The Mystery shack of Gravity Falls was a place of interest to many people. For a tourist, it was a destination to visit and grab a souvenir. For the residents, it was the landmark of their ‘weird-mageddon’ victory. For the 16-year-old beach-blonde rich girl ringing the doorbell incisively, it was a place away from home. Why? Well, the brunette running past her grumpy uncle to answer the door may have had something to do with it.

“Watch it!” Stan cursed. “Darn kids.” The door swung open and the two teens hugged upon sight.

“Mabel!” Pacifica greeted. “It’s good to see you again!”

“Welcome back my rich sista!” Mabel cheered. “We’re about to have the best sleepover of all time!” Pacifica had let go of her best friend at this point. Mabel had just shifted to hanging one arm over the girl’s shoulders.

“Mabel. You say that every sleepover.”

“Because each one is better than the last,” Mabel confirmed. Pacifica just rolled her eyes. Not condescendingly. Just as a response to her goofball of an outlet.

Dipper entered from the basement, “Does that count the Sunday where you ate 100 waffles and puked on my bed?” The teen was wearing a lab coat, obviously helping his uncle Ford with something inside their lab. Pacifica’s first thought was to respond to the scientist’s comment. But the man’s fresh face stubble seemed to interrupt the actual action.

‘Wow!’ She thought ‘Dipper’s like, getting cuter every time I see him.’

“Darn right!” With the same enthusiasm, “And I said I was sorry!”

She spoke up before anyone could see her blushing. “Oh, Pu-lease Dipper! You’re just jealous of my girl’s swagger.”

Coming up from behind Dipper was a little black cat. Specifically a Mau. This kitten’s sudden appearance got a few different reactions. Stan was perplexed as to why there was an animal in his twin bother’s lab. Mabel knew better than too allow anything her brother and uncle were messing with to escape the house. So she quickly shut the door as a precaution. Pacifica saw that Dipper wasn’t freaking out. Which meant that it was probably just a cat.

“Hi, there kitty.” Pacifica greeted picking up the Mau. “What’s your name?” She scratched the feline’s neck holding it like a newborn. That was until the animal licked the Northwest heir’s diamond earring. “Okay, someone please come to take this thing away from me.” Ford rushed in right on Que.

“I’ll take that! Thank you!” Ford grabbed the escaped beast hastily putting her in a small cage. “Hello Pacifica.”

“Hello Ford.” Pacifica accepted the napkin Mabel got her not saying much after.

“Dipper. We’ve got a category 6 beast to tame when you’re ready.” He reminded said nephew going back into the lab.

“Yeah, I’ll just be a minute,” Dipper said. “Getting back to…what were we talking about?”

“Your sister’s swagger.”

“…‘Swagger’? Seriously?” Dipper replied. “That’s something I’d apply to you more than I would Mabel.”

“Hey!” Mabel protested.

“Aw!” Pacifica swooned. Every Pine in the room raised a brow at Northwest. “Uh…I was like, kidding! Duh!”

“Pacifica & Dipper sitting in a tree!” Stan mocked. Mabel didn’t hesitate to join him, “K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Dipper chuckled sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at Pacifica who was turning red. The two had known each other for years at this point and her attraction was never an interference in their friendship.

Her long blonde hair was put into a ponytail meaning nothing was covering her beautiful face. Her perfectly applied make up brought out her eyes and drew attention to her honeyed lips. Pacifica's petite body was a testament to her dedicated diet and weekly exercise. But what really stood out about her was something neither he nor Mable got used to. Pacifica's expensive taste in clothes. Her blue pleated skirt and boatneck purple top were from a French designer line. Her diamond earrings shined brighter than the lights in the house.

Something the cat noticed as well.

“Hey, Pacifica?” Dipper said. Seeing an opportunity to get Mabel & Stan to shut up, Pacifica nearly jumped out of her skin to answer him.

“Yes!?”

“Can I see those earrings?” he asked casually.

“Oh? Do you like them?” she flaunted, “Mabel helped me pick them out. I just love the way they shine in the light.”

“Wait. Mabel helped you pick them out?” Dipper repeated.

“Dat’s right!” Mabel bragged. “Only the best for my bestie.” Dipper looked to his great uncle, or ‘grunkle’ as they put it, and scoffed.

