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He was popular enough by playing pleasant with the girls and boys in his class. Once he was in the top he had immunity to be mean to lesser liked kids and still keep his sweet reputation up. Adults just loved to coo over his smart outfits thinking he was adorable in them. He would let the dumb soccer moms make their belittling comments and allow the family men their deep throat chuckling all while secretly seething beneath the polite smile. He had them wrapped around his petite pinky finger as long as he kept the sweet six year old act up.
It was a pretty sweet deal until the Pines twins showed up.
The girl he had admit was okay if not slightly annoying with her kindness. She had the crafting talent of a professional. Her works taking her half the time other students would take just to comprehend what the project was. Even though she struggled a bit with her work in that boring classroom her understanding of dimensions and measurements showed clearly in her sculptures. Her creativity even extended to her clothing, which consisted mainly of sweaters she made (her favorite one was one of a shooting star hence her nickname being Shooting Star to Bill.) and bright glitter. Intelligent with the arts above all. She also had one left hook and Bill liked her spunk.
The other twin was less social than his sister. Keeping to himself with a nose always buried in some book or gaming system. He was more on the pudgy side and his appearance an over all mess with the way he dressed. His curls were a bushy disaster -that made Bill subconsciously smooth his own tight curls- which were splattered across his forehead. He quickly plummeted down the social scale within the first day. When Bill wasn't teasing him others were, that is until his sister beat the snot out them. Yet despite his lame appearance he also showed to be a promising student with his grades rivaling Bill's top grades.
Bill had already showed promise by skipping 1st grade right into 3rd grade barley being six years old. With his grades he could have gone into 5th grade. A group of incompetent adults (the PTA) showed concern of him being out with older and bigger children and possible dangers of bullying. He had to keep his remarks in check the whole time and let his parents deal with it. Once the concerns were taken care of and with his parents seal of approval, Bill Cipher was the youngest 3rd grader at Gravity Falls Elementary.
The older students predictably made the mistake to try bully him into submission within the first week, he quickly got rid of that silly notion from their empty heads. (He might give out the impression of a well behaved child for his own selfish benefit, but those crossed he'd give a glimpse into his childishly cruel personality.) They had cornered him at the edge of the playground away from the prying eyes of the teachers. They laughed at his apparent helplessness and inability to defend himself. One especially stupid kid flicked his forehead with his forefinger. Bill glared at the wannabe bully.
"Aw is little Billy upset?" The boys jeered in mockery of the shorter boy.
Bill released a piercing scream before lunging his tiny body at the idiot who touched him.
When the teachers came, breathless from running, all they saw was the larger boy laying on the ground clutching his stomach in pain. Bill stood looming over him with his bow tie askew and his chubby cheek bruised. He kept his face down, hiding the cruel smile he couldn't hold back, chuckling in pleasure when the boy underneath whimpered in fear. The teachers must have mistaken the trembling in his shoulder from crying, because one of the teachers was rubbing his back trying to sooth him with words of comfort.
All it took where some crocodile tears and pouting lips to make the school side with Bill. He even got an apology from his "bullies". The boys were publicly scolded for bullying by their parents much to his delight. After all how could a 6 year old be held responsible for defending himself from a group of 8 year olds?
He smiled sweetly in satisfaction when they cowered from him the next day. As expected they didn't cause him a ruckus the rest of the year. Now much to Bill's dismay and outrage that over weight outcast was the one person who came between Bill and his rightfully top student award. He worked too hard for those grades and his gained popularity for that to happen.
The only problem was just looking at the boy made him sick. The way the boy would smile or the way he giggled made his stomach hurt and his face would feel hot like when he had a fever. He didn't like the way that other boy distracted him sometimes by wiggling into his thoughts without him noticing, like right now for example. The teacher was giving him a warning look.
"What's the answer." The teacher's tone was annoyed. He was clearly done with Bill's poor attention span.
"Huh?" He responded dumbly. Bill hadn't been paying attention for the last 10 minutes.
The teacher shook his head. "Pay attention Bill."
"Yes sir." He mutter cheeks flushing in frustration and embarrassment. He ignored the light snickers as the lesson continued. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dipper giggle into his hand making him feel a mixture of emotions he couldn't pin point. When the brunette caught him staring he stopped giggling and averted his eyes. Bill turned back to the board distractedly sorting his thoughts.
He was as clearly getting ill and Dipper was the cause of it. Bill hated the boy with a passion.
***
"Mom I think I'm sick"
"What makes you say that sweetie?" His mom press her palm on his forehead worriedly checking his temperature. "Tell me what you're feeling."
Bill went on to tell his mother his symptoms. Much to his confusion his mother chuckled by the end of his explanation.
"Silly boy, you're not sick. You just got your first crush!"
"How do you get rid of one?" He asked impatiently. He was annoyed with Mrs.Cipher's nonchalant attitude towards this very distressing matter.
"It might just go away naturally."
"If it doesn't?" He asked desperately. He needed these strange feelings to go away.
"Guess you just got to get them to like you back." She bopped him on the nose lightly. "But for now it's time to go to bed." Unknown to her, her teasing words made a greater impact on her son than she intended.
Bill turned on his side for sleep with a determined look on his face.
