Triple Pines

Summerween

I walked into the Shack, slammed the door behind me, and flicked on the lights to find a horrifying, green face snarling at me, inches from my nose.

"Is that you, Mabel?"

Mabel's shoulders slumped and she pulled off the mask, revealing a disappointed pout on her real face.

"You're no fun," she whined.

I looked around the room to see that Melody and Dipper were hanging up fake cobwebs and other various Halloween-themed decor.

"Is this what you guys have been up to all morning?" I asked, taking off my jacket and draping it on a chair.

"Yep!" Mabel said proudly. "I can't believe it's already Summerween!"

Was it already Summerween? Wow, time had flown. Summer was almost already a few weeks to being half over.

"Please don't tell me you're planning one of those triplet costumes again," Dipper said. His level of excitement didn't seem to match the amount of overwhelming decorations that flooded the room.

"Pshh, nah. . ." Mabel said. Her nervous smile wasn't too convincing.

"Are any of you inviting anyone to the party?" Melody asked.

"Party?" I echoed cluelessly.

"Yeah," Mabel said happily. "We're throwing a Summerween Bash!" she turned to Dipper and nudged him in the gut with her elbow.

"And I have a feelin' this dork's gonna invite his little girlfriend!"

Dipper almost fell off the ladder from Mabel's interjection. He grabbed hold of a door to steady himself and the ladder.

"I guess Pacifica would want to formally meet all of you. . ." Dipper muttered thoughtfully. He shrugged. "Why not, I'll text her later and give her the details."

Mabel frowned and shook Dipper's ladder back and forth while shouting, "TELL HER NOOOW!"

"OKAY OKAY, I'LL DO IT!" Dipper exclaimed, waving his arms frantically and nearly falling to the floor. Mabel stopped as Dipper requested and stepped aside so Dipper could leave.

If only I had Mabel to help me convince Dipper into doing things like that.

"What about you, Ty?" Melody asked again, busying herself with the task of untangling some jacko-melon-shaped string lights.

"Huh?"

"Are you inviting anyone?"

"Nah," I said, beginning to leave the room to head upstairs. "I'm not a big party person anyways."

                         .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

I decided to just forget the letters for Pacifica. Instead, I used Dipper's phone to text her, asking her to meet me somewhere in town. She suggested meeting near the old convenience store, it was nice and private. I deleted the messages soon afterward so Dipper wouldn't know.

Hopefully I would clear this mess before Dipper discovered the truth.

I snuck out of the attic around midnight to meet Pacifica. Just when I had my hand on the doorknob the lights turned on.

I stiffened and turned to see Wendy staring at me with arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Did she look. . . kinda. . . proud?

"Where ya' goin?" she asked.

"Out," I said simply.

Wendy smiled. "I don't care that you're leaving so late, just don't do anything stupid, alright?"

I swallowed and nodded.

"Thanks."

"No problem, now leave before you actually get caught."

                            .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

I leaned against the chain link fence and heaved a long breath. The long walk was tiring, and it was cold enough for my breath to escape my lips in small cloud-like puffs.

"Dipper!" a friendly voice called. Pacifica ran over to me and jumped into my arms, burying her nose in the fabric of my jacket to keep warm. She looked up at me and grinned.

"What's up?"

I gulped and awkwardly took her hands and pulled her away from me. Still holding her hands I said, "there's something I have to tell you. . . and it's kinda, really hard to explain."

Pacifica's smile faded and she nodded quickly.

"Is something wrong?"

"I kissed you," I said slowly.

Pacifica nodded again, but slowly this time.
"Yeah. . .? What's the big deal?"

"But when I kissed you a few nights ago, I mean, when Dipper kissed you- that wasn't Dipper. . ."

Pacifica looked confused and shocked at the same time.

"it was his twin brother. Me, Ty," I finished with a shaky breath. "Dipper wanted to impress you on that first date, so we switched places."

Pacifica knit her eyebrows and shied away from my grip.

"No. . . that can't be right," she whispered. "This has to be a joke or something! If it really was you, Ty, then prove it!" she was beginning to look angry.

There was only one way to prove it.

I brushed aside my bangs to show my bare forehead. Unlike Dipper, I had no birthmark.
Pacifica looked me over carefully, then shook her head again.

"I don't believe you."

I took a deep breath. This was my last shot, and there was only one other thing I could think of that could possibly convince her.

I scooped her up in my arms and kissed her. When I pulled away her blue eyes were wide with shock.

She pushed away from me again and gasped, "no no no, it was all you?!"

"Not all of it- it was all Dipper's idea-"

"Why would he do that?" Pacifica cried.

Whoops, that came out wrong.

"I swear this isn't what it looks like, he really likes you, he just wanted to make you happy!" I said desperately.

Pacifica turned away and covered her watering eyes with her dainty, dollish hands.

"I- I just need some time to think. . . " she hiccuped before running back from where she came.

"Pacifica!" I yelled, chasing after her. When I reached a fork in the road she seemed to have disappeared.

I turned in a full circle, shouting her name over and over.

She never responded.

Somehow, I had made things even worse than they were before.