The Beginning: Starting Anew (Gravity Falls Fanfic)

Chapter 45

Bill's POV

Keith had made the cops leave - thank goodness - but I was still left baffled and scared.

Why did I feel that way?! I'm NOT going to let this happen, nuh uh. I had to do something and fast. I hated Pine Tree. He was my adversary. We had always been enemies, always hated each other. I had killed him for goodness sake.

Just don't think about it, I told myself, don't think about and it'll go away. I was an almighty Dream Demon, I didn't go soft.

Only for Arrow.... only for....

"Are you sure you're ok, Bill?"

I snapped out of my thinking and looked over at Pine Tree. I was lying on my back on the floor, absolutely refusing to get in his bed. "Y-yeah." Dammit, stop stammering you useless flesh bag.

"I'm sorry I caught you off guard, I had to do something."

I felt like our perspectives had flipped. Usually I'd be the one apologizing to him and trying to comfort him while he was flustered. "No, it's fine. I'm fine. It's not that. It doesn't matter." I closed my eye, but my thoughts were swirling and tormented. "I need to get out."

"Same here." He sighed.

I wanted to read his thoughts, to see what he was thinking, but I stopped myself from looking in, because I knew that usually made people drowsy. I leaned up and stretched. "Can we go out, away from here for a bit before the walls start closing in."

Pine Tree forced a chuckle and sat up as well. "Kay, get your shoes on..." He slipped his on and when I finished we darted out of the house, making sure not to run into anyone, not even Shooting Star.

I desperately wanted to talk about some things, but I couldn't find a way to bring them up. I was trapped.

"Where shall we head?" He asked.

"Let's go to that café... I need some coffee or something." I breathed, not daring to look back at the house.

Pine Tree nodded. "Alright."

We walked down, the entire time my mind was freaking out. I repeatedly told my brain to shut up and Pine Tree had given me some weird looks, but I ignored them.

We reached the café, entering and ordered our coffee and sat down at a table for two with our beverages. I started thinking about when we came here and Pine Tree had questioned me about my past and about Ford... Those times seemed better than now, better with Keith not in the equation. I sipped on the coffee (it still tasted of awful) and it helped wake me up some more. Maybe I needed to dump another bucket of ice water over my head again.

This human emotions were hard to manage, there were so many of them that if I focused on one I lost control of the other!

"Bill, please say something, you're starting to freak me out a little bit." Pine Tree told me unsteadily.

I shook my head, batting my thoughts away, and looked up at him. "Sorry... I just keep thinking."

"Somethin' up?" He asked, though it was obvious.

"You, that's what." I muttered.

Pine Tree seemed to be growing more nervous by the second. "Why me? Bill, it's not like you've never kissed me before." He glanced away at that last part.

"Yeah, I've kissed you before, but..." I growled. "I don't know why I'm making a big deal out of this." I set my forehead on the edge of the table. "I'm just being an idiot."

Pine Tree sighed deeply. "I don't get it. What was different about this time. Acting has gotten easier since the first time..." He trailed off as everything began to slowly click together. "Wait, Bill, you're not-"

I heard his thoughts before he could say them. "NO!" I exclaimed, horrified.

The entire café looked at us like what happened last time.

Pine Tree decided to ignore them this time. "Bill, what's different about this time."

"I..." I put my face in my hand. Oh gosh, wake up, wake up from this dream - this nightmare!

The bell on the door jingled and I heard Pine Tree inhale sharply and whisper, "Oh crap..."

I looked over my shoulder and my eye widened as I saw Arrow walk in. "Wow, this day couldn't get any better..." I whispered to myself, terrified. I quickly looked away, ducking my head down and holding the back of my head. Don't see me, please, don't see me.

"Dipper... What are you doing here?" She asked shocked while she was walking to a table with a tea.

Dammit.

"I-I'm here with...um...." He looked away flustered and I felt something inside of me start burning. What emotion was that again...?

Arrow looked down at me with the head bent down. "Oh..." Her tone wasn't pleased.

I leaned back up, taking a deep breath and met her light brown gaze. I went to speak and almost choked up at how beautiful she was. "Hey..." I said unevenly.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Hi." She glanced at Pine Tree for a moment and I saw Pine Tree blush lightly.

Oh... that emotion, I knew what it was. Jealousy.

I shot a glare at Pine Tree that said to 'stop staring'.

Pine Tree dropped his gaze and I huffed out an angry breath.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, turning around in my chair so I could look behind me at the table she was sitting at.

"Just for some alone time, that obviously didn't work." Her tone wasn't inviting.

My heart ached. I wished she could remember our times up in my castle.... Us...

"Well, I came here to get away from Dipper's monster-of-a-dad." I sighed. "He doesn't really like people. He's not a people person."

Arrow looked over her shoulder finally and locked gazes. "What, did he give you the whole talk about being too young to date?"

I thought of Pine Tree kissing me and unintentionally blushed fiercely.

She blinked, studying my pink face. "What?"

I could feel Pine Tree's gaze burning into me and I looked over, catching his stare and my stomach fluttered nervously. "I-it's nothing."

Arrow scoffed. "Kay, whatever."

"Can I talk to you tomorrow?" I blurted out.

She whipped around, suddenly angry. "Oh, I don't know Bill, last time you asked me that, you told me that my boyfriend dumped me because he was gay and was going to be with you." Her tone had risen and she stood up quickly from her chair, storming out of the café.

Oh man, that was a mistake.

Now everyone in the café was looking at us in shock, some in pity, some a little confused.

"Stop staring!" I exclaimed. "Never seen two guys together before?!"

And with that, they all looked away.

I turned back to Pine Tree huffily. "Sorry about that." I whispered.

Pine Tree sipped his coffee, not amused. "I'm so glad that you are getting as many people as you can into this little lie."

I noted his sarcasm, but ignored it, faking that I hadn't noticed it. "Yeah, me too." I sipped my coffee as well, but it tasted bland and now I kept seeing the anger on Arrow's face.

I was going to take a miracle to get her back...