Gravity Falls - One Off Stories

The Bake Sale

Art by Swatbot26

Summary: When one act of mistrust ruins Dipper's day at the Eggbert Elementary School Bake sale, Mabel must make a big decision. A Little Dipper and Mabel Pines story from their childhood.

October 15, 2006

Piedmont, California

Every year at Eggbert Elementary school, there was a bake sale in the Fall. They called it the Fall Bake sale. All students from grade one and up were allowed at lunch time to come down to the front hallway and buy whatever they wanted. There was everything from cookies, popcorn, candy, hot chocolate, etc. It was the school's way of welcoming new students and old ones to the new academic year.

Now in first grade, 6-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines were at last allowed to go. Given they were still children, they were each given exactly one dollar to spend.

"Be careful you two," said Mrs. Pines "Remember to not show your money to anyone or they may steal it from you."

The two of them nodded.

"Come on Mabel, we'll be late for the bus" Dipper said as he ran out the front door.

"Coming" Mabel said, taking one last spoonful of cereal.

The twins both sat together on the ride to school. They were the odd bunch. While the other children goofed around, threw things at each other or gossiped, Dipper would be reading a book or counting his pencils, while Mabel looked out the window and waved at the cars that passed by.

Soon the bus reached the familiar school grounds. The kids all raced to get off first. Dipper and Mabel were always the last ones off. Unlike the other children, they would stop and thank the bus driver and smile and wave goodbye to him as they walked off, to be greeted by the waiting teachers and escorted in line into the school.

It was a just another regular day. The leaves outside fell as the children inside struggled to stay awake during lessons. Mabel as usual would fall asleep while Dipper would be in the front paying attention.

Today however, they were doing some arts and crafts. Painting and having a grand old time. Mabel was her bright up beat self. This activity was right up her alley. Painting with fingers, paintbrushes, sponges, you name it. If she was not wearing an apron, her dress was sure to have gotten all messy. Dipper meanwhile had a hard time figuring out what to paint. He was unsure what to do.

Time must have flown by because in no time as the lunch bell had rang. Time for the bake sale. The children all ran off to get their money.

"Have a good lunch everyone," their teacher said.

"Mabel, you ready to go?" Dipper asked.

"In a minute. I just have to wash my hands," she said as she showed Dipper her hands, which were covered in paint of all sorts of colors, "I'll catch up with you."

Though a bit nervous to go alone, Dipper decided to head off to the front of the school on his own. He walked through the hallways, past the gym, through the library and finally reached the front foyer of the school where the bake sale was happening.

It was hectic. Students lined up in front of all the stands, waiting to buy all sorts of treats like cookies, brownies, cakes, juice, you name it. Dipper looked down at the one dollar note he had. He knew enough about money to know he had a budget only a dollar budget in which to buy whatever he wanted. But he had no clue what to get. Normally when Mabel was with him, she would pick what to get and he would go along with it. Being older by five minutes was enough to give her more authority in his eyes.