I'll protect you

Chapter nineteen

Although Dipper was living his best life with his boyfriend, Mabel was living her worst life without her twin brother.

She knew that she had made the wrong choice in telling their great uncles.  But it was an impulse.  She was scared, and Dipper didn't understand that.  Well he did, but to Mabel it didn't feel like that.

She was always a nervous wreck now.  Constantly skipping school, not talking to her friends, hearing random voices.  It was making her crazy. 

Yes, she went back to California for school.  But that didn't make anything better.  She was constantly scared for her brother.  She knew that if Bill was hurting him then he would have no way out.

She had cleaned up the spaces that Dipper left.  Like telling her parents that Dipper had run away.  Of course, they were upset.  They had arranged a marriage for him and now they were missing out on a lot of money. 

She told everyone at school that Dipper was staying in Gravity Falls for school this year.  Not that anyone really cared except Dippers bullies, who were in for a very boring year.

Mabel woke up one on December 1st, unable to get up.  She had no motivation to leave her room today.  Luckily, her parents were away on a trip.  They didn't care when she skipped school.

She heard the phone ring downstairs and she groaned and got up to answer it.

She ran down the stairs quickly and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"  She asks, annoyed.

"Hey Mabel, it's Stan."  His voice came in staticky.

"Yeah, I'm busy."  She snapped.  Ever since the whole incident Mabel couldn't stand Stan.  It was like Stan had betrayed the family as well by being okay with Dipper being with Bill.

"Look kid, I know you're mad at me.  But just listen."  He sighed over the phone.

"You have three minutes."  Mabel said quietly.

"I know there's nothing you can do about it now, but when you were going through your boy crazy phase wasn't Dipper always there for you?  How many sacrifices he gave up just to help you.  What about when you were messing around with Gideon and he turned out to be evil.  Dipper still helped you didn't he?  It's the same situation.  He trusted you to listen to him just once and you didn't.  I'm not blaming you kid, I'm asking you to understand.  I don't want you and Dipper to end up like me and Ford."  He explained quickly.

"Well that's exactly what happened, isn't it?  Think about it.  Ford told you to get rid of the Journals and you got into an argument over it, causing Ford to go through the portal and into Bills dimension.  Dipper tried to tell me about him and Bill and we got into an argument over it, causing Dipper to go with Bill back to his dimension.  If I could go back in time and do things differently I would.  But I can't."  Mabel said frustration covers her voice.

"I know kid.  But we'll see you in a couple of months alright?  Maybe everything will work itself out.  Don't beat yourself up about it.  Besides, Dippers not stupid.  If he trusts Bill you should to.  If something bad was happening Dipper would find a way out."  Stan says.  Mabel nodded silently to herself.

"Yeah.  He'll figure it out."  She said quietly.

"Alright, I gotta go kid.  I'll call you tomorrow."  Stan says, clearly distracted by something.  Mabel giggles.

"Alright Grunkel Stan, bye."  She hung up the phone and went back into her bedroom.

She sat back down on her bed and began thinking about what Stan had told her.  He was right, Dipper wasn't stupid.  Maybe he made a good choice.

***

Word Count: 636
Date Published: 12/19/22