The Haunted Love

Chapter 12

The sun was rising once they came out of the hole they hid away in. Peter was always the first one up as he instinctively turned the coffee pot on first thing. He then would grab the newspaper from across the yard, stretching his back while walking there. He wasn’t that old, but it sure felt like he was almost ninety some days. The newspaper boy was just about to drop it off. Once he saw Peter coming, he let out a sharp gasp before smiling evilly.

“Hey old man!” He mocked him.

Peter narrowed his eyes. “Yeah yeah.” He snapped back. He approached him closer, only for him to pedal away a bit before stopping, then pedaling again and stopping. Peter clenched his teeth, his lip curling above. He kept following the kid until he was so annoyed and enraged, he grabbed his bike handle this time. “Screw you, kid! Just give me the damn paper!” He pointed with his finger.

The boy sulked a little before shakily handing him the paper. Peter just ripped it out of his hand. “Thank you. Now get the hell out of here!” He yelled as the boy did exactly that, pedaling away quickly. He watched him disappear quickly around the trees. He was clenching the paper hard by the time he stomped his way back to the shack.

Dipper and Mabel were up now, serving themselves some cereal at the small kitchen table. “Hi Grunkle Stan!” They said in union as he turned his back to them and angrily started to pour some coffee into his cup.

“Hi kids.” He grumbled before taking both his paper and cup to his chair in the living room. He sighed before sinking into its yellow plaid. He thought about turning the TV on, but decided not to as he took a sip of his coffee and placed it on the T-Rex skull beside him. He shook the paper and skimmed through the front cover before opening it up.

Clayton and Sabrina would rise from the vending machine door. They paused in the hallway outside of the kitchen, watching the Twins start flinging cereal towards one another. “Catch it, Dipper.” Mabel cheered, readying her catapult.

“Alright, alright.” Dipper then opened his mouth. “Ready.” He gave her a thumbs up with his mouth gaping. Mabel launched it as it hit him dead in the eye instead. “Ow. That wasn’t my mouth!” He complained.

Mabel snorted a laugh. “Sorry.”

Dipper covered his eye with his hand before removing it and blinking it open. Clayton and Sabrina shared a laugh. “Hey guys.” Sabrina said, entering first as Clayton followed suit.

“Hi.” Mabel greeted with a fast wave.

Sabrina joined them at the table and opened her mouth. “Hit me.” She said towards Mabel who obliged. She caught it no problem, munching down on it once it hit her tongue. It tasted like peanut butter.

“Score!” Mabel yelled like an announcer. They all then laughed it off.

Peter could hear the commotion so he went to investigate. To his surprise, he found the twins with Clayton and – some girl? Wait – who was this? “Who the hell are you?” They heard the gruff tone of Peter. Clayton spit out the sip of coffee he just took all over the tearing wallpaper.

He instantly stepped up to the plate, pulling his brother to the side. “Peter, this is Sabrina. She’s an old friend of mine.” Clayton introduced her as she rose from her chair and offered her hand.

“I’ve heard so much about you, Stan. It is nice to meet you.” Peter only looked down at her hand. She awkwardly put it away after realizing he didn’t want to shake it.

“Wait a minute, you’re that girl from the diner.” He said while examining her, his eyes narrowing in remembering.

Sabrina nodded. “Yes that was me.”

“What the hell are you doing in my shack though?” Stan pointed out.

“It is my shack, Peter. Remember?” Clayton reminded him. Peter only brushed it off.

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Doesn’t matter.” He scratched himself. “Why the hell is she here I mean.”

Clayton and Sabrina shared a glance. “Well, that is another story entirely.” She replied. “See – your brother and I were in the multi-verse together. Before he dismantled the portal, I came out.”

Sabrina wasn’t sure if Peter was even paying attention or caring. The twins were too intrigued that they forgot to speak while Clayton was trying to clean up his mess. “It’s true, Peter.” His brother said after throwing away his paper towel. “I let her stay.”

Peter’s face suddenly went red. “What? You let her crash here?” He said angrily. “What if she hurt the twins?”

“I think she’s cool, Grunkle Stan.” Dipper added.

“Only cause she probably talks like Poindexter here does.” He crossed his arms. “All the nerdy talk and playing a game that has “math”.” Stan air quoted.

Clayton pushed his way between them. “Enough! I brought her here. She is my responsibility, not yours.”

“Oh ho ho. Look at you, getting all tough.” Stan mocked. “It’s about stinken time!”

Clayton suddenly grabbed his brother by his suit jacket with raging eyes and shoved him up against the wall. The twins were in awe. “SHUT UP!” The adrenaline rush quickly faded as Clayton flaked away after staring into Stan’s eyes. He slowly let go and backed off. “I’m sorry, Peter.”

