Loving the Here and Now

Chapter Seven

I sat on the stool at the cashier in the mystery Shack. It was a slow day today and I was bored out of my mind. It's been a few days since the dream with Bill, and I was still working over the new deal in my mind, and the fact if i was happy or not.

I felt like a teenage girl plucking out dandelion petals asking myself "He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not...." Am i really happy? What does Bill know that I don't? These questions still bugged me.

I quickly got out of my thoughts as I heard the bell on the door ring. In walked my darling sister Mabel. She was on her phone probably texting her latest boyfriend.

"Hey Mabel!" I said to her with a smile and a small wave. She didn't seem to hear me so i said it again louder this time.

"Hey Mabel!"

Ignored, again. There was no way she didn't hear me this time, so I just left it alone. If she doesn't want to talk to me,that's fine. You get used to being ignored if it happens enough times.

She continued walking without looking and accidentally bumped her foot into the shelf full of snow globes. One of the globes fell onto the floor with a loud crack. I could already hear the yelling starting to happen as I heard footsteps from the living room.

She cursed and dropped her phone. The shattered glass and water covered the floor and soaked up her shoe.

"What happened?" I heard Stan ask.

I died as I saw my sister start to speak. "Dipper was distracting me and made me slam into the wall! Look, he made me break a nail and this snow globe."

Stan glared at me. "DIPPER! Why would you do that!? You know your sister is delicate!"

I looked down at the counter as he continued to yell at me, ignoring most of it.

The sound of the vending machine opening and Ford aslo yelling added to the once quiet and peaceful Mystery Shack.

Why did I have to talk to her... it always ends badly...

"You are going to clean this mess up and make it up to your sister for hurting her, you insolent brat! She does all this stuff for you and you repay her by hurting her!" Stan yelled at me.

"Why can't you be like your sister!? Why do you have to be a failure? If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have had Weirdmaggedon! If only you didn't hurt your sister!" Ford screamed.

I continued to look down. Tears were rolling down my cheeks as I couldn't help but listen to their words.

"Now clean this mess up! And do it before any customers get here, or you'll be punished!"

"Ok, Grunckle Stan." With this, both my Grunkles returned to their earlier activities after giving me a glare. Mabel hadn't let yet but when I looked at her, there was a nasty grin on her face.

"You heard what they said, brother-oh-mine. Clean up." She laughed a demonic laugh.

I nodded and she left, still cackling. I grabbed the broom and cleaning supplies and went to clean the mess.

As I cleaned with tears in my eyes and dirty thoughts in my mind, the words Bill said came back to me.

"And, try to remember the last time you were happy. When you were actually happy, okay?"

When I was actually happy?

Even after all this time, I couldn't think of anything. No memories. All the 'happy" memories I've had... I see now. It's all been a mask. A ruse. Fake. Have I never really been happy? I'm already 16 years old, and I've never been truly happy? What's wrong with me that I've never been happy?