The next morning started off peaceful enough. Birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and Mabel was already up to her usual antics, decorating the Shack with a myriad of sparkly streamers and multi-colored lights.
I grabbed a quick breakfast and was about to head out to explore the woods when I heard a familiar, sharp voice cut through the morning air.
“Honestly, Dipper, how do you expect to find anything interesting if you’re still using that ancient compass?”
Pacifica stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, looking at my gear like it was something scraped off the bottom of a shoe. I sighed, knowing where this was headed.
“It’s not just a compass,” I said, holding it up. “This thing’s got sentimental value. Plus, it’s helped me through a lot.”
She rolled her eyes and sauntered over, plucking the compass from my hand. “Sentimental doesn’t mean efficient. You know, they have GPS apps for this kind of thing now. It’s called progress, Dipper.”
I snatched the compass back, trying to keep my annoyance in check. “Maybe I like doing things the old-fashioned way. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh, because I’m just some spoiled rich girl who doesn’t know how to rough it, right?” Her voice was dangerously calm, a tone I’d come to recognize as the prelude to one of our classic arguments.
“Well, yeah,” I shot back, unable to help myself. “You’ve probably never even been camping.”
Pacifica’s eyes narrowed. “For your information, I’ve been camping plenty of times. Just because I don’t go trudging through the woods looking for monsters doesn’t mean I can’t handle myself.”
“Really? Name one time you’ve actually been camping without your butler to hold your hand.”
She crossed her arms and tilted her chin up defiantly. “Last summer. My family went on a ‘get back to nature’ trip. No servants, no luxury, just us and the wilderness. And I did just fine.”
I was about to retort when Mabel burst into the room, sensing the tension like a shark smells blood in the water.
“Hey, guys! What’s going on? Bonding time?”
“More like arguing time,” Pacifica muttered.
I threw my hands up. “She’s just being impossible.”
“Me? Impossible?” Pacifica’s voice rose. “You’re the one stuck in the past, refusing to accept any kind of help or improvement.”
“Improvement?” I scoffed. “Just because something’s new doesn’t mean it’s better.”
Mabel stepped between us, raising her hands. “Okay, okay, let’s all take a deep breath. Dipper, Pacifica, you both have points, but yelling isn’t going to solve anything.”
I clenched my jaw, staring at Pacifica. “Fine. But if she thinks she’s going to tell me how to explore these woods, she’s got another thing coming.”
Pacifica mirrored my glare. “And if he thinks he can just dismiss me like some clueless idiot, he’s sorely mistaken.”
Mabel sighed and looked at each of us. “You two are like oil and water. But maybe if you actually tried to work together, you’d see that you could learn something from each other.”
I glanced at Mabel, then back at Pacifica, who was still glaring at me. The last thing I wanted was to spend more time with her if it meant more arguing. But Mabel’s words nagged at me. Maybe there was something to it.
“Alright,” I said finally. “Truce. We try working together, just this once.”
Pacifica eyed me suspiciously. “And if it doesn’t work, you agree to listen to my suggestions?”
I sighed. “Fine. But only if you promise to give my methods a fair shot too.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Deal.”
Mabel beamed and clapped her hands. “Great! Now, why don’t you guys start with something small? Like exploring the old cave near the falls?”
Pacifica and I exchanged wary glances but eventually agreed. It was a start, albeit a reluctant one. As we headed out together, I couldn’t help but wonder if Mabel’s plan was going to backfire spectacularly or actually help us get along. Either way, it was bound to be interesting.
As we walked, Pacifica fell into step beside me, and for a moment, there was an uneasy silence. Then she spoke up, her voice softer than before.
“You know, Dipper, I don’t want to fight all the time. Maybe we can actually learn from each other.”
I glanced at her, surprised by the shift in tone. “Yeah, maybe. As long as you’re willing to listen too.”
She smirked. “We’ll see. Just try to keep up, okay?”
With that, we plunged into the woods, the familiar sense of adventure tinged with the uncertainty of this new partnership. Maybe Mabel was right. Maybe we just needed to find some common ground. And if not, well, at least it wouldn’t be boring.
