The evening weather was quite unforgiving. The shroud of darkness, combined with the unrelenting torrents of wind and rain, had forced the two inhabitants of an old wooden house on the outskirts of Gravity Falls to rely on its decades-old walls to separate them from the raging elements outside. The uneven beating of the wind on the windows and the constant tapping of raindrops on the roof produced a muffled, syncopated rhythm that many would find peaceful and calming. However, peace and calm were a luxury that Mabel and Dipper Pines did not have at the moment
‘Come on, Dipper,’ Mabel thought, ‘say something!’ Sitting stiffly on the sofa chair, while mindlessly staring at the television, the eldest of the twins could hear her rapid heartbeats drown out the noise of the rain. Cold droplets were forming on her forehead and both her hands were beginning to develop the sensation of something similar to television static. She tried to open and close her hands to stop the unpleasant sensation but to no avail. It got worse.
Squeezed right beside her was her brother who had been awfully silent for half an hour now, feet nervously rubbing each other. They were crammed on the sofa chair, with one leaning to the left, and one to the right; leaving only their hips connected. Both were staring at the television, hoping that the programs would provide some relief to the many thoughts that were occupying each other’s minds.
Despite the coolness of the air, Mabel felt an unusual intensity of warmth radiate from Dipper’s body. She looked to her side and saw Dipper’s gaze still fixed on the television. Scrutinizing his face, Mabel saw that despite her brother’s facade of composure, droplets of sweat were already trickling down his face towards his neck. Mabel also believes that she could perceive shock waves of Dipper’s abnormally fast heart rate resonate to her body through their touching hips.
‘Dip, what’s going on in your head?’ She pondered. Whatever it was, Mabel was convinced it was connected to why he was acting strange towards her for many months now. They were spending more time together than usual, and they started becoming closer to each other than before. But in addition to this, there were multiple occasions when she caught Dipper looking at her with what appeared to be longing in his eyes, only to avert his gaze upon noticing her then blushing profusely at what seemed to be from embarrassment. There were also times when he would encourage her to socialize with Candy and Grenda or make new girl friends, but turn pale and gloomy the minute she mentions any boy trying to interact with her. What was shocking for Mabel though, was when he nonchalantly turned down Pacifica’s obvious invitation for a date with her, only explaining to his sister in private that he did not see Pacifica as anything more than a good friend and that he looked for ‘something else’ in a girl he wanted to date.
All these things by themselves didn’t trouble Mabel that much. She just rationalized that Dipper must be going through some phase now that they both were well into their teenage years. Yet deep inside her subconscious, Mabel had a repressed sense of suspicion as to why Dipper, her companion, her best friend, her savior on many occasions, and her twin brother – was acting bizarrely around her recently. But she could not dare let those scandalous thoughts slip right into her conscious mind. For a time, her brother going through some phase provided an easy escape from thinking too much about the matter. What was important to her was that their relationship as brother and sister was healthy and flourishing, as it should. But the incident that transpired the morning before the present moment threw a wrench into all her rationalizations.
“Dipper,” Mabel said in order to break the impasse between them, “is there anything you would like to tell me?” Dipper gave a start, Mabel’s voice seemingly pulling him out of his labyrinth of thoughts. She saw her brother crane his neck to her, his dry lips slightly open and visibly trembling. He wanted to make a sound but the struggle seemed to be too much for him.
“M-Mabel... I-” he stuttered, “I... t-think... Ughh!” Dipper sighed as each word he wanted to say seemingly weighed tons on his tongue. Her brother tried making gestures with his hands as he put more effort into mustering a response for Mabel. But none of what he was doing or trying to say was making sense for his sister, who was now becoming more agitated for answers.
Seeing that this couldn’t go on forever, Mabel inhaled and coolly asked again, “Dip, what did you truly mean with what you said this morning?” She saw that her direct question made her brother freeze. Silence hung in the air and only the noise of the television and rain outside prevented it from reaching insanity-inducing levels. As Mabel stared intently at her brother, waiting for his response, she recalled the event that culminated in this difficult situation for them.
The sun had just risen and its golden rays were starting to seep through the gaps on the roof and the cracks on the old houses’ walls. Mabel was lying on her bed, immersed in messages from Candy and Grenda about their new experiences with their boyfriends. Suddenly, Candy confesses to her girl friends that her last date had brought her ‘closer to adulthood.’ Immediately understanding what Candy meant, she squealed from excitement, loud enough to awaken her slumbering twin on the other side of the room.
