The Puppeteer (BillDip)

Chapter 23

Eventually, my stomach got the better of me - I had to eat, so much so that I felt I could burst with my overwhelming hunger. I was almost looking forward to the nothingness that was awaiting my return, where I would never grow hungry. Never sleep. Never age. Never have to do anything except be with him.

I couldn't bring myself to eat dinner downstairs, see Ford, feel his eyes glare upon me as I forced the food slip down my throat. Opening the window carefully, I felt the chilly breeze ruffle my hair as I snuck out, heading to the only person I knew who might be cool enough to understand what I was going through.

A couple of years ago, Wendy moved out of her families log cabin, and got a trendy, modern apartment in the centre of town. I hadn't been there too often, as we'd fallen out off touch over the years, only spending time together when we felt like we had to. I didn't know how to tell her that I missed her.

"Hey, Dipper," Wendy had a peculiar expression as she opened her front door, to see me battered and bruised, leaning helplessly against the wall in the hallway.

"Wendy," I panted urgently. "Can I come in? It's kinda really important..."

I trailed off awkwardly, uncertain of how to express my need to see her. "Uh, of course," Wendy moved to the side, allowing me to collapse freely on her leather couch, which made a welcoming squelch as I fell onto it.

"Look," I began. "I get this is kinda weird, but you're the coolest person I know, and the only one I can trust to understand."

"Dude, you know I will. You're still, like, one of my best friends. So, what is it?"

Her comforting smile soothed me, numbed my pessimistic mind into thinking she might stick to those words. That she could actually understand. That she wasn't just like the others.

"Hold up a sec," Wendy commented once I told her my tale, her sleek eyebrows raised in disbelief. "You, him... together? That makes, like, zero sense. Five years ago, we were... never mind all that. Listen, I wanna help you, but this is creepy, Dip!"

"Wow, I can't believe I thought you'd get it," I sighed, growing angrier, angrier, volcano on the verge of eruption.

"Don't blame me!" She held her hands up in defense, backing away from me as if I were a tiger, about to pounce on its prey. "I thought you were gonna say that you just had sex and it was gross, not 'I'm in love with an evil demon so I'm going to live with him in hell for all eternity'! What the fuck, man?"

"This is a lot to take in, I know," I spoke rationally, trying to control my rage. I needed somebody in my life to get how I felt, and I wanted it to be her, to have her back in my life, like when we were innocent, and anything was possible. "But can you think about it? Please?"

"Yeah," She took my wrist, and dragged me to the door. "Yeah, I'll think about it. I'll think about just how much of a freak you are! Now get out my house!"

Freak. She practically spat the word as I cowered beneath her, shocked at how much my childhood friend could change so quickly. Then I realized why: she was scared, like Mabel, like the creatures hidden among the trees. Wendy, the strong, confident badass, was afraid of me, of Bill. But, she wasn't as afraid of him as I was.

***

Wendy noooooo! She joined the dark side! Love you guys,
Em xx