Dipcifica: New summer, New start...

Chapter 20

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Dipper's POV

We walked to the terminal door, my fingers awkwardly intertwined with Pacifica's. I didn't know what to do, it just felt really sudden. The silence between us was tense.

"Um...Pacifica," I coughed and cocked my head down at the moment.

"Uh..." her cheeks grew visibly more rosy and her eyes widened. "Oh, um...sorry, Dopper-er, Dipper...didn't notice." She dropped my hand and walked ahead of me.

I kind of felt bad for a second. "Um...sorry. You can hold my hand if you want to,"

I wasn't aware of how stupid it sounded until it actually escaped my lips.

"Ah, it's fine," Pacifica chimed in an overly-happy voice. "It was an accident. I get jumpy before going on a plane,"

"Oh. Okay." This awkwardness continued until we reached two glass doors leading out onto the runway. We walked down a flight of stairs and were surprised and astounded by the teensy bush plane parked in front of us.

"This looks dangerous," Pacifica mumbled.

"Trust me. These things go back and forth every day."

"I'm just remembering a book from my childhood...Hatchet or something. There was this kid...and his plane crashed-"

"Okay, calm down. Yeah, I've read that book too. I assure you none of that will happen." I put both my hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "But I also assure you, if you scream during the whole flight, we are almost sure to crash."

"Hmph. I've been on a plane more times than you could count, dork," she teased. "I know that it's not likely. But it is normal for someone to be antsy, right?" She grinned.

"Yeah, sure!" I didn't know how else to reply.

We went up three stairs to enter the cramped cabin, together with two businessmen and one woman with a child. I ended up squishing together with Pacifica in one of the seats in the back.

"Bleh. It smells like sweat it here," she made a wafting motion with her hand and stuck her tongue out.

"It's not luxurious, for sure," I commented, playing with the stuffing coming of the seats. It was uncomfortable to bend around without getting strand's of Pacifica's bleach-blonde hair all over myselfor making her uneasy by smashing her even more into the wall.

I bent over to buckle and heard some muffled sounds from the Northwest sitting beside me. Her cheek was squished against the cold metal and her eyes glared at me.

"Oops," I straightened and she gasped for air.

"Tell me never to sit next to Dipper Pines on a bush plane," she pouted.

"Sorry," I chuckled. "Your turn."

She reached over to buckle, and as she twisted, her arms pushed her so far I was leaning into the aisle.

"W-whoah..." I regained my dignity and Pacifica sniggered.

"You looked so pathetic,"

"You should have seen yourself practically becoming one with the wall," I joked.

She gave me the best poker face she could, but couldn't retain it and burst out laughing. Soon, we were both laughing so hard the people around us started to look annoyed.

When we calmed down, the blond-haired Northwest gave me the crooked smile. The real smile. The Pacifica smile. I couldn't help but smile back.

Fifteen minutes later, after me and Pacifica threw half-hearted insults at each other, the announcer crackled.

"Everyone aboard flight 1739, welcome. Please buckle up your seatbelts and put all devices on airplane mode. Life jackets are located below your seats. Please enjoy the flight."

The plane positioned itself on the runway and sped up, the engines sputtering and kicking into gear, the deafening roar blocking out the sound of even my own thoughts. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. I screwed my eyes shut and dug my nails into the leather of the seats. Just as a click-clack came from the wheels and the plane lifted into the air, I felt a delicate, warm, and thoughtful hand placed on my own. I blinked one eye open. Pacifica was gritting her teeth, eyes slammed shut, but one of her hands had reached out and been placed on mine. Very slowly I lifted my fingers up and slipped them into her's. I closed my eyes again. Somehow, having her hand in mine gave me a feeling of security. A feeling of happiness.