Mabel saw in her peripheral vision that there was motion on her brother’s bed. She didn’t look in his direction, still asking Candy a barrage of questions, but she could make out her brother slowly sitting on the bed and rubbing his eyes. Coincidentally, Candy’s confession was followed by Grenda’s admission that she too was closer to adulthood as well. This prompted another excited squeal from Mabel which earned a confused look from Dipper.
“Mabel,” Dipper softly said, “what are you doing?” At this point, Mabel took her eyes off her phone and looked at the source of the question. She saw her brother, still with messy hair and wrinkled clothes, staring at her with sleepy and reddened eyes. However, perhaps due to Dipper’s faculties still not fully awakened, Mabel saw again that longing in his eyes which no brother would usually give his sister. Seeing this, Mabel felt her pulse quicken, and her repressed suspicions about Dipper’s recent behavior were starting to leak into her conscious mind once again.
It was at this moment that Mabel decided to test the waters. She would be lying to herself if she claimed that she was repressing her suspicions because its implications disgusted her. No. Deep down, Mabel acknowledged that there were times when she caught herself entertaining inappropriate and confusing thoughts about Dipper. She wondered if the same was true for her twin brother. For obvious reasons, she couldn’t just bring up the topic to Dipper as well, out of fear of damaging their relationship as brother and sister.
Instead, Dipper’s current vulnerable state made Mabel see an opportunity in probing answers from him. Thus, with boldness and her usual flair for mischief, a wily smile formed on her face, and casually said, “Oh, I was just chatting with this amazing boy I met two weeks ago.” The die has been cast and Mabel eagerly observes her brother’s reactions to her lie.
Dipper blinked. His eyes twitched for a few moments and said in an exasperated tone, “You’re talking to another guy again? Weren’t you just talking to some other guy last month?”
“Well you are right, Dipper,” Mabel responded, in a high-pitched voice, “but this one is really fun to talk with. I’ve been enjoying myself a lot lately when I go out with him.” She was giving more fuel to the fire by adding more details to her made-up story. She didn’t like lying to her brother, but she was satisfied to see that it was having the intended effect on Dipper.
“You’re already dating him, and I didn’t know?” her brother responded in disbelief. His face now exhibited various suppressed expressions which encouraged Mabel to keep up the act.
“I don’t tell you everything, Dipper.” She said with a hint of superiority in her tone; commending herself for ruffling up feathers within her brother. But what happened next made Mabel regret saying that line.
There was a long pause and Dipper didn’t offer up any response. Instead, she saw in his eyes that his heart sank at his sister’s false revelation. He simply looked down and the life and color of his complexion started to drain away. Mabel saw that Dipper was deeply hurt by what she said. Through some unknown force that seemingly binds all twins, she could tell that her brother felt betrayed and left alone. After all, weren’t they each other’s best friends? Don’t they always go together through thick and thin? Heck, they even helped stop an interdimensional demon from corrupting the universe into its perverted designs. So she understood why Dipper felt the way he is feeling now. But she has gone this far, and she resolved to see the end of it. ‘Just a little more push and I’ll let him know I was lying,’ Mabel told herself to reduce her guilt.
“Is there something wrong, Dipper?” Mabel softly asked, now being delicate to avoid hurting Dipper much more than necessary. Her brother didn’t look up. Instead, she could see him slowly shaking his head to unconvincingly say ‘no’ to her question. What’s more, Mabel thought she could hear him grumble something beneath his breath. In response, Mabel rephrased her question into something more specific.
“Dipper,” she said in a serious tone, “is there something wrong with me dating someone?” She patiently waited for a reaction. But neither words nor body language came from her brother. It was as if Dipper completely ignored her existence in the same room. She found this mildly annoying, so she continued her line of questions, now being less delicate than she intended.
“Why do you always become like this when I’m talking with guys? Are you not going to be happy for me, Dipper? That someone is making me laugh and have a good time? That someone is going to take me out for movies? Hold my hands while we stroll under the moonlight? Hug me and maybe...” she braced for what could come next for she knows this will trigger her brother, “even kiss me?”
At this, Mabel sensed erratic movements from Dipper. She knew he had snapped but his response was not something she expected. “Because Mabel,” he jolted his body from the bed, “I am much better than any of those guys you talk to!”
The uncomfortable silence was now broken by a slightly more masculine voice. “Well...” Dipper chuckled nervously, his eyes looking everywhere but his sister, “What I meant to say was -”
Mabel interrupted him, held his cold hands into hers, and said, “The truth, Dipper. Tell me what you really meant by it.”
