Chapter Text
It’s the last summer before senior year, and Dipper leaves for his annual Gravity Falls trip in just two days. It’s the hottest day in June, and like most reasonable teenagers, a beach day is required. That’s how Dipper ended up squished into the backseat of Sammi’s beat-up Toyota Camry alongside every piece of beach equipment known to mankind.
“HEY LITTLE PISS BABY! YOU THINK YOU’RE SO FUCKING COOL, HUH? YOU THINK YOU’RE SO FUCKING TOUGH–"
“Who the hell queued up 100 gecs?” Dipper yelled over the music.
“Shotgun picks the music!” Andrew yelled back.
“Andrew,” Trey sighed, “you’re gonna get us in a car accident.”
Any chance Trey’s complaints would have been heard were drowned out when Sammi joined in: “AW, LOOK AT THOSE ARMS, YOUR ARMS LOOK SO FUCKING CUTE, THEY LOOK LIKE LIL’ CIGARETTES—”
“Sammi, not you too!” Dipper said, voice dripping with dramatic sarcasm.
“This is why I’m driving and not you losers!”
Dipper and his Piedmont friends Andrew, Trey, and Sammi decided that before Dipper left for his annual trip to Gravity Falls, they should properly enjoy a summer day before he disappeared into the middle of nowhere. Even though the three were Dipper’s best friends, they knew very little about Dipper’s activities in Gravity Falls. They knew he and Mabel had been visiting the town and staying with his Great Uncle since they were 12, but the twins were reluctant to tell them more. Their questions would always be brushed aside, the subject always changed. Every time they talked about visiting, Dipper and Mabel shared cautious looks with one another and stuttered about how they would be too busy to hang out properly. The three learned to back off and let Dipper and Mabel’s summer activities remain a mystery, as frustrating a mystery as that may be.
After what seemed like hours later and blown-out eardrums, the gang finally made it to the beach. The air was salty, the sky clear, and the sun oppressive. Seagulls cawed, children screeched with joy, and the waves lapped onto the shore. Boogie boards, surfboards, and brave body surfers were scattered through the ocean, all waiting for the perfect waves.
Andrew walked ahead of the group, scouting out the perfect spot to spend the day.
“Here’s good!”
The umbrella was planted, towels spread out, and Trey’s speaker played music that could only be described as the polar opposite of 100 gecs.
Dipper kept his shirt on, but the edges of his protection tattoo poked out.
“Trey!” Andrew said eagerly. “Let’s go in the ocean!” He grabbed the quieter boy’s arm and started to pull him away.
“Andrew, did you put sunscreen on?” Sammi called out as she rubbed SPF 70 onto her face.
“I’ll be fine!” Andrew waved to Dipper and Sammi with his free hand, and Trey had a small smile on his face.
“When are those two gonna get together?” Dipper said. Sammi laughed.
“Tell me about it. Andrew’s been into Trey since last summer. He just hasn’t had the guts to do anything.” Sammi passed the sunscreen to Dipper. Dipper took it and started applying it to his arms.
“That long?”
“It has been torturous.” Sammi leaned onto her towel, ready to soak up the sun. “You know how Andrew and I dated before I realized I wasn’t as bisexual as I thought?”
“Hah! I forget about that sometimes. Those months felt like a fever dream.”
“Tell me about it.” Sammi chuckled. “He’s still one of my best friends, though. I want him to be happy.”
Dipper hummed in agreement.
Sammi turned to Dipper and stared at him deeply. “You’re one of my best friends too, you know.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. He just smiled and nodded.
* * *
Dipper and Sammi eventually joined Andrew and Trey by the water. Andrew tried to boogie board on the waves, but the waves decided it would be funny to make him somersault onto shore rather than glide in gracefully. Trey would laugh at Andrew’s antics but would always lend him a hand. Sammi and Dipper went seashell hunting. It was a successful day for everyone.
As the sun lowered into the ocean, they decided to head to the boardwalk and try their hand at the games. They settled on one of those throwing games where you knock down the milk bottles.
