It wasn't fair – she had been old enough to drive for a few years now and even had a car of her own that her parents had presented her with on her 17th birthday, but she still had to get driven everywhere by the chauffeur. Naturally the luxury sports car that was technically hers was 'too valuable' to be trusted to the hands of a mere teenager, and at most Pacifica got to visit "her" vehicle in the garage and stare at it longingly while the keys stayed carefully under her parents supervision.

She could practically hear her mother's voice echoing in her head while she slouched back in the extremely padded cushions of the family limousines backseat, trying hard to stay angry despite the extreme comfort of the vehicle.

"Pacifica, darling, why on earth would you want to drive yourself anywhere when we've already paid for a perfectly good chauffeur?" her mother had chattered absentmindedly earlier that afternoon as she glanced closely at the edges of her eyes in the enormous mirror of the master bedroom, checking for any signs that her most recent regimen of surgical treatments and expensive cosmetics weren't in need of touching up.

"I like to drive though! My car's just sitting here uselessly in the garage, you could at least let me take it out on the weekends." Pacifica had protested. Behind that statement there were plenty of things that she'd left unsaid... like the fact that it felt good to be in complete control of her situation, something that she'd only really gotten to experience in rare situations. Driving around alone wasn't quite the same as complete independence, but it felt close enough for her to have missed it once she'd passed her drivers-ed class and gotten her license.

She hadn't been behind the wheel since then.

"That sounds awfully close to ingratitude young lady," her mother had snipped, the corners of her mouth curling ever so slightly downward at the word 'young', "The car is doing just what its meant to do – you have the nicest one of all the kids in your school and everyone knows it. When it's time for you to go off to college you'll have it all to yourself too, so just be patient till then."

Pacifica knew that arguing further with her mother would have been useless – a Northwest never budged from a decision when she'd made up her mind after all, because that would have meant that she had been wrong at some point.

And everyone knew that Northwests were never wrong.

Some rebellious little spark in Pacifica's heart had wanted to point out the brand new frown line that had seamed its way into her mothers face sometime between her last botox treatment and that afternoon, but that would have turned out a LOT worse than a simple argument about the car, and she had plans for the day that would have been seriously impeded if she got grounded.

Mabel Pines had just arrived back in town a few days ago, along with her dorky brother, and as much as she hated to admit it to herself Pacifica had been looking forward to seeing her again ever since she'd left at the end of last summer.

For some reason that Pacifica could never understand she'd found herself drawn to the strange girl ever since they'd slowly put aside their childhood rivalry and started becoming friends with one another instead. It was a complete mystery why though – the girl had no fashion sense whatsoever, acted absolutely ridiculous, hung around with a bunch of weirdo's and was totally broke. She fit in with Pacifica's normal crowd like a snowman fit in Hell.

And yet...

Despite all that Pacifica found that she actually got along really well with her. Part of it may have been just because Mabel could apparently get along with almost anyone, but Pacifica knew that there was more to it than that. Maybe it was because hanging out with Mabel was as far as she could possibly get from hanging out with her own friends, who were honestly more like lackeys and accessories than actual equals. They never had the guts to argue with her way too passionately about ridiculous things like whether squirrels would look best in scarves or hats or challenge her to weird contests all the time or give her dorky handmade gifts on random days instead of small elegantly wrapped presents on socially appropriate occasions.

Pacifica had yet to regularly wear one of the odd sweaters or scarves that Mabel had gifted her with over the years, mostly because she knew that she wouldn't hear the end of it if her mother caught her in something that hadn't come from a high end designer. She did enjoying trying them on when Mabel presented them to her though... the designs knitted into them may have been silly, but they were always incredibly comfortable and soft. Not to mention the fact that Mabel's face would light up when she put them on, insisting that she twirl around and strike poses for her like a fashion model. Mabel's smile had gotten a lot cuter once the braces had come off in high school, and Pacifica loved seeing it on her face.

In a totally friendly and platonic way of course, Pacifica corrected herself when she caught the stray thought wriggling through her mind.

Ah Denial, not just a river in Egypt anymore, she thought snidely.

So what if she thought Mabel was cute? It was a free country and she could think whatever she wanted.

Doing something about those thoughts was another matter entirely though. She was a Northwest after all, and had to live up to a certain set of standards - particularly when it came to who she chose to... associate... with. That she was even friends (that word still felt strange to think even after all these years) with Mabel was a big enough secret already. Her other 'friends' had all been carefully pre-approved of, having met the necessary minimum standards her parents laid out: rich (but not as rich), pretty (but not as pretty), polite (to the right people) & boring boring boooring.

