Gravity Rises (S2)

ST: Part Five

Mabel was perched at the top of the stairs when Dipper came back from his first rehearsal.

"I'm home!" he called as the door slammed behind him.

"Welcome back!" Melody called from across the house as Dipper hung up his coat.

It wasn't until he started up the stairs that he saw Mabel, crouched down on the steps and staring at him like a cat.

"Oh. Hi, Mabes."

She stood up slowly, trying to remember the exact words she'd rehearsed in her head. As usual, she failed.

"Um," she said. "How was your — thing?"

"Really good, actually. Robbie and I get to wear headsets and talk to each other like secret agents." He smiled at her, but it was cautious.

"Um. Cool. I, uh." She swallowed. "Melody says Ford is gonna be down for the count for a few days, maybe even a couple weeks. I went to talk to him, and he says I should keep working on the laptop."

"That's great," said Dipper unenthusiastically.

"But, um, he doesn't think Melody will like it, so, uh — it would be best if I could go — somewhere else to work on it. Somewhere, um, private."

Then he got it. She could see it in his eyes.

"Somewhere else. . . like a theater during rehearsals?"

"Y-yeah. Like that."

A smile started creeping onto his face. "It's pretty important to have a good place to crack this code, right?"

She felt herself turning red. "Yes," she said stiffly.

"And it would be pretty important for someone to secure a good place in order for someone else to work on it?"

She gave him a pointed stare. "Don't pretend you did this for me."

"Oh, I didn't. But it sure would be nice of me to share."

Her face got redder.

"C'mon. . . ask me."

"I just did."

"No," he said. "Really ask me. With a 'please' and everything."

Mabel glared at him without saying anything for a minute. He just smiled smugly back.

She forced down her indignant rage. "Fine," she said slowly. "Dipper, could I — please — go to the theater with you to — work on the laptop while you — rehearse?"

Dipper's small smile split into a grin. "Yes, you may. Thank you for asking nicely."

Mabel gave him a sarcastic curtsy and turned, and flounced away to stop herself from saying anything else. She hurried into the attic and flopped down onto the bed, pulling out the laptop and flipping the lid open. She'd given herself a break to wait for Dipper, but now it was time to get back to it.

Five minutes and fifty BZZTs later, Dipper appeared in the doorway.

"Mabel, do you know what time it is?"

She glanced up at him. Who did he think he was — Mom? "There's no clock on this thing," she said irritably.

"It's late," Dipper answered. "If you're going to come to rehearsal with me, you gotta wait until then to work on the laptop, okay?"

"That wasn't anywhere in the deal!" Mabel retorted.

"If I remember correctly, it's not a deal, it's a favor. Just — get some sleep, okay? I don't wanna be up listening to that terrible noise."