07
Pacifica

The convenience store was farther away than I thought it would be. The night air was cooler, it made me happy that I brought my hoodie.

As I walked, I took notice of the town I spent my entire summer in only three years earlier. Nothing seemed to have changed and I liked that. I remembered having so much fun back when I was fourteen. Not only did I have fun with my cousin and my new friends, but I also met someone.

"No, Pacifica," I scolded myself. "Stop thinking about the Brown-Haired-Wonderboy."

Wow, and calling him that helped, huh? My heart argued.

Leave him behind, Pacifica. He obviously doesn't think you mean anything to him. I mean, did you see how he completely ignored you at the show tonight? My head shot back. So drop him like third period French. It's best for everyone, including you.

Mais on l'aimait, my heart replied, but we loved him.

Exactly! My head argued. We loved him. Past tense. Ergo, over.

"I really need to stop with this." I rolled my eyes. I didn't want to have a heart-head argument about a certain dumb boy. A certain dumb boy who I didn't care about anymore.

I continued on my way to get what I needed for that night and began thinking about what Gideon had told me about the mysterious creature that was haunting Reverse Falls. But it only seemed to be making it known to people who knew about magic.

"Well then why would it show itself, well kinda, to Janessa and Rachel?" I asked myself, and luckily my brain seemed to come up with an answer for me in a matter of seconds. "Well that's because you were there too, dummy. I guess it doesn't care that much."

When the store was finally in sight, I stopped talking about magical creatures. I didn't want to be viewed as a raving lunatic on my first day back here. That would make a wonderful impression.

I walked into the store, paying no mind to the person behind the counter and began looking around the store for something I really wanted to eat. Before I had even entered the store I had already decided that I was absolutely getting a slushy before I left.

I continued to walk around the snack aisles, trying to decide what I wanted to eat that night. Cotton candy would be too sticky and it was basically pure sugar. That was too sweet for me. I thought about getting licorice, and before I knew it, I was grabbing a bag of red licorice called Twizzlers and holding them close to me.

Two more snacks plus the slushy and I was out of there.

As I continued my search for snacks, my mind floated back to the creature. Which then took me back to when I first figured out magic was a real thing. And of course that took me back to Dipper.

I shook the thought from my head and grabbed a bag of Sour Patch Kids. One more to go and I'd be satisfied. After I picked up a bag of BBQ Corn Nuts, I made my over to the slushy machine and grabbed a small, plastic cup. I chose my favorite flavor, cherry, and began filling it up.

After that was done, I covered the top with a lid and snatched a straw from the dispenser and walked over to the check-out counter. I set my items down on the recently-cleaned counter and fumbled for my wallet to pay the cashier.

"Alright, that'll be 9:26." The cashier told me.

I handed him a 10 and waited for my change and then he said my name.

"Pacifica?" The cashier asked, confusion and surprise mixing together in his voice. "Is that really you?"

Now I really regarded him. He had light, honey-brown hair, brown eyes and tan skin. He looked terribly familiar but I just couldn't place it.

"Yeah. . ?" I shifted awkwardly on my feet. "What's it to you?"

The smile never left his face. "You don't remember? Cody Chiu."

"Oh my God, Cody." I breathed. "I, uh, wow."

"When'd you get back in town?" He asked, leaning forward. "I haven't seen you in like, years. Where were you?"

"Back in California." I stated. "I haven't been able to get away until now."

"Oh that sucks, but I'm glad you're here now." He smiled and brushed his hair back with a hand. "So, how have you been?"

I shrugged. "I'm good, although I'm tired."

Cody laughed lightly and then silence prevailed. And then he asked a question I wasn't entirely prepared for. "Have you seen Dipper?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat and shook my head. "I only just got here." I lied. "But I'll see him tomorrow."

I felt bad about lying to Cody, but I didn't want anything else to transpire that night. And Cody was a great guy, but I just didn't feel that way about him.

Maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt, I thought. Maybe he's just wants to be my friend now.

"Well, I'd better go." I took the bag of items he handed me in one hand and held my slushy in the other. "It was nice seeing you again, Cody."

"Maybe I'll see you around." He smiled back at me. "Maybe we can hang out sometime as long as you're in town. Living at the Mystery Shack?"

"Yep." I nodded.

"Maybe I'll swing by." He nodded aimlessly to himself.

I left the store, waving goodbye to him, and headed home.