The falls

chapter eleven

Jessica and Neomi settled into a booth at the Gravity Falls diner, the warmth of the place a comforting contrast to the cool air outside. The holiday decorations hung from the ceiling, twinkling lights and garlands giving the diner a festive glow. Jessica's eyes drifted to the wreaths and the small Christmas tree in the corner, and a wave of melancholy washed over her.

"So," Neomi said, stirring her hot chocolate, "what are your plans for Christmas?"

Jessica shrugged, tracing her finger along the edge of the table. "I'm not really sure," she admitted. The thought of the upcoming holiday felt complicated. She would be away from her family, and while she missed them, there was so much she didn't know how to explain about her situation.

"Is it going to be weird for you?" Neomi asked, her voice softening as she noticed Jessica's change in demeanor.

"A little," Jessica said, hesitating. "I mean... my family situation is complicated." The words hung in the air, and Jessica could feel the weight of them pressing down on her. She didn't want to dive into the details—the truth about her origins, the circumstances surrounding her birth—it was all too heavy for a casual diner conversation.

Neomi seemed to sense Jessica's discomfort and quickly changed gears. "Well, Gravity Falls is really weird, so maybe we'll find some elves or something. You never know, right?" she said, trying to lighten the mood.

Jessica's lips curled into a small smile. "Yeah! I mean, if we've seen pterodactyls and manitors, elves wouldn't be that far-fetched, right?"

Neomi laughed, shaking her head. "Honestly, I don't even know if there are elves in Gravity Falls. People say they've seen just about everything, but I don't think anyone's ever spotted elves. Not yet, anyway." She took a sip of her hot chocolate, her face thoughtful. "But considering we've seen some seriously bizarre stuff—like the memory-erasing things—who knows? If we do run into elves, I wouldn't be surprised."

Jessica leaned back, pondering Neomi's words. "Maybe the elves have been hiding out from the Society of the Blind Eye. Wouldn't want their memories erased like some of the other poor folks around here."

"Exactly!" Neomi exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "And who knows? Maybe they've got some magical secrets we don't even know about. We should definitely keep an eye out for them!"

"Yeah," Jessica said, feeling a flicker of excitement in her chest. "Finding elves would be pretty cool. I mean, what if they have, like, their own magical world hidden somewhere?"

Neomi grinned. "And maybe they could teach us some magic or something! I've always wanted to know how to make cool spells like Mabel used to do. Can you imagine the possibilities?"

Jessica laughed, the warmth of Neomi's energy infectious. "That would be amazing! We could enchant all sorts of stuff!"

As they continued to dream up all the fantastical things they could do if they stumbled upon elves, Jessica's worries about Christmas faded into the background. The excitement of their adventures and the bond they were forming was what mattered most right now.

"Hey, if we find elves," Neomi said, her eyes twinkling mischievously, "we should totally convince them to throw a huge Christmas party. Like, an epic, gravity-defying, holiday bash with all the mythical creatures in Gravity Falls!"

Jessica laughed, imagining the scene. "That would be the wildest Christmas ever. Gnomes, manitors, and elves all partying together? Count me in!"

"Right? It'd be like the most legendary Christmas in history," Neomi declared, her imagination running wild.

As they continued to chat and dream about their upcoming adventures, Jessica felt lighter. No matter how complicated things got back home, here with Neomi, anything felt possible.