The fact that her thoughts sometimes drifted to more than friendly territory when she was around Mabel would probably have made her mothers head explode, painting the walls of whatever room she was in at the time with plenty of makeup (but unfortunately very few brains). That her daughter would even consider entertaining the idea of being attracted to someone poor was already terrible enough, but the fact that the certain someone was also another girl... well some things just don't bear thinking about. What would the neighbors think after all darling?

Doesn't matter though, Pacifica thought to herself harshly, because unlike some people I have self control. I wouldn't throw myself at her like some sort of lovesick loser just because some part of me wants to. I'm better than that.

She sighed and idly inspected a handful of perfectly manicured nails in the sunlight that filtered in through the deeply tinted windows of the limo.

Yeah, that's definitely the real reason why I wouldn't tell her how I feel and not the fact that I'd be terrified as hell about what Mabel's reaction would be. Or of what my parents would do. Or what everyone would say. Or any of that other stuff that I know I really shouldn't care about as much as I do, but do anyway.

"Miss Northwest - we're here." the driver announced, and Pacifica realized with a start that the car had stopped moving and been idling already for a few minutes. She glanced out the window and saw the precariously leaning pile of sun-bleached wood and faded paint and spiderwebs that was the Mystery Shack.

"Thank you James," Pacifica said primly, reaching into her purse to pull out a crisp $100 bill and hand it up to him through the small window separating the cabin and backseat.

His fingers took hold of the corner of the bill and tugged, but Pacifica had not yet released it and it stayed firmly in her hand.

"You remember our deal, right? I was never here and if my parents ask I spent the afternoon at the mall." Pacifica said, her voice cold and with an unsubtle note of threat running under the surface of the words.

"Just like last summer Miss, I remember." the chauffeur said. He glanced at her face in the rear view mirror and saw her expression soften as she released the hold of the bill, allowing him to carefully fold it and place it in his front pocket alongside several others which the young heiress to the Northwest fortune was unaware of. The salary that James was paid wasn't much but the bribes that the various family members gave him to keep their secrets were certainly adding up to a comfortable sum at least.

"I'll call for you when I need to get picked up then - in the meantime you can go do whatever it is that chauffeurs like to do on your days off," Pacifica said dismissively as she opened the door and exited the vehicle.

The limousines tires squealed in the dirt of the Shack's unpaved parking lot as it peeled off back in the direction of town and for the first time in what felt like month's Pacifica felt herself start to relax.

The first person to greet Pacifica was not, unfortunately, Mabel but her twin brother Dipper who was lying on the old broken down yellow couch that was parked on the patio of the old building, a large book with a bloody dagger on the cover in his hands. Probably some sort of mystery or spy novel from what she knew of his tastes. He glanced up from the pages when he heard the sound of her expensive boots crunching on the gravel walkway leading up to the building and gave a small nod of greeting.

"Northwest," he said idly, turning back to the book after his initial glance.

"Pines," Pacifica replied, trying not to bristle too much at his dismissive attitude. It was true that they had never really gotten along, even after she had become friends with Mabel, but that didn't mean that he had to be so rude. Would a simple 'Hello' have been that hard?

"Mabel's upstairs getting the last of her stuff unpacked if you want to go in and see her," Dipper said in the same idle drone as he flipped a page in his book.

"Thanks," she replied. A small flash of meanness sparked in her brain and she added sweetly, "You did that pretty well - I think if you study hard you might have a real future as a doorman somewhere,"

"Gosh, would you be able to write me a letter of recommendation saying that?" Dipper asked in false excitement, "I think it would just about clinch my chances of getting into a good school - you know, along with my academic scholarship and all,"

"Congratulations," Pacifica said dryly, "Nice to see your big head finally came in handy for something besides stretching out caps,"

"Well some of us actually had to study to get ahead - I'm sure that when the fall comes around your parents can just buy you a college to play around at for a few years," Dipper snapped.

"Omigosh, you're right – after all these years I finally see the error of my ways. I should have chosen to be noble and get born poor like you, but instead I selfishly made sure my parents had money when they had me. Gawd, I'm such a bitch aren't I?" Pacifica said with a roll of her eyes.

Dipper frowned and looked like he was going to respond when a horrible squeaking scraping noise tore through the air above them. Pacifica glanced up and saw the small triangular shaped attic window of the shack creakily slide open and Mabel popped out over the windowsill like the bird in a particularly strange cuckoo clock.

"Is that Pacifica I hear?" Mabel called down, giving a wide friendly wave to the blonde.

"Yeah, I heard you guys were back so I thought I'd come over and visit or whatever," Pacifica said, forcing her voice into its normal tone of dismissive casualness in the face of Mabel's friendly enthusiasm.

