Caught in the Stars: Chapter IX
A Gravity Falls Fanfic
Dipper peeked into the library and spotted Pacifica, surrounded by textbooks and notes. He went over and tapped her shoulder. “I was looking for you. Are you too busy to go pixie hunting with me and Mabel?”
“Pixie hunting?”
“Yeah. We’ve been bugging Grunkle Ford to tell us about any supernatural stuff he’s heard about in the area, and he finally mentioned hearing rumors about pixies, so we’re going to go look for them.”
She glanced out the window at the setting sun. “Isn’t it a little late? It’ll be dark soon.”
“He says that’s the best time to look, since you can see their glow better.”
“Okay, just let me put these away.”
“Cool. Meet you outside.”
When she came out shortly after, it was to find Dipper scribbling in his journal, and Mabel dancing around and singing about pixies, but the song cut off quickly when she spotted Pacifica.
“Yay! You’re here!” She threw her arm around her brother and dragged him on. “Let’s go!”
“Wrong way,” Dipper pointed towards the English building on the outskirts of campus. “The forest back there is where the rumors say to go.”
Mabel pivoted ninety degrees, dragging him with her, then marched on again. They made it just past the building when she stopped.
“I forgot my camera! I’ll be right back.” She darted off to her dorm before either of the others could argue.
“Wait, Mabel! I have mine . . .” Dipper trailed off as he realized she was too far away to hear.
“I knew this would happen,” Dipper said, rolling his eyes. “I made sure she had snacks, her scrapbook, gel pens, a flashlight, and even her grappling hook, but I somehow forgot to ask about the camera.” Pacifica laughed.
She leaned back against the stone building and watched as Dipper scribbled a few more notes into his book. “Have you ever seen pixies before?”
“No, and neither has Grunkle Ford.” He looked up. “So, uh, be careful. We’re not entirely sure what we’re getting into.”
She smirked. “When are you ever?” He chuckled.
She glanced down and prodded a patch of grass with the toe of her new sneakers, biting her lip. “Thank you for inviting me along.”
“Of course!”
She peeked up at him for a second, then looked away again. “Can I ask you a question.”
“Sure.”
“Why do you hang out with me?” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I mean, I was a real jerk to you guys."
Dipper shut the journal. “How many times are you going to apologize for that? Nobody’s perfect. We all make mistakes, and we can’t let them define us. You have to just . . . move on. Everyone deserves a second chance if they’re actually willing to change, and you have. Sure we had a . . . rocky start, but that wasn’t only your fault, and you’ve become a good friend to me and Mabel since then.”
Pacifica buried her face in her hands, wishing it didn’t feel so warm. “Why are you so nice to me?”
He smiled. “I told you, you’re my friend. I care about you.”
Her hands fell from her face, and she stared up at the boy who had become her best friend. His smile was so sincere and gentle, and, before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. His eyes widened and he stared at her, wonderstruck, as she shrank back. The journal fell unnoticed to the ground.
Time stopped for a moment as they stared at each other, neither able to move or think of anything to say. Then Dipper broke the spell, grabbing her shoulders, pulling her close, and pressing his lips firmly against hers. She stiffened against him, then melted as he dropped one hand from her shoulder to wrap around her waist and deepen the kiss. She slid her own arms around him, threading them through his open jacket.
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” The familiar squeal shattered the silence and the pair jumped apart and turned to face the source of the noise.
Mabel jumped up and down, grinning from ear to ear. “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! I knew you liked each other.” She smirked and raised her eyebrows conspiratorially. “How long has this been going on?”
Dipper glanced at his watch, “Approximately twenty seconds.” Pacifica rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, ignoring how her face grew hot.
“Ew, gross, no!” Mabel said. “How long have you been dating?”
“We’re not dating,” Dipper said.
“Never been on a date,” Pacifica agreed.
Mabel rolled her eyes. “Wow, you guys really want to be difficult, huh? Fine. How long have you been together?”
Dipper checked his watch again. “Thirty seconds now.” Pacifica snorted and he grinned at her. Then he rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, I guess. Is that right?”
Pacifica ran a hand through her hair and glanced away as she realized what he was asking. “Oh, yes, thirty seconds—well, probably thirty-five by now. I—yeah. That’s—yes.”
“Okay, good,” Dipper said, face burning.
Mabel grinned. “You two are so cute!”
“Do you have your camera now? Are we ready to go?” Pacifica asked quickly.
“Yep!” Mabel held up a bright teal camera and Dipper’s eyes widened.
“Uh, hey, Mabel. You didn’t take a picture of me and Pacifica, did you?” he asked.
“What? I wouldn’t do that!” Mabel casually tucked her camera into her backpack. “Anyway, time to go.” She turned around and walked into the woods.
“Uh oh,” Pacifica muttered.
“When we get back, you distract her, and I’ll delete it. Got it?” Dipper asked.
“Come on, lovebirds!” Mabel shouted. They ran to catch up.
Mabel’s Photo
