Forever Young | A Gravity Falls OC Fanfic

Chapter 1: Tricia

Tricia jerked her head up as a paper airplane landed nose-first on her desk. She picked up the poorly folded sheet and turned around, having a sneaking suspicion as to who threw it. Sure enough, when she turned around, she saw Stan grinning at her from the back of the classroom. He nodded enthusiastically at the paper plane in her hand. She sighed and turned back around, trying to discreetly unfold the paper plane while still paying close attention to the teacher. She glanced down at the note written on the page, scrawled in Stan's familiar, untidy handwriting.

"meet at the boat tonight! same time as always! nerdy mcnerdface doesn't have any homework tonight, so he'll be there too!" the note read, though, as always, she had to look it over three or four times before she understood what the sloppy, blocky handwriting said. She rolled her eyes. Did he think she was stupid or something? Of course she'd be there! She turned around again just so she could roll her eyes dramatically at Stan. Ford, sitting at the desk next to Stan, chose that moment to look up. He tilted his head in confusion, and Tricia lifted the partially folded note into view as explanation. Ford quickly shot a look at Stan, who shrugged innocently.

"Ms. Levandoski, Mr. and Mr. Pines, is something wrong?"

The teacher's voice snapped Tricia back into the present, and she whipped around to face the front again, a cheerful, innocent smile on her face.

"Not at all, miss!" she said without hesitation. The teacher raised an eyebrow at her. Tricia's smile brightened. The teacher's gaze slid to the back of the room, where Tricia could easily picture Stan leaning back in his chair casually, and Ford looking down at his desk quickly as if writing something down to avoid eye contact. The teacher hummed disapprovingly, but moved on with her lesson after a moment. As soon as her back was turned, Tricia turned back around to stick her tongue out at Stan, who returned the gesture.

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The trio stood side by side on the rickety, old boat. They'd done a considerable amount to it since Stan and Ford had found it all those years ago, but it was far from sea-worthy. Tricia leaned forward on the side of the boat, and the twins, who stood on either side of her, copied.

"Can you believe it, guys?" she asked softly. "We're already over halfway through senior year. We're almost free of this stupid town. Just a few more months, and we're outta here!"

Stan turned around and leaned back against the rail, looking at her.

"I'm surprised you've made it this far," he joked. Tricia punched his shoulder playfully, laughing.

"You're one to talk, Mr. 'All D's and one F,'" she said pointedly. "I'm surprised you made it through junior year!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he laughed with her, shrugging off the hit. "Well, at least Sixer here doesn't have to worry about anything!"

Ford jumped at the mention, and blinked at them with a lost look. Tricia nudged him with her shoulder.

"Whatcha thinkin' bout, space cadet?" she asked.

Ford looked away, and it may have just been the lighting from the sunset, but Tricia could have sworn his face turned red.

"I-it's nothing," he said quickly. "Nothing important, anyways."

Stan grinned and turned around, leaning closer to Tricia and Ford.

"Ah, c'mon, Sixer," he teased. "If it weren't important, it wouldn't have you so distracted! Now spill!"

"Seriously, Stanley, it's nothing," he insisted, shaking his head. "I just zoned out, nothing more."

Tricia and Stan shared a knowing look, but they both decided not to press Ford. Stan pulled away from Tricia and turned to lean back on the railing once again.

"Are you ready for the science fair yet, Ford?" Tricia asked, changing the subject. She and Ford spent the majority of the rest of the evening talking about their plans for the science fair. It was one of the few times Tricia left Stan out of the conversation for so long.

Gotta do something with him sometime so he doesn't feel so left out, she thought to herself as they prepared to head home. She threw her backpack over one shoulder and smiled at Stan.

"Think you can squeeze in some boxing practice tomorrow?" she asked him as the three of them began to walk home. Stan grinned.

"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about boxing practice," he teased. She rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder, though this time it wasn't as lightly as before. He rubbed his shoulder, his eyes sparking with challenge. Ford chuckled beside them, shaking his head at the spontaneous playful aggression. Tricia suddenly slowed her steps, letting the twins pass her. They both turned to look at her, both confused. She grinned.

"Did I ever tell you two..." she started, "that you two are my FAVORITE people in this lousy town?"

On the word "favorite," she leaped forward, slinging her arms around both their necks and dragging them down to her height. Ford yelped, instinctively reaching for his glasses to keep them from falling off. The boys stumbled forward with her, and before any of them could stop it, they were all falling in a big heap in the sand, laughing as they went.

Tricia smiled as she listened to their laughter, Stan with his deep, bellowing voice and Ford with his stifled, repressed snicker. Such different voices for two boys who were so similar in appearance. She hugged them just a little bit closer, closing her eyes with a happy grin.

This was where they belonged. Just the three of them. Tricia, Ford, and Stan against the world.

And in that moment, she felt sure that was how it would always be.