The new girl in Gravity Falls; by Joona Irene

True love?

By Joona Irene

~~still Dipper POV~~

       "Lilac, what do you remember?" I asked her. She blinked and looked at me.
       "We were in Mabel's mind," she said slowly. "And Bill and you were going to fight...then he tried to tempt you with an offer and I told you to not take it, then Bill got mad...then I was...somewhere else."
        "Is that all?" Mabel asked, wiggling her eyebrows. I shoved Mabel, glaring at her.
        "Basically." Lilac said. She stood and we followed. I felt pins and needles in my legs from sitting so long.
         "Where were you?" I asked, thankful she didn't see what happened.
        "It was like a stone room." She replied. "Solid rock everywhere. It was dark too. That's it, just stone." Suddenly her eyes became wide.
        "Dipper, you didn't take his deal, right?" she asked, panicked.
       "Actually, I did. But, I am pretty sure I beat him." I said, proud.
       "You won?" Lilac asked, stunned. "How?"
       "Oh, you know, I just...made his worst fear happen. Heh." I said, feeling sweaty. Mabel gave me a look.
       "What was that?" Lilac asked. Oh no...how am I going to explain this?
It wasn't like I was in love with her. I mean, maybe I had a little crush and maybe I enjoyed the kiss a lot, but I didn't...like her in that way. If I did then it wasn't very much, or at least not as much as I liked Wendy.
I mean, just because everybody else thought we were in love doesn't mean that it's true right?
       "YOU FALLING IN LOVE!" Mabel burst out. I groaned, putting a hand to my face. Lilac looked taken aback.
       "Pardon?" Lilac asked, looking between the two of us. "You did what?"
       "I just made it seem like you were in love with somebody." I explained, worried she'd keep asking questions.
       "And that's how you won?" Lilac asked. "Wow. Triangle got issues." We all laughed, and Mabel gave me a knowing wink.
        "Let's just say, I never want to go into the Dreamscape again." Lilac said. "I was way too vulnerable for comfort."
        "How so?" I asked. "You were just sleeping."
        "I can't sleep Dipper, did you forget?" Lilac sighed. "When I was stuck in that stone room I figured out how I was able to enter Mabel's mind. My energy was transferred. It's the exact same way Bill enters minds. He's made of pure energy, I'm partial energy; same way."
        "Woah, trippy!" Mabel squealed.
        "Sure, if you want." Lilac said. She looked up at the sky. "Wow. A lot of time passed." I looked up too and saw it was almost sunset.
        "Huh, you're right." I said. "We should probably go home."
        "No WAY!" Mabel objected. "I have too many things I want to talk about! Especially with YOU, Bro-bro! But first, Lilac! Do I hear a sleepover?"
        "I actual-" Lilac tried to say
        "SLEEPOVER!" Mabel announced. I bit my lip. Something told me that this wouldn't end well for anyone.
Well, at least Bill would leave us alone.
        "Wait a minute..." I said, thinking. "Wasn't it part of our deal that Bill would tell me who the Author was? I'm pretty sure he said he would."
        "Yeah, that's true." Mabel said, thinking. "He said that, defiantly. And he would also leave us alone."
        "Do they, like, cancel?" Lilac wondered. "If he said he'd leave you alone, how can he give you the Author's identity?"
        "I'm not sure," I said, feeling a pit in my stomach. "Maybe I'll give him time. It could happen in a sign or something."
        "Yeah, like, he'll spell it out for you on your arms or something. Maybe in glitter glue!"
        "Really, Mabel? Glitter glue?" I rolled my eyes.
        "Demons can like glitter glue!" She protested. "Speaking of glitter...I've got some friends to call. Lilac, be at the shack in two hours!"
        "You got it." Lilac said, smiling. Mabel raced off without me, leaving us alone.
An awkward silence fell between Lilac and I. She kinda just looked at me, like she knew that I wanted to say something. But what could I say? Tell her what happened? Tell her what I felt, or rather, didn't feel? Mabel would certainly do it tonight, and not in a good way. I should say something.
        "So, Lilac..."
        "Yes Dipper?"
        "Uh...you know what I said during, I mean, about, Bill's worst fear, and everything?"
        "Yes."
        "Well, er, it was me." I swallowed hard.
        "What do you mean?" She asked.
        "I mean to say that Mabel will probably tell you that I had you kiss me on the cheek. And then I...kissed you." Lilac blinked, looking a little confused. But not angry, like I was expecting. I continued.
        "Because well, I just figured he hates me the most and Mabel was the one who suggested it, and it just sort of happened, and I don't want this to make things weird because we're friends, right? Just friends, and you...I mean I...uh, yeah."
        "Yeah." Lilac said with a smile. "Thanks for telling me."
        "No problem!" I said with a little laugh. Lilac laughed too.
        "Don't get so worked up Dipper." She said, "Things happen. It doesn't make things weird, it just makes them different. There's a difference. And anyways, it would only be weird if you gave me a kiss for real. Then we'd have to talk." she laughed again. "If you survived."
        "What?" I asked, startled by that sudden change in tone. "You-"
        "Oh relax Dipper!" Lilac laughed again, and I smiled a little. "I wouldn't hurt you on purpose! Silly."
        "Of-Of course." I said, looking at the ground. I didn't love her. I didn't like her in that way. We were just friends, right?