“What?” Stan asked.

“Mabel gets her girlfriend diamond earrings and I’m the one that you—ow!” Pacifica shoulder-checked the teen on her way stomping up the stairs. If she was a little red before, she was an apple now.

“Mabel! Room! Now!” she ordered. Mabel grabbed Pacifica’s bags with ease and headed upstairs after her.

“Don’t worry bro-bro, she’s not angry.” She reassured.

“Yes, I Am!” Pacifica fibbed before slamming the door.

“Pfft. No, she’s not. Just a little embarrassed.”

“Fine, now what?” Dipper asked. Mabel shrugged. “Just make sure she doesn’t hate me.”

Mabel rolled her eyes before joking, “Nah. I’ll just use this as an opportunity to seal the deal and make Pacifica my girlfriend so I can finally rule the city with an iron fist with her as my wife!” She then ran up the stairs laughing manically.

“I second that notion!” Stan called raising his drink. “All hail president Mabel Pines and First Lady Pacifica Pines!” He then turned the tv on laughing manically.

Dipper then sighed and walked back into the basement. It would harder to work with a headache this time around. But he was going to manage.

!

Pacifica Northwest & Mabel Pines were enjoying a sleepover together. A few years ago, this concept was something Stan Pines never thought would happen. But, the loud music coming from upstairs along with the two girls singing off key to it was a confirmation. An annoying confirmation that he dealt with every other weekend. Two 16-year-old girls having fun wasn’t a burden. It’s just that Stan couldn’t hear his favorite show.

Not only that, but Dipper was doing, something, downstairs with his brother Ford. There were scratching sounds and what he assumed to be a rattling steel. At this point in his life, it was background noise. An obnoxious background noise prompting him to turn his tv up even louder. This created a problem for Dipper.

“Hey, Grunkle Stan.” Dipper alerted coming into the living room sweating in frustration. His voice cracked a little upon asking, “Can you turn the tv down a little? Grunkle Ford & I are trying to contain a shapeshifting cat monster and I don’t think she likes ‘World Sports Entertainment Wrestling’.” Stan squinted at his lab coat wearing nephew.

“Do you not hear your sister and your girlfriend giving ‘love a bad name’ in the lyrical sense?” Dipper just rolled his eyes at the girlfriend comment.

“Well, Bast kind of liked that.” He continued, “What she hates is the sounds of dudes yelling at each other.” In the distance, the sound of a lion could be heard biting against a metal cage. “It’ll be easier for us if Bast transforms back into a tiny little Mau.”

Stan kicked his feet up on the table, “Well, she can ‘Bast’ in the glory of my surround sound system until Mabel & Pacifica finish botching one of the greatest songs of all time.” One enraged filled roar echoed from the basement as the volume hit the maximum.

“Darn it, Stanley!” Ford screeched. “You’re going to get me killed!”

“ROAR!”

In a panic, “Dipper! Did you move the tranquilizers?!”

“Next to the ‘forever fizzy sodas’!” Dipper shouted back.

“That sounds awesome!” Stan called. “Bring me one of those Kiddo!” With all the noise, his great-uncle struggling without him and the reluctance of his other great uncle, Dipper’s temper was starting to approach a boiling point.

Stan gave a look to the young man assessing him. The lab coat with a little dipper patch made him look like a teenage Ford along with the less rounded cheeks he had developed. The stubble on said face was growing back after a two-day prior shave. All the heavy lifting and building he did in the lab along with chasing down monsters and weird creatures gave Dipper some noticeable meat on his bones. He wasn’t on an MMA fighter’s level, but he could get as angry as one. It wasn’t just because of testosterone either.

Dipper’s tell of an eye twitching out of yielding rage triggered an image in Stan’s mind. His own teenage days. How his dad would make his vein pulse. How the sight of someone messing with his brother would turn him red. The way his fist clenched at his sides when trying to process words. It was as if Ford built a time machine, and for some reason, young Stanley was less jacked and had acne.

“Ugh.” Stan grabbed the remote and muted the match. “I’ll give ya 5 bucks if you get the valley girl and glitter queen to turn it down on their end.”

Dipper took a deep breath closing his eyes and slowly exhaled brushing his hair back revealing his iconic birthmark.