Andrew started to brag about his carnival game skills. “Dipper, I’m sorry to do this to you, man, but you’ve been in bumfuck nowhere for the past four summers! I’ve simply had more practice at these games than you, man. Okay, check this out—”
Andrew was cut off by Dipper knocking down all the bottles on the first throw. He walked away with a medium-sized stuffed elephant and left behind a jaw-dropped Andrew.
They tried a few games but gave up when they realized Dipper couldn’t be beaten, but Dipper shared his winnings with his friends. Sammi got a plush bee, Andrew a tiger, Trey the elephant, and Dipper a giant red worm on a string.
The group got ice cream and strolled down the boardwalk when they came across a tattoo parlor.
“Should we do it?” Sammi asked.
“Why not?” said Trey.
“Hell yeah,” Andrew said.
“Oh definitely,” Dipper said.
* * *
The group decided to get matching dungeons, dungeons, and more dungeons ankle tattoos of the 20-sided die. It was geometrically styled and didn’t give away the nerdy reference, but it was enough to tie the group together. Dipper had the easiest time dealing with the pain, considering his own sister did his first tattoo, and she was nowhere near professional. Trey barely felt it, Sammi grimaced a bit at the pain, and Andrew bit through his lip, trying not to cry out (“He’s trying to look tough for Trey,” Sammi whispered to Dipper as Trey joked with Andrew about it not being that painful.).
The group made their way back to Sammi’s car, which they had packed up prior to their boardwalk excursion.
“Alright, Dipper rides shotgun.” Sammi twirled her keys around her finger and pointed at Dipper with her other hand.
“What! Come on, Sammi, no fair,” whined Andrew.
Sammi shot him a glare.
“I mean, that’s fine, totally fine! Haha…” Andrew slipped in the backseat next to Trey. Dipper winked at Sammi, and she gave him a devious smile.
The car ride home was much quieter than the ride to the beach. Sammi played her “chill summer vibes” playlist, and Dipper leaned against the open window, the breeze ruffling his hair. Trey and Andrew fell asleep in the back, Andrew sitting by the window as Trey leaned on his shoulder from the middle seat. Sammi and Dipper shared a knowing look.
About an hour later, the group arrived at the first house.
“Trey!” Sammi called from the front seat. “This is you!” Trey blinked awake.
“Thanks, Sammi.” He turned and shook Andrew awake. Andrew opened his eyes. “Do you want to come in?”
Sammi and Dipper turned to look at each other so fast their heads nearly snapped off.
“I, uh, what did—” Andrew sputtered.
“Want to come in?” Trey asked again, voice level.”
“Ye- yeah. Sure,” Andrew responded.
“Cool.”
“Yeah, cool.”
The two grabbed their things and said their goodbyes to Sammi and Dipper.
“See you in the fall, Dip!” Andrew called.
“Send us a letter some time!” Trey said.
Sammi and Dipper continued their drive to Dipper’s.
“I am going to get every detail out of Andrew even if it means I don’t sleep for three days,” Sammi said.
“I cannot BELIEVE how right you are.”
“You better believe it!”
The car ride continued in a comfortable silence until they reached Dipper’s house. Sammi pulled in front of the lawn and turned to Dipper. She was biting her lip and was anxiously tapping her steering wheel.
“Sammi, you alright?” She took a shuddering breath.
“Dipper, I know you don’t give a lot of specifics about what you do over the summer, and that’s okay. But whatever you’re doing, you’re safe, right?
“Of course I’m being safe. Where is this coming from?”
“I worry about you- we all worry about you. I want to believe you, but I don’t know if I can.”
“I know there are rumors-”
“Oh please, you’re not stupid enough to join a cult or drug ring.”
“Exactly! I’m not stupid.”
“Then why do you have a protection symbol tattooed over your heart?”
“Oh, yeah, I…”
Sammi sighed. “I haven’t talked to anyone about that symbol, and Trey and Anthony are probably too dense to think too much about it. But you know you can talk to us, right?”
Dipper looks at her for a moment. “No, yeah, I know.”
“Do you?” Sammi searched his eyes for an answer. Dipper looked down at his hands. He said nothing.
“Promise me you will be safe this summer.”
Dipper said nothing, then: “I’ll see you all in the fall. I can promise that.”