Chapter Text
Bill's POV
You pick an offending piece of fluff off your immaculate yellow jacket. Which is a great colour. Whatever people think. This party sucks.
“Hi” a high-pitched voice says “my name is Pacifica” the girl holds out a perfectly manicured hand “Pacifica Northwest, can I ask your name?”
“Bill…” you answer taking her hand, suspiciously.
“Ooo, mysterious - now why don’t I know you?” she says, casting an eye over your person, you can’t help wondering if she’s thinking you’re too yellow.
“Well, y'know just got a luxury and much sort after spot at the ophanage” you shrug “do you know everyone?”
“Very nearly” she says proudly “daddy owns the foster home you know”
“Does he now?"
“That makes me practically your landlord”
“Hmm” you murmur. This girl, you decide, is spoilt.
“I suppose you heard about the murder, then?” she is very nonchalant on such a subject.
“The what now?!” some sarcasm drifts into your tone and straight over her phone.
“The boy who “fell out of the tree”” she uses air quotes “daddy took an interest in it”
“Did he now?” you lean slightly closer to her “why’s that?”
“He has all the money in the world-”
“Well he doesn’t, but okay.”
“He has more money that you’ve ever seen, hun” she gives me a scathing look “he used it to help find the poor boy's killer”
“Why is your father telling people the boy fell out of a tree then?”
“We don’t want the murderer to know we’re on to him – obviously” she says this with such confidence that you almost find yourself felling stupid for not realising such a blindingly obvious tactic.
“Still...reporting false information on a child’s death…” you trail off, even you think it's a bit sketchy.
“listen, sweetie” she puts a hand on your shoulder and draws you slightly closer “I came over here for a reason. I don’t do anything without a good reason”
You gulp slightly the girls steel grip feels inescapable “hmm?” you say pulling yourself together.
“I’d like to dance” she says smiling.
“Sounds like an idea” you though she was going to ask you more awkward questions about vampires, and, honestly, you’d had your fill of them for today. She’s still looking expectantly at you “Oh you mean with me..” she grabs your arm and pulls you into the cluster of dancers in the grassy clearing, it’s not what you would call dancing, but it's almost fun…
You pull yourself away from the sweaty cluster of teens and young adults after five minutes or so, the girl has found someone else to torment. What she said about her father was interesting though you might have a chat with pine tree about it…if he hadn’t been so mean.
Your eyes dart around the 'party' and up to the tree house…what did happen to that boy…
Top of your suspect list previously was the proprietor, your roommate's great uncle…but maybe he was just a pawn in the Northwest's murderous chess game…
“Did Dipper find you?” You spin around to see shooting star and her entourage.
“I’m not speaking to him for the moment” you say quickly.
“Why not?” she doesn’t give you time to answer “because he called you yellow?”
“Among other things” you say, pertly.
“Well he was coming to apologise, so you should let him off”
“Should I? He clearly got waylaid.” You say critically, but you’re strangely fortified to know he was going to apologise.
“I don’t know how he was only up there by the gates” she gestures “we should have passed him.” She sounds a little apprehensive.
There is a quick sinking feeling in your stomach “Maybe we'd best find him, serial killers and all” you joke, but you go and look all the same.
An hour and a half goes by and the panic has well and truly set in – to Mabel at least. She is practically delirious, she’s certain she’ll find him like she found Gorney “…and holes in his neck and all pale and he’ll…” she’s sobbing, it’s too much – she hasn’t even told her uncle yet.
“For god's sake calm down” you hiss, you’re hyperventilating slightly, but you have been running so…. You have to tell an adult…but, can you really tell anyone involved in covering up what happened to Gorney?
“Oh, shut up Bill!” she yells at you, becoming very lucid and very, very angry “it was probably you anyway!”
“Kind of thought we were past all that” you mutter.
“We have to tell Gruncle Stan” she says, catching her breath “We should call the police”.
You nod, there’s not much else you can do.
***
The search parties are out and they’ve sent the pair of you back to the home, your room looks very empty without your nagging roommate, you try to sleep. You don’t usually have to try.
Shooting star creeps in to your room at an ungodly hour and nearly gives you a heart attack “What on Earth are you doing?! I thought you were here to kill me!” you lose your cool for a moment and apologise “Sorry, I'm not a morning person, what is it?”
“I have to go out and look but I’m scared to go on my own” she looks much younger, she clearly hasn’t slept “will you come with me?”
“Alright, yes, of course” you shake your head and slip your boots on.
“It's always nice to have a vampire on your side” she says back to her cheeky self for a moment.
“hmm” you frown “well I'm glad it makes you feel better…”