Starfall

Chapter 17 - Campfire

 The air outside was cool but as soon as the fulgent sunlight hit Dipper's muscles the warmth made him relax and yawn. The AC in the RV was very cold as Stanley always kept it that way. Dipper tolerated it, but Mabel, being much smaller and skinnier, did not. She would sleep under two layers of her homemade woven wool blankets. One depicted rainbow colors in extraordinarily bright colors. The other was skillfully woven so the colors came together to form her shooting star emblem. Dipper was often amazed by his sister's talents.

As Dipper stretched his legs and arms out in front of him he looked in front of him to see the large paneled side mirrors of the RV. In the reflection of the mirror, he could see Pacifica. She was watching him out of the corner of her eye as he limbered up and stretched. Dipper looked back around and she quickly averted her gaze before he could make eye contact. Dipper smirked to himself. Mabel ran up to him out of breath, her chest heaving as she leaned over holding her knees with her muddy hands.

Her entire lower half was covered in mud already. The mud was mostly gray, but that was only because of the gray soil it was mixed with. Dipper knew from experience the clay here, much like the clay of the Willamette Valley south of Portland was yellowish. Mabel's hands on her knees were covered in mud too. She unstuck her hands from her knees looking at the mud now. She turned to face Dipper with a mischievous look in her eye.

Dipper said, "Mabel...Don't even think about it." Mabel smirked even wider. "Do what?!?" she said feigning innocence. Dipper raised one eyebrow. "You know what." Pacifica meanwhile had set herself up on a foldout lawnchair in the sun after liberally applying SPF fifty sunblock. Mabel started to walk over to her. Pacifica, without moving or looking up said, "Mabel if you get mud on me I will make you clean my driveway with your toothbrush." Mabel frowned and sulked away. Then spotting Wendy Mabel chased after her.

Stanley and Ford just chuckled as they set up their lawn chairs. Ford said, "I wish I had half her energy." Stanley nodded in concurrence.

Wendy meanwhile had stopped running and turned to face Mabel. She crouched low, and at the last second side-stepped Mabel right before she would have clobbered Wendy with clay hands. As a result, Mabel went flying headlong into the mud. Dipper stood up straight to see how bad it was. As Mabel sat up her whole face was dark grayish. She rubbed two spots clear for her eyes while spitting clay out of her mouth. Dipper ran over. "Are you all right Mabel?" Wendy was trying to help her out of the mud, but couldn't stop laughing.

Dipper couldn't help but laugh now too. Mabel narrowed her eyes at Wendy and lunged for her. Wendy was too quick and parried her lunging the brunette's muddy hug. Wendy ran and turned back laughing as a very muddy Mabel pursued her. Wendy then tripped on a rock and fell into the grass. Mabel, now seizing her opportunity, dove headlong for Wendy. Wendy screamed as the muddy girl clasped her in a bear hug.

Mabel was now laughing and said, "C'mon Wendy, don't be such a baby I just want a hug." Wendy snaked her way out of the muddy brunette's grasp and sprinted over behind the Stan's while gasping for breath. Wendy was now covered from head to two with grayish mud. Mabel now stood smirking at her while Stanley said, "Neither of you is allowed near the RV till you both hosed off."

Mabel frowned at that. Wendy went to get the hose. She attached the hose to the nearby spigot and started spraying herself off. Dipper meanwhile averted his attention to Mabel. Dipper shook his head in amusement and snapped a picture of her covered in mud. "You should put that one in your scrapbook. I'll text it to you later." Dipper placed his phone on the table next to Pacifica.