Gravity Falls: How to Burn a Pine Tree

Part 25: Dipper

As we all hold hands, mine tightly gripping Wendy and McGucket's hands tightly.

We hear a scream of agony from Bill, just outside. Ford's eyes widen and I wish I was in the direction to see outside the window. I turned my head as much as I possibly could, so I could see somewhat out the window. I gasp in horror and shock and my jaw dropped as I see Bill's figure slowly dissolving into golden dust.

"I'lL bE BaCk GrAvIty FaLlS!!! JuSt YoU WaIt! I wOn'T bE gOnE fOrEvEr!!!"

Bill screeched, his voice disoriented and echoey before his body shriveled up completely shriveled up, turned to gold dust and disappeared into the wind. For a minute, everything and everyone was completely silent. Not a single word was uttered. No one dared to make a sound.

Then, victorious cheers erupted from the Shacktron.

"Good job everyone! You can all release hands now!" Ford yelled, gaining everyone's attention it mine. His voice felt distant, and muffled.

I didn't realize that I was panting heavily until Mabel walked over, poked my shoulder and asked, "Dipper, are you okay?" I swallowed hardly and nodded. I didn't even know why I was so shaken up. It wasn't even that disturbing just...just shocking. It was unexpected. "Hey, when we get back to the Shack, when tomorrow comes, I want to talk to you. Alone. Please." Mabel murmured, her eyes silently pleading for me to agree.

I frowned, furrowing my eyebrows, wondering what she would want to talk about but then nodded my head, agreeing. She smiled, but it wasn't a happy one. It was a sad one, which worried me slightly. "Kids, are you two alright?" Stan asked, making his way over to us with Ford at his side. Mabel nodded and smiled. "Never better!" She beamed, which wasn't something she'd normally say.

"Good. Now, I'm going to go with Gideon and Stan to Bill's, throne of agony, to free townsfolk. We'll be back shortly, then we'll return to the Shack." Ford remarked. Mabel and I both nodded our heads, showing that we understood. We then watched Stan and Ford turn around, making their way towards Gideon who lead them to Bill's throne of agony. I was grateful that I didn't have to look at it.

~

It was now the day after Bill's defeat and the day after Weirdmageddon, meaning it was now the last day of our summer at Gravity Falls and our birthday.

To be frank, I wasn't ready for summer to end. And I hadn't even made up my mind about what to do with Ford. I tiredly peeled open my eyelids, wishing that summer didn't have to come to an end. Wishing that we could stay in Gravity Falls forever. Wishing that we didn't have to say goodbye.

"Morning Dipper!"

Mabel exclaimed loudly with a grin plastered on her face as she threw herself onto my bed. I yelped in surprise and quickly scrambled away so I wouldn't get squashed. "Hey, Mabel..." I said with a yawn as I rubbed groggy eyes. "Happy birthday, Bro-Bro! We're officially teens now!" Mabel squealed, as she grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth.

I laughed and gently pried her off of me.

"Yeah...teenagers...whoo-hoo!" I tried to make it sound like I was exited and happy, but truth be told, I really just wasn't. Mabel frowned, noticing my behavior wasn't normal and that my acting skills were pretty terrible. Mabel sat down at the end of my bed, crossing her legs and looking at me with confusion and sadness. "What's wrong, Dipper? Aren't you excited it's our birthday?" She asked.

I swallowed hardly, fumbling with my blanket, twisting it around my hand.

"O-Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? It's just I...It's um...different, ya know? I mean, thirteen is completely different from being twelve. A whole number higher. Um...so...uh, yeah." I stammered. Mabel placed her hands on her hips. "Dipper, you're a terrible liar, ya know that? Now stop lying and tell me what's wrong." She deadpanned, no longer bubbly and happy but serious and concerned.

I exhaled deeply and threw my head back onto my pillow, covering my eyes with my hands.
"Mabel...I don't-I don't know what to do!" I exclaimed in frustration. I felt like crying. I really did. "About what?" Mabel pressed, tilting her head curiously.

"About Ford's apprenticeship! I want to accept it...I really do. But-But I don't want to leave you behind. I don't want to miss out on your awkward teen years, or-" Mabel held up a hand, to stop my rambling. She gave me a sad smile.

