13
Pacifica

   By the time we pulled into the driveway of the Mystery Shack, I had heard everything I wanted to know about Dipper. More specifically, the shit he went through when I left. I felt bad for everything, even though it wasn't my fault.

   "We're just grabbing my stuff." I said as I opened the passenger door. "You coming?"

   She shrugged. "Yeah, why not."

   She followed me inside as I swiftly opened the door. "I don't think anyone's home." I whispered. "That means Janessa and Rachel have already left."

   "Then why are you whispering?" She laughed. "Just grab your stuff and then we'll make our way to Gleeful Manor."

   I rushed to the living room, where I'd been staying the past few days. "Most of my stuff's down here, but I've got a few things upstairs and in the bathroom."

   "Just bring what you need." Mabel rolled her eyes. "And then this whole thing's gonna happen."

   "Just one shot." I warned her. And when she gave me a weird look I explained, "don't get me wrong, I want to be with Dipper a lot. But if he just doesn't feel the same way I do, then I'm calling it quits."

   Mabel grinned a grin I didn't trust. "Sure you are, Paz."

   "I'm serious!" I groaned.

   "Oh yeah," Mabel rolled her eyes, "sure you are."

   As I walked up the stairs, I ran straight into Gideon who looked absolutely exhausted. "Oh, hey Gids."

   Gideon looked behind me and his eyes widened at the sight of Mabel. "M-Mabel!" He stammered. "What are you doing here?"

   "Relax, Gideon." Mabel rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I'm not here to suck your blood."

   I looked between Gideon and Mabel. "What's going on? What don't I know about?"

   Gideon shrugged. "It's just. . ."

   "Gideon doesn't trust me." Mabel finished for him. "Heaven knows why."

   "There's something you're hiding, Gleeful!" Gideon exclaimed. "And I'm gonna find out what."

   "Right, you've caught me, Gideon." Mabel held up her hands to indicate she was surrendering. "The truth is, I'm a vampire."

   I couldn't help but laugh.

   "It's not funny, Paz!" Gideon yelled. "She knows something."

   Mabel scoffed. "Of course I do, I'm not a dullard."

   "Are you suggesting that I am?" Gideon demanded.

   "Did those words come out of my mouth?" She got in his face. "Didn't think so." With that said, she turned to look at me. "Look what you've done, your paranoia has spread to Gideon."

   I rolled my eyes. "Let it go, Gideon. We can talk about this when I get back tomorrow."

   Gideon raised a brow. "Tomorrow?"

   "I'm staying over at Mabel's." I informed him.

   He frowned. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

   "Only the best." Mabel nodded, answering for me.

   Gideon groaned aloud and leaned on the railing for support. "I should've known that it was the demon's idea."

   "Watch it, Pines." Mabel growled.

   "Okay!" I intervened. "Mabes and I are going to grab some stuff, Mabel you can wait down here if you want, I will only be a minute and I need to speak with Gideon."

   Mabel nodded, crossing her arms once more as Gideon followed me up the stairs.

   As soon as we were behind the door to my old room, he began ranting. "Are you crazy?" He hissed. "I thought you said you were getting over Dipper! This is not what I expected."

   "I'm giving it one last shot." I explained, stuffing my stuff into a duffel bag. "If nothing happens, I will back down. Hell, I might just ask my parents to come and pick me up. This was supposed to be a fun trip," I looked down at the stuff in my bag.

   "I'm sorry, Pacifica." Gideon placed a hand on my shoulder. "But if he hasn't done anything now, I'm afraid to say that it meant nothing to him."

   I breathed in a ragged breath, afraid that the tears would spill down my cheeks. "I-I know." I managed to say, and I rubbed my eyes dry. "I'll let you know, and then after all that crazy shit, we can focus on the true matter at hand. Figuring out what the hell that creature is."

   Gideon gave me a firm nod. "Good luck, Paz."

   I quickly gave him a hug. "I'll need it."

   I finished grabbing my belongings and before I knew it, Mabel and I were back on the road, heading to the mansion where the devil dwells. I felt a ball of nerves building up in my stomach. With each passing second we were getting closer to Gleeful Manor, ergo getting closer and closer to the moment where the 'plan' would come to action.

   Mabel seemed to notice. "Hey, relax." She whispered. "Everything will go according to our plan."

   "Your plan." I reminded her, kindly. "And I know, but I'm just so nervous. I can't stop thinking about what might happen. God, Mabel, I thought we meant something but apparently we didn't. Not to him."

   "Whoa whoa whoa," she exclaimed. "You're skipping quite a few pages there, hun. Don't think so negatively right now. I'm sure it'll all go just fine."

   "Right." I muttered. "Just."

   "Hey." She glared at me. "Stop worrying about this. I know this'll go well."

   "And if it doesn't?" I had the guts to say.

   "It will." Mabel promised, but it sounded like she was trying to reassure herself. "It has to, I know it will. He just doesn't know how ignorant he's being right now."

   And it brought a smile to myself when I heard the thing she muttered under her breath when she thought I wasn't listening.

   "That little shit'll learn not to fuck up his life."