"I'm sure gift shop sales will go through the roof when people hear that the legendary Pacifica Northwest has deigned to grace us peasants with her presence once again," Dipper said sarcastically.

"Are you two fighting down there?" Mabel called down, a note of warning in her voice.

"No," the pair called back up to her guiltily.

"Cause that sounded an awful lot like you two were fighting earlier - do I need to go down there and make you guys hug it out again?" Mabel asked.

"No thanks," Dipper said, his voice strained.

"Yeah, we're fine - all just friendly teasing," Pacifica added. Semi-friendly anyway, I mean its not like I HATE him or anything... he's just kind of a jerk.

"That's better," Mabel called back, "Now are you gonna head on up here already or just spend all day flirting with my bro?"

Pacifica felt a sneer curl on her lip at the sound of Mabel's joking suggestion and when her eye turned to Dipper she was annoyed to see her expression mirrored perfectly on his face.

"Oh, like you'd even stand a chance if you were?" she muttered at him under her breath.

"Please, I'm the one whose out of your league - who could resist all of this?" Dipper stage whispered jokingly as he gestured at himself before turning back to his book.

On a second look Pacifica had to admit that he'd certainly filled out a lot in the past year, and definitely wasn't the same skinny kid who she had first met all those years ago. In a particularly charitable mood she might even grudgingly admit that he was sort of good looking, in kind of a semi-athletic but still nerdy way. If you were into that kind of thing that is. Not that she'd ever say it to his face of course.

Even so he still wasn't her type though.

Wrong Pines entirely.

Annoyed that she couldn't think of a good comeback that wouldn't drag their argument out further, and impatient to finally go see Mabel, the blonde teen swept past him and headed through the front door and up the stairs of the shack.

She took a deep breath as she paused at the door to the attic bedroom, gathering herself together before knocking.

Maybe her weird... infatuation... with Mabel was all just in her head? Maybe it was a phase and those thoughts and images she'd held in her mind ever since the end of their last summer together were going to just disappear when she got to see her face to face again? Maybe when the door opened all those annoying impossible emotions would just whither up and she could have a nice normal afternoon of hanging out with her weird, dorky and sort-of-only-geniuine-friend?

That would be good though wouldn't it? More convenient than whatever this weird turmoil that had been raging silently inside her head was certainly. More conventional. More Northwest.

Her knuckles rapped three times on the door and she didn't have time to take a second breath before it was flung open and a squealing happy ball of Mabel flung herself into Pacifica's chest and wrapped her in a tight hug, practically lifting her off the ground.

The feel of Mabel's face pressed affectionately against hers cheek to cheek was already enough to send Pacifica's heart pounding into overdrive and bring a flush to her face, and the smell of her thick cloud of silky brown curls being shoved into Pacifica's nose was starting to flood her mind with memories of the carefree laughs and actual fun that she enjoyed with Mabel which were largely absent from her day to day life.

Yeah, those inconvenient feelings were definitely still there. If anything Pacifica hadn't even felt a tenth of what she was feeling right this second and now that Mabel was here with her she didn't care.

"Can't breathe - might want to loosen your grip a little," Pacifica gasped out at last when Mabel's iron hug was getting a little too much to bear, even despite her enjoyment of the closeness.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Dipper's sometimes said I probably should have joined up on the school wrestling team after getting one of those." Mabel said sheepishly as she relaxed her arms and let Pacifica step back and straighten out her outfit.

"For once I agree with him on something, you could have probably brought in the gold," Pacifica joked back nervously. She had a brief but guiltily enjoyable mental image of Mabel bearing down on her in a colorful wrestling leotard with a mischievous grin on her face, but quickly put it out of her mind.

"I probably could have - someone in the family should have tried to bring in some athletic glory at least. My bro was too busy winning science fairs and stuff to bother with it, and unfortunately mini-golf isn't a legitimate school sport yet." Mabel replied.

"You could have tried out for regular golf," Pacifica suggested.

"Nah, if I don't get to shoot the ball through a bunch of tiny buildings and dinosaurs and stuff then what's the point?" Mabel said as she lead Pacifica back into the room and took a seat back on the creaking mattress of her temporary bed for the summer. Mabel patted the space beside her in a friendly manner, giving Pacifica one of those wide brace-free smiles that the blonde girl had found herself daydreaming of all through the year.

Pacifica took her seat, her face impassive and cool despite the rush of energy that she felt inside. It was a few moments before she realized that she'd been completely silent ever since she'd sat down and felt a completely alien streak of panic at the thought that she was being awkward, and that was unacceptable.

