On My Way Home (A Gravity Falls / Over the Garden Wall Crossover fanfic)

Ch. 5: Potatoes and Molasses

Greg

Flop. Flop. Kitty's green feet marched in rhythm with mine.

"Flop, flop, flop, flop," I chanted while Wirt and Dipper walked quietly in front of us. "Are we there yet, captain?" I asked Wirt, saluting him.

"No, Greg," Wirt sighed. "And I don't know how long it's going to take, so please don't ask any more." He said it forcefully, like he does when he thinks I'm being a bother.

"Oh. Sorry, Captain." I said again, but this time without the salute. Skipper's little frog eyes widened. "Don't worry," I whispered to him. "Wirt's the best big brother ever. Sometimes he forgets and gets a little cranky." In front of me, Dipper turned his head sharply and lurched forward. Wirt Jr. let out a surprised "Rroorrp!"

"Are you okay, Captain Two?!"

"Yeah, thanks Greg."

"That was really nice of you to say about Wirt being a good big brother," he said. He seemed nervous, but that didn't make any sense!

"Oh, I'm sure you're the best big brother ever too!" I assured him.

Dipper laughed, but it wasn't a good laugh. "I'm actually younger than Mab - my sister. Only by five minutes, though."

"Really? Wow! Wirt's older than me by like ten years. Well I'm sure you're the best little brother, like me!"

Dipper laughed again, the unhappy one. That's not what I wanted to hear.

"You wanna hear a rock fact?" Maybe that would cheer him up.

"Yeah. Shoot." He shot finger guns in my direction, and I thought that was funny.

"Did you know dinosaurs used to have big ears, but everyone forgot because dinosaur ears don't have bones?" I finger-gunned him back, waiting for a real laugh.

He smiled, but his eyes went sad.

"What's wrong, Captain Dipper-roo?" I asked.

He took a deep breath, but was interrupted.

"Look, a school." Wirt's surprised voice cut in.

"School?!" I exclaimed. Ew! I hate school. There's too much sitting and not enough rock facts. Or dessert. Or frogs. "Psh. Not today." I was so busy scoffing to Dr. Cucumber that I didn't even notice Wirt and Dipper had knocking on the door of the school. "You guys!" I cried, running up to them. "School is evil! Home's not gonna be in there!"

"Greg, we're just asking for directions," Wirt frowned at me.

"Don't worry Greg," Dipper said. "It's not like we're going to stay in class or anyth-"

The door opened suddenly, and a nice lady was standing in front of us, her hands on her hips. "Children, you know the rules. Once the bell has rung, class has begun." Ew. She was a teacher.

"What? Oh, no, we just wanted to know which direction-" Dipper started.

"Children, don't make me repeat myself. In you go." The lady said. Her voice sounded like someone had sat on it. I wrinkled my nose.

"We're not students," Dipper tried again.

"Child, go sit yourself in the dunce box!" The lady said louder, then pulled us inside.

"Wirt, you said no school," I reminded him with a tug on his superhero cape. He keeps telling me it's not a superhero cape, it's just his band uniform, but I don't believe him.

"Just listen to her, Greg. These people are crazy." Wirt whispered. The teacher led Dipper to a box in the corner of the classroom and made him crouch down inside. He looked pretty funny, and I had to cover my mouth with my left hand to stop myself from laughing out loud. Beside me, Wirt grabbed my other hand. I could tell he didn't know what to do now that Dipper was sitting in the dunce box. So I guessed that meant that I had to take the lead.