Gravity Pines

Part 17: Confrontation

"Now Pines! " I  hear another yell and I hold firm as my fists loosen slowly and I knew what could come, what was likely, and what I hoped would never happen. Shaking my head it was easy enough to hold back right now as I didn't want this spot to become a place she connected to a fight. Stepping down the small mound, I walk beside Wendy to try and pass her only to have my arm gripped hard, she was strong without a doubt, her family all rather built, the oldest oddly built more like their mother it looked like, but possessing their father's strength.

" Wendy... let go of me, I will tell you when I am ready... " I was already half cracked from moments earlier, and now wasn't the time to just let it all out. Looking back I really should have known this wasn't going to go as I wished, but as heavens as my witness, Wendy had every reason to snap for such a lazy explanation.

" Ready? When YOU'RE ready?! That is bullshit Dipper! * With that I tried to pull my arm but she whipped me past her and I am tossed to the ground, the snow was breaking my fall a bit but it wasn't thick enough to really save me from bouncing off a few stones. Pulling myself up, I use a nearby stone bench that is on it's last leg, likely be falling apart to weather if this supernatural occurrence is the norm up here. " Did I do something? Pacifica said she couldn't tell me but when I ask you myself this is how I am treated? Like a stranger! "

" Wendy wait.. " I shove myself up to reach out, trying to stop her but she was trained to stand up for herself, I saw it coming luckily as she yells out while pulling one arm away from me and the other swinging around at my face.

" Don't you d-- " I lifted my free hand and grasped her fist, the impact hurt like hell but I just furrowed my brows and bit my cheek a bit to try and push through. She clearly realized how she reacted but that was tossed aside a moment later and her left fist hooked under where I wasn't looking, having tried to stare her down a bit with eye contact, only to couch and sputter as her fist resided half way into my stomach.

" Ack! Kegh Kegh! " Trying to gather myself, I push her fist away and step back from her connected hit to stretch myself back and try to stop my muscles from being all tightened to respond to the hit. " Damnit... Wendy what the hell? Kegh! " Each cough hurt all the way to my throat but I was starting to compose myself again.

" What the hell to you Dipper, I thought we were friends once, I figured you would have some respect for what we had but... but you just left me! You didn't even just give me something to hold onto. ' I'm not ready to talk ', ' I am hurting, I will explain one day '. Nothing! " She threw her arms to her sides hard, making her shirt ruffle a bit while her head turned away. " Just forget it, I have survived one hea... one disappointment, I will handle this. Been handling it for years. " She turns from me to walk back down the pathway, thinking she could just leave after attacking me again as I huff out and reach down, scooping up a snowball and packing it tight.

" Enough! " I yell, already launching the snowball, it whizzes through the air and pelts right off her shoulder, true it wouldn't do much damage but it still would sting from how hard I made it. " You tell me I am a disappointment?! Fine maybe I came back and didn't go right to you... but I was barely ready to meet anyone until I kept running into everyone. You were no different that day. Yet first thing you do is just shun me away and show me how mad you are without once asking me why! " She turns to look at me and I can see a spiteful expression, in her mind, I was probably ghosting her, yet that didn't feel right still, something was bothering her beyond my silence for the past few years.

" You never approached me on purpose! You never called! You didn't even leave me an email! Mabel emailed me every month and she respected your selfish request to not tell me anything! " I snap back a bit and furrow my brows once more.

" I never asked her to keep silent.... I never knew she messaged you until a couple months before we moved here! "She was about to step up before stopping dead at my last words.