When You're a Mystery Kid

The Consequence

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters featured here.

Mabel never considered school to be torture. But, after what happened, it was really making a case for it.

Surrounded by her classmates, who joked and laughed and argued like it was just any other day, so blissfully oblivious of what had happened, of the danger that threatened their lives at this very moment, Mabel felt miserable. She practically spent the whole day curled into herself in her seat. Definitely not a very Mabel thing to do, and some of her classmates took notice. When they asked, Mabel gave them a weak excuse of feeling a little under the weather. Which wasn't all that far from the truth. She still felt sick to her stomach whenever thoughts about what happened bubbled to the surface. And they bubbled pretty often. Making things worse was the fact that Dipper wasn't at school with her.

When the Mystery Kids returned to their headquarters Saturday night, before leaving for their respective homes, Dipper told her he's planning on staying there for Sunday. Said that he had some projects he needed to work on to let off steam, but promised that he'd be home by Monday, eating breakfast with her. Come Monday morning, and big surprise, Mabel had to eat an awkward breakfast alone with her parents, who she could tell was just brimming with questions about where exactly their son was. Worse, Dipper's not answering any texts or calls on both his phone and communicator. So, Mabel had to endure the bus to school, homeroom, classes, lunch, more classes, and the bus ride back, all on her own.

At least the others were online the whole day. They weren't having a great time either. They haven't heard from Dipper either, not even Norman, which wasn't a good sign. Still, pretty early on as they chatted, they agreed that the second school ends, they're all heading back to Gravity Falls to figure this out. Screw the Psychonauts' orders, was Coraline's exact words.

She wasted no time at all. Stepping through the front door of her house, she tossed her bag into her room, doubling back to fish her grappling hook out of her bag, left a quick note to her parents, boarded the jet, set the destination to Gravity Falls, and let the autopilot take its course.

Her jet arrived only seconds ahead of Coraline and Wybie's. Norman, Neil, Raz, and Lili were already waiting for them at the hangar. They all looked so tired, but Mabel could still see the determination behind each of their weary eyes. She let her features shift to match them more. Only then that she realized what a welcome reprieve it was from the lie that she had to keep up all day.

Still no Dipper in sight, though.

Mabel tried to hide her disappointment as the group gave each other obligatory greetings. Judging from how the others were looking at her, she didn't hide it very well.

"He seriously didn't respond to any of your calls and your texts?" Norman asked, incredulous. Mabel offered him a weak shrug in response.

Coraline blew air out of her mouth. "We can't afford to waste time looking for him."

"I actually have a pretty good idea of where he is." She'd called Soos on the flight over. According to him, he didn't even know that Dipper stayed the night at headquarters. That left the Shack above out of the question. There could only one place left where Dipper could be. "I'm gonna go check on him."

"You do that." Raz nodded. "We'll be waiting in the command center."

Mabel nodded back and gave them a small wave as she went off on her own.

The trip down to Dipper's study-slash-lab wasn't very long. A small part of her kinda wished it was, though. She's got a lot of words in her head for Dipper, and she wasn't quite sure how to get them out in the right order. No time for that now, as far too fast, she's suddenly standing in the doorstep of Dipper's study. She briefly considered knocking first, before deciding, no, if he didn't even bother calling and texting back, then she's not gonna bother knocking.