Nobody Forgets Bill Cipher

Count on Me

I enter the kitchen on Saturday morning to find Melody at the table with a cup of coffee. I sleepily trudge to the fridge to find something to eat. I told Mabel I'd try to get some sleep, and I tried, but I couldn't. I don't think four hours of sleep should make you look like a zombie, but Melody thinks otherwise.
"Good morning, Bill," she greets me. "Did you sleep well?" She eyes me warily.
"Oh, yeah, I did," I answer untruthfully.
Melody sees through my lie right away, as everyone always does. "Rosanna didn't keep you awake for too long, did she?" Melody looks apologetic. "You look a little disheveled. Plus, you forgot to put on your eyepatch," she points out. "You're usually on top of that."
I did? I touch the side of face where my eye is missing. Oh, I guess I did... "No, no, it wasn't Rosanna," I reply, pulling the jug of milk out of the fridge.
"I just... got a weird phone call last night. I've talked to Mabel about it and Ford still needs to call me back. But don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Do you wanna tell me about it?" Melody asks, taking a sip from her coffee.
"It really isn't that much of a big deal," I answer, even though it is to me.
"Alright," Melody complies, unsure. "Well, if you aren't going to get any more sleep, why don't you call Yule over? I'm sure he'll perk you back up."
I know a lot of words, but I know perky isn't a good one to describe me. But Melody is right; I do want to talk to Yule, and not just on the phone. I finish my glass of milk hurriedly and ask, "You wouldn't mind?"
"Of course not! I like Yule," Melody replies. "Now clean up your mess there, and then call him." She points to the glass of milk. In my rush, I guess I shook the remaining milk in the glass, because it's now dribbling down the sides of the cup and onto my hand. I quickly wipe it up and put the glass away.
Running to another room, I pull out my cell phone and call Yule. It rings for a only a few seconds before he picks up. "Hey, Bill, what's up?"
"Yule! Can you come over?" I reply urgently. "I have something important to tell you. In person, I mean."
"Important?" he repeats. "Alright, then. I'll tell my mom, and then I'll be over in ten minutes. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay. Thanks. See you soon." I end the call.
     Oh, you guys don't know who Yule is. Yule is my best friend. He goes to the same school as I do. He's really great. He's funny, he's a very nice person to be around, really, he's the greatest friend I could ever want. It took a few months for me to trust him with my identity and my story, but after getting to know me and understand all that's happened, he's taken everything really well and has wanted to stay friends, which makes me really happy. He's never told my secret to anybody, and after I introduced him to Dipper and Mabel officially (he know of them, but had never met them), we've all become right friends.
     Yule is the only one at school I've really strived to make friends with. I'm aquatinted with a few others, but I wouldn't call them friends. Also, I thought I wouldn't know anyone when I started the school year, but Pacifica ended up in my grade at the school as well after her family lost much of her estate. She's adjusted well, in my opinion. If you ask her, she's still salty about having to go to school at Gravity Falls High. Me, her, and Yule end up hanging out from time to time, though Pacifica already has gathered a large group of friends (though I would say they're more fans than friends).
     After a few more minutes, Yule steps through the front door of the Mystery Shack (though I constantly tell him to come through the back so he isn't bombarded by brochures, coupons, and crazy tourists). "Yule!" I call out from the back of the shop.
     Yule turns his head in my direction. I think he actually made an effort to look nice today. Either that, or his mom wouldn't let him go out without looking decent. His mop of brown hair is combed up and he's sporting his Jokémon tee. He smiles and waves, his dimples showing. "Hi, Bill!" He walks over, dodging running children as he comes.
     "I told you to come through the back!" I exclaim as we walk out of the gift shop and into the house.
     "Yeah, but if I came through the back, I'd miss all the fun action up front!" He shows off a toothy grin.
     "That action is worth missing, believe me," I tell him.
     He gives me a playful shove, "Aw, you're not yourself today, Bill! You're usually all for everything crazy. Is something wrong?"
     "Uh, let's go up to my room, and then I'll tell you," I say hurriedly, making sure nobody is eavesdropping.
     We get to my room and Yule speaks up immediately. "Bill, what's going on? This is weird. Did I do something wrong?"
     "No!" I correct him at once. "This has nothing to do with you. I really don't want to drag you into this in case it's really serious, anyway."
     "Hey, you know I won't care. And the more serious it is, the more I should be there for you, right?"
     "Yule, I don't know how you do it," I say, amazed.
     "Do what?"
     Does he seriously not realize? "Dude, I'm Bill Cipher, and yet you never even question me once! Do you realize that this whole situation could put you in danger, too?"
     "I knew what I was signing up for when I decided to become your friend. Don't worry about me, man," Yule answers, completely carefree.
     "Okay." I explain to him the message I received as he takes in all the information with interest and curiosity.
As soon as I finish, he speaks up.
     "You shouldn't be worried, Bill," he tells me sincerely. "I mean, I would be worried if I were you, because I wouldn't have myself as my best friend, but since I'm not, you can always count on me, the bestest friend in the world!"
     I laugh. "Oh, stop it! You're way too full of yourself." He joins in the laughter. "Also, bestest is not a word."
     We cut our laughing off when we hear my cell phone begin to ring. I whip the device out of my pocket and stare at the caller name across the screen.
Stanford Pines.