MindEscape

Chapter 5

After marveling at Danny's craftsmanship for a good half-hour, Mabel wanted too return the favor with something that she thought might amaze him.

"In the gift shop we have this ladder that leads up to the roof!" She explained on her walk to the shop, "It's really pretty all times of day, especially the night!" The teen gasped, "And the sunset is great too! Hurry, I want you guys too see it!" The girl sped up her walk to a jog and finally got too the curtain. "I love too watch the sun hide behind the trees!" She cheered, swishing away the hanging fabric and revealing the wooden ladder.

Danny glanced at his cousin smirking. Mabel's energy put a smile on his face, one he didn't think he'd ever be able to shake off. Daniele wasn't paying any attention to Danny. Instead, she was eagerly beginning to climb up the ladder.

"Ooh! The sunset? And then we can look at the stars, right?" She asked from the top of the ladder, looking back down at her cousin, who was laughing slightly. He shrugged.

"That's up to Mayflower. I'll do whatever." He replied. Dani looked at the ladder, taking her eyes off the ghost boy. Nicknames? She thought to herself. Valerie and Danny never had any nicknames for each other...neither did Sam or Danny. Daniele's eyes darted to Mabel before quickly returning to the ladder. What makes you so special, Mabel Pines, that you can get my idiot cousin to fall for you like this? Valerie isn't going to be happy...

Mabel nodded, following behind Dani. "We can stay out all night! Roof party!" She declared. Mabel hopped onto the roof, brewing up some leaves which simply fell off. She sat herself on the edge of the small platform, making space for Danny and her brother. The teen wondered what the sky would offer to them tonight, hopefully there would be no clouds blocking the view.

Danny sat down next to Mabel, the sun already beginning to set. Without thinking about it, the ghost boy put his arm around Mabel, smiling at the beautiful scene before them. Daniele pursed her lips, not liking Danny's new crush. If Valerie found out, it would crush her! Did Danny not feel the same way as the conflicted ghost hunter? Or perhaps that was why he had a crush on the thirteen year old girl from the Mystery Shack. Maybe he wanted to get his mind off of Valerie, seeing as he insisted on never going back to Amity Park. Not knowing where to sit, since the edge of the platform was occupied by Mabel, Danny, and Dipper, the young ghost girl muttered something to Danny about getting a better view and flew up to the roof, carefully perching herself on the top of the sign that read Mystery.

"Wow," Danny marveled as the rays of the sun bathed the first in golden light, the sky red, orange, yellow, stars beginning to fight their way through the light. He squeezed Mabel lightly with the arm wrapped around her shoulders and smiled. "This alone is reason enough not to live in the city." He admitted with a slight laugh.

"Me and Dipper don't actually live here, this is our summer vacation spot!" Mabel started. "We live in Piedmont, California." She explained. Her eyes were glued to the sunset, and her head resting on Danny's shoulder.

"It would be cool too live here though." Dipper added in, he was readjusting his vest from the ladder climb. He wanted very much to take out his journal and just add in some notes or just read it, but he didn't want Dani to start questioning him again, even the thought of her reading it made him uneasy. Instead he just rubbed the side of his vest where it was located. Tonight actually excited him. He hadn't really investigated the skies yet, even with his strange birthmark as motivation.

When the sun had finally set and the stars came out to play, Danny was baffled by the sheer amount of them. The ghost boy had studied the night sky many times, but the city lights always hid their true quantities. Danny grinned stupidly, unable to suppress it.