Still wasn’t the two words Stan wanted, but he didn’t blame him either. He was a bit shell shocked before reality hit him. His brother just stood up to him, he rarely ever did too. That time in the portal must of made him stronger in a way. Even if he still was a babbling mess at times.

His eyes slowly slid over to Sabrina whose eyes were huge. He could also feel Dipper and Mabel’s eyes nailing into him. “Clayton – I -” Stan couldn’t quite find his words.

“There is nothing else you can say.” Sabrina put words in Clayton’s mouth as he turned back to face them. “If you rather I’d leave, I’d be fine with that.”

Peter met Clayton’s gaze. They read something he hasn’t seen in a very long time – love. That same gaze he would give him or their mother or their father. Even if their father was stern with them, he only wanted what was best for them. He realized that love was for Sabrina that they all shared looking between them.

“I get it now.” Peter finally said as he picked his fez up from the ground. He gave it a quick rub before placing it back on his gray locks. “She can stay if she wants. Doesn’t matter to me.”

Clayton seemed a bit puzzled to how his brother was acting right now. “Are you feeling alright?” He asked.

Peter just let out a nasally scoff. “You i***t, I know you love her.”

“O – M – G. You two should kiss then!” Mabel chanted out of excitement.

“Wh-what?” Clayton face blushed hard as his words scrambled. Sabrina was blushing as well, rubbing her arm shyly.

“Alright, Mabel calm down.” Peter said. “Obviously your uncle is not ready for that yet.” He walked over to his brother who was halfway out of the door. “But he will be. I guarantee!” Stan had wrapped his arm around Clayton, his face narrowing.

Clayton carefully pulled his brother’s arm off and cleared his throat. “Anyways.” He turned his attention toward Dipper. “Come join us for a conversation in the study.”

Dipper nodded. “Of course.” He went back to his bowl of cereal, gobbling it all up before throwing it in the sink. Clayton and Sabrina had already moved their way out of the room and into the study. Dipper would quickly follow them in.

“Hey, you didn’t even rinse it!” Stan yelled to him down the hall.

Dipper popped his head back into the doorway. “I’ll do it later.” He replied, retracing his steps back.

Clayton and Sabrina were waiting for him when he entered. “Listen to me, Dipper.” Clayton started, walking towards him and kneeling to his level with a firm hand. “We have a very important mission. And you are the only one who can help us. Remember the rift of dimensional space time I have showed you?” He pulled the rift out and gestured with his finger towards the ever growing crack. “It’s cracking.” He rose back to his feet. “This is what Bill has been waiting for. If it breaks, it will cause reality as we know it, to completely unravel.”

They watched as he walked over to the chalkboard that had “Weirdmageddon” written on it and weird drawings. “The hypothetical and catastrophic event called Weirdmageddon.” Dipper was in utter awe towards the board. “Bill is out there. And he could use any trick – from deception to out right possession to make this happen. But for the sake of humanity, we mustn’t let it.”

Dipper took a step forward. “What do we do?”

“We patch the rift.” Clayton replied, placing the rift into a black box. “I’ll explain on the way.”

“Oh wait, what about Mabel?” Dipper asked. Mabel had been working on getting their thirteenth birthday party going since last night. This was the first morning she hadn’t said much about it.

Mabel then appeared in the doorway. “It’s ok, Dipper. You should totally go with Grunkle Clayton to save the world or whatever.”

“Are you sure?” Dipper asked concerned, turning towards her. She had both their backpacks in her hands as she walked up to him.

“We’ll be doing birthday junk all week. Why I packed us these walkie talkies.” She lifted one bag then the other. “Here’s one for my party mission. And one for your smartie mission.”

Dipper took his bag as they both laughed together. He would slip it over one of his shoulders. Clayton bumped in, tapping his watch. “I did mention the fate of the universe is at stake, didn’t I? Hurry, we haven’t got much time.” Clayton then took off running.

Sabrina just shook her head. “That guy. Can’t seem to slow down, even at his age.”

Mabel agreed. “You’ve said it.”

Sabrina then made her way into the hallway. Dipper stopped to give himself a prep talk before running out, only to hit the wall on the way out. “Ow, ah. I’m alright.” He reassured his sister, just to trip and fall out the door. He rolled all the way and landed on the dirt hard face first.

“You alright?” Sabrina said as she pulled him up. He dusted himself off and fixed his hat.

“Yeah, just fine.” He tried to laugh it off only to winch.

“Your gonna be sore in the morning.” Sabrina joked as she moved forward. “Come on, we got to catch up to your uncle.”

“Coming.” Dipper replied back, glancing back to the Mystery Shack. “I’ll be back, Mabel.” He then followed Sabrina into the woods.