It's still us (BILLDIP)

Chapter 5 - The Battle of Little Italy

Dipper loved Sunday almost as much as Saturday's meeting in the cafe with Bill. It was a day of rest that he could spend in his room writing his novel. The store downstairs was closed, so he didn't have to help with his uncle's work. Instead, everyone in their family enjoyed their well-deserved time off the way they wanted. Grunkle Stan spent it sitting in the living room, reading newspapers, and occasionally making airplane models. Mabel was not much different from Stan. She sat in the rocking chair next to him, knitting a sweater. That day Mabel was also smiling at the letter lying on the coffee table next to her. She had read the letter more than 50 times in the 16 hours since the postman had brought it to her. Just the sight of it made her smile. However, this did not surprise Dipper, for he knew how long she had waited for the letter.

Dipper, on the other hand, spent the afternoon at his typewriter. He had been working on it since early in the morning. His fingers tapped on the keys of the machine, and he couldn't get enough of the beautiful sound the bell signaled to move the paper. He didn't even have time to have a good lunch. His head was full of ideas, so he wanted to put them on paper before they disappeared. But that wasn't all he had in his head. He was troubled by last night's situation. He wondered why Bill had to leave there so suddenly. He was not a fool to naively believe the man's story. Something must have upset him, but he didn't know what exactly. Was it that Dipper lived in such a poor neighborhood? According to the price of Bill's suit, the man had to live in some affluent neighborhoods, such as the Northwest family. Maybe because of that, maybe it was something else.

Suddenly, miraculously, the sound of a telephone rang out in the hallway. Dipper heard Mabel get up from her chair and go to pick up the phone. "It must be grunkle Ford. He hasn't called us for a long time." Dipper thought, calmly continuing to write. His great-uncle hadn't been home in over a month, due to his job responsibilities. He was not to return until August, but only for a few days before he had to return to Washington again. After all, there was a war, and his help was more than necessary. However, Dipper tolerated this and was proud to have someone in his family trying to help their country and the world in general. He wished the war would end as soon as possible.

"Dipper? Can you get to the phone? That's for you. "Mabel called from the hallway. Dipper stopped writing and went to pick up the phone at his sister's request. Who could call him if not Ford? Surely it must have been someone other than his great-uncle. If it was him, Mabel would have mentioned it. Dipper, however, knew no one else to call him, especially not on Sunday afternoon. Could it be a mistake? Well, Mabel said the person wanted to talk to him, so if they didn't mean anyone else of the same name, it couldn't be a mistake.

All he had to do was pick up the phone and find out the truth.

"Hello? On the Dipper Pines phone. Who's calling? "He asked cautiously, and a familiar voice on the other side replied," Hi, Pinetree. It's me, Bill." Dipper panicked at the words. Bill? What did he want from him on Sunday afternoon? They only had a meeting yesterday. How did he even find out his phone number ?! Oh, wait... Bill knew where he lived. He had to find the number in the phone book ( he was sure there was only one Dipper Pines living in Gravity Falls). That must have made his search much easier.

"B-Bill? What - What do you need? "

"Hey, I want to apologize for yesterday. Do you think we can meet? "Bill said. It was clear from his voice that he was really sorry. Dipper couldn't refuse such an invitation and just looked out of the corner of his eye at the clock. It was 5 in the afternoon, a little late for a trip to town, but for Bill? Because of this man, he would have arrived even at midnight just to see him.

"All right. Where will we meet?"

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Dipper had never thought in his life that Bill would take him to a place like the City Botanical Garden. Sure, the reason Bill probably chose this place was because it was quite close to Gravity Falls, in a neighborhood called Evergreen Garden. One only had to walk through China Town and a neighborhood called "Little Italy". This place was also known for its quiet atmosphere, beautiful views of the city, and a small number of visitors. It was an ideal place for them.