Chapter 1

The live orchestra was expected to play mostly classical background music, but Pacifica was permitted to request her favorite songs for the after dinner dance "for the kids" in the garden green house and patio under the stars. There was a long list of songs, but one in particular she selected as part of her sophisticated and well planned scenario to impress him. The young man with brown hair, and big brown eyes that had something deep, an air of something spiritual, something mystical that she was always drawn to, and yet sometimes afraid of, especially when he was standing next to her, looking right at her. Him.

She snuck in a singer's fee for hiring Luke Bryan to sing I See You. While elite, she was still raised in Oregon, where country music was as ubiquitous as the rain and forest. And let's face it, some of the most heart breaking love songs are country songs.

On queue from Pacifica when she saw him enter the garden, the singer took the microphone in front of the orchestra as the electric bass, slow rhythmic drums and cowbells started the slow sad love song.

Pacifica slowly strutted to the center of the garden to meet him, thighs and hips strutting to the music, and threw off her sea foam green feather boa revealing her strapless shoulders, and reached forward, asking him to dance.

Tonight in that black tux, shiny black shoes and black tie, he looked at her as if he knew her thoughts, as if he could see right through her. It always gave her vibrant butterflies and left her breathless.

I can't go anywhere

I can't do anything

No I can't close my eyes

Without you in my dreams

He placed his hand in hers and with his other arm around her waist he swept her into the circle, beginning their dance, staring into each others eyes. Then as he dipped her into his strong arm, he leaned down and kissed her. Dipper Pines, how far we've come. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he stood up, twirling her around, her dress flying up revealing her thighs as she spun on her white high heels, long blond hair floating about her face behind which only her blue eyes could be seen in the blur.

Jumpin' up there with the band

Takin' me by the hand

Hey boy, come dance with me

Stuck like a melody in my head

Now the other teenagers joined the dance, couples slow dancing in loving embraces, but still Pacifica and Dipper circled the center as the song echoed her heart, dancing as if they were alone. He dipped her again, and looking up she saw the stars surrounding his head like a halo.

Love me always this way Dipper…as I love you.

...

Dipper finally bent and wiggled the wire clothes hanger into just the right position as antennas on his TV that it could finally pull in signals from Portland 400 miles away. And that was with the added height of the second story attic bedroom. He stood up feeling accomplished in his beige shorts, red tee shirt and socks (one with a hole through which his big toenail proudly poked through). Then turning to face his bed covered in books, glossy photos, empty cans of Pitt colas, newspaper clippings and a beat up old laptop, he shook his head.

That will never do!

He pulled the four corners of the bedspread together and like a jolly St. Nick he pulled up the makeshift bag of junk off the bed and dumped it in the bedroom corner, the Pitt cola cans rolling away on the floor.

There! Now Pacifica and I can sit on the bed when she comes over!

He could hear his sister down stairs. Anyone could, Mabel wasn't one to dampen enthusiasm.

"Paz! Hi! Dipper's upstairs waaaaaaaiting for you! Heehee!"

The serious reply came on monotone pitch."Thanks Mabel." Even on the old wooden stairs her footsteps were delicate and petite, and yet measured. Upon hearing them one knew it was Pacifica.

He quickly jumped on the bed and lay back as if he was kicking back all day. Oops! Need a prop! He reached over to his nightstand table and grabbed the journal, just as the door opened.

"Hi Dipper." Wearing black ankle boots, dark red leather pants, a black leather strapless midriff topped with a crimson leather jacket and matching bag purse, and her long blond hair free and around her shoulders she entered the rustic, dusty room and looked around. Then looking out the door and down the stairs to make sure Mabel did not follow, she quietly closed the door. She turned back around to face Dipper on the bed and waited, smiling. He slowly lowered the book, and smiled too. As if the book were a cue she threw the purse across the room, which landed with a puff of dust on the cluttered floor, and jumped on the bed and on top of Dipper, laughing, contagious laughing as he almost laughed at the same time.

"Ow! Watch it!"

"Mmmmmm I'd rather taste it." And tilting her face towards his, her tongue made contact first even before her lips, she grabbed his shoulders to steady herself, and then slowly made contact with her lips to his as he curled his arms around her. She could smell he hadn't showered yet this morning, his manly odor somehow intoxicated her, so much that smelling the dust cloud from her purse didn't even stop her from inhaling his scent deeply. She loved coming over to this dirty, filthy place to see him, especially since it was his place and not hers, she could always call him before she arrived, and told him to "not bathe yourself". It was her guilty little pleasure, and he did not mind at all.