Chapter Text
“Hey, Dipper, I'm back. How was your day?”
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“Oh, yeah, sorry. I forgot... You can't really do much, can you?”
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“Yeah...”
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“Hahaha, you stalker. So? What was he up to?”
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“Tell me about it. Hey, if you were at school, have you seen what happened at recess, with me and Mandy?”
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“You haven't? Dipper! You missed the best part of the day! You should pay more attention to me and my friends sometimes during school.”
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“Huh? Why not?”
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“I mean, you didn't have any problem with stalking Jason... Just saying.”
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“...”
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“Dipper...”
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“Dipper, stop.”
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“Okay, Dipper, I'm gonna stop you right there. First of, I don't care about the rumors. At all.”
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“No, you're gonna have to listen! I don't care what others are saying. You are my brother and if I want you around me and talk to you during recess, that's my own decision. Julie and the rest don't play a part in it.”
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“Newsflash, Dipper: They already do. I've always been known as the weird one in school, even before... all of this. You know that.”
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“So? What's the difference? She loves me; she wouldn't do anything bad. And if she confronts me about it, I can always show her your puppet. Make you two have a conversation together.”
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“It would be, if you would just talk to her directly. Or Dad. Instead of being mister scaredy-pants and hiding away all the time.”
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“Well, that's what you think, but I think they would understand pretty fine. Come on, at least give it a try. What's the worst that could happen?”
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“...You... really don't wanna speak to her or say goodbye? ...Not even once?”
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“......Hic......”
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“It's just not fair... It's not fair!”
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“We were supposed to grow old together! We were supposed to do everything together! It wasn't supposed to be like THIS!”
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“Dipper...”
A teenage girl is sitting alone on the floor, in the middle of her room and hugging a sock puppet tightly to her chest, as she sobs quietly. She keeps talking to the puppet some more, once the sobs subside, her voice never rising above a tiny whisper, so as to not alert her parents to this conversation.
Outside her room, her mother is standing next to her door, secretly listening in and frowning. All she can hear is her daughter's subdued voice and all she can feel is worry...