She'd just about found the right words to say - something cool and detached and 100% Pacifica- when Mabel spoke first instead, completely derailing her train of thought.

"I've missed you," the brunette had said warmly, punctuating the sentence with another one of her wide friendly smiles.

Pacifica felt the heat rise up her chest and flush her pale cheeks and at that moment she hated her body for apparently making things so blindingly obvious. What's the point of all this iron self control if her stupid face would just start blushing on her without her permission?

"Yeah, its nice to see you too or whatever," she replied, her eyes not quite rising to meet Mabel's.

"So how have you been? I hadn't heard from you all year until you decided to just drop in unannounced right now. What's with the stealthy entrance by the way? Isn't it against your rich girl code that you can't go anywhere without a bunch of guys blowing trumpets and waving flags and stuff to lead the way?" Mabel said teasingly, but Pacifica saw a slight hurt hidden behind the words.

"Sorry, I think the heralds are on strike because Dad forgot their Christmas bonus last year," Pacifica joked lamely. "The reception in this town is pretty bad too - its so hard to get calls out."

"Candy and Grenda always seem to manage fine," Mabel said quietly.

Pacifica felt a little flash of guilt in her chest at that. That was another thing... she was never sure how she'd end up feeling around Mabel. Almost no one else could ever make her feel guilty about anything like Mabel could. Something about her big brown impossibly shining eyes made it feel like she was being mean to the universes sweetest puppy whenever she disappointed her.

"I don't know... I guess I didn't feel like I would have had a lot to talk about if I called you," Pacifica admitted, "I mean, its all kind of the same stuff every day - school, school, school, party, school, blah blah... its boring."

Not to mention all those times when I almost texted you something super embarrassing and changed my mind at the last minute. Those were fun nights.

"Still would have been nice to hear from you," Mabel said, prodding her accusingly with a finger, "but it's good to finally see you again, so I'll let it slide." she continued, her voice softening.

"So, what sort of crazy nonsense have you guys been up to today?" Pacifica asked as she leaned back into the mattress and against the wall of the shack, trying not to think of all the dirt and junk that must have started latching onto her designer jacket just from brushing against the building.

"Oh it was super exciting - the goat was sick and I got to help!" Mabel said cheerfully.

"Help the goat... be sick?" Pacifica asked in confusion. Ew.

"No silly, help give it medicine. Gompers is still pretty feisty for his age and he did NOT like the taste of it." Mabel said, holding up a hand to show a row of colorful bandages laid across her fingers.

"Fun," Pacifica said weakly. Double ew.

"Aside from that though it was a pretty normal day... the gnomes were around again earlier to try and steal me back since I might technically still be their queen, but Dipper had made this nifty spray that seems to work on them pretty good. The little guys can't stand peppermint apparently- drives them nuts." Mabel said with a chuckle.

"So, giving medicine to a goat takes precedence over being attacked by little monsters in terms of interesting stuff?" Pacifica asked in confusion.

"Well, yeah - it was just gnomes," Mabel said dismissively.

"Half the time I can't tell if you're joking or not when you talk about that stuff," Pacifica said.

"Please, if I told you even half the stuff I'd seen in this place you'd think I was nuts," Mabel said with a wave of her injured hand.

"I already think you're nuts, telling me the rest would probably just make me finally call in the guys with the straightjackets and big nets on you." Pacifica joked.

"Tell me Pacifica, what sort of straightjacket is the well dressed mental patient sporting this season?" Mabel asked in a faux serious voice.

"Well they are wearing the sleeves long this year, no surprise, but we're seeing a trend in fancier decorative buckles for the straps," Pacifica returned playfully, still feeling slightly out of practice at cracking jokes that weren't at anyone's expense.

Mabel gave a snort of laughter at her reply, and Pacifica felt a smile of her own start to spread across her face. Not the carefully practiced smile used for press photo's or the snide grin from a particularly well delivered insult or the fake excitement she wore when she was given yet another expensive but useless ornament - an actual genuine smile of happiness that she was able to make Mabel laugh.

Mabel's sharp brown eyes caught sight of the rare expression and she responded to it with her usual playful teasing.

"Hey, that's not catalog smile number 3? That looks like actual friendliness - who are you and what have you done with the real Pacifica?"

Pacifica immediately scrunched her face up into a sour pout, but Mabel responded by contorting her own face into a variety of ridiculous expressions, reaching out to jab her blonde friend ticklishly the whole time. It was eventually too much for even Pacifica's practiced self-control to take and she burst out into unrestrained laughter and leaned up against Mabel in a hug.

"I've missed you too weirdo," she said happily.

More than you know.