My Name is Bill Cipher

Another Chance

"He doesn't even try to understand," I complain to Mabel. "This is so unfair!" I've been venting to her for the past few minutes about all the things I'm frustrated with about Ford. Mabel has been listening without a word. "It's like he doesn't even acknowledge what I did for you all yesterday! Why won't he just trust me?"
"Because 'In Gravity Falls there is no one you can trust. Trust no one.' Those were the words he wrote in his journal. You were the one who led him to believe that. You tricked him, Bill. You made him believe you were his muse, his partner, but you were just a monster trying to use him," she answers.
     "But I'm not like that anymore! I need another chance."
     "Bill, about the other day... I should be the one giving you another chance. You wronged me and we talked about it, but I acted rashly. I regret the things I said to you. I really do believe you've changed, Bill, especially after yesterday. You really are a hero. I know Grunkle Ford's giving you a hard time, but give him time. I know that one day, if you keep working at it, he will come to trust you again, if only in the slightest bit."
     "Do you really think so?"
     "I do."
     "Mabel, I don't know..." I'm interrupted by a soft moan from the other side of the room. Mabel shoots up from her position, wincing when she moves her swollen ankle a bit. She looks to her brother, whose face is twisted into a grimace of pain.
"Dipper!" she exclaims. He puts his fingers to his temples and moans again from the pain of a headache. "Hey, Bro-Bro, are you alright?" Worry edges Mabel's voice.
"M-Ma...bel?" he says quietly, his voice strained.
"Get Ford, Bill." I don't argue, I just hope Ford doesn't want to pick some kind of fight with me again.
I shortly return with Ford, who was quick to follow when I told him that his nephew was awake. He immediately gives Dipper some ibuprofen, who drowsily takes the medication. "Dipper," he says seriously. "I need you to tell me what the last thing you remember is."
     "W-we were running from th-that ghost," Dipper stammers. "I pushed Mabel ahead." He winces from the hit of another headache. "The ghost grabbed me- I-I think. I can't remember anything after that."
     Stanford sighs. "That's a relief. You're going to be alright."
     "I have a really bad headache, Grunkle Ford," Dipper says, his brows furrowed.
     "I know," Stanford replies. "You hit your head hard. You have a bad concussion. You'll have to stay here for a while."
     Dipper groans again, but this time from disappointment. Another expression clouds his face as he asks, "Are you okay, Mabel?"
     "Yes, yeah, I'm fine," Mabel assures him. "I just rolled my ankle. There's nothing to worry about. But we were really worried about you. Gideon, Wendy, and Pacifica came to check on us."
     Dipper gives a small smile. "They did?"
     "Yes, yes, now hush and get some more sleep," commands Ford. "Brain injury doesn't heal overnight, you know. We'll turn out the lights in here. And Mabel, please refrain from speaking any more with him. Noise will do him no good," Ford explains.
     "But, Grunkle Ford-"
     "No buts," Ford warns. "If you don't want to stay quiet, you can come downstairs with us. It is only 5 o' clock."
     "Yeah..." I can tell she really wants to stay and talk with her brother, but Ford's right about him needing peace, quiet, and rest. Mabel gets out of bed, making sure not to step with her injured foot. She uses me as support as we go downstairs. She's pretty shaky and slips on the third step down. I grab her hand and arm to keep her from falling. She gives me a sheepish smile, looks at me for a second, then laughs.
     "What's so funny?" I ask.
     "Your face is all pink," she replies and giggles again.
     "I-It is?" I can feel my face getting hotter.
"Don't worry about it," Mabel says, but it's too late. I'm worrying a lot. What is going through that head of hers? Has she forgiven me fully of our fight a couple days ago? Are things back like how they used to be like that day we spent in town or when I was working with Mabel and Stan in the Mystery Shack? Is she still silently holding a grudge against me and just pretending to be nice, taunting me? Does she like me? Because I-
Whoah. Sorry. I have no idea where that thought come from. Rewind. Okay, we've made it to the ground level floor. Mabel lets go of my hand and limps slowly to the kitchen after her great uncle. I trail them, wondering what we're going to eat.
But these nagging questions still linger in the back of my mind. Has she really let my awful past go? She smiled at me just minutes ago. Are we on good terms again? Does she want to stay... friends? Does she want us to be more than that? Less than that? She said that day that she would forgive me, but nothing else. Did she really mean that, or was she in the heat of anger?
And most of all, why am I worrying so much about what terms we're on while the performance of the Cipher Wheel in just a few weeks may erase me from existence, blow me to pieces, or worse?