Little Dipper

Normal...Man

With Dipper having his "Bill" to talk to, Mabel was able to focus on her work at the shack - and also dedicate a little bit of time to attempting to get a summer romance. Unfortunately, every attempt she tried just backfired on her and sent the customer she flirted with running for the hills. What was she doing wrong?

"Maybe I'm just not pretty enough." She pouted, staring in her mirror as she brushed her hair. "Or maybe I'm not funny enough? Maybe I'm TOO funny? Or maybe I'm so pretty I scare them away!"

By coincidence – or at least she hoped it was – Dipper chose that moment to laugh uproariously at whatever "Bill" said. Shaking her head, she stood up and walked over to the door. "I'm going to the store, you want anything?"

Dipper looked at her and then back to the closer before he grinned. "Doritos?" He then busted up laughing, like it was the greatest joke in the world.

"Okay, sillyhead. I'll be back later." She ruffled his head and walked out.

Dipper fixed his hat. "And some Pitt soda!"

"We've got that down in the kitchen, just get up and get it!" Mabel said, looking at him. "Actually, do you want to come shopping with me? See the town?"

"Nah, I'll see it later. I'm playing with Bill!" Dipper shook his head.

Mabel nodded. "Uh-huh. Okay, have fun with Bill." She waved and walked out.

Maybe her mother might've been worried about his new hobby, but Mabel understood the need for an imaginary friend in a new town. Heck, she'd hardly seen anyone Dipper's age yet—oh, there was one just now—that would be able to spend time with him without teasing him for being "smart" or, heaven forbid, they saw his birthmark and made fun of him for it. That was one of the few things that made her brother cry, and she had made it clear they wouldn't do it again or else. No one got away with messing with her brother!

"Hey." A gruff voice distracted her from her thoughts and she stopped next to the cemetery, a hooded teenager approaching her.

"Hi!" She grinned.

"I've seen you around...you new in town?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm here visiting my great-uncle." Mabel nodded.

"That's cool. You're really pretty." He walked closer to her. "You wanna go out?"

Mabel gasped. Finally, her summer romance has arrived! "Sure! We can go out! Oh, but I gotta finish shopping and change into something more date-y, is that okay? You can pick me up at the Mystery Shack, that's where I live!"

"Sounds great." The teenager smiled.

"Alright, see you in an hour!" She skipped off. "Whoo-hoo!"

–

Dipper looked over as Mabel skipped into the room. "I'm home~!" She tossed him the bag of chips and started pulling out different clothes.

"What's going on with her?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I dunno, I'll ask. Hey, what's going on with you?" Dipper asked as he started to open his chips.

"This girl's got a date!" Mabel held up two sweaters. "Which one do you think? The kitty sweater, or the hearts?"

"Definitely the kitty." Dipper smiled.

"I knew you'd be a help!" She pulled off her current sweater and left it on her bed, pulling on the kitty one and then going through her jewelry.

"When did you meet a guy?" Dipper asked.

"While I was out today. We met by the cemetery." She grinned and put on gold star earrings. "How's your nerd book?"

Dipper looked at the book that was sitting open in his lap. "It's really cool! It talks about a lot of monsters and mysteries!"

"Uh-huh? You'll have to show me after my date." Mabel put her hair up in a ponytail, holding it up with her hand. "What do you think, up or down?"

"Both are pretty." Dipper shrugged. "Go with down."

"You always know the best choice." She let her hair drop and exchanged her headband for one that matched the color of her new shirt.

The doorbell rang and Dipper stood up. "I'll get it!" He ran out, Mabel laughing as she went out after him.

When Dipper opened the front door, there was a tall hooded guy standing in the doorway with a red substance on his cheek. "Ahh! It's the Grim Reaper!" He shut the door in his face, panting heavily. "He's come for Grunkle Stan!"

"No, he's not!" Mabel laughed, opening the door again. "Sorry about that, my brother can get excitable."

"Who are you?" Dipper looked around her at the teen.

"Uhm...normal...man." The teen said nervously.

"He means Norman." Mabel laced her arm with his. "Ohh, nice muscles there!"

"Are you bleeding? Do you need a band-aid?" Dipper asked, reaching in his pocket. "I've got a band-aid!"

"It's jam." Norman assured him quickly.

Mabel gasped. "I LOVE jam! We have SO much in common!" She stepped out, smiling at Dipper. "Well, don't wait up!"

"'Don't wait up' is what grown-ups say!" Dipper said as the door closed behind them. "Mabel!" She opened the door but she was already down the path. "Ohh...Bill!" He ran upstairs, stumbling on the steps a bit before going into his room. "Bill! Bill, Mabel said a grown-up thing!"

"What'd she say?" Bill asked with an amused smile.

"She said 'don't wait up'! That's what grown-ups say if they're gonna be out all night!" Dipper started pacing the room, flailing. "What if they...they kiss?! And cuddle?! What if she lets him grab her butt?!"

"You could go after them." Bill suggested.

"And-And Norman was bleeding, but he said it was jam, and he didn't even seem to know his own name!" Dipper flailed his arms even faster.

"KID!" Bill raised his voice, catching his attention. "I said you could go after them. Take a camera and if you see anything suspicious then you can show it to your uncle and he'll handle things, right?"

"Oh!" Dipper went to his bag and pulled out a video camera. "Yeah! I'll be back!" He ran out of the room.

Bill chuckled, watching him go. "That kid needs to stop to take a breath."

"Whoop, ow! Ohhh, my face!"

"And watch where he's going." Bill floated up to the nail, sitting on it to wait for Dipper to come back. He shot a look at the abandoned chips and sighed. "Doritos."