***
He did everything he could to attract the brunette's attention and each attempt ended in disaster. He was getting frustrated. Usually when he wanted something he'd get it just asking, it seemed like the most impossible thing to the get was the boy's attention. He wrote letters confessing his feelings and than made them into paper airplanes that he sent to the brunette. That ended badly when it hit the back of his head repeatedly by accident. He got him chocolates, but he turns out was allergic to walnuts. He tried giving him compliments, but they came out less flattering than he originally hoped. Who knew calling someone a big marshmallow could sound so harsh?
Maybe it was time for something more simple?
The answer came in bright yellow flowers that sprouted from the lavish grass in the field. Bill mercilessly ripped the flowers from the ground in one jerky tug. He made a face when he noticed clumps of misshapen dirt clinging desperately to the roots. Bill frowned and roughly shook most of the dirt off with his hands. Satisfied with his work he scanned the playground for the older boy.
He spotted Dipper by the trees in the back of the playground by himself. He saw Shooting Star out by the swings with two other girls who he mentally called Glasses and Monster. Once he was sure he coast was clear he jogged his way across the grass to Dipper.
Rocking back and forth from his toes to the balls of his feet in anticipation as he held the butchered flowers behind him. He couldn't wait to show Dipper his gift. This would without a doubt win over the other boy's affections in Bill's mind.
"Whatca doing Pine Tree?" He called out startling the brunette. He picked out that nickname when he found out the other boy liked to play under the pine trees like he was right now.
"Looking for fairies." The boy mumbled hunching his shoulders defensively as he turned to face Bill.
"But they live in deep in the forest, not some school playground. " Bill corrected nonchalantly. His mother read him enough old fairy tales to know this, none of that water down Disney crap children his age consumed mindlessly.
The brunette blinked mouth agape. "Really?" He seemed wary. "How do you know?"
"My mom told me." He frowned unsure of what to make of the other's reaction. "At least that's what books say."
"You mean books on folklore?"
"Maybe..." A bit of uncertainty mixing into his words. Bill didn't want to admit in not knowing something. Dipper must have known too.
"They're like fairy tales, except these stories are real with magic and real magical creatures." Dipper explained. "Not like Disney stuff, but actual supernatural things!"
"Oh yeah, than its some of that lore stuff!"
"Wanna hear about some stories my great uncle Ford told me?"
Bill was taken back, Dipper never tried to actually start a conversation with him. It made his chest warm thinking about.
"Yep!" He nodded enthusiastic , glasses rattling on his nose.
They got into a deep discussion on all the cool creatures the brunette knew. Dipper was talking so animated and he smiled so much Bill was glad he was there to witness it. It looked like Dipper wasn't going to bolt. This was the perfect moment to present his gift to the romantic in him reasoned. He cleared his throat getting Dipper to be quite.
"I got something for you Pine Tree."
"Wh-" Dipper's smile dropped and his breath hitched. Then pudgy boy screamed and pointed at the flowers in horror. Bill tilted his head in confusion unsure of what to make of this reaction. Did he not like these flowers? He gave them a once over.
On several of the roots there were tiny insects crawling on them that Bill hadn't noticed before. One of the most obvious was a big fat worm wiggling tangled and unable to escape in the tangled roots. Bill plucked the creature and felt it's bare skin against his palm. Bill couldn't help, but laugh in disgust.
"Oh my god get rid of it Bill!" The boy screeched taking several steps back from the younger boy.
He tried to smile reassuringly at Dipper, but the way the other boy was hyperventilating it seem didn't help. Dipper seemed on the verge of tears at this point with his eye watering. Bill himself wasn't feeling any better even as his lips widen into a bigger smile. He didn't want to squish the thing right in front of his crush and make him even more upset than he already was so he did the only thing that came to his panicked six year old brain.
He shoved the fat worm into his mouth and swallowed the slimy creature down in one gulp.
He continued to smile, resisting the urge to shiver when he felt the slimed creature slide slowly down his esophagus, trying to ignore the odd sensations and taste the worm left. Dipper looked a bit green and Bill furrowed his eyebrows unsure of what to make of what the brunette was thinking. Had he done the wrong thing, should he had squashed the bug instead?
***
Dipper started to cry earnestly when the teacher came to ask what happened. With snot running down his nose he just shook his head. He wasn't a snitch like Taylor. No one would like him if he snitched and than he be even more alone.
The teacher just sighed and shook her head. "Would you like to go inside and get a drink of water?"
Dipper nodded, sniffling as he wiped the tears and snot off his face with his pudgy hands. Once he was out of sight he sprinted hoping no one saw the ordeal which occurred outside, last thing he needed was to be called a cry baby. Or worst have Mabel know about it and be called a cry baby. He hated how the boys teased him, always making him cry when Mabel wasn't around.
He didn't want his sister-a girl-to save him. All the boys already make fun off him for not being able to defend himself against regular bullies his age. Now he was getting picked someone half his size and two years younger. For a moment he thought Bill was pretty cool and they seemed to be getting along. He had been stupid for thinking that.
He avoided Bill the rest of the day.
***
The next day during lunch Bill called him out into the halls.
Dipper was being such a cry baby and even got Bill a time out! It was total injustice in the 6 year's old head. Bill kicked his legs out slightly a