19
Dipper

Before Pacifica had even arrived outside my room, that was when Scarlett arrived. It took Mabel about 45 minutes to drop Janessa and Rachel off and find Pacifica. I knew she was going to do that, but I didn't know that she was going to bring her back here.

After I texted Scarlett, it took her 5 minutes to get over to Gleeful Manor. I didn't want to think about anything, and the only way I knew how to do that was to smoke all my worries out the window. But seeing since I didn't have any and I couldn't go buy some, I figured Scarlett would have some on her.

But I had no idea that she'd be in town.

So when she texted me back saying that she was on her way, I was surprised. Pleasantly surprised.

"Haven't seen you in forever." She commented when she first arrived.

"I could say the same to you." I stated coldly. "Where have you been?"

Scarlett shrugged. "Nothing you need to worry your pretty-little head about." She ruffled my hair and smiled to herself. "You grew your hair out."

"You did too." I commented, staring at her long, fiery red locks. "What changed?"

"Nothing." She grinned. "Now, you want one or what?"

"My room." I jerked my head in the general direction of my bedroom.

Scarlett's grin grew wider. "Wow, eager much?"

I rolled my eyes. "I presume you know the way?"

"Yep." She walked past me and ran up the stairs.

I didn't feel guilty. In fact, I felt strangely relieved. I walked up the staircase thinking about everything that had brought me to this exact moment. Funny how everything started with Pacifica. I shook the thoughts from my head as I entered my bedroom.

Scarlett had already did me a favor and unlocked the balcony doors and she was standing with her elbows propped up on the ledge. "Alright, rich boy." She chuckled and seemed to sense my presence. "What's eating you? Other than me," she tipped her head back and laughed loudly.

"Vulgar as ever." I rolled my eyes, a smile appearing on my lips.

"You want one or not?" She scoffed, holding out a cigarette.

I obliged, placing it in my mouth. "Light?"

"No, Dipper," Scarlett frowned while fumbling to pull something out of her back pocket. "I came all this way for you and didn't bring a lighter."

"Sarcastic as ever." I commented.

"Oh, that's not going away, babe." Scarlett tossed long crimson tresses over her shoulder. "There is nothing worse than the smell of burnt hair, can you do something about this?"

It took me a second to figure out what she was talking about. "Your hair?"

"Yeah, Dipshit." She rolled her eyes. "Can you do anything with it?"

I thought about it for a second. "I only know how to do this because of my sister." I split her hair into three sections and began to braid her hair.

"Thanks." She whispered.

"Did you just thank me?" I asked, almost laughing. "The Scarlett Valentino I know does not thank people."

"Do you want me to take it back?" She demanded, moving away from me after I fastened her hair with an elastic she had given me.

I shook my head, "so, can you light it now?"

"Yeah, whatever." She leaned forward and lit my cigarette. "Alright, rich boy, what's your problem now?"

I raised a brow. "You're assuming I have a problem?"

"No, Dipper." She took a long drag and blew smoke in my face. "I know you have a problem. So, what is it?"

"How do you know that?" I demanded. "You can't possibly--"

Scarlett whipped out her phone and began to read aloud. "Text from richboy 'hey, having a rough night. you in town?'. Having a rough night, now that can only be associated with a problem."

I leaned my back against the wall staring out at the night sky. "I may be having a problem."

"So, tell me about it." Scarlett chuckled, amused. "I can tell that this type of problem can't be solved by us flinging off each other's clothes."

"Remember when we first started doing this?" I asked her.

"Oh no you don't, Gleeful." She held up her hands, her cigarette being held between her pointer finger and middle finger. "Don't get all sentimental on me."

"Oh hush up," I swatted her. "This isn't about you and me, Scarlett." I scoffed, "and she says I'm the egotistical one."

"Oh, so it's a she, huh?" Scarlett raised a pencil-thin eyebrow. "Lemme guess, it's still the blonde girl of your dreams, Pacifica was it?"

I found myself nodding.

"Oh, Dipper." Scarlett shook her head at me sadly. "I know you hate hearing this, but you gotta move on. She isn't ever coming back."

"That's where it gets complicated, Scar." I took a long drag of my cigarette and breathed out the smoke in a perfect circle. "She came back."

"You're kidding." Scarlett dropped her cigarette on the floor of the balcony. "When?"

"I dunno." I shrugged. "But I fucked up, I fucked up bad."

"Oh, wow, shocker." Scarlett scoffed, bending down to pick up her recently-dropped and now extinguished cigarette. "Go on."

"I didn't know when she was back." I continued. "And by the time I finally saw her, I was already kinda hanging out with her best friend."

"Ooh, ouch, Gleeful." Scarlett winced. "So? How'd you break the best friend's heart?"

"That's the problem." I sucked in a breath. "I didn't."

"Okay, start from the beginning."

I told her the whole story and I mentioned, in great detail, how I majorly fucked up. Scarlett shook her head at me once I finished. "So, the only reason you're pushing yourself away from her is because you're scared she's gonna break your heart again?"

I clenched my fists and put out my cigarette on the ashtray I had recently placed on my balcony for these occasions. "Yeah, that's about right."

"Dipper," she placed her hand on mine. "You need to go get her."

"Wait, what?" I choked with surprise. "But--"

"We both know you still love her." Scarlett rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't be so scared when it comes to this."

"And why is that?" I challenged.

"Because I'm betting her heart is broken right now." She informed me. "And you're only making it worse for the both of ya."

Strangely, I found myself nodding. What Scarlett was saying made sense. I was only making it worse. I walked back inside my room and Scarlett followed me after she closed and locked the balcony doors.

"Thank you for this," I whispered. "Shit's been going on and I just needed you."

Scarlett laughed, tipping her head back. She only did that when she thought something was really funny, that was something I learned about her when we became friends. "Of course you did, can't get enough of me, baby?"

I swatted her arm once more. "Tch, sounds like someone's overcompensating." But I couldn't help but chuckle.

"What?" She laughed once more. "Well, Dipper." She spoke quietly. "I'm going to stay in town for a little while longer, maybe the entire summer, so if you ever need to fuck, doubtful considering you're going to be fucking that blonde girlfriend of yours--"

I swatted at her once more. "Vulgar."

"You know it's true," she stuck her tongue out at me. "Well, if you ever need to smoke, call me. I'll keep in touch." With that said, she tossed me her pack of cigarettes and her lighter.

"Your black and red lighter?" I commented.

She shrugged. "You need it more than I do right now. Now," her expression turned serious. "Go get your girl."

I nodded in thanks before stuffing the items into my back pocket. I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. My breath got caught in my throat as I saw who was there.

It was Pacifica, standing there, her eyes wide and seemed to be glistening with tears.