With that, Mabel could see her brother relax. Or perhaps more appropriately, Dipper now resigned himself to what was coming and decided that the game was up and the truth needed to come out now or never. Dipper sighed and stood up from the sofa chair and faced his sister, hands still joined together. ‘This is it, Mabel Pines,’ she thought, looking up at her brother who was towering over her. Her already quickened pulse started to rise even more as she eagerly waited for the words which she believed would finally release her and her brother from this state of confusion, which had been persisting for several months now.
Breathing heavily and lips still trembling, Dipper began, “The truth Mabel, is that I’ve been feeling some things... Questionable things.” His breathing became even more ragged and his knees joined his lips in their seismic dance.
“Feelings for whom?” Mabel prompted in an effort to alleviate some pressure from her brother.
She now saw Dipper look her in the eyes and said with Herculean effort, “For you... Mabel.”
They were now at the point of no return. Mabel knew that the truth was coming out next, but her terrified brother was struggling to strike the final blow. She felt his hands grow colder and she saw that his eyes were starting to moisten. Mabel couldn’t bear to see her brother suffer anymore from this. She drew closer to him and whispered, “What do you feel for me?”
Mustering all the courage from every fiber of his being, Dipper proceeded to release the floodgates he held closed for so long. “Mabel... My sister. I’m in-”
An ephemeral flash of light temporarily blinds the twins. This was followed by a thunderous roar that rocked the foundations of the Mystery Shack. The power went out and for a while, the twins were engulfed by the void of nothingness and darkness. When the lights flickered back on, both siblings found themselves frozen like a statue. No words came out of their mouths and silence once again filled the aftermath of the wrathful outburst of the stormy skies.
‘Shit,’ Mabel thought, ‘did we lose the moment? Are we back to square one?’ She panicked. Afraid that they were doomed to yet more months of confused feelings and uncertainty.
However, her brother, still holding her hands, now said in an oddly relaxed manner, “I’ll go get something. Wait here.” He released her hands and proceeded to walk out of the living room. He disappeared from Mabel’s sight but she could hear his light footsteps on the stairs.
‘He’s going upstairs? Why?’ Mabel pondered, still in a distressed state. ‘Is he escaping?’ She would have been snared in her own labyrinth of thoughts had it not been for Dipper returning a while later to where he left his sister. The only difference is that now, he held in his hands a stack of thick index cards.
“Alright Mabel,” Dipper said with feigned confidence, “I will perform a magic card game for you!”
“Huh?” was the reflexive response of his sister. Mabel was confused and dumbfounded at what his brother was getting at. Mabel cleared her throat and clarified, “A magic card game? Now?” Hinting at him that they were just in a very important moment less than ten minutes ago.
But Dipper was unwavering and responded, “Yes, Mabel. I know it’s kind of weird. But please indulge me this one time.”
“Ugh... Fine,” was all Mabel could say while rolling her eyes at her brother. “Go broseph, pray tell what this is about.”
“Okay, okay,” Dipper said, sensing the irritation at his sister’s voice. “I have here nine cards, each labeled with a number from... you guessed it: 1 to 9!”
Mabel pouted her lips and crossed her arms, not hiding the fact that she was totally disinterested in this out-of-context game that her brother seemingly pulled out of the blue. “I’m listening,” she said.
Dipper took this as a cue to sit on the floor and start laying the labeled index cards in a three-by-three, ascending order pattern. When he was finished, Mabel looked down and saw that the cards were arranged similarly to the dial keys of a telephone, minus the number zero.
“What’s next, Dip?” Mabel inquired, now starting to show a sliver of interest in this bizarre game by her brother.
“I will try to guess which card you are on using nothing but the instructions I will give you,” Dipper said with a forced smile. “The rules are quite simple. I will ask you to choose any one even number from the set. Don’t tell me which card you picked. After that, I will be asking you to move several times from your chosen number and when I give you instructions on how many steps you should move, you are free to go in any direction; up, down, left, or right – as long as you don’t move diagonally. After this, I should be able to guess your current card. Did you get that, Mabes?” Dipper explained as simply as possible to her sister.
There was a momentary pause. Mabel was still processing the ‘simple’ rules her brother gave her while battling to comprehend the moment earlier which was rudely interrupted by the forces of nature.
“Okay I got it, Dip,” she responded.
“Then are you ready to play?”
“Yes let’s get this over with, brobro.” (Author’s Note: play along)
“Then I want you to pick any one even number now, with your mind.”
Mabel passed her vision through all the cards. Following her brother’s instruction, she chose one even number from the set which attracted her the most.
“I’ve picked my card, Dipper” Mabel prompted.
“Right,” her brother said with his feigned confidence now diminished, “from your chosen card, I want you to move four times in any direction, except diagonally.”
