The Lemon Meringue Boy

Part 6

When we got to the shack the two things I noticed was that nobody was there, and that it was very quiet. After we had pulled our suitcases up the porch, I looked back at Wendy questioningly. 

"They're probably still out looking for you. Go on in. I'll text them to say I found you." Wendy explained. That made sense. I fumbled with my key and was surprised to find that the lock was already open. I creaked open the door and flicked on the lights. 

"SUPRIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSEEEE!!!!!" the whole town yelled. Everyone we had met during our first time in Gravity Falls was there! Pacifica, Gideon, Soos, Toby, Robbie, Wendy's friends, Mcgucket, Wendy's family, Lazy Susan, All the town, Even the Mayor! They started the music and lead us to the snack table, then to the packed TV room where we all caught up. 

Gideon had changed his hair, believe it or not, and taken up roller skating. Pacifica lived in a slightly smaller house now. The manor is now town property. I learned what everyone had been doing and how they had changed. It was a blast! Finally after about five hours, everyone left.

 The place was a mess, and we spent all the energy we had left rehanging ceiling lights, re-taping the wallpaper, mopping up sticky spots, and vacuuming up every type of snack food imaginable. Mabel, Soos, Candy, and Grenda and I all ate in a rare mutual silence. Everyone was exhausted. 

The four kids trudged up the creaky wooden steps to the bathroom to get ready for bed. I was the last one in the bathroom, but that was fine by me. While the girls were screaming and partying and playing obnoxious made-up games, I got to take a hot shower and take it slow.

 As I showered, I felt every traumatizing, painful school experience that occurred over the past year roll off my back alongside the water streaming down my skin in warm rivulets. I wrapped a worn towed around my head and got dressed in my favorite pajamas. 

I felt delirious with the strange mix of emotions I was feeling; scared, sad, exhausted too, but for the most part I felt crazy happy. I typed the code into the vending machine's glowing keypad and it slid open. I rode to the basement then clomped down the stairs, dragging my feet.

 Any other night I would be eager to look around and take in the fact I was in the basement alone. I would've plopped right down in the middle of the cold cement floor and researched each and every piece of debris until there was no knowledge left to be gained. But at that moment, all I wanted to research was the effects of the REM stage of a sleep deprived male adolescent during the human nocturnal cycle. 

Sleep. I was going to sleep. I laid out my padded sleeping mat and plopped my sleeping bag right on top. This was going to be the best sleep of my LIFE. 

Pause. Let me just say now how funny it is how life can just screw you over. Happy? Not anymore. Boom.