It's been a while, Fallers. I know. But having three snow days with zero access to my studio helped me write this update. Thank winter storm Pax for attacking Alabama with a measurable snowfall. Ouch. My legs still hurt from building two massive six-foot snowmen and sledding on plastic school advertisements. Worth it. So very worth it.

Side note that's really been eating at me these past couple months: I realize completely that my updates are probably irritating, but this is a hobby of mine. Simply a hobby. I appreciate all your constructive criticism and tips and pointing out plot holes, but saying that I do not meet your whims and that I better update 'like right now before I forget what this story is. I guess I kinda remember this story GOD JUST UPDATE' is neither helpful nor constructive. Merci beaucoup.

"Excuse me sir, SIR!" The tall brunette cashier with her hair pulled back yelled, "You're scaring the customers! I'm going to have to ask you to-"

He simply stared at her and her arms dropped to her sides, a blank look sweeping across her features as her eyes glowed a brilliant gold for a moment. She shook her head and glanced around, confused.

"You were saying?" He inquired.

She shrugged at the man in the cliché black trench coat. Leaving the store on his own accord, he smiled devilishly at his act and followed the three girls at a distance. Mabel was one of them now. And he couldn't have that.

Dipper rested his head in his hands, taking his time in exhaling his current breath, staring daggers through narrowed eyes at his twin sister. She had been going on and on about her new abilities for what seemed like hours and no end was in sight.

"And then they all—"

"They all ran away for their lives. I know. I get it already. Geez," the teen huffed as he flattened himself against his bedsheets.

She continued to gush about her powers, "I know! But it was so—"

"…amazing," he deadpanned.

Mabel beamed even brighter and kept going, apparently oblivious to her brother's annoyance, "And I can't believe it! I guess I'm still the—"

He layered his hands over his face, muffling his voice, "Don't say it, stop, please don't…"

"ALPHA TWIN!"

"Shut up, Mabel," Dipper mumbled through his hands. The more she continued chanting, the more anger bubbled to his surface. With enough pressure, anything can be rigged to explode, especially jealous teenage guys with self-esteem issues. His eye twitched, setting off a chain reaction.

"I SAID STOP! NOW JUST SHUT UP, MABEL!" By the last words, he was standing over his sister who only made a startled 'eep' sound. He dropped his hands to his sides and clenched them before turning, straightening his cap and walking out the door.

"Uhh, Dip? You O—" An unimpressive slam followed by another told her he fled to the forest to cool down, "—kay?"

Mabel simply looked over at her pig and whispered, "It's someone's time of the month, huh Waddles?"

Waddles oinked cheerfully in reply. The teenager grinned halfheartedly and scratched behind his floppy ears, making ol' fifteen poundie smile.

"Maybe I should go after him," She gazed out the triangular window, only to see him trudge into the treeline, still fuming, "Oooor maybe a little later."

Meanwhile, Dipper walked briskly through the forest, swatting away branches and tiny swarms of mosquitoes, heading for a small clearing in the woods or just anywhere to get away.

"Stupid powers, stupid book. Just this once can't I have something over Mabel?"

A tiny rustle and a faint feeling of being watched placed the boy on edge. He sighed and leaned back against a fallen tree, feeling the cool relief of smooth moss at the nape of his neck. Glancing up, he caught a glimpse of the hinged door that sparked his summer's adventures hanging ajar in the breeze. It had given him a gift. He reached into his vest and pulled out his old tome, expression as cold as the metallic hand that adorned the front, as he drowned himself in the hidden secrets of the town. Slowly, he relaxed and even started to smile. That was until he came across a few old scrawlings about Wendy and his jealousy rooted itself back into place like a stubborn weed.

"Why is she so likeable? We've only been here a few weeks and Mabel's had like," he counted on his fingers, "One, two, three. Three boyfriends! And yet I can't get anyone to notice me."

The book flipped to a page on gnomes, then a self-written entry on amulets.

"You have a good point," He replied to the book like an old friend, "Wait, am I really talking to a—"

"You talking to a book, kid?" A snide-sounding teen stopped in the forest, hands deep in his worn hoodie pockets, "Or just writing in your diary?"

"I, umm, well," Dipper's cheeks involuntarily flushed red for a moment as he turned about-face to the voice. Instantly, his nose crinkled up in disgust.

"I, umm, well!" The mocker's fingerless-gloved hands popped out of the pockets and waved around wildly before a devilish grin snuck onto his features. He rolled his partially-covered eyes with a scoff as obvious as the metric ton of body spray that emanated from his every pore.

"Robbie, what are you doing here," Dipper deadpanned and exhaled a quick puff of air, returning his attention slightly back to the tome in his hands. A hand grabbed the younger teen's shoulders and whipped him back around.

A serious expression fell in dark shadows over Robbie's eyes, "I think you should know, Captain Buzzkill."

Dipper squirmed nervously beneath both the weight of his glare and the much stronger arms of the musician, "D-did you follow me? Is this about Wen—"

"OF COURSE IT'S ABOUT WENDY!" He snapped, releasing the boy quickly and forcing him into a blue and orange heap on the forest floor, "Everything was fine until you came along. What's your deal, man? Didn't anyone ever tell you not to steal other peoples' stuff?"

"Stuff…?" Dipper questioned, a spark of newly ignited anger caught fire in the back of his mind, "Wendy is not 'stuff.'"

"C'mon kid, you know what I mean. Don't get your panties in a bunch," He snickered at his own joke, "Pfft, panties."

"No no no, you said 'stuff,' like Wendy was just your property or something!"

"Hey man, just let it go," Robbie smirked a bit at the lanky kid in front of him who was acting like he could take someone twice his size in a heartbeat. A bit of blue fire sparked in Dipper's eyes for a moment before he squeezed them shut. With a quick flick of the wrist, the older teen's confident walls crumbled as he was lifted into the air, gravity defying logic and reason. A royal blue light shone brightly around the adversary and released him into the hinged tree with a metallic clang, then silence.

Dipper finally opened his eyes and stared down at his trembling hands.

"Did I really just do that? "

A dissipating mist of light trailed from his fingers as if to answer his question. Slowly looking over to the still-ringing faux tree, his eyes stuck on the still form of Robbie V. If only to make matters worse, an unnaturally small voice came from the trail.

"Dipper?"

He slowly turned around, eyes still fixated on his hands and expression trapped in shock. He couldn't form any words and just shook his head, chest tightening. His body felt like the static of a nonexistent channel, numb, yet overwhelming, as he met the redhead's terrified face.

"I-I didn't mean to, I-I swear," he whispered over and over again. Meanwhile, the girl's emotions shifted from terror to anger.

"W-What did you do to him?! You're a monster! I thought he was annoying, sure, but you didn't have to attack him!" She looked to the ground, "I thought you were better than that, Dipper."

A stinging warmth pricked at his eyes as he glanced between the unconscious teen and the girl he loved. He nervously backed up a few paces and darted back to the shack, not without clipping a few branches on the way. He curled up behind the gift shop counter and sniffled a few times. Unfortunately for him, he didn't realize who was running the register. Mabel hopped down from the stool and sat next to him. She attempted to put her arm around him, but he shrugged it away with a muffled mumble.

"Stop, Mabel. I'll only hurt you."