Mabel jumped four times from her card, tracking her path with only her vision. She’s now landed on a different card.
“Great! Now, Mabel, I am quite sure you are not on card number 3.”
Dipper removes the card and now the twins only have eight cards on the floor. The nervous brother looked up to check his sister’s expression and saw that there was the tiniest hint of fascination on her face. This encouraged him to go on and gave his next set of instructions to Mabel.
“From your new card, I want you to move five times.”
“Alright, I’m done again, bro.”
“Good job, Mabel. Now I am quite certain this time that you are not on card number 6.”
Dipper again removes the unfortunate card, leaving them with seven cards left.
“Next, I want you to move again twice.”
“Then, my sister, I know that you are not on card number 2.”
“Now,” Dipper said, getting more nervous, “please move three times from your card.”
“Only three times?” Mabel teased, her energy seemingly back from the nerve-wracking moments earlier.
“Oh, my sister is getting impatient, I see.” Dipper teased back. “Very well. I shall kick things up a notch! I can sense that you are not on cards 1 and 9.”
“What the- how are you doing this broseph?” Mabel asked, a fascinated smile now fully formed on her face. Her brother saw this and this only served to strengthen his resolve for the approaching finale of this game.
“Now move three times again from your current number.”
“It’s getting quite cramped now, Dip,” Mabel complained, “But I’m done.”
“Hang in there, Mabes,” Dipper replied, “though right now, I can tell you are definitely not on card number 8!”
Dipper could now feel the apprehension settling in once again. He knew they were close to the end of this game he concocted at a moment’s notice. As his anxiety went up, he found respite in the fact that his sister seems to be now absorbed in this absurd game, seemingly forgetting what was occurring earlier before they started playing.
“Lastly, Mabel,” he said in a lower pitch now, “I want you to move once.”
“Then, my sister, I shall eliminate the two remaining impostors from the set and leave out the card on which you stand on.”
“I’m ready, Dipper,” Mabel said with a sense of genuine enthusiasm in her voice.
“Mabel Pines...” Dipper paused for effect, “you are absolutely not on cards number 5 and 7!”
“Wowie, Dipper,” Mabel said, now hiding her impressed look from her brother, “that was slightly more amusing than I thought it would be.” She proceeded to give a sarcastic clap to further tease her brother. She didn’t want to show how amazed she was, given that this was some silly card trick anyone can pull off. However, she did not want him for a moment to think that he had escaped their discussion prior to playing this card game. At this point, Dipper once again caught his sister off-guard.
“Oh, the game is not quite done yet, my sister.” He said nervously.
Mabel shot his brother a curious look and said, “What do you mean, Dipper?”
Dipper moved a bit sideways from where he was seated and said, “Come sit with me, Mabel.”
Intrigued by her brother’s invitation, she obliged him and moved to sit down beside her brother on the floor. After that, Dipper carefully picked up the remaining card, number 4, from their game and handed it slowly to his sister. “Mabel,” he whispered. Lips trembling once more, “flip it over.” At his instruction, Mabel innocently flipped the card and saw that the back contained her brother’s handwriting. What she read immediately caused her pulse to quicken again and she felt her body become hotter.
[4. Mabel, this is what I was trying to tell you:]
She glanced at her brother and gave him a confused look. She was about to say something when her brother interrupted her and said, “You remember the cards we removed from the game?”
“Good,” Dipper said anxiously, “I arranged them for you in ascending order. Take them. See what they say on their backs.”
Mabel took the cards from her brother and started placing them on the floor. With each card she placed, Mabel found her eyes growing wider and wider. ‘Dipper, you’ve got to be kidding me!’ she thought. But her brother was not kidding her. When all the cards were placed on the floor, Dipper’s heart was poured out to his sister within the confines of a few pieces of paper. What took like an eternity earlier to say, Dipper did just that during a short, ridiculous game. The backside of all the cards read:
[4. Mabel, this is what I was trying to tell you:]
Upon fully realizing what the entire silly game meant, Mabel gave a sigh of relief. A whole world of burden has been seemingly lifted from her petite shoulders. However, still in a state of shock and at a loss for words, Mabel turned toward her brother who was now crimson red and still trembling. At that moment, no words were necessary to connect the thoughts of the twins. Mabel sat on her knees, with tears now forming in her eyes, and gave Dipper one of the brightest smiles of her life. It didn’t take long for Dipper to know what it meant. Drawing closer to each other, he soon found his head comfortably nested on his sister’s bosom. Her arms wrapped tightly around him, Dipper was now certain of her answer.
romaincrisis
amandla
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
tangentwithtanner
dailybridgerton
gracieabrams
