The Quiet Kid

9. Muted

Dipper shook his head.

"Oh. I just noticed you didn't meet me out in the courtyard." Bill said.

Bill then seemed to notice Dipper was avoiding looking at him.

"Are you okay? Was it something I said?" Bill asked.

Not you. Just tired.

"Could you at least look at me? I miss your face." Bill joked, with a hint of seriousness.

Dipper slowly lifted his head to meet Bill's eyes.

Bill's grin fell and Dipper could see several expressions flash on his face in a matter of concern. Confusion, Realization, Anger, and then Concern.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" Bill asked, anger slightly rising in his voice.

Nobody. It was an accident. I fell.

"And only hit your eye?" Bill asked. Dipper nodded.

Tripped on my own feet. Hit the doorknob. Hurt like hell.

"And that was enough to cause this. It looks like someone hit you." Bill said.

It was a pretty hard fall. Dipper insisted.

"Fine. But if someone hit you or if anyone ever hits you, I will beat the shit out of them." Bill said. Dipper nodded, thankful that Bill had dropped it.

Let's just get to class. Dipper said. He grabbed Bill's arm, pushing away the flashback from his dream, and the two boys walked to class.

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時間。跳
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After a long morning of classes, it was finally lunchtime.

Bill had gotten Dipper an orange, two pieces of watermelon, and the lunch special for the day, Pizza.

Pyronica sat down at the table with her own lunch.

"Woah, what happened to your face Dip?" She asked.

Fell. Hit doorknob. Dipper signed.

"Wow. What a strange and oddly specific event to happen." Pyronica said, glancing at Bill while Dipper was looking down at his food.

What really happened? Pyronica mouthed to Bill.

He won't tell me. Bill mouthed back.

Bill had his suspicions. Dipper lived in a bad area of town, he wouldn't be surprised if he had gone for a walk and had gotten jumped. But he wasn't sure why Dipper wouldn't just tell him that.

No, it had to be something worse than that. But if there was a connection to be made, Bill didn't see it.

"Bill has something for you Dip!" Pyronica suddenly announced.

Dipper looked up from his food curiously.

Bill handed Dipper a small colored plastic bag. Dipper looked at it confused.

Gummy Worms?

"Yeah. You said you never really had candy before. Gummy Worms are awesome." Bill said.

Dipper blushed. And shakily thanked Bill in sign language.

He slowly opened the package and grabbed a yellow and blue gummy worm. Examining it before putting it in his mouth.

After finishing the first one he ate a dozen more in a matter of seconds. An before he even realized it, the bag was empty.

Bill and Pyronica laughed.