dipper realized. "I get it. You look like you've been here a while."
"Indeed," Dalton nodded. "Though, I'll probably be retiring soon. This job is getting too tiring for me with all the trouble that's been going on around here."
"What kind of trouble?" Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah, the usual. Teenagers."
Dipper's eyes glanced down at himself. "I think I'm starting to see a trend with old shopowners."
"Not you, of course," Dalton began. "But teenagers have been coming in and rummaging around and making a mess of the aisles, the bathroom, and all-in-all just causing havoc. And don't even get me started on the shoplifting issue we have around here."
As Dalton was speaking, Dipper looked past him at a lone hooded teenager near the front entrance. He seemed to examine a loaf of bread before promptly sticking it inside his hoodie.
"Hey wait!" Dipper said, pointing at the hooded teen. "Dalton, that guy's about to shoplift some bread!"
Dalton turned around and looked at the teen. He shrugged.
"Meh. Honestly, kid, this stuff happens so much that no one even bothers about it anymore. My security has even grown tired of it."
Dipper looked around the front of the store. "What security?"
"Exactly," Dalton said. "Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm beyond used to the youth making things harder for an old-timer like me."
The teen then made an immediate bust out the door and tripped the anti-theft alarm. Despite the alarm, he continued to make a run for it without looking back.
Dipper's eyes narrowed with determination. "Maybe you won't worry about it, but I will."
He hopped over his shopping cart and started running toward the door the shoplifter ran out. He burst through the door and glanced around, eventually spotting the shoplifting teen around the back of the parking lot. Even with the distance, Dipper broke into a sprint and went after him. With the loud, echoing sounds of shoes tapping fast against the pavement, the shoplifter spared a glance behind himself to realize he was being tailed. Upon the realization, his running quickly broke into a faster sprint of his own.
"HEY!" Dipper called out mid-chase. "GET BACK HERE!"
What am I doing? He isn't gonna listen to me.
He continued to run as fast as he could after the shoplifter. Unfortunately, he could feel his stamina decrease as his breathing became heavier and more rapid. He knew he had a fast run, but he wasn't a trained runner. Breath control wasn't a mastered skill for him. However, even with his energy depleting by the second, he was somehow still managing to catch up to the shoplifter.
As they approached the edge of the parking lot, Dipper realized there would minimal transition going into the forest if the chase extended much longer. The last thing he wanted was to take this wild chase into less rigid terrains and figured he needed to put an end to it before it was too late. Pushing his limits, he forced just enough speed out of himself so he could get in lunging range of the shoplifter.
"Hey!" he called out one more time. "You gotta pay for that!"
Without hesitation, Dipper sprung forward and grabbed the teen by the torso, forcing him down to the ground. The two groaned in pain and exhaustion, but Dipper made sure to keep the shoplifter in check as he picked himself back, panting heavily.
"HA!" Dipper laughed through his panting. "I... I sure got you! You... you thief!"
He continued to pant exhaustedly. It became apparent that gloating was not easy to do when his legs were shot, his stomach cramped, and his feet were throbbing in his sneakers. Still, as he slowly caught his breath again, he knew he still had business to wrap up.
"Anyway, I'm afraid you're gonna have to pay for that bread, sir," he continued. "Mr. Dalton might be old, but that doesn't make it right to take from his-"
As he spoke, the shoplifter had gotten on his knees and turned his head to look at Dipper. Upon catching sight of the shoplifter's face, Dipper froze in pure shock.
Likewise, the shoplifter glared at him with a sense of recognition. "Wait a minute... Dipper?!"
Dipper's mouth hung open in disbelief. "Derrick?!"
Derrick chuckled as he lowered his hood from his head. "Hey... What's going on, man?"
"And that, dudes, concludes our tour of the Mystery Shack," Soos said as he led a crowd of people out of the museum and into the gift shop. "If any of you dudes would be interested in a complimentary souvenir to remember this experience, then you can purchase yourselves a 99 Cent-aur."
He raised a small centaur figure that he took from a large box beside him. The crowd before him stared at the mini figure with awe and growing intrigue.
"By the way, don't get confused by the name. They actually cost ten bucks," Soos clarified.
"I'll take fifteen!"
"I'll take thirty for my children!"
