The Beginning: Starting Anew (Gravity Falls Fanfic)

Chapter 14

Bill's POV

I woke up slowly and yawned, stretching widely. I blinked and felt refreshed, my power fully restored. I looked down at the edge of the bed and Arrow sat there, and had fallen asleep sitting up. I smiled. She stayed here the entire time. I looked down at her phone and clicked the home button so the time would appear. 5:25PM. I remembered Pine Tree telling me how his parents ate about this time.

I practically levitated off the bed when there was a knock on the door. I saw the faint shadow, cast by one of Arrow's parents, underneath the door. I darted off the side of the bed and slid underneath it, holding my breath.

"Elly?" It was Jack. He opened up the door.

Arrow blinked and yawned and then her eyes widened when she saw her dad. "Oh, hi."

"Were you sleeping like that?" He asked.

"I-uh...fell asleep after reading on my phone." She stammered.

Jack took a moment to think of this. "Ok, dinner's ready."

Arrow nodded and Jack left her room. As soon as the door closed, Arrow began looking around her room, confused.

I scooted out and tapped her shoulder.

Arrow let out a small gasp and turned around. "God, you scared me."

"Sorry." I said, chuckling.

She looked around her room. "Where were you?"

"Hiding underneath your bed."

Arrow laughed. "Ok, I have to go eat dinner-"

"Could I join?"

Arrow stiffened up. "N-no. They can't know that there's a boy in my house."

"So what? You're dating Dipper." I pointed out obviously.

Arrow looked away and shook her head. "Stay in here or go back to Dipper and Mabel."

"Please? I'm bored and-and hungry." I lied at that last part.

She bit her bottom lip and sighed angrily. "Climb out my back window, go to the front door, knock on it, and then I can bring you in. Pretend you are a friend from school and we set up a study schedule. Pretend I had forgotten." Arrow opened her window and pulled the screen off. "Go, quickly."

I stepped out of her window, feeling triumphant. I was going to be a professional window-escaper by next week if this continued. Arrow put the screen back and closed the window before bolting out of her room.

I walked down the side of the house and opened the gate that led to the front yard. I hopped over the lantanas and knocked on the front door immediately. Arrow, almost instantly, raced to the front door and opened it.

"Oh, it's Bill - from school. I forgot we set up to study today since we both have algebra together." She said everything so fast it sounded rehearsed.

Her mom - what was her name again? - walked up. "Oh, uh, hi...Bill." Her gaze went from Arrow to me. "Wow, I have a shirt just like that."

I looked down and swallowed. "Ha, how funny and totally coincidental." I bit my bottom lip. "Did I come at a bad time or..."

"No, no. It's fine." Her mom said carefully. "We were just about to eat dinner. Care to join?"

"Oh, sure, thanks." I stepped into the house and I gave Arrow a thumbs up, and she rolled her eyes. "What we having?"

"Spaghetti." Her mom said.

I walked into the dining room and when Jack saw me, he stiffened up. For a fleeting moment, I thought he recognized me - which wouldn't be good, because the last he had heard of me, I had possessed his daughter and we got married and she stabbed them all in the back. But he hadn't stiffened up like in such a way because of that, it was the result of something else.

"Hi." I said cheerfully.

He looked down at Arrow and gave her the same look he had given her when he'd first met me. "Hi, who's this."

"I'm Bill." I said lightheartedly, and sat myself down next to where Arrow was going to sit.

"Uh, nice to meet you, Bill. I'm Jack, Eleanor's father." His tone was mistrusting.

I nodded once and we all began to dish up.

"So, how long have you known, Eleanor?" Her mom asked.

"About a year or two. We are really close."

Arrow made a signal, telling me to cut it out.

I smiled sheepishly. "Or, at least it feels that way."

"Do you two hang out at school?"

"Mom." Arrow growled.

"What? I'm just striking conversation, dear." Her mom responded innocently.

"Oh, sometimes." I twirled the spaghetti around my fork in a bored manor.

Jack cleared his throat. "Nice to know you're willing to help." He said quickly.

"Always glad to be of assistance." I said happily and flashed Arrow a smile and she face-palmed.

Her mom set her fork down, clasping her hands together. "Are you two...dating?"

"Mom!" Arrow exclaimed.

"I-uh... of course not." I stammered and angrily glared at my plate.

"Oh, good." Her mother sighed.

I looked up, offended. "Excuse me?"

Her mom chuckled. "I'm sorry; she isn't allowed to date till she's six months into being sixteen. It's our little safety rule."

I snapped my gaze to Arrow, bewildered. She isn't allowed to date yet? I swallowed and pondered on that. "Oh...really?"

Her mom nodded. "Yeah, you know that, right Eleanor?"

Arrow clenched her jaw angrily. "Yes. I do."

"Eleanor," I said, "can you lead me to the bathroom?"

I saw her swallow before she nodded and stood up. "Be right back." She took me down the hall and I pulled her into the bathroom and shut the door.

"So," I said sneakily, "not allowed to date, hmm? I for one thought you were dating someone." I smirked at her guilty expression. "What is this all about?"

"Keep your voice down." She hissed. "Dipper...he isn't allowed to date either - what a perfect scenario, huh? - so... it's a secret."

I tapped my chin. "Well, well, well. I didn't really take you for a rule-breaking rebel."

"You'll take me as a neck-breaking rebel if you don't shut up." She spat.

I chuckled. "Oh, your parents are so over protective." I smirked and murmured half to myself, "if they saw me on that other timeline with you, I'd surely be worse than dead."

"Uh, what did you just say?" She growled.

"Nothing, nothing."

She grabbed the sleeve of my shirt. "Don't say anything or I'll force Dipper and Mabel to kick you out, no matter what."

I rolled my eye. "Please. I won't tell a soul. Besides, I'm too powerful of an ally to have as an adversary. They'd never kick me out."

"Powerful? You hold nothing against us." She said in a low voice.

"I beg to differ." I said slyly. "Besides, the twins know that - it doesn't matter if you do or not." I laughed and sighed. "We should return," I started off, "your parents will begin to suspect what we are doing together in the bathroom for so long..."