Return to Falls

Chapter 05

The impromptu dinner carried on without so much as a structured conversation. It mainly consisted of Mabel leaping from one subject to the next with hardly a breath in between, Wendy keeping Dipper's attention on her, and Dipper surprisingly holding his own in any semblance of a conversation. Pacifica was a different story. Her mind was elsewhere.

Five years worth of boring summers were over. Dipper and Mabel were back in Gravity Falls, and Pacifica was, without a doubt, going to take advantage of it. The excitement bubbled within her as she imagined what adventures they'd go on as friends. Friends — not frenemies or rivals.

The only problem she knew she'd eventually come head-to-head with was the lumberjack. The less-than-subtle glances and "friendly" touching she'd been doing throughout the evening was very clearly meant to make Pacifica jealous. A part of her suspected Wendy harbored feelings for Dipper, but the other part — the part she leaned on for confidence — reminded her of the heart-breaking revelation that took place five years prior. Wendy rejected him. She may have this delusion that Dipper's pressed under her thumb, but Pacifica knew better.

If asked about her feelings, she wouldn't have admitted to anything romantic, but she did have to admit: Dipper's matured. She was liking this new version of him and wanted more than anything to get to know it.

While yes, his goofy, intelligent, pre-teen self was charming, she couldn't help but find herself sucked into a trance while he spoke. She marveled at the way he carried himself when comfortable. Especially since he was a bumbling mess just a little while ago.

One thing was for sure: he wasn't the same person that first arrived all those years ago. And whether or not Wendy liked it, she wanted to be a part of his life.

Game on, Wendy, she thought to herself. Game on.