“Thank you,” Dipper said heading upstairs.

“Remind me to give you a haircut tomorrow,” Stan replied before sipping his no longer fizzy soda.

!

As Dipper passed the corner coming up the stairs, the catchy 80’s rock music started to die down. He rushed to the door expecting and not wanting another song to start up only to hear a clicking noise.

“Phew! I need a break.” Pacifica said sitting on one of the two beds in the room. Mabel then replied in the only way she knew how.

“A break? What are we? A bunch of babies? My booty is staying up all night! Party! Party! Party!” Pacifica crossed her legs getting her phone out to record Mabel jumping on the across bed.

“I told you drinking 12 sodas was a bad idea,” Pacifica stated grinning. Four years ago, this dorky girl was just an annoyance she came across every now and again. Now, the glasses needing, bedazzled jean short wearing, pink sweater vest sporting, shooting star arm tattoo branding party girl, was her best friend. They even went golfing and clubbing together.

Mabel continued her hopping “12 ‘forever frizzy sodas’ my wing girl!” Pacifica chuckled at the nickname. “Watcha recording there?”

“Waiting for you to face-plant so I put it on my ‘UsedToBeAboutYouTube’ channel.” Her channel was mostly makeup tutorials and vlogs, but this would still get views.

“You suck!” Mabel joked kicking a pillow at the girl’s face.

“Mmph!”

“Ha! Put that on your tube!” Mabel cheered following a backflip landing on her stomach. Pacifica just coughed out a feather.

“Ugh! Why can’t you be more like your brother?” Northwest tossed the pillow back at Pines. To which Mabel caught with her eyes closed. She even stuck her tongue out for good measure. “You plebe.”

“That doesn’t offend me cause I don’t know what that is!” Her feet kicked back and forth looking at Pacifica. “Soooo…why do you want me to be more like my brother?”

“Forget it, Mabel. Help me find my phone.” The teen looked around the room to see where it could’ve flown off after she got hit with the pillow. She got to her knees to check under both beds and stood on her tip toes for the bookshelf. “Jeez. Why do you have such a big bookshelf?”

“Cause Dipper’s gotten taller than you.” Mabel’s feet hit the floor and she stood up straight. Pacifica turned to see her friend holding her top of the line smartphone. Naturally, she thought Mabel just going to hand it over.

“Thanks,” Northwest said. Mabel then swiped away putting her hand in the air. More importantly, putting Pacifica’s phone out of reach.

“But neither of you are on my level!” Pines boasted. Pacifica stood at about five feet tall. Dipper, who could hear all of this, was 5’6. Mabel, somehow, towered over Pacifica at 5’8.

“Mabel!” North protested jumping for her phone. Mabel didn’t even need to move or anything.

She chanted, “Alpha Pine! Alpha Pine! Alpha Pine!” Pacifica sighed knowing her current efforts were pointless. The empty soda cans, pixie sticks, and candy wrappers were a clear indication of that. A new approach was needed.

“I’ll tell you why I want you to be more like Dipper if you give the phone.” Hook, line, and sinker. Mabel handed the overpriced item back to the blonde in a heartbeat. “You joke around too much.”

Mabel struck a pose, “Jealous?” North rolled her eyes getting back on Dipper’s bed. “Okay, now talk!” The star-eyed enthusiasm Mabel had was adorable. Which was why Pacifica shattered it.

“Yeah, I lied.”

“Boo!” Mabel’s trust fall back onto her bed let out the sounds of springs.

“Sounds like you need a new bed,” Pacifica stated.

“I like this bed. It gets me to sleep.”

“I’ll buy you a new bed that’ll get you to sleep faster.” North offered.

“Aw! You really do care about me!” Mabel teased.

Playing along, “Well, I figure I’d appease Dipper’s sister a little.”

“Oh come on now!” Mabel sang, “Quit playing games with my heart~!” The two laughed at one another with Dipper snickering on the outside. When the giggling subsided, Mabel kept the conversation going. “If I were more like Dipper, what would you do?”

Pacifica shrugged not looking away from her phone, “Probably date you.” Dipper blushed covering his mouth in shock. Mabel just cackled kicking her feet and holding her sides.

