The Things We Leave Behind (Gravity Falls Fic)

Chapter 29: Cross My Heart

Atiekay drew that awesome picture there.
Anyway, here's the short yet important chapter, nanoda~.

Saige's POV:

I stare at the Winnie the Pooh card and the number inside it. I unclip the bow from my hair, glancing from it to the card and back again.

Call me. We need to talk.

I drop the clip on the table, throwing back my head with a groan.

Whatever it was that Riley wanted to talk about, it seems important. But I told Bill that I wouldn't call him...

I sigh, picking up the card and tearing it in half. A promise is a promise, it doesn't matter to whom. I tossed the ruined card in the trash. If Riley wants to talk, he'll have to find another way.

My thoughts were interrupted by a fluttering noise outside my window. I turned my head to see what appeared to be a ball of light, about half the size of my fist.

I stood up and approached it, realizing upon further inspection that it was Cassie, beating her fluorescent wings on the glass. She must be an incredibly strong butterfly to be able to take that kind of pressure on her wings.

I unlocked the window and lifted it, "Hey, Cassie, where you been?"

She greeted me by fluttering inside and landing on my chest, crawling up to my shoulder. Her glow dimmed slightly once she had found a place to perch, as if to signal a sensation of security.

I gestured to the window, "Can I close it, or would you like me to leave it open?"

Yeah, I talk to butterflies, deal with it.

Cassie drifted to my bedspread and set down on the blanket, like she was trying to tell me she was going to stay. I shut and locked the window.

I carefully sat down on the bed next to Cassie, who fluttered up to my lap. I laid back on the pillow.

"Cassie, what's gotten into me?" I say, feeling her on my shirt.

"I'm... always thinking about him. Not in the way that I... well, you know, not in that way, but it's just... it's like he's always... working an angle. And I just want to figure him out."

Cassie is silent, as is expected.

I sigh, "Sometimes I wish you could talk."

Asha pokes her head in the room, curiously, "Who ya chatting with?"

Cassie hovered over to Asha and landed on her wrist.

Asha stared at the butterfly, "Saige, I always knew you were batty, but this is taking it too far."

I chuckled, "Cassiopeia, meet Asha. Asha, meet Cassiopeia. You can call her Cassie."

Asha lifted her wrist (and Cassie with it) to eye level, "She's gorgeous."

I nod, "She's a Constellation butterfly."

"Never heard of them."

"That's because they've never been discovered before. I named them."

Asha smiled, watching Cassie float back over to me, "Cool."

---

I awoke to a child, sitting on my bed.

She looked to be about eight. She had long, silver-white hair and pure blue eyes, and she wore a flowing white dress that brushed her knees. And she was just... sitting there, indian-style, watching me.

I slowly pushed myself to a more upright position, never moving my gaze from her pale, round face.

I swallowed. We were both just staring at each other for about 5 minutes straight.

She cocks her head at me, "Well, aren't you gonna say something?"

I blink, "Um... who are you and uh, why are you here? Are you lost?"

"It's me! Cassie?" She said, excitedly.

"C-Cassie? Cassiopeia? But you're... you're..."

"Human, I know, right? Last night, you wished that I could talk. Well, now I can!" She was absolutely bubbling over the top with enthusiasm.

Just then, my alarm went off, playing Time in a Bottle at max volume. I jumped, then hit the snooze button, hearing Asha stir briefly beside me, "Look, um, Cassie, I, uh, I gotta go to work..."

I climb out of bed and grab some jeans, a t-shirt, and my hoodie, and then race to the bathroom. When I was done in there, I walked back through the room, feeling Cassie's eyes on me the whole time.

I started for the door, "Um, I'm gonna go... but uh, we will definitely talk about this later..."

Cassie sends me a friendly smile and nods.

I blink, "Yeah, Okay..."

---

After shoveling cereal into my face and forcing my nerves to not explode after the weirdness of this morning, I headed out onto the trail to the Shack.

Once again, I was almost instantly joined by Bill's tall form.

"Hey," he greets me.

I look over at him, "Hi."

He steps in front of me, making me stop in my tracks. He smiles at me and reaches a hand up near my ear, brushing the bow tie hair clip, "I see you got my gift."

I nod, "Yeah, thanks, it's... useful."

He was beaming, "It suits you."

I push past him, unable to contain a smile, "Of course you'd say that."

He followed me, falling into step next to me, "What do you mean, 'of course'?"

"That's what any other guy who has fallen for me would say."

He was immediately tense, "Any other guy? Like... more than one?"

I laughed, grimly, "Bill, this whole jealous thing is getting old."

"What thing? It's who I am."

I scoff, "How does that figure?"

He places his hands in his pockets, "Well, I've lived my life being able to have anything I want, whenever I want it. When something or someone gets in my way, well..."

He stops and glances at the ground, and then flashes me a smile, "You know what happens, don't you?"

I halted, images flashing in my brain of his fingers closing around my throat.

"Yeah..." I responded, quietly.

"So you see, I'm not so jealous as I am spoiled."

"Yeah," I repeated, making uneasy eye contact with him.

Bill seems to notice my discomfort, and he takes my hand, "You know, I'm sorry about... that..."

I looked away.

He gently turned my head to make me face him, "I would never... could never hurt you."

I blinked, disbelieving. Can you blame me? I mean, he tried to kill me.

He squeezes my hand, "I promise."

I swallow, "Okay."

I quickly pull away from him, much to his dismay.

"Look, I gotta go to work, like I told Cassie this morning..."

I stepped backward, "...so um... bye..."

Then I turned and trotted down the path, feeling my lungs relax the further I got from Bill.