Soon, the crowd surrounded Soos, waving fistfuls of cash in the air. Mabel and Wendy sat next to the cash register watching him give out the figures while Waddles sat beside Mabel's seat.
"Wow, Soos is a natural at this," Mabel admired. "He's just like Grunkle Stan without the Grunkleiness and kinder facial hair."
"Yeah, he sure does know how to manage this place," Wendy nodded. "Scamming folks out of their wallets just by using fake props as attractions."
"Ah, just like the good ol' days," Mabel said while leaning herself back against the register counter. "This place really hasn't changed a bit."
At that moment, Ryland suddenly barged into the gift shop through the main door as if he was in a hurry.
"Ryland, you're late. Not that it even matters," Wendy told him. "Anyways, since you're here now, can you get me a snack from the vending machine so I don't need to stand up?"
"Yeah, yeah! Bathroom first!" Ryland waved off as he made a rush through the living room door.
Wendy shook her head in his direction before turning her focus back to Soos getting swarmed from the side. On the other hand, Ryland's arrival sparked a new fixation for the day in Mabel's head.
She had no internal denial that perhaps she felt a liiiiittle something toward him, not that she was ever a stranger to the feeling of a new crush. Though, she also knew that this was already going against her initial mindset going into the summer of not chasing after guys every second she could like she used to. That was something she stood by.
But, c'mon, Ryland was only one guy after all. And besides, there was no harm in feeling the waters and seeing what he was like. For as attractive as she found him, she still knew nothing about him. What are the chances he wasn't as pretty inside as he was outside? Regardless, a chance was a chance, and she was intent on taking it.
She glanced over at Wendy, tapping her fingers together tentatively. "So, uh, Wendy? I have a bit of a question."
"Sure, man. What's going on in the ol' Mabel?" Wendy asked, listening intently.
"So, like, that Ryland guy..." she began. "...you seem like you know him pretty well! I was wondering if, ya know, you could fill me in a bit? Because, like, he'll be around all summer and stuff, and it's probably for the best that I get to know him a bit better so things aren't all awkward and stuff. Not, like, anything weird, you know? Heheheheheheheheh."
Wendy smirked as she raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Are you surrrre that's the reason?"
Mabel blushed, realizing that she was onto her. "You're not buying it for a second, are you?"
"Absolutely not."
"ALRIGHT FINE! I'm guilty of... you-know-what..." Mabel admitted.
"Ooooh, girl just got back and she's already on the prowl! Gotta love it!" Wendy teased, playfully rubbing the top of Mabel's head, causing her to smile embarrassedly. "So... Ryland, huh? Interesting..."
"Soooo? What's he like?"
"Well, like I told you already, he's a cool guy. He's also seventeen, and lucky for you, totally single."
"That's always a plus."
"I mean, there's not too much to say honestly. He's kind. Super laidback. He's not an idiot, but he's no Einstein either. He's really into sports. Oh, and he loves riding his bike. He's into BMXing and all that fancy bike trick jazz."
"BMXing?" Mabel repeated curiously.
"Hell yeah, man. And he's actually pretty good at it too," Wendy nodded. "You should ask to see his tricks. That should win him over for sure."
"Huh. Sounds easy enough. Just gotta come up with a good BMX pickup line to sweep him off his feet and we're golden!"
"Pfft... c'mon, girl. You don't need corny lines or tricks for him," Wendy assured. "Look, in the nicest way possible, Ryland's kiiiinda simple. And that's not a bad thing. He just doesn't seem to be exposed to too much around here. So I honestly think you could be really good for him and him to you. You just gotta be yourself and the pieces will come together themselves."
Mabel's cheeks flushed with pink as she thought it over. "You really think so?"
"You know I'd never lie to you," Wendy affirmed. "In fact, I'll leave the two of you alone when he takes over on register."
"Really?" Mabel said. "Thanks, Wendy! You gave me all the confidence I needed. There's no way I could possibly blow this!"
Ryland then popped back out of the living room into the gift shop. Immediately, Mabel tightened up in her seat as she glanced around the room wondrously.
"Alright, I'm here!" Ryland announced as he walked over to the vending machine. "So what'll it be, Wendy? Rock Pops again?"
Wendy stood up from the cash register. "Actually, scratch that, Lando. Soos asked me to do something for him in the museum while you take over on register. Means you'll be left here with Mabel if that's cool with you."