Mabel, after calling Candy and Grenda, dragged me into her room and sat me down on my bed.
        "Okay, spill." Mabel said.
        "What is there to spill?" I asked.  "There's' no spilling! No spill!"
        "Dipper, you kissed a girl! And that girl is Lilac! I need to know what it was like!"
        "I didn't actually-"
        "Dipper."
        "It was in your mind so it doesn't-"
        "DIPPER." She frowned and crossed her arms. "Now is not the time for science. Spill."
        "You were the one who suggested it in the first place!" I said, trying to avoid talking about it.
        "Dipper, c'mon. Can you honestly say that you have no interest in Lilac whatsoever? HONESTLY?" she pressured me.
        "Not very much." I grumbled. "I was just trying to beat Bill."
        "So you didn't even like it?" Mabel gasped.
        "Well, I did but-"
        "Hah! Haahaa! I knew it! I knew it I knew it!" she sang. She pointed a finger at me. "You totally like her!"
        " 'Like' is a strong word." I said, folding my arms.
        "Dipper, you can tell me." Mabel said, making a puppy face. "Pweese?"
        "It's just...I don't know. She's kind and I like the way she smiles, but she's also...you know...and well, I don't like her the same way I like Wendy is all."
        "That doesn't mean that you don't." Mabel pointed out. "Okay, how about this: date Lilac and tell me everything."
        "I don't see how that would help me. Or her." I said, rolling my eyes.
        "I'm just curious! When I told you to make Lilac be in love with someone I thought you'd just hug her or something! Not smooch her up!"
        "Yeah, well, I did, and it's over now, because Bill is going to leave us alone. So just leave it."
        "Dipper."
        "No."
        "Dipper!"
        "No!"
        "DIPPER."
        "No Mabel."
        "Dipper!" She threw a pillow at my face.
        "What?" I asked, angry. I threw the pillow back. Mabel snatched it and held it up over her head.
        "You totally like her." She snickered. I groaned. "And if you don't do something, I will."
        "Wait, no! Don't you dare!" I demanded. She just giggled. I sighed.
        "I really don't like her that way." I said, sighing.
        "Yes you do! You just don't know it yet!" Mabel said, jumping up and down on her mattress.  "I'm going to either make or break you two! Oh, what should your couple name be? Lipper or Dilack? Probably the last one." She said, rubbing her chin. "On second thought, maybe I'll work on it."
        "Or you could just LISTEN TO WHAT I'M SAYING!" I yelled, angry that my sister was setting me up. "For the last time, I am not in love with Lilac!"
        "Well, Dip-stick, we'll see." She rubbed her hands together. "We'll see."