Love, Hate, It's All The Same

Chapter 12: Better Than A Cactus

Pacifica walked along the hallway, thinking hard. So she saw Dipper with Chloe on top of him. Big deal. The dork can be with whoever he wants. After all, they are just fake boyfriend and girlfriend.

If he wants to be with a pretty blonde psychopath, then he can be with a pretty blonde psychopath, Pacifica told herself. I don't care.

Pacifica groaned in frustration. But then why did the scene bother her so much? Why did it make her feel so... weird? Uncomfortable?

No. The word was jealous. 

It kinda sounds like you have a crush on ol' Dip-dop, Mabel's voice echoed in her head.

"Oh hell no." Pacifica shook her head. She did not have a crush on him. "Not him."

"Uh... what?"

Pacifica yelped and nearly slapped Dipper across the face. She was too preoccupied with her crazy thoughts to notice him running up to her.

"What do you want?" Pacifica probably didn't mean for it to come out too harsh but the words just spilled out of her mouth. Dipper looked taken aback.

"I... Well... In the room..." Dipper stammered. His hands moved a lot as he tried to remember how to form complete sentences. "She just fell on me, okay?"

Pacifica opened her mouth, probably to tell him off, when Vince's unmistakable voice grabbed her attention. She hated that voice. It sounded like it was coming from right around the corner. 

"Yes, I know it's not about the girl." Vince said. He was quiet for a moment, like he was waiting for a reply, before he spoke again. He must've been in a phone call. "I know!"

Her frustration with Dipper forgotten, Pacifica crept toward the edge of the wall, where the hallway turned left. She didn't normally eavesdrop on other people's conversations, but Vince's tone made her curious.

"Pacifica?" Dipper asked, concern laced into his voice. Pacifica held a finger to her lips, gesturing for Dipper to stay quiet. Curious, he followed her lead and stood next to her, trying to hear the conversation between Vince and whoever was on the other end of the phone.

"-don't suspect a thing." Vince continued. "They still think I'm trying to be her boyfriend. Ha! I'd much sooner date a racoon."

He paused again. "The old guy? Yeah. I'm working on it."

Dipper and Pacifica could faintly hear the teeny voice of the person on the other end of the phone. When Vince spoke again, he sounded agitated. "I told you, I know what I'm doing! I'll get your stupid books - journals - whatever!"

Then, at that moment, Dipper sneezed. Loud. Pacifica spun around and glared at Dipper.

"Sorry." he muttered. 

Pacifica turned back to eavesdrop on Vince some more.

"-call you back. I think someone's here."

Too late, Pacifica realized what was happening. She opened the nearest door to them - which happened to lead to the janitor's closet - and dragged Dipper inside. She closed the door shut behind her, and they were engulfed in darkness.

"Have I ever mentioned that I have claustrophobia?" Dipper whispered anxiously from somewhere behind her. Pacifica told him to shut up.

She pressed her ear to the door, straining to hear any noises from the other side. She could faintly hear footsteps (no doubt Vince's) growing louder with every step. He was getting closer to their hiding spot.

"Crap." Pacifica scanned the small room. It was difficult to see in the dark but she could vaguely make out that they were surrounded by various cleaning supplies, none of which could help with their situation. She wondered if she could hide as an old used mop, but she figured Dipper would have a harder time camouflaging himself as a broom or something. 

Her eyes flicked to Dipper and she got her craziest idea yet, which is saying something, 'cause all her other ideas and thought that day were already bat-crap crazy. She hesitated, then muttered, "I can't believe I'm about to do this."

Before Dipper could ask her what she meant, Pacifica pulled him close and touched her lips to his.

For a split second, Dipper's eyes widened to the size of golf balls. He forgot about his claustrophobia. Everything around him seemed to melt away. Then he felt his eyes flutter shut just as he heard the door knob make a clicking sound.

"Oh shit, sorry!" 

Pacifica pulled away from Dipper at the sound of Vince's voice. Her face was bright red, not unlike Vince's. Dipper hoped the room was dark enough to hide how red his own face was.

Vince closed the door back up and an awkward silence fell onto the two.

 Dipper probably could've stood there all day, staring at cleaning supplies and trying to remember what his name was but he realized he still had his hands on Pacifica's waist. He promptly dropped his hands at the realization. He tried to break the silence and said something real intelligent, like: "Uhh... umm...."

Pacifica removed her hands from behind Dipper neck and tucked her hair behind her right ear, the way she does whenever she's nervous. She seemed to regain her wits. "...I suppose that was better than kissing a cactus."

Dipper remembered their conversation from when they were walking back to school the first time they went to Pacifica's place. He rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, his ears still dangerously red. He tried to say something clever, like: Would I lie to you?, but instead it came out as : "Uh, duh."

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "Come on, genius. We should get out before it's Mabel who opens that door next."