Reverse Falls [DISCONTINUED]

Inconvenience Store: Part One

Wendy wasn't entirely sure why she was hanging out at the Gleeful Mansion on a day with no work. All she knew was that she had left her house immediately after breakfast and, once arriving at the mansion, found one of the many living rooms and nearly threw herself on a couch. She practically lived here at this point - she just couldn't stand her father's overly-cheerful personality.

Her phone buzzed.

A text from Robbie. 

Robbie: Hey, me and my friends are gonna explore an abandoned store. Wanna come?

Wendy: when?

Robbie: tonight.

Wendy stared at the text, the phone's light illuminating her pale face and enhancing her freckles. An abandoned store . . . it certainly piqued her interest, but -

She heard someone calling her name from another room. Groaning, Wendy got to her feet and followed the sound of her name into Mr. Gleeful's study. 

As soon as she had walked into the study and joined Soos on one side of the room, Mr Gleeful  began to speak.

"I know that you two don't have work today," he said, gesturing to Wendy and Soos, "and you - for some reason - showed up anyway -" 

"I have nothing better to do." Soos gave a shrug.

"There's no way I'm putting up with my dad today," Wendy said. "Have you met him? Way too cheerful for the director of a funeral home -"

Mr. Gleeful waved their excuses away. "Anyway," he continued, "before the next show tomorrow, I want the tent cleaned up. Be done by lunch time. Wendy, Soos, that's your shift for today."

"Can't we make someone else do it?" Mabel asked, leaning to one side. 

"The clean-up crew all called in sick. All of 'em," Mr. Gleeful grumbled. "I'll let it slide for today. Now, go and clean up the tent."

The tent wasn't as dirty as expected, but it was still enough to clean up. 

"Pair up," Dipper called, clapping his hands for attention. "Mabel, go with Soos. Wendy, you're with me."

Wendy unwillingly started to pick up trash and threw bits and pieces into a trash can. She stopped once a thought crossed her mind.

She turned to Dipper, who was using his magic to throw small heaps of trash into the bin. She guessed Mabel's angry rant about "hiding magic better" didn't apply now. 

(That argument had been loud. Soos and Wendy had been lounging around in one of the many living rooms when the chair had exploded. Just their luck to help the twins clean it up, too.)

"Hey, uhm, Dipper -" Her words got caught in her throat, and she swallowed, in vain to speak clearer. "So - do you have a show? Tonight?"

Dipper gave her a strange look. "No. Today's Tuesday. You literally just explained to Stan that you couldn't stand being around your dad and came here on a day with no work."

"Yeah," Wendy managed, still trying to choke out words. Why was this so hard? "I was - um, was wondering if - if you -"

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?" 

After a few more unsuccessful attempts, Wendy took a deep sigh and gave up, hunching her shoulders and muttering, ". . . if you and - your sister - wanted to join me and my friends. Tonight. At an abandoned store."