Dipcifica: New summer, New start...

Chapter 10

Dipper's POV.

I awoke the next morning the find myself dealing with muscle cramps and stiffness from being on the cold hard ground for the night. Great. Just perfect. As I sat up, I felt something slip off my back. I picked up Pacifica's sweater. "Huh," I thought out loud. I took out a single granola bar and split it in half, setting the other onto my backpack for Pacifica when she woke up. In the meanwhile, I got to work looking at the map. "So, we'll take this trail a bit farther, then cross this stream..."

"What are you mumbling about, nerd?" Pacifica joked teasingly from above.

"Oof!" I grunted, tumbling backward at the sight of the blonde Northwest looming over me. The map fell out of my hand.

"Thank you very much," Pacifica said mock-sincerely as she grabbed the granola bar and devoured it. She laughed. Wow, her laugh was pretty. Agh, Dipper, what are you thinking?

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I picked my map back up and showed it to Pacifica, who nodded. "Hmmm. I see...I don't get it." She sighed in frustration.

"Hey, it's okay," I shrugged. "I bet you can do things I can't."

Pacifica's eyes glowed mischievously. "You bet."

I smiled. I gave her a canteen of water and she chugged it down. "Ugh, Pacifica, why did you drink all of it?"

She shrugged innocently. "I was thirsty."

Pacifica's POV

I groaned as we trekked up yet another one of these dirt paths. I was tired and hungry and thirsty and ugh, my world was full of problems right now. My burns were really starting to hurt with the blistering Oregon heat and I just wanted to melt into a puddle right there and then. But Dipper's encouragement kept me going, and he smiled and joked even through the misery of the afternoon sun. That's one thing I liked about him.

Soon enough we reach that stream he was mumbling about earlier. Without thinking I jumped in, clothes and all, sighing as the smooth, refreshingly cold water ran over my burns. Dipper was looking at me scornfully. "You do realize you'll have to walk in dripping wet clothes, right?" He questioned.

"It doesn't matter," I snapped. "Now let me enjoy my water."

I swam around a bit more as Dipper sat on one of the big stones of the bank. "Pacifica, it may be time to leave-"

"No!" I flashed. I caressed the water in my arms like it was something precious. Well, it was.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Fine. Ten more minutes."

"Yay!" I yelled, sounding child-like.

After that very refreshing thirty minutes in the stream, I reluctantly crawled out and we waded across, with me cleverly pretending to slip on rocks and fall in the water just to enjoy it some more. Dipper didn't look like he was falling for it.

Dipper's POV

Me and my companion had to put even more sweat into it as the trail started sloping upwards. At a small rocky incline, I climbed up first and helped Pacifica up after me. "Thanks," She panted, brushing herself off.

As the track sustained a normal elevation, I looked back to see what Pacifica was doing. She seemed to be zoned out, thinking about something. I shrugged my shoulders to keep my backpack on my body and walked ahead.

After about five more minutes of walking, Pacifica broke the silence by saying something I would never have expected.

"What do you have under your hat? Your hair, I mean, with the bangs."

I blushed, not wanting her to discover my secret birthmark on my head. "Oh, nothing, I scoffed.

Her eyebrow raised.

"If you say so."