The Beginning: Starting Anew (Gravity Falls Fanfic)

Chapter 22

Bill's POV

We ended up spending the rest of the day at that café. Shooting Star had called Pine Tree a couple times to check in and see if he was alright, and he said everything was fine.

Thankfully he hadn't mentioned my minor freak-attack when he kept bringing up Ford.

"I think we outta go home now." Pine Tree said as he played with his empty cup of ice tea that he had refilled six times.

"Yeah, it was nice talking though." I told him, even though it was only half true. My past events weren't really the best parts to relive.

Pine Tree nodded in agreement and stood up, stretching. "My parents are probably home now... We gotta sneak over the wall again."

I shrugged. "It's fine. I'm getting stronger by lifting you up and down that wall." I joked.

Pine Tree chuckled. "Well, don't get used to it."

"Too late, I already did."

He rolled his eyes and chuckled again and began our walk home.

"Sorry," he said after a long while, "for, you know, pestering you about whoever this Ford guy is."

I exhaled deeply. "It-it's fine..."

"I didn't know he bothered you so much..." Pine Tree stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, wiggling his fingers.

"Yeah..."

"So, where does he live? Does he live up in Oregon?" Pine Tree asked.

"Why do you care?" I questioned him, slightly amused.

"I don't know, just wondering if we might accidentally run into him."

I swallowed, my body turning to ice at that thought. "No. No. We won't."

Pine Tree smirked at me. "I gotta find a way to use this as revenge when you get on my nerves."

"You wouldn't dare!" I cried.

Pine Tree's smirk grew bigger. "Try me."

I clenched my hands into fists. "That's honestly evil."

"Not as evil as you not telling me about me saying that I hated you, at the park?"

I gasped, flinching away.

Pine Tree faced me, his eyes holding steely emotion in them.

"You...remembered?" I guiltily played with the hem of my shirt.

"Yeah. I started to remember while we were walking to the café." He sighed and stopped walking. "That's why I asked why did you want to be friends with me."

I felt embarrassment wash over me. "Is that all you remember?"

"Besides the Eleanor part, yeah."

"You remember that part too?" I felt a faint blush gather in my face.

"Bill, I get why you didn't tell me about that stuff. It's reasonable. But come on man, don't just keep secrets and lie to me." Pine Tree scratched the back of his head.

"I-I'm sorry." I stuttered. "I just thought that you'd be embarrassed and also that you wouldn't go with the plan anymore..."

He sighed. "Yeah. It's weird though. I mean, I remember that, but then I was walking to Mabel and then... I can't recall it."

I bit lightly onto my tongue. "Weird..."

He turned to me. "You didn't have anything to do with that, did you? What happened in between then."