"Oh. Yeah, no problem," Ryland shrugged acceptingly.
As Wendy stepped from behind the counter, Ryland traded places with her and sat in her seat beside Mabel. While walking into the museum, Wendy turned her head back toward Mabel and gave her a thumbs-up, which she returned back. Wendy then submerged behind the museum curtains, leaving Mabel alone with Ryland.
Mabel glanced over at Ryland. She cleared her throat preparedly. "Hey!" she started with an awkward chuckle. "Ryland, right? I'm preeetty sure it's Ryland..."
Ryland turned to her and smiled slightly. "Uh, yeah. We met for a sec last night, didn't we?"
"That we did! Gosh, I can't believe that was only yesterday," Mabel said wondrously. "And I didn't expect to be seeing you again so soon!"
"Yeah, well, even though I work part-time, I'm here nearly every day," he told her. "Though, honestly, when I got hired, I didn't expect to be a fourth of the employment. That would've been nice to know before I filled out the application."
"Heh, yeah, you're not wrong there," Mabel agreed. "So, uh, tell me about yourself! Where are you from? And how long have you been in Gravity Falls?"
"Since January," Ryland answered. "My parents moved me and my little brother out here because my dad got a pretty good tech job. But before that, we were in Portland for most of my life. Funnily though, I was actually born in Paris."
"Ooooh, Paris," Mabel said, intrigued. "Comme c'est romantique!"
Ryland stared at her for a moment in confusion. "I...I'm sorry?"
"That was French!" Mabel said proudly. "I took a French class my Sophomore year for language credit. I always knew that'd come in handy one day."
"Oh, that's really cool! But, uh, I actually don't speak it myself," Ryland clarified. "I was only there for like a year and a half before moving to the States."
"Oh..." Mabel said, somewhat embarrassed by her presumption.
"GAH!" Ryland shouted in surprise as he looked down at his feet. Mabel looked down and noticed Waddles sniffing Ryland's feet. "Well, that's a pig!"
"Waddles!" Mabel exclaimed. She picked him up and placed him out of the way. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for him to scare you!"
"No, it's fine," he chuckled. "Just caught me by surprise. He's cool though." He looked over the counter to check Waddles out again. "What's his name again?"
"Waddles," Mabel repeated as she picked him up again and started jiggling his fat pig body around. "Because he waaaaa-dddllleeesss!"
The two broke out laughing. Mabel set Waddles back on the ground and he walked off.
"That's funny," Ryland said with great amusement. "You know, Soos said you were the funny one. He ain't wrong so far."
Mabel blushed. "Compared to Dipper? Yeah, I think a stapler can tell better jokes than him."
"Wow. That bad, huh?"
"Humor-wise? Yeah," Mabel said. "But, he's a really great brother. Of course, he can be really annoying sometimes, but overall, I wouldn't ask for a better sibling."
"Lucky you," Ryland pouted. "My little brother is nothing but annoying. He's always up late making noise in his room with his computer and bugging me with his stupid games. But my parents support it for some reason and are always forcing me to look after him."
"Wow. He sounds like a handful."
"Tell me about it," Ryland said, rolling his eyes at the thought. "Anyways, enough about me. Tell me more about you and your brother."
"Alright. What do you want to know?" Mabel asked, adjusting herself comfortably in her seat.
"Uhh... anything?" Ryland prompted. I mean, Soos and Wendy have been going on about how awesome you two are and all the crazy things you guys did last you were here. What were some of those things?"
"Oh yeah! We did LOTS of crazy things," she began. "For starters, there was this one time we encountered gnomes..."
"What, you mean like lawn gnomes?" Ryland questioned.
"Ugh, I wish," Mabel said with an eye roll at the mere memory of the creatures. "But no, I'm talking about the real things. You know, those little, creepy, bearded guys who take squirrel baths and stink at flirting."
Ryland stared at her blankly for a moment. "Am I missing a reference or something?"
Mabel let out an awkward chuckle as she took in his response. "No, I'm talking about the gnomes."
"The gnomes. Like real-life... real gnomes?"
"Y-Yeah..." Mabel began until she started to realize something. "Wait... you've been here since January and you've never seen the gnomes?"
Ryland started to look somewhat weirded out, raising an eyebrow as he gave her a strange look. "You're... Are you being serious?"