"It's okay Dipper. I've realized that I was being selfish. Running away...making that deal with Bill...wanting an endless summer...I wasn't ready to say goodbye and I probably still am not. But things end, we've got to grow up sooner or later. And-And if you want to stay here in Gravity Falls, then-then go for it! I don't want to be the reason behind you not pursuing your dreams. Take the risk Dipper. Stay with Ford. We can video-chat and FaceTime. It's okay. Really, it is. Go, live your dream."

Mabel remarked, but despite her saying all of that, it still didn't make the guilty feeling in my stomach disappear. I exhaled deeply and forced a hopefully believable smile onto my face. I knew what I needed to do, but I would tell Mabel of my decision later. Not now.

"Thanks Mabel...that-that means a lot. It really does." I murmur. Mabel smiled again and we embraced each other into a tight hug. When we let each other go, Mabel said, "Now let's get dressed. I think I smell food from downstairs and it smells good." I laughed and smelt the air, then scrunched up my face in slight disgust. "Um, Mabel, I think what you're smelling is Stancakes." I grumble.

Mabel frowns and makes her own face of disgust. "Ew! Stancakes? Eh...oh well. Maybe if we're lucky though, Ford helped Stan make them so they hopefully won't taste bad." She joked. I laughed, as I tossed my bedcovers aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. "We can only hope!" I joked back and we both went our separate ways to get dressed.

~

"Took ya kids long enough!" Stan teased us as Mabel and I entered the kitchen. We were both dressed and ready for breakfast.

Ford playfully punched Stan's shoulder and said, "Lay off Stanley. It's their birthday." He smiled. Stan rolled his eyes but had a smile on his face as he scooped up a Stancake and plopped it onto a plate where more Stancakes awaited us. "Happy birthday kids!" Ford beamed and he embraced both Mabel and I into a tight hug. Mabel laughed and hugged him back. "Thanks Grunkle Ford!" She beamed.

"Yeah, thanks Grunkle Ford." I said with a smile.

Ford laughed and ruffled Mabel's hair. "You're both very welcome." "Alright everyone! Food's done! For the first time in what-thirty years? Stanford Pines will finally try one of my famous Stancakes!" Stan exclaimed with a giant grin on his face. We all gathered around the table and Stan served everyone two Stancakes. Mabel grabbed a syrup bottle and tossed the second one to me.

"Syrup race?" She asked with a twinkle of excitement and competitiveness in her eyes.

"Syrup race." I agreed. We both uncapped our bottles of syrup and Ford looked utterly confused. "Just watch Ford. You'll catch on fast." Stan beamed as he nudged Ford's arm. "Alright contestants!" Stan began, using his fork as a fake microphone. "Are you ready?"

"I'm always ready!" I exclaimed with a grin. "Ditto on that!" Mabel agreed. "Then, on your mark, get set! Go!" Stan cheered. Mabel and I both in unison, flipped our syrup bottles upside down and let the syrup slowly, but surely, make their way into our mouths. Stan and Ford began laughing at us and I had to do my best not to laugh otherwise I'd loose focus.

I had lost this competition at the beginning of the summer, and I was determined this time to win.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" Stan chanted with a enormous grin. The syrup was almost onto my tongue but it was going to slow. Mabel's syrup was catching up to mine and was soon going to be equal distances from our tongue. "Come on Sir Syrup!" Mabel cheered as she stretched her tongue out to be ready to catch the falling syrup.

"Faster Mountie Man!" I cheered my syrup bottle on. Then I felt the syrup touch my tongue and I gave a victorious cheer. Mabel cheered as well and I realized we had tied. Mabel used the palm of her hand to smack more of the syrup onto her tongue, like she had done at the beginning of the summer. "It's a tie!" Stan exclaimed.

Everyone laughed and Mabel almost choked on the syrup she had poured into her mouth.

Meanwhile, I closed my syrup bottle and whipped the syrup from my chin off. "Alright everyone, let's eat!" Ford beamed as he snatched up his fork and went to dig into his Stancakes.