Uncertainty - Stanford Pines x Reader (female)

Chapter 15

The morning stretched into afternoon. I spent some time organizing the living room, hoping the mundane task would distract me. It didn't. My thoughts kept circling back to Ford and to his cryptic comments.

I decided to take a walk outside. The fresh air helped clear my head a bit. Gravity Falls was beautiful in the early summer, the trees full and green, the sunlight filtering through the leaves. But even the beauty of the landscape couldn't fully erase the knot of worry in my chest.

As I walked, I thought about what Ford had said. "There are things I can't discuss, even with you." His words echoed in my mind, and the more I thought about them, the more I felt a resolve building within me. I wasn't just going to stand by and watch him deteriorate. There had to be a way to help, even if it was from the sidelines.

I walked down the path towards the town, my mind still occupied. Maybe a change of scenery would do me good, or so I thought.
My feet moved on autopilot, taking me through the familiar streets of Gravity Falls. I greeted a few people I knew. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the summer weather, a stark contrast to my own turmoil.

I made my way to the local grocery store, hoping to kill some time browsing the aisles. The store was fairly empty, the middle of the afternoon not its busiest time.

As I wandered down the aisles, I absently picked up a few items, mostly snack foods and toiletries I thought we might need at the Shack. The task was mindless, just what I needed to distract myself.

I was just about to turn a corner into the next aisle when I heard a familiar voice call my name. "Y/N?"
I looked over and saw Wendy Corduroy standing a few feet away. "Hey, Wendy.", I said, my face brightening slightly. "What are you doing here?"

Wendy gave me a half-smile. "Just picking up some supplies for the Shack. Stan's running low on, uh...", she paused, looking around theatrically, "...everything."
I chuckled at that. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

Wendy looked at me closely, her sharp eyes seeing more than I wanted her to. "You okay?", she asked. "You seem distracted."

I tried to shrug it off. "I'm fine.", I said, a bit too quickly. "Just, you know, a lot on my mind, I guess?"
Wendy raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my excuse. "You're not exactly a good liar, you know?", she said bluntly. "Something's bothering you. What is it?"

I sighed, knowing I couldn't fool her. "It's Stanford.", I admitted, leaning against the nearest shelf. "He's been acting really weird lately. More so than usual, I mean."

"Weird how?", Wendy asked, tilting her head. "Weird like 'hasn't slept in three days' weird, or weird like 'keeps muttering about alien invasions' weird?"
I chuckled at that, appreciating her attempt at humor. "Somewhere in between, maybe?", I said, running a hand through my hair. "He's just... closed off. And it's driving me insane."

Wendy nodded, her expression understanding. "He's not exactly the most open book, huh?"
"That's an understatement.", I said, rolling my eyes. "He's more closed off than a bank vault sometimes."

"And you're worried about him.", Wendy said, more a statement than a question.
"Yeah.", I admitted. "I mean, you should see him. He's been working himself to the bone, hardly eating or sleeping. And when I try to talk to him, he just brushes it off, gives me some vague answer or shuts me out completely. It's like he's got this giant wall around him, and I can't find a way to get through it."

"I can see why that'd be frustrating.", Wendy said, shifting her stance. "You care about him, and you want to help."
"Exactly.", I said, feeling relieved that she understood. "But I don't know what to do. He's so damn stubborn, and it's like he's got this thing against asking for help. It's like he'd rather drown in his own issues than let anyone in, even if it kills him."