Triple Pines

Friends and Flannel

I felt grateful for the bit of shelter we had from the rain once we stepped under the awning of the porch. I was trembling from the cold when Dipper rang the doorbell.

We stood for about two minutes and there was no sign of any movement inside.

Dipper rang again and this time Dan Corduroy answered. He looked tired and very very very big. And not big as in weight, I'm talking tall. The guy had to be six foot five, maybe even taller. Dan towered over the two of us, our height being around five foot six.

Dipper looked to be used to Dan's height. I probably looked like a deer caught in the headlights- probably the one hanging over Dan's mantel at this very moment.

"Is Wendy home?"

Dan stifled a deep chuckle. It sounded more remorseful than sarcastic. "Wendy hasn't been in this house in a year."

Dipper and I exchanged worried glances as he croaked, "then where is she?"

. . . . . . . .

The sign read Gravity Falls Apartment Complex. Dipper and I paused in front of the door labeled B3.

When Dipper hesitated to knock, I did. I just wanted to get this over with, no matter how awkward it would be.

"Coming," a muffled voice called from the other side. There was the sound of feet shuffling and a chain rattling as the door was unlocked, revealing Wendy in sweatpants and an old t shirt that had been cut into a crop top. She was patting her hair dry and steam wafted from a nearby doorway behind her. She must had just gotten out of the shower.

Her face fell when she recognized us.

". . . Nice place you got here." I spoke up first. It seemed to be an odd statement, being that I hadn't even gotten a full look at the tiny room. But still, Wendy cracked a nervous smile and held the door open for us.

She closed the door and locked it again, tossing her towel back in the bathroom and collapsing in an old chair in the corner.

Dipper and I were still standing, soaking wet from the rain. (It looked like we were the ones who just got out of the shower)

Wendy gestured to the un-made bed, "have a seat." We did. The mattress squeaked and we had to shift back and forth until we finally found a comfortable sitting position.

"I didn't want you guys seeing me like this," Wendy muttered, combing her long wet hair back with her fingers. "I'm a mess."

"How long have you been living here by yourself?" Dipper asked.

"It'll be two years by the end of the summer." Wendy replied hastily.

"Why didn't you tell us?" I asked this time. Wendy has always seemed so care-free, but now I saw the look of deep desperation that now seemed to be permanently scared on her face.

Wendy sighed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, "I don't know. . . it's not even a secret, well, it's a dumb secret, but I just couldn't really find a way to tell you all; Hey everyone, I got myself kicked out of my dad's house and now I'm a complete failure!" Her mouth was twisted into a forced smile but her eyes were beginning to water. She bowed her head and buried her face in her hands.

"You're not a failure." Dipper said quietly.

Wendy let out a hiccuped laugh, "Ha, yeah right- just look at this place!" She swept her arms across the room, at the overflowing trash bin, the dirty clothes strewn across the floor, the stuffing spilling frown the chair she was sitting in, "it's pathetic!"

She slumped deeper into her seat, "I'm pathetic."

"Could you stop feeling so sorry for yourself already?" I snapped. Dipper gaped at me, Wendy lifted her eyebrows in surprise. I felt surprise at myself. Normally I say stuff like than in my head, but now that the words had escaped my lips- they were real. And I could see it in Dipper and Wendy's eyes that they were strong, my words were strong.

"You're an amazing person, Wendy. You're one of the reasons we came back to this town, you're the reason why we have such good memories of this place- you've got this really cool attitude towards everything, you can make anything an adventure. That's why we love you, you're family."

My words echoed around the room. Dipper stared at me like I was from another planet and Wendy just blinked.

I couldn't tell wether this was good or bad.

Finally, Wendy spoke, ". . .thanks, Ty."

. . .

A/n: I've been updating a lot cuz,,,well actually I'm not that sure. I actually have no idea how I managed to write even the smallest of a chapter with all the homework I've had lately... But this won't last long so don't get used to it!

~Cath