Gravity Rises (S2)

GL: Part Seven

The Pines twins' feet pounded on the carpet as they crossed the living room floor. "This is going to be so great," Dipper said as they walked. "With all the merchandise out of the way, that room is a lot bigger than I thought it was. I hope a lot of people come! I wonder how loud Melody's speakers can go. Or maybe Robbie has some good ones if Melody doesn't, I dunno. He seems like the kind of person to have big loud speakers."

They had come out of the gift shop when Mabel's stomach had growled loud enough for the both of them. They hadn't had lunch yet, so after assuring Melody they could get their own food and leaving her to continue tidying things up, they set out for the kitchen.

"I hope it's not too many people," Mabel said. "If I'm going to dance at all, I'd better have room to do it."

"Aw, come on," Dipper said, bumping into her from the side. "You love to dance."

Mabel shrugged. "Occasionally, I guess, but not—"

The words cut off in her throat, like she had been strangled. Dipper swung his gaze to her in alarm. She was just standing there, mouth slightly agape, eyes unblinking and filling with a hardness Dipper rarely saw in her.

So he turned to see what she was looking at.

Gideon Northwest was sitting stiffly at the kitchen table, looking like he'd just been caught cheating on a test as his eyes met Mabel's and then slid away. Ford sat across from him, a mug cradled in his six-fingered hands. It looked like the two had been interrupted in the middle of a conversation.

"Northwest," Dipper said, because clearly Mabel wasn't going to speak up. "What are you doing here?"

Gideon's chest rose and fell as he took a long breath. "I. . . came to speak to Stanford."

Dipper's eyes kept glancing between Mabel and Gideon during the short exchange. Mabel was still standing frozen, eyes locked on Gideon, this look on her face like she got when she was about to cry, except with no wetness in her eyes. This hard, hurting, hateful look.

After an awkward pause, Gideon cleared his throat. "Mabel," he said slowly, "I—"

And then the dam broke, and Mabel's foot thumped on the ground as she stepped heavily forward. "You left me alone!" she exploded, and the words were so forceful that Dipper, Gideon, and Ford all flinched. "I trusted you — I thought you were going to help me — and you stole my only hope and left me for dead!"

Dipper stared at his sister in shock. Not only was this maybe the fourth time in his life he'd seen her yell like this, but this was much worse than he'd originally heard. But then, when he first heard it, Gideon was telling the story. Of course he left things out.

"Mabel — Mabel, I — I didn't—" Gideon spluttered out the words. It gave Dipper an evil little pleasure to see him squirm.

"I nearly died from hypothermia!" Mabel shouted. "I almost—" Her voice faltered. "I nearly — I hate you, Gideon Northwest!"

And with that, she whirled around and fled up the stairs and out of sight, leaving a wake of silence behind her.

Dipper was torn between following his sister and finding out just what Gideon wanted. A glance to the kitchen. Whatever Ford and Gideon were talking about might not have anything to do with him. A glance to the stairs. But surely Mabel wanted to be alone for a while.

Dipper stayed.

He sucked in a breath and sauntered into the kitchen, pulling up a chair and turning it around to sit in it backwards, because that was Cool. He fixed Gideon with an unrelenting stare.