6.7 Inches (Gravity Falls)

||Chapter 2|| "And how, exactly, will this boost my confidence?"

In Dipper's palm, sat a plain yellow tape measure. There was a faint hourglass shaped marking on both sides and the boy raised an eyebrow at the device.

Seldom did he ever build anything; alone, or with his father, for that matter.

Once, when Dipper did happen to help in the workshop, invited to do so by Mr. Pines (he'd never woodwork voluntarily, of course), he tried his best to help, really; he did, but his father was worried his whole shop wouldn't survive the wrath of his son. The poor boy could hardly cut plywood, for heaven's sake. He could hardly tell what side of the hammer was used for actually hitting the nail heads.

In the end, Mr. Pines had asked Dipper if he had any more homework to do. Of course, knowing the young brunette, he'd finished it a week earlier, but even he knows when he isn't needed, or in his case, politely asked to scram.

"I don't understand," Dipper said in disarray, looking up to his father once again, his eyebrows knit together in confusion. "A tape measure, dad? How, exactly, is that supposed to boost my confidence?"

His father chuckled, clapping his son's shoulder heartily. "Dipper, my son, I figured there's really no way to use this specific instrument incorrectly so if you're up for it, you can help me today. I could really use the extra set of hands. I'm cutting some plywood for that greenhouse your mother wanted and I'm sure you'd want to contribute your expertise."

Dipper furrowed his brow at his father's words. "Dad," he started gently. "I have no expertise. You say there's no wrong way to use a tape measure, but I'm sure I'll be able to find one. I mean, I appreciate the sympathy and all, but we both know that even Mabel has a better shot at this than I do. In fact, instead of wasting your money, I'll just give this to her so it'll actually be used-"

His father got down to his level, crouching on his knees, putting his hands on Dipper's shoulders as he smiled gently.
"Hey, it isn't wasting my money," he told him seriously. "It was passed down through the family. I want to help you at this so you can get even better! And Mabel doesn't have a knack for this kind of stuff. Her attention span is too short and she would rather be bedazzling something. Anyway, just give it a try..."

Dipper was about to reply, "Well, I don't have a knack for this kind of stuff either," but he just looked down, nodding solemnly. "Yeah, alright," he agreed reluctantly.

"Superb!" Mr. Pines responded happily, straightening back up and waving his son over to his workspace. Dipper hesitantly trailed after him. They stopped beside the counter and Dipper's dad pulled out a wooden plank as long as the counter and he set it up so there was a bit hanging off the edge. He glanced to his son. "Measure the part that's hanging over," he told him with a broad grin, wanting him to be independent without stepping in to correct him.

Dipper let out an exasperated sigh, turning the tape measure over in his hand so he could measure it appropriately. He pulled out the tape and walked backwards to where the counter began and peered down at the yellow tape dotted with numbers. He looked up to his father. "6.7 inches," he told him, his fake cheerful tone of voice masking that of the utterly bored preteen.

His father beamed proudly as though Dipper had gotten straight A's (which he had, every year he's ever been in school.) "You're a natural!" He said with a bright grin.

Dipper sighed, pushing the button on the "body" of the tool so the tape would shoot back inside. "As enthralled as I am right now, if really just like to spend the afternoon reading, so if I could jus-" Then his sentence broke off as he disappeared completely from where he had been standing not even a second before.

Mr. Pines froze, wide-eyed, and he quickly remembered what was plastered to the side of the small measuring instrument. He whipped out his cell phone, fumbling with it for a moment before going to speed dial, the phone ringing once before it was answered.

"Hey, big bro," he chuckled nervously into the speaker. "We've got a slight situation..."