“I’m serious.” She said smiling smugly. “If you acted more like that guy, I’d probably be romantically attracted to you."

“What does ‘act more like that guy’ even mean?” Mabel sat up facing her bff. “Do I need to be more masculine? Do I need some good ‘ol testosterone to explore the good ‘ol Northwest?” Pacifica pulled on the hem of her skirt, closed her legs completely, and shifted away from Mabel.

“Oh My God! WTF?!” She was red as a tomato at the dirty joke. “I meant being like, sincere! You know?”

“I’m totally sincere,” Mabel said. “When have I ever not been genuine with you my princess?”

“That’s not what I mean Mabel.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Dipper is…someone who can calm me down when I’m upset. You’re someone who can cheer me up when I’m having a bad day. You’re both easy on the eyes, mostly because you’re twins, but you’re personalities aren’t interchangeable like that. I can depend on you for a fun time and I love you for that. For showing me kindness that nobody else did. I can relax and be silly around you.”

“Aw! Shucks! I love you too Pacifica.” Mabel leaned in putting her forearms on her lap. “But…?” Pacifica inhaled closing her eyes and exhaled brushing her hair back.

“But…my crush on Dipper comes from how he’s—”

Ford shouted from the first floor, “Dipper! It got out!”

“What?!” Dipper panicked remembering why he left the lab to begin with. A heavy set of footsteps were heard coming up the stairs with Ford & Stan following close.

“HOT BELGIAN WAFFLES! DIPPER WASN’T KIDDING!”

“ROAR!”

“GHWAA!” Dipper shrieked.

“What is going on!?” Pacifica asked. The answer came crashing through the door with Dipper monkey flipping a black furred lion through the window!

“Woah!” Mabel cheered.

“Dipper! What is that?!” Pacifica scurried toward the broken down doorway. He got up running after the beast rushing an explanation on his way out of the shattered window.

“Shapeshifting cat that likes your singing and fake earrings turned into a lion cause Stan wouldn’t turn his tv down! I’ll be back to clean this up!” Dipper leaped out the window grabbing the ledge.

“I paid 1000 dollars for these!” She protested.

He pulled himself to say to Pacifica’s face, “So you paid 1000 dollars for fake earrings. I'll help you get your money back.”

“ROAR!”

“I’ll get back to you on that.” He dropped to the ground to face Bast with Ford fast approaching. In one hand, he had a tranquilizer gun. In the other was the karaoke machine he swiped upon entering the room.

“I’ll be borrowing this for a few minutes. Or buying a new one in case it gets broken.” He then leaped out of the window.

Stan shook his fist at the two, “You nerds are buying me a new window!” He saw the empty cans scattered across Mabel’s side of the room. “Woah. Working on getting diabetes?”

“Excuse me.” Pacifica alerted. “Can you check if these earrings ar—”

Stan cut her off, “They’re fake girly. I know because I used to sell junk like that. They’re very good fakes if that makes you feel better.” Pacifica fell backward resting on the bed, face in her hands in embarrassment. A classic 80’s rock song began to play in the distance with a cheetah occasionally snarling. The awkward silence in the room got to Stan. “I’m uh, gonna go get a broom.”

Once Stan was out, Mabel jumped from her bed over the broken glass to Dipper’s bed. She sat with her legs crossed next to the stressed-out girl. Pines patted North’s head in a comforting way.

“There, there former ‘frienemy’. Mabel’s here.”

“Thanks but I’ll be fine.” She took out what she thought were diamonds. “Ugh! I knew these things felt too light.”

“What’re you gonna do with them?”

“Use them as evidence in the court case when I sue the hack that sold these to me. I’ll sue him so bad that his grandchildren will need lawyers!”

Mabel’s expression didn’t change. But her voice went up an octave.

“Oh. Okay. Neat!” Pacifica pointed to a nearby forever fizzy soda, to which Mabel handed to her. “Sooo, back to why you think Dipper is cuter than me. Why do you think Dipper is cuter than me?”

“Physically speaking, you’re more attractive.” Pacifica corrected.

Pumping her fist in the air, “Alpha Pine! Alpha Pine! Alpha Pine!” Pacifica laughed tucking hair behind an ear.

“But…Dipper is more.” She stared at the earrings and smiled. “Real.”

END