The Prices You Pay for Love

Chapter Four: Summertime Explanations

Dipper's POV

I storm off from my 'tour' with Wendy. Who knew starting over could be this hard? I'm so tempted to just act like she's still my girlfriend, my Wendy. But it feels like she's a total stranger.

I almost feel like I can't love her. Like I'm betraying the other Wendy. I have to keep reminding myself that she's still the same person, but I can't understand how she can act so different.

I probably should've just started the summer like I did last time, but it took way to long for me to confess my feelings to her. I had to take Mabel's advice and just go for it, but now she's just so different.

I'm not rerestarting this summer, so I guess I'll just continue to work at her until she eventually likes me again.

I arrive at the shack as it begins to get dark outside. I walk into the kitchen to see Mabel and Grunkle Stan eating dinner.

"Hey guys, what's for dinner?" I ask

"That's how you greet your Grunkle after not seeing him for years?" Stan asks, a little angry

"Oh sorry Stan! Ha, I, uh, didn't see you there. Hehe. How've you been?" I ask, nervous at his tone of voice

"Man, why are you acting so nervous? Still got that sweating problem?" He asks

"Well I- um" I begin but am cut off by an excited Mabel

"No Grunkle Stan! He's just still overwhelmed from spending the day with his new love interest." She says

"On your first day? Who could you possibly have met already?" He asks

I sigh and then decide to just go ahead and say it.

"Wendy." I say

"The Wendy who works here? You've got to be joking!" He says, "she's like twice your age!"

"She's less than three years older than me! Mabel and I turn thirteen on the last day of summer. And why does age matter so much to everyone?" I ask

"Okay fine. But she's twice your height. And love knows height!" He replies and Mabel begins to laugh.

I decide to grab a granola bar and go to our room.

I'm reading the journal's invisible ink when Mabel comes in. I don't even attempt to hide the journal; she'll find out sooner or later.

"Sorry Dip," she says, sitting on the corner of my bed," we didn't mean to make you get so upset. It's just that it's not like you to like someone the first time you see them."

I look up from my book. "I know, Mabel. It's not like me and still isn't. I've got to explain something to you that made Wendy very, VERY mad at me. I'm just hoping you'll believe me." I say

"Of course I will! What is it?" She asks

"Well, you see this book?" I ask holding up my journal

"Ya, I was going to ask what that was." She says

"Well, it's full of all of the strange stuff that goes on in Gravity Falls. You see, today's your first day of this summer. But it's not mine. I've already lived through this summer with you, Stan, Wendy, and all of the other people we met. But I fell in love with Wendy and you made me confess my feelings. Wendy denied me but I kept at her until she agreed to go out with me. We loved each other and at the end of the summer, I used one of Gravity Falls' strange anomalies to redo the summer. So now I'm here. I had told the old Wendy that I'd get her to love me sooner. That way we could date longer. This way, you'd also get another chance to meet guys like you wanted to. Also, you need to win Waddles at the fair. And-" Mabel cut me off

"Wait what? Waddles? What are you talking about Dipper?" She asks

I totally lost it. No one believes me and I can't handle it. I begin to cry.

I just cry and cry until Mabel starts doing the back pat she's done to calm me down since before we could walk.

I sniffle and then try to explain my sudden burst

"No one believes me. I'm being honest. I time traveled to the beginning of the summer. Here's the device I used." I say showing Mabel the tape measurer.

"I believe you, Dipper! You just need to explain stuff to me so I know what's happening." She says

"That's going to take a while." I say

"I've got time!" She replies

And with that, I explain all of the summer. Everything. I don't leave out a single important detail. It takes about four hours. At this time it's 2:00 am.

"And now this Wendy doesn't believe me that we dated. So that's what happened the first time we lived through this summer. And now tomorrow Wendy and I are going back to the haunted store so I can beat the ghosts again. Can you come with me? Just don't eat the smile dip!" I say

She laughs "of course! But just one package won't hurt..." She replies

We then go to bed, ready for some ghost busting tomorrow.