The Fallen Star

✖One✖

  "Dipper, come on! We're gonna be late for our first day..! Get out of the freaking bathroom!" I groan, pounding on the bathroom door.

  "Just give me one more minute! I'm almost done, I promise." I groan again, even more annoyed and slide to the floor.

  "Come on, dude.. Does it really take you that long to do your freaking hair? Mine's longer than yours is!" I feel the door open behind me and I fall back, my head hitting the tile flooring of the bathroom. "Oww..." Dipper rolls his eyes and walks out of the bathroom, then helps me up.

  "C'mon, you. We've gotta go." I look at him seriously, then roll my eyes and grab my backpack from my room before meeting Dipper in the livingroom and making our way to school.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   I sigh as I sit in my English class, rapidly tapping my pencil against my desk. Our teacher would go on and on about the same thing almost every day: his absolute adoration for teen and/or romantic TV shows. Now, don't get me wrong, those are usually pretty great, but if you hear someone mull over it over and over again, and basically assign you to watch it for your homework, instead of reading your book for your book report, or even studying Shakespeare, it gets.. old. ...Now, I might be one of the only kids in the class who actually read Shakespeare, but that's.. not important.

   I was practically falling asleep, at this point, as our teacher, Mr. Wicks, kept on "fangirling" over the new episode of The Bachelorette. I roll my eyes and open up my notebook that had been laying on my desk since class had started and pulled a pencil out of my hair (whenever I put it in a high bun or ponytail, I occasionally stick pens or pencils in it. In case I can't find one, or.. whatever), and started to doodle some random sketch of a kid who sat across the room- my best friend, who happened to have some of the same classes as me. I don't know why, but to me, he seemed like the perfect canvas. I guess that's just some.. weird best friend thing, or something?

  He caught me glancing at him occasionally and stuck out his tongue, causing me to playfully roll my eyes. The bell rang a few seconds after that, and he aporoached my desk as I started to pack up and everyone else started to leave the room.

    "So. Doodling again?" He asks me.

    "Pffft, whaaat? Me? Never..!" He rolls his eyes and I grin slightly. "Aw, c'mon, Marko. You know you love me." He chuckles.

    "Yeah.. I guess I do." My grin widens a bit and I pick up my backpack from the side of my desk, then walk out with him. "Hey, you know those flyers around the school talking about those auditions?" He asks me. I give him a strange look.
   
    "Yeah.. What about them..?" I ask.

    "Well.. I think you should try out. You've got some serious skill, kiddo." I smile slightly and roll my eyes.

    "I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.."

    "Whaat? Me? Sarcastic? Never!" I roll my eyes. "I'm being serious, though. You should totally try out. You'd be perfect." I sigh and shake my head.

    "You know how I get performing infront of other people, Marko.."

    "You do just fine with our little group..."
  
    "Because it's just you and your brothers.. I'm comfortable around you guys more than anyone else..."

    "You should really try to step out of your comfort zone.. You know. Pop that social bubble you have guarding you.. That way.. you have less of a chance of hurting yourself." I sigh and hear my brother shout my name from down the hall.

    "I've gotta go.. Dip's callin. I'll see you at practice tonight. Bye, Marko.." I give him a quick hug, then run down the hall to meet Dipper.

    "There she is!" I hear someone say, then I suddenly trip over someone's leg, falling to the ground and gaining a small burn on my cheek from the linoleum tile. I slowly push myself up, only to be knocked down again. I look up to see some of the "popular kids" laughing. I sit up and bite my lip, trying not to let the tears that started to fill my eyes fall. One of the boys who was walking by helped me up.

    "Hey.. Not cool, guys. She helped save our asses, you know.." He says hesitantly. What seemed to be the leader of the group rolled his eyes.

    "That never really happened.. You know that. It's just some stupid rumor the Pines family made up to become popular."

    "That's not true.. You can ask the whole town..! They'd tell you the Pines saved-"

    "This whole town is full of nut jobs. They'll believe anything." Tears started to fall from my eyes at this point. I grabbed the popular kid by the collar of his shirt and shoved him towards a row of lockers behind us.

    "Listen here, buddy.. You wouldn't want to see what I saw. I don't have a single care if you believe anyone or not. What I can tell you is this whole tough guy act? It won't last you long. That pride of yours will get you nowhere. You'll be doomed before you know it." The kid scoffs.

    "Cute.. She's trying to be threatening, too." He growls slightly and starts to move towards me. Marko stands in his way, however, glaring at him.

    "Hey. Back off." He says, and the kid smirks.

    "She even has a bodyguard? How sad do you get, kid?" Marko looks back at me for a moment, back to the kid, then wraps an arm around my shoulders and escorts me to the end of the hallway.

    "Don't let their words get to you, Mabes. You know they're only going after you go cover up their insecurities."
   
    "I know... I can't help but believe he's right, though... I can't protect myself for the life of me, and I'm just.. a sad person..."

    "You and I both know that's not true.." Dipper approaches us with a smile.

    "Hey, Marko..!" He looks over at me, and his expression softens. "Hey.. Mabes..." I just stay silent, and Marko moves his arm back to his side. "Trouble with the popular again..?" I nod slowly, and Dipper sighs silently. "Alright.. Let's get you home..." He grabs my hand, then nods at Marko. "Thanks." Then he leaves, and I follow him.