The Lemon Meringue Boy

Part 4

In the morning I was so groggy. My mouth was gummy and my eyes were crusted shut. The whole night was a huge series of dreams that I couldn't remember if I tried. I had awoken in an ocean of sweat. Whatever it was must have scared me bad.

 As I lifted my tooth brush I suddenly recalled the events of what was about to happen today. My nervous jitters must have left me, because my heart started beating three times its normal speed. I was so excited I felt like sliding down the stair rail like I was eight again and yelling at the top of my lungs, but better judgment ruled out the possibility. Not that I didn't want to, but Mabel would probably beat me to it, and I wanted no part of that. If the top of my lungs was loud... 

So instead I sat in the bathroom until I heard the unmistakable sound of Mabel trying to run down the stairs while putting on her socks. It normally sounds a bit like; 'thud thud thud shiff thud shiff thud Shkip BANG! THUD THUD THUD THUD!' I then heard her opening random doors and windows and screaming our days plans to anybody who happened to hear. When it went quiet I opened the door and cautiously made my way down the stairs.

"OMG DIPPER REMEMBER WHERE WE'RE GOING TODAY?!?!?" she grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth.

"I would probably guess Oregon, unless that bit of trivia you screamed to the entire neighborhood a million times was just a bit of a loophole." I smirked at her and she stuck out her tongue. She poked my nose once before running to her room to grab her suitcase. I grabbed mine and rolled it into the hallway, then carried it down the stairs.

As I sat on my bag in the mudroom I thought about the last time I was here, waiting for the bus to take us away from our parents and bring us to the Mystery Shack. I was a scrawny, sweaty, socially challenged nervous wreck. I was ticked at our parents for sending us away and leaving us in the hands of someone they barely knew. I was bummed that I was leaving my friends. I was mad that I had to work over the summer. I looked myself over. I guess now I'm a scrawny, sweaty, socially challenged grown man. I don't fear any of that anymore. Yeah I left my friends. Yeah I had to work. Yeah I had to fight monsters and Bill and save the world from mass destruction under his rule, and yes, I had to leave my PlayStation behind. 

As I thought about it, all the things I dreaded (and a little extra) were the things that made my summer great. They're the things I'm looking forward to now. So sitting there at that moment, I felt really mature, but also kinda like a kid on Christmas Eve. 

I was snapped out of my deep thoughts by the sound of Mabel tumbling down the stairs for the second time that morning. She jumped up, only to sway a bit and fall back down again.

"Never fear, my people! I'm not dead!" she said as she got up again and took a bow.

"Good thing too. I was starting to think I was going to have to hop on that bus by myself." I jutted my thumb over my shoulder to where the bus was just pulling in. Mabel let out a muffled squeak and made a mad dash out the door, almost knocking me down in the act.

"WAAA-DDLLES! C'mon Dip, we're gonna be late!" She bolted toward the bus and ran up the steps two at a time. I looked down and sighed. She had left her bags on the front porch. I grabbed both my bags and hers and started trudging toward the bus. It didn't help that Waddles insisted on stepping in front of my feet every two seconds. Finally I got to the doors and collapsed on the steps.

"Um, excuse me sir, you can NOT bring pets on my bus." The bus driver nodded toward Waddles. We had expected this, and planned ahead.

"We're really sorry mister, but we really need to. We'll pay for his ticket." I pretended to beg.

"Sir, I made my rules and I'm sticking to them. No animals of any kind." He glared down at me, but I saw the tiniest flash of guilt cross his face. That was my cue. I leaned in a bit and whispered with my hand to my face as if to keep my sister from hearing.

"Please, it's really important to my sister he comes on this trip. She just got out of the hospital. She was in a car accident, you see. She's still struggling keeping hold of her emotions..." I pretended to discreetly point to Mabel. She started to hyperventilate and twitch like she was holding back sobs. Just as she was at the pinnacle of her act, the driver broke down.

"Ok, ok, just keep that thing quiet and for god's sake, please don't let it... you know. I'll be keepin an eye on you."

"Oh thank you mister!" Mabel smiled and ran to give him a big hug, then grabbed Waddles and made her way to the back of the bus.

"Show off." I said as I followed her back. I looked down and saw that Waddles was looking a bit uncomfortable. I got him outside just in time before he took a dump right on the curb. I nervously smiled up at the bus driver (who I later thought of as The Baconator, courtesy of Mabel, because not only does it sound like 'bacon hater', it looked like the guy had just eaten about a dozen McDonalds Baconator sandwiches due to his greasy face and potbelly) and hurried to take my seat.