The Prices You Pay for Love

Chapter One: Trying to Get Her to Remember

Dipper POV

Mabel and I walked into the shack. I kept eyeing Wendy, having already seen everything else that the shack had to offer. Mabel, on the other hand, was awed at all of the 'new' attractions and exhibits.

Eventually, Wendy looked up from the magazine she had been reading.

"Can I help you?" She asked

Mabel turned around and pushed me towards the checkout counter, laughing.

"Um, no. Actually, yes. We're looking for Stanford Pines. We're staying here for the summer, he's our great uncle." I reply, my voice shaking about my first impression on Wendy.

"Oh! You're the twins! Mabel and um, Leo?" She asks

Leo?! I think to myself

"No, it's Dipper." I reply

"Oh! Got my constellations confused, haha." Oh! Like Leo the Lion okay. I laugh with her. "Anyway, he's giving some tourists a tour of the shack right now. He should be done in about an hour. He showed me where room is, if you want me to show you." She says

"That would be great! Thanks." I say

"Hopefully we have a huge room!" Mabel shouts, "I need room for all of my sweaters!"

"Don't get too excited, you guys have the attic. It's big enough, but not ginormous."

"So Wendy, how long have you been working here?" I ask her, breaking the silence as we walk up the stairs

"Oh, for about two years now. I'm fifteen and- wait how did you know my name?" She asks

Oh crap. I'm toast.

"Oh, I um. Lucky guess! You look like a Wendy! Haha" I say

"Dude seriously, that's a little creepy." She says

"I bet he just looked at your name tag." Mabel covers for me, even though she doesn't know what's happening here

"Oh! Forgot I'm wearing this thing! You're quite the joker, Dipper!" Wendy says

At this point, Wendy had taken us to our room.

"Okay, so I guess you each choose your bed!" Wendy tells us. She's about to leave when I stop her.

"Wait! Do you want to hang with us a little longer? So we can get to know each other while Mabel and I unpack?" I ask

I see Mabel glance at me with a woah, Dipper! Making a move already! type of look.

"Um I guess so," Wendy says as she sits on what will be my bed, "so, what do you want to know about me?" She asks

"What's your family like?" Mabel asks

I hold my breath, knowing this will bring up the worst topic.

"Well, my mom died when I was younger, and I live with my dad and three brothers. They all like to be rough and loud with one another. My dad is training my brothers to become professional lumberjacks. He trains me too, although I doubt it will become my profession. I'm not bad at it though." She answers

"Woah. I'm sorry, that sounds very stressful." Mabel responds

"Okay Dipper, what would you like to know?" She asks

Should I just dive in and flirt with her? Or wait a while? Ugh this starting over stuff is hard.

"How about, would you be willing to take Mabel and I on a tour of the town later?" I ask

"Um, I guess so. What time?" She asks

"When does your shift end?" I say

"In about an hour." She replies

"Can we do it then?"

"Sure! I'm going to go back downstairs and finish my shift. See you guys soon!"
She says, exiting the room

"Oh my gosh Dipper! You're being so brave! What happened? You use to never be able to talk to a girl! Let alone ask her on a date!" She exclaims

"Ya well- wait a date? This isn't a date. Just a tour! We're both going!" I respond

"Nope! I'm going to flirt with some guys in the giftshop while you go on the walk. Let you two have some alone time!" She says

"Okay fine! But don't get all sad if she denies me. We are 3 years younger than her." I say

"How do you know that?" She asks

"She told us she's fifteen on our way up the stairs." I defend myself, this time knowing that she had given us that information

"Man, you know like everything about her! It's almost like you two have been friends for a while!" She says

"You have no idea." I reply