It was another sunny afternoon at the Mystery Shack, and Mabel and I were in the kitchen, baking something that could either be delicious or disastrous—Mabel's idea of fun. Today’s challenge? Homemade pies. We’d already been through a minor flour explosion and a slight sugar spillage, but things seemed to be under control.
Mabel, clad in an apron covered in colorful glitter and flour, was beaming with excitement. “Dipper, this is going to be the best pie ever! I’m thinking cherry, with a little bit of... surprise!”
I raised an eyebrow. “Surprise? What kind of surprise?”
“Oh, you know,” Mabel said, waving a hand dismissively. “Just a touch of unicorn magic, or maybe some extra sprinkles. Whatever feels right.”
Before I could protest, Pacifica walked in, looking both intrigued and slightly amused. “Hey, what’s going on in here? I smelled something baking and thought I’d check it out.”
“Perfect timing!” Mabel exclaimed. “We’re making pie. You’re just in time to help with the ‘secret ingredient.’”
Pacifica’s eyes widened. “Secret ingredient? Is this going to be one of those experiments where everyone ends up with something weird in their pie?”
“Not weird,” Mabel said, grabbing a jar of something off the counter. “Just... unconventional!”
She held up a jar filled with what looked like glittering stars. “Stardust!”
Pacifica stared at the jar, clearly unsure whether to be impressed or concerned. “Stardust? Is that even edible?”
“Of course!” Mabel replied with a grin. “It’s from a very reliable source—well, it’s from a store, but it sounds cooler if I say it’s from the cosmos.”
I sighed, shaking my head. “Mabel, please tell me you’re not actually going to put that in the pie.”
“Too late!” Mabel said, tossing a handful of stardust into the mixing bowl with dramatic flair.
I looked at Pacifica, who raised an eyebrow. “This seems like a terrible idea.”
“Oh, come on,” Mabel said. “It’ll be fun. What’s life without a little risk?”
We continued baking, and despite my reservations, the pie actually looked pretty good once it was in the oven. The smell of baking cherries filled the kitchen, and we all took a moment to appreciate our work.
While the pie baked, Pacifica and I sat at the kitchen table, chatting about the most recent Mystery Shack escapades. Mabel was busy cleaning up, but I could see her casting glances towards the oven, eagerly anticipating the final product.
Suddenly, we heard a loud “POP!” from the oven. All three of us jumped up, and I quickly opened the oven door. To our horror, the pie had overflowed, and a huge mess of filling and glittering stardust was spilling out, creating a sparkly, sticky mess.
Mabel looked horrified. “Uh-oh. Maybe the stardust was a bit too much.”
Pacifica burst into laughter. “That looks like a pie explosion! And it’s everywhere!”
The kitchen was soon covered in a fine layer of cherry filling and glitter. Even the walls and ceiling had splashes of red and sparkle.
As we all stood there, trying to figure out what to do next, Mabel grabbed a spatula and held it like a sword. “Fear not, my friends! We shall conquer this mess with the power of pie!”
Pacifica and I exchanged amused glances. “You know,” I said, “for someone who’s usually so meticulous, this is quite the spectacle.”
“Yep,” Pacifica said, wiping some filling off her face. “It’s definitely a memorable afternoon.”
The three of us spent the next hour cleaning up the kitchen, laughing at the absurdity of it all. By the time we were done, the pie was forgotten, but the laughter and camaraderie were well worth the mess.
As we sat down to enjoy what was left of the pie (which, surprisingly, tasted pretty good despite the stardust), I couldn’t help but think that these were the moments that made summer so special. Even if they came with a side of chaos.
