Just A Normal Summer (Dipper x OC)

28. Soos and the Real Girl

Dani's POV

It was a slow day in Gravity Falls. Families barely milling about the town, kids nowhere in the streets, and Dipper still recovering from his 'broken' body. He was able to move around but he was taking it slow. It was slow enough at the Mystery Shack where he didn't have to do anything, and I was over to keep company. Dipper and I sat with Wendy at the counter, she sat behind it, I sat on top, and Dipper sat beside us in a chair.

I casually strummed on my ukulele, Dipper read through the Journal, and Wendy played with a finger trap. It was close to quitting time for the Shack, and everything was quiet; peaceful even.

Suddenly, that peace was interrupted by Mabel skipping through the gift shop, singing, "La, la, la, la, la!" She kept skipping, not paying attention to the screen door she was approaching. She ended up slamming straight into it, getting her braces stuck. Dipper and I jolted, standing up from our seats. "No! Braces! Braces caught in a screen door!" Mabel cried out. "Someone dictate my will, I'm giving it all to Waddles!"

Dipper and I approached to help her, but Soos came out of nowhere, beating us to the punch. He took out a screwdriver from his toolbelt. "Say 'ah', girl-dude," he told her.

She opened her mouth, saying, "Aaaah." Soos wedged the screwdriver between her braces and the screen's wire. He pried her braces off and lifted her away from the door. "Soos! You saved me!"

"Heh, heh! Just doing my job, hambone," Soos chuckled. He tossed his screwdriver into the air and flipped right into his toolbelt. "I'll see you dudes tomorrow." He gave us a wave before walking out the door.

"Bye, Soos!" the twins and I called after him.

"Night, Soos," Wendy said, not looking away from her finger trap.

"Night, Soos," Mr. Pines added from nearby as he worked on an attraction called the 'Thigh-Clops'.

We gathered together as we looked out the window, watching Soos walk to his truck. "You ever wonder what Soos does when he's not here at the Mystery Shack?" Mabel asked.

"No./Not really./Not once ever./Never crossed my mind," the rest of us responded.

We stood silently before I asked, "So, movie night anyone?"

"Sure!/Sounds fun!/I'm not doing anything./Eh, why not?" they all responded.

---

It was the next day, another slow day at the Shack as well. I was sitting on the floor with Dipper as he and I played a game of chess. I was half paying attention to the game because everyone acted weird around me. Mr. Pines with this old copper coin machine, and Soos who had been eyeing up every woman who walked into the shop. It was... unlike him. 

I watched him stare at a woman from afar, sneaking into a coat hanger behind her. "Aaaaand... checkchate!" I heard Dipper beam. "Looks like you need to practice your—!"

I waved him off, not taking my eyes off of where Soos was hiding. "Yeah, sure," I said, cutting him off.

"Wha—? Dani!" Dipper exclaimed. "Were you even paying attention to the game?" he asked.

I finally faced him. "No. Not at all," I admitted. "I've been too distracted by Soos. He's been acting weird around women all day." 

I gestured to the clothes rack and Dipper and I watched as Soos slowly rose from it. "Your face is good. I'm a Soos!" he said to the woman. She screamed, dropping the snow globe she was holding in the process. She continued her screaming, running around the gift shop and punching a man before running out the exit. Soos, saddened, slumped back into the clothing rack, covering his face with the shirts.