Zombie Falls (A Gravity Falls Fan Fic)

"I need you"

"Dipper." Piper's voice rang through my consciousness. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. We gotta long drive ahead of us."

"What?" I groaned, stretching my muscles in the back of the car. I had my body curled up in the row of seats behind the driver's seat. I felt something get thrown at me and land on my stomach. Piper had casually tossed a granola bar at me. My eyes were still trying to adjust to the morning light and I blinked away my blurry vision. Then, I heard the glorious sound of a soda can being clicked open. The fizz of the mouth-watering drink made me notice how dry my tongue was. I got up and fixed my blanket so it didn't fall to the floor of the car. Piper had completely woken me up and gotten my attention.

Piper took a sip of what-looked-like Pit Cola and passed it to me. With her mouth filled with food, she said, "Want some?"

I snatched it out of her hand so quick, I startled her. She turned her head to the back seat and a queer smile was on her lips. "Woah." She said. I was chugging down the whole can. "Hey, pace yourself." She reached her arm out to me, motioning for me to give it back. I did. She shook the soda to test how much of the drink was left and commented. "You really were thirsty. You drank half of the thing."

"Sorry." I said, rubbing my chin from some of it that dripped down. "I can't believe it's been months since I drank soda. How did you even manage to find soda?"

Piper huffed. "I don't know. I just did, I guess." By this point, Piper had already started the car and was driving down the dirt road. "Anyway, buckle up and eat. This'll be our last stop for a while."

"Wait, where are we going, exactly?" I asked her.

"To the warehouse camp."

"Warehouse camp?" I repeated.

"Yeah. In Oregon, there is a warehouse camp where they let survivors stay and-"

"What?!" I had caught Piper off guard. I saw her fix her eyes on me from the rear view mirror and turn them back to the road. "Piper, you're taking me to a survivors' camp?"

"What's wrong with that? We go there, and there will be food and other people and guards and-and-"

"No." I announced with no feeling. "Stop the car. I'm getting out."

"Dipper-"

"No, I said, 'stop'!"

Piper did as I told her to. She slammed on the brakes, sending my body to jerk forward a bit. I shoved everything in my bag and got out. Piper took off her seat belt and got out of the car, as well. Either she was really tall or her car was short because she was able to rest her arms over the roof of the car. "I can't believe you!" I said, turning to her. She kept a composed face.

"Well, I can't believe you, Dipper." She said.

"A survivors' camp? Really? I don't need help, here. I thought you were my friend."

"Of course I am. Why would you even think otherwise?"

"You know I don't trust anyone else. I'm not going to some camp just so I can-can be taken care of. I mean, I can take care of myself. I don't need some retarded camp to give me help I don't need."

"Do you even hear how ridiculous you sound? Now, get back in the car."

"Bye, Piper." I said, stubbornly. I turned my back on her and began walking away. After a few seconds, I was brought to a halt by her voice.

"Dipper! C'mon, man! You think you know what's best for you, but, you don't. I'm trying to help you..."

"That's exactly it." I said, spinning around, again. "I don't need help! I don't need help from you or anyone else!"

"Listen to me, kid. If you walk away from me, you will die out there. I am goddamn sure of that. If I let you walk away and do that, I will never forgive myself. Dipper, you are the only friend I have left..." I could have sworn I saw a tear shed and drip down her cheek. Her voice was getting a little shaky, too. "If I couldn't save my mom, or my step dad, then, I at least want to save you. And I know that is how you feel, too. I know you know that you need me more than you trick yourself into thinking. Please. I need you."

Those three words stung when she said them. I need you. They were the three words I had said to Mabel before she left me. Right then, I knew how Piper felt. I knew she felt what I had went through when I said it to Mabel. It was the feeling of hurt and desperation. I couldn't leave her like that. How could I leave someone who said that?

Piper had found my weakness and I noticed my legs were moving back to her car and my hand reached for the door handle.