In Your Room

Dipper sighed heavily upon shutting his locker, glad to know that he was about to kick off the final period of the say, but dissatisfied with how they day had gone. Working up the book-laden backpack higher on his shoulders, he fussed with his green plaid shirt, straightened out his ball-cap, and hiked up his slightly drooping jeans, trying to get everything arranged for the walk across campus. He silently cursed himself, wishing he hadn't forgotten his belt that morning, notching it up as another thing that had decided to shift his day from typical into aggravating.

The energetic din of joyful exclamations and boisterous laughter slalomed down the corridor, much as it always did. However, on this day, there was a vibrancy woven into the discourse, the sort of vocal luster that is borne of holiday-related indulgence.

Turning to his right and proceeding to his AP Physics class, he watched as girls strode up and down the hallway, bouquets gripped in their excitable hands. Some toted around a box of candy, as well, the vessels always crafted in that telltale heart-shaped manner. Even some of the guys advertised their loot, though the tools of the trade were either sticking out of a backpack or lazily carried at their side, not wishing to appear too caught up in the pomp and circumstance.

For some who possessed these trademarked symbols of someone's affection, it was merely a rite of passage and something that was to be expected. For others, it was a new and exhilarating exercise, the first semblance of a budding romance, an opportunity to finally fit in amongst the other couples and remove the stain of single-hood.

Dipper, however, remained firmly pinned beneath this latter yoke. The burden was a weight he had grown quite accustomed to enduring over the years. Despite the occasional date here or there, nothing seemed to stick in terms of forming a long-term relationship. If one were to ask to whom his heart was reserved for, those who knew the young man would dryly respond with something to the effect of "science", "engineering", or simply "school".

It wasn't that he didn't yearn for the warm embrace of someone he loved and desired. In fact, he knew exactly who that person was, and had for years upon years. The relationship he yearned to foster with that captivating object of his fascination, however, could never be.

Lifting his eyes up from his feet, he spotted that special someone waving happily at him about fifty feet down the hallway. Unable to keep a smile from materialized on his visage, Dipper waved back reservedly while drawing nearer, worming in between slack-jawed teens and overly taxed faculty, milling about en route to the final hurdle of the day.

"Hey, Dip!" Mabel said cheerily once he was close enough to talk at a reasonably acceptable volume.

That Valentine's Day, Mabel had decided to combine her typical ensemble with a holiday accent. Beneath her denim overalls, she wore a light pink hoodie with that featured a number of hearts falling from the sky, and a teddy bear gathering them up in a basket. Dipper couldn't recall ever seeing it before, but long ago had realized his sister had a sweater to go with every day of the year; trying to keep track of them was a fool's errand.

Even her headband got in on the spirit, with the bright red accoutrement sporting a heart-shaped adornment on one side. Flanking the brightly hued band, to ensure her immaculate cascade of tresses remained in place, she had worked in a couple barrettes, the items also featuring a red and white heart print. All the elements worked together to form a Mabel-approved outfit that both marked the occasion and exuded her endlessly endearing personality, one that Dipper was helplessly head over heels for.

'You're so beautiful, and you don't even know it,' he thought, putting on the best possible nonchalant disguise he could summon to cloister away such thoughts, but within, the warmth she always exuded, was penetrating his sinewy exterior and sending undulations of want to his every molecule; he was eternally doomed, and did his best to look the part.