Return to Falls

Chapter 04

Dipper felt beyond embarrassed to be sitting across from the girl who he ruined the outfit of not twenty minutes prior. His first day back to Gravity Falls and already he felt blacklisted. If this was an indicator of how the rest of his vacation was going to go, he was ready to hop right back on the bus.

"Hey Dipper, are you all right? You seem lost." Wendy tapped him on the shoulder. Feeling her touch again was the best thing he experienced all day.

"Yeah, sorry. Just feel bad about ruining Pacifica's top. It probably cost a lot." He said, rubbing the back of his head. He felt a kick at his shin.

Pacifica smiled, "Yeah. You better find a way to make it up to me, boy", she said, mocking her old attitude. She continued to scratch at the visible stain on her sweater with a wet napkin.

Dipper smiled at the crack. He wanted to come up with a brilliant comeback but was left with a pathetic chuckle. Thankfully, Wendy directed his attention back to her and said, "Hey, I wanna ask you something." She rubbed her hands together, "I was just wondering how you've been these past few years. I know before you left we said a few things and. . ."

"And what?" He tried to get her to continue, but the look on her face told him she wouldn't. Of course, his mind was locked on the "things" they talked about before the twins left. The last real conversation she and Dipper had was when he accidentally revealed his true feelings in front of her. But, at the time she said she was too old for him.

"Nothing, never mind. Just wanted to know how you two have been."

"Oh, yeah. Mabel and I went back and forth for a while about visiting this place again. Sure, we're grown now, but there were still some things left unattended. So you know, we ended up staying in California til we straightened it all out." Dipper felt bad about lying, but he felt it necessary, "We both have been looking at colleges. So, that's a thing. Mabel wants to get into fashion, surprise surprise. . . I'm not sure what I want to do yet. Guess I'll take the summer to figure it out."

Wendy nodded. Her attention went back to her food while Dipper looked across the table to the blonde who was gracefully eating her food. Not a single spec went anywhere. He admired how sophisticated she was despite her young age.

Pacifica looked up from her food and made eye-contact with him. The two were locked in a silent conversation. Their eyes refused to leave one another. It felt like one of those scenes that play in romantic-comedies. Everything and everyone in the room lost its form, dissolving into a blur that held no meaning. Unspoken memories from that night at the Northwest Manor filled the gaps. Both wanted to talk, but neither caved.

Cutting through the silence was the shutter sound of a picture being taken. The trance that held Dipper and Pacifica hostage broke apart.

Dipper looked over and found himself staring down a lens. Mabel with her phone in hand, was practically on the table facing them.

Dipper shouted, "Mabel! Delete those pictures!"

"Aw, come on, Dip. We gotta be able to look back at these moments! I'll add it to the new scrapbook." A glimpse of Mabel's childhood resurfaced. It was hard not to laugh alongside her. Accepting defeat was his only option.

For the first time in a long while, Dipper felt happy. He was at peace with where he was and who he was with.