I'll protect you

Chapter three

Dipper sat down at the dinner table once he returned to the shack.

Everyone had been waiting for him to return.  He could tell by the way everyone greeted him once he walked through the door.  They all had a mixture of sorry and fear written across their faces.

"Don't worry about it, I just needed to think a little.  I'm good now."  Dipper shrugs and sits down at the table next to his sister.

Although dinner was uneventful, Dipper couldn't have been happier.  He didn't really understand why, and he didn't want to.

Dipper laid on his back on his bed that night.  It was somewhat early in the night.  Dipper wanted to go to sleep but it was to early.  He was bored out of his mind.

He knocked on Mabel's door.  She opened it with a smile a few seconds later.

"Can we talk for a little bit?  I'm bored."  Dipper says bluntly.  His sister nodded and gestured for him to enter her room.

Her bedroom was far more decorated than his own.  A few posters on the wall, a bed made with pink and white blankets and pillows.  A dresser, that was decorated with perfumes, makeup, and painting supplies; had a tan mirror above it.  Her circle pink carpet in the middle of her room made it seem more open.  There was a few bean bag chairs underneath her small window.  That's where Dipper decided to sit down.  Mabel sat down on her bed. 

"It's weird being back huh?"  Mabel smiles to her twin brother who nods in return.  "What do you think mom and dad want to talk to you about?"

"I'm not sure.  It's probably something stupid."  Dipper rolls his eyes as he imagined his parents actually wanting to talk to him.

"I'm not sure.  Maybe it's something important."  The young girl says, unsure was clear in her voice.

"Don't worry about it Mabes.  Besides, if it was that important then they would come here and tell me or they would tell us to come home now."  Dipper says wisely.  Mabel nods in agreement.

"What are the plans for tomorrow?"  She asks.  Dipper shrugs.

"All you're friends busy again?"

"Actually no they aren't.  You should hang out with us!"  Mabel says excitedly.  Dipper shakes his head.

"I'm not to sure about that."  He laughs lightly.

"Oh come on Dip!  Pacifica says she wants to see you!"  She giggles.

Twelve and thirteen year old Dipper would have blushed at this comment and feel on top of the world.  But Dipper now just felt nothing.  He didn't take it in a romantic way.  He didn't understand what had changed.

"Well I guess I have nothing else going on."  Dipper shrugs, "but I don't like her like that Mabel, so you can wipe that smirk off you're face." 

"Okay!"  Mabel laughs.  "We should get some sleep though if we're going to go out tomorrow." 

Dipper nods in agreement and heads to his own room after he had said goodnight to Mabel.

He walked back into his own room and laid back down on his bed.  He couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard he tried.  His mind was swirling with thoughts of his parents, Bill, Pacifica, school, and everything else. 

Finally after an hour, he begins to fall asleep slowly, the last thought on his mind being Bill Cypher.

***

Word Count: 570
Date Published: 12/8/22