Counting Stars (Mabifica)

Chapter 17

Mabel Pines sat on the kitchen counter stuffing as much candy as she could into her mouth without choking. Dipper had left a couple of minutes ago to go to text pacifica. Mabel would've been lying if she said she hadn't felt a wave of panic as he said her name. Thinking about the two dating made her both happy and sad at the same time. Four years ago, she would've said they'd make a really cute couple but now she just hoped pacifica liked girls.

Shaking her head, she picked up a handful of candy, mostly old Haribos they'd found hiding behind a couple of mugs, and brought them to her mouth. She chewed them absentmindedly, zoning out for what felt like minutes but probably only lasted seconds. She let out a long, tired sigh and slipped off the counter, shoving the remaining candy on her hoodie pocket to snack on later.

Just as she stepped onto the first step, ready to go up to the attic to draw, Ford burst through the gift shop door and grabbed Mabel's shoulders, spinning her around. She let out a little yelp and stumbled a bit before gaining her balance and looking up at Ford with curious brown eyes.

"What the hell was that!?"

Ford didn't reply. He blinked at his Great Niece, almost looking confused until he shook his head a little and smiled at her. Mabel couldn't remember the last time Ford had smiled at her like that.

"Good news sho-Mabel!" Ford seemed to mentally hit himself for the slipup but remained as calm as he had been before "Bills staying here for a bit!"

"What? No!" Mabel opened her mouth to yell more words, maybe even curses, at Ford but nothing came out. Something didn't seem right about this. "Uh.. Didn't Stan already set up the unicorn hair and.. Whatever else was needed to block out bill?"

Ford grinned wider, shrugging innocently as he replied "I've already talked to Stan! He's OK with him staying. Heck! That guy even gave him a job working at the shack" the old man chuckled to himself. He seemed way too... Satisfied.

"Um... Okay then.." Mabel forced a thin smile onto her lips and backed away up the stairs "I should be going. Y'know, I'm a busy person" she grinned awkwardly "I have a ton of art stuff to do".

Ford nodded and walked off, as if he hadn't noticed the teens strange behaviour.

Mabel ran up the rest of the way to her room and shut the door, sliding down the wood and burying her face in her hands. That couldn't have gone more awkward. She was too busy feeling awkward and sweaty to notice the figure approaching her.

"You okay​?"

Mabel's head shot up. She glared daggers at her brother. She could've sworn she told him not to trespass without her permission.

"What are you doing in here?" No matter how annoying he actually was, she could never be angry at Dipper. She was his twin after all.

He held up a large box of books. The box was cardboard and looked as if it would fall apart at any moment. On the side, written in Dippers scruffy handwriting was 'DIPPERS graphic novels'. The Dipper was emphasised so Mabel wouldn't take the box. Mabel smiled, forgetting, for a moment, her encounter with ford.

"You took all my graphic novels. I know you think they're cool and they're the only thing you'll read other than your cheesy fanfiction, but you could've just asked instead of making me think I'd lost them" he took a deep breath from his rant then went on "or worse, stolen. These cost a lot of money you should've asked, I'd let you-"

Mabel pushed down on the box, making her brother drop it. The wooden floorboards shook as the heavy box hit it.

"Calm down, bro" Mabel held her hands out. He wasn't even angry at her, she could tell but his rants were annoying and she wished he'd just stop. But if he did, he wouldn't be the Dipper she knew and loved so she kept her mouth shut. "I was just borrowing them for inspiration".

Dipper glanced at the walls of her room, now almost filled with dumb sketches, anatomy references and cool looking watercolour paintings. He did notice a couple of characters he recognised from his graphic novels though.

"Anyway" Mabel cut him out of his thoughts by punching his arm "I think Bill's possessing Ford " the brunette waited impatiently for her brothers response.

"And why do you that" the younger twin placed his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow.

"He was acting really strange! He kept grinning at me" Mabel shuddered at the memory "also he said Bill could stay"

"So? Maybe he's just cutting the guy some slack? He is in serious danger"

"Or maybe that's what he wants us to think."

"He already possessed Ford once, I think he's learnt his lesson" Dipper picked up the box and started walking towards Mabel's door. "Sorry for 'trespassing' I'll leave you with your own crazy thoughts now" he walked out, humming 'disco girl' as he descended down the stairs.

Mabel frowned and flopped onto her bed. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she just imagining it. Was this a dream? Was she back in Piedmont. She stretched and stood up, walking over to her desk and getting out her sketchbook and coloured pencils and started doodling, nibbling on the candy in her pockets.

∆ ∆ ∆

Dipper Pines set down the box and clicked his back. He groaned. He wasn't sure how his sister had gotten the box up the stairs by herself but he didn't want to think about that now. What she had said about Ford and Bill scared him. He shook his head, wanting to forget about it as soon as possible. Unfortunately for him, the thought hadn't been gone long when Bill Cipher himself burst into his room, wearing a toothy grin.

"Hey roommate!"

No....

Just so you know, graphic novels are like comics but told like books in a way??? They're a LOT bigger than comics are and basically, another way of putting it, printed versions of webcomics? We'll, that's not always the case but if you're interested in buying some, I recommend Nimona

I promise there will be more shipping stuff. Its building up.... Slowly...

(Edited)