Mabel's eyes widened. "You don't know about Gravity Falls weirdness, do you?"
"I mean, I've been told a lot by Soos and Wendy how this town can get pretty weird," Ryland explained. "But I've never seen or heard anything along the lines of gnomes. You honestly mean to say things like that exist?"
"Yeah! They do!" Mabel said. "Trust me, I couldn't make this up if I wanted to. But they're real!"
"Wow," Ryland said, shaking his head. "Just... how even? Like... how did you guys even find out about them?"
"Well, it's a funny story!" Mabel began. "So it all started when... uh..."
Mabel quickly stopped herself when she remembered exactly how this story began. The fact that it all started with her dating a bunch of gnomes disguised as a human only to be kidnapped by said gnomes... was this the best opener to tell to the new guy she was trying to fancy?
She regretted starting off with this one, but she knew she had already hooked him with the gnomes. Bailing on telling the story would not be a good look. But how was she gonna tell this in a way that didn't make her look bad?"
"Uh, Mabel?" Ryland prompted, grabbing her attention again. "You alright? You've been uhh-ing for a while now."
"Oh! Umm... sorry!" she said upon realizing. "I'm just, uh, trying to remember the details! It's been a few years after all, ya know?"
She then had an idea. One that she admittedly wasn't too proud of, but it was still an idea.
"Oh yeah! Now I remember!" she claimed. "So, it all started when my brother fell for this girl named, uhhh... Nora! Anyway, they went on a date, and it turned out that Nora was actually a bunch of gnomes dressed as a human girl in disguise. They were looking for a new queen, and they must've gotten his prepubescent voice confused for a girl because they wanted him to be their new queen. Then when he didn't accept it, they kidnapped him!"
"Woah," Ryland said, raising his eyebrows in shock. "What happened next?"
"Well, you know, I had to rescue him, of course," she said. "I got in a golf cart and found him. We tried to escape but then the gnomes banded together to form one giant gnome monster!"
"They can DO that?"
"Oh yeah they can!" Mabel nodded with intense eyes. "But just when all hope seemed lost, I managed to defeat them with the help of, um, a... fire-breathing dragon!"
Ryland stared at her with his mouth agape. "No. Way."
"It's true!" she went on. "I tamed one with my... dragon-taming skills... and it just swooped in. It set the gnomes on fire, and they ran away."
"You have dragon-taming skills?" Ryland asked. "That's amazing!"
"Yeah, and my dragon was amazing! But I, unfortunately, had to let it back into the wild. They're a hassle to take care of! They're not as easy as good ol' Waddles here," Mabel said as she patted Waddles' back on the floor.
"I'd imagine they'd be difficult. Setting things on fire and whatnot," Ryland said, thinking about it. "But that's crazy! And dragon-taming is something you gotta show me!"
"Maybe some other time. It's been four years after all. I am a little off with my skills," Mabel put off, not really wanting to risk blowing her cover at the moment. "Instead, how about you show me some of those bike tricks that I've heard about?"
The question brought an instant smile to Ryland's face.
Back at Tons, Dipper handed the stolen loaf of bread back to Dalton, who stood beside a cart filled with bags of all the things he had bought for the Shack.
"I'm sorry about the trouble again, Mr. Dalton," Dipper said, rubbing his arm.
"Nonsense, Dipper," Dalton said. "You didn't have to do this for me, but you did it anyway. I can confidently say you're the only teenager I don't hate."
"Uh... thanks! I appreciate the honor," Dipper responded somewhat blankly.
"Here. Take this as a token of my gratitude," Dalton said as he handed Dipper a small slip of paper.
Dipper examined it and raised an eyebrow. "A coupon for fifty cents off a cologne of choice?"
"Yep," Dalton assured gleefully. "From the short time I've been around you today, I can assure you that you'll need it."
Dipper's eyes narrowed. This was the thanks he got for his deed? Perhaps he couldn't totally blame the shoplifters after all.
"Gee, thanks, Mr. Dalton," he sarcastically replied.
"No problem, kiddo," Dalton said, patting Dipper on the back. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."
Dipper nodded and began pushing his cart of groceries. He got outside and began making his way to Soos' pickup, but was greeted by Derrick again, who stood waiting for him by a lamppost.
"Dipper! It's been like what? A day or two? How've you been, man?" Derrick asked amicably.
