Song of Desperation

Chapter Two

"So, Mabel?" Dipper started. The 20 year old man found himself yet again lounging on the couch, absentmindedly playing video games.

"Yeah, bro-bro?" the once energetic young woman asked, yawning tiredly.

"Why did you think making a new batch of Mabel juice, chugging it and then volunteering to give tours was a good idea?" he asked, eyes fixated on the screen. Mabel found herself shrugging while noticing an open Cheetos Puffs bag on the coffee table nearby. She grabbed it and started stuffing the cheesy treat into her mouth. Dipper momentarily shot an exhausted glance in her direction before rolling his eyes and re-fixating on the colorful game in front of him.

"Some things never change…" he mumbled, finding himself smiling fondly. Mabel tsk'd and offered him some Cheetos. 

"Well, if things were any different around here then you'd totally pop a blood vessel you worry wart! Come on Dipper! Live a little! We're 20 years old for God's sake! So what if I scared away customers when I got stuck in that dumb question mark costume, it was only like...40 less bucks than normal?" she nudged him, giving him her famous crooked smile. Dipper sighed and grabbed a handful of Cheetos out of the opened bag lying nearby and he scoffed softly.

"Yeah, and we could've gotten some extra tip cash and you could've bought some new yarn for your sweaters, you idiot." he nudged her back playfully. "Though it was pretty funny when you ran around the yard for a bit. Your head was stuck the wrong way in the costume so you ran in circles for half an hour before accidentally feeling your way over to the garbage can. You still even smell like garbage." he sniggered. Mabel shoved him and laughed.

"Do not!" she exclaimed. Dipper smiled innocently at his twin before concentrating back on his new game. The young man had finally saved up for a Nintendo Switch console earlier that year and had decided to buy a few games with some old Christmas money he found lying around. 

Currently he was playing Super Mario Odyssey. He was stuck on the city level for some reason. He was a nerd, but not a video game nerd. He would always favor books and the outdoors over technology. 

Technology just made him feel claustrophobic for whatever reason if he was around it too much. He rather just adventure in the forest on his afternoons off. He had taken up drawing midway through highschool and had found by accident he was actually quite good at it. So he would sketch landscapes, creatures, or anything he declared 'cool enough' to be drawn in his journal. 

After falling into a semi-comfortable silence, they heard a knock at the door. Dipper paused the game and the siblings looked at each other, mentally asking who would get the door.

"D'ya think the pizza we ordered is finally here?" Mabel inquired. Dipper pursed his lips and shrugged absentmindedly before grunting and standing up. He walked over to the kitchen table where he and Mabel left their wallets and a money jar. He decided just grabbing his Visa was simpler and so he flipped open his wallet and removed the card. He flipped his wallet closed, but decided to stick it in his front pocket in case the card was somehow cashed out. He stuck the card in front of his wallet in his pocket for easy access. He trudged back through the living room to the front door of the shack and opened it, already mentally ready to quickly sign for the pizza and grab it for him and his hungry twin. 

"I already got the card ready so I'll just go ahead and let you swipe it and I'll sign for it while you do that-" he said while he quickly fished for his debit card. When he was greeted with silence, he looked up from wrestling his pocket for his Visa. His eyes widened in horror. Instinctively he thrust the door shut and pressed his back against it. He felt himself start to sweat slightly as he broke into a small panic.