However, Dipper ignored him and kept pushing his cart away. Derrick sighed, dropping his friendly face.
"Alright, seriously man. You really busted me for a loaf of bread?" Derrick asked.
Dipper turned around and faced him angrily. "You stole that loaf of bread from a helpless old man's store!"
"And?" Derrick said remorselessly. "It's how I always get my groceries. It's nothing new. I thought you knew this."
"No. I didn't," Dipper said, shaking his head. "It's not like I've ever seen you go grocery shopping before. Either way, it's still wrong."
"We used to steal sodas and snacks from school vending machines, but me stealing a loaf of bread from an old man's store is wrong?"
"I mean, the sodas and snacks thing is wrong too but…"
"As long as it doesn't directly affect someone you care about, it's fine. Right?" Derrick asked, crossing his arms.
Dipper sighed, realizing the hypocrisy of his argument. Before he could think of a counter, his mind drifted to the more obvious subject at hand.
"Hang on a second, what are you even doing here in Gravity Falls?" Dipper asked.
"Oh. Well, I, uh... may have done some bad things back home in Piedmont and got in some pretty bad trouble for it," Derrick explained, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Bad things like what?"
"I don't have to answer that," Derrick said defensively. "Let's just say it was bad enough that my dad got pretty pissed; no surprise there. Anyways, as punishment, and because he's too lazy to deal with me, he sent me over to stay with my granddad here in Gravity Falls."
"The spork guy?"
"The spork guy," Derrick nodded. "I would've called to let you know, but another part of my grand punishment was 'no phones'. And because I didn't remember your number, I basically had no way to reach out." Derrick then smiled and put his arm around Dipper's neck as he gave him a noogie. "But hey, not that it matters now, huh?"
Dipper quickly pushed Derrick off of him, though not in the same friendly manner that Derrick intended. "Look, man, don't get me wrong. I'm glad you're here and all, but Gravity Falls isn't Piedmont. The idea that your dad had to send you away sucks, but can you try to make an effort to leave all your bad habits back home?"
"Why? What's so special about this town that needs me to act like a different person?"
"I'm not asking you to act like a different person. I'm asking you to try to make a change. For the better."
"Those two don't sound much different."
"Dude, it's just…"
Dipper cut himself off, trying to find a way to word his next statement without sounding like a jerk. For as much a friend as he considered Derrick, this was one of those times he needed to be truly blunt with him about where he was.
"This town just isn't like any other town," Dipper began. "The people. The places. It can be easy to get away with a lot around here, but that doesn't make it right. You come across the same people just about all the time. For all the weirdos you'll meet, there are still a lot of decent people too. You don't want people to remember you as a bad guy. And trust me, they will remember."
Derrick sighed as he leaned against a pole. "I get it. I know you know me as some guy who's constantly getting into trouble. I think about it sometimes, and I guess that's a part of me that I do wanna work on, but well... you know what I gotta deal with back home..."
He picked up a rock and threw it up in the air in frustration, sending it across the parking lot. Within seconds, a car alarm went off in the distance.
Dipper looked back at him sympathetically. "Well, maybe now that you're here instead, you can finally make that change?"
Derrick sighed with uncertainty. "I don't know. Maybe."
"Hey man, whatever happens, we'll deal with it together," Dipper assured, lightly punching him in the shoulder. "I got your back."
"Really?" Derrick asked, smiling.
"Of course!" Dipper nodded. "Dude, since I've known you, you've always had my back. My sister aside, you've been my only real friend back home. After all that you've done for me, I owe you at least that much. So what do you say?"
Dipper offered his hand out for Derrick. Derrick thought for a brief moment before taking a deep breath. He smiled and shook Dipper's hand.
"Alright, man. I'm in," Derrick settled as the two shook hands. He stuffed his hands back in his pockets and looked around. "So, this is Gravity Falls, huh? Interesting..."
"Oh, just you wait, man," Dipper said with a smirk. "You've seen nothing yet..."
I plan on slowly laying the grounds for the story's OCs so they can have bigger roles in the future. I understand that OCs can take people out of the story if they aren't done all that well, but I'm going to try my best to ensure that isn't the case here.
The original cast will always have top billing, but the OCs will take up more significant roles in time. However, I'm making sure they are written with purpose. Let me know how you feel about them as the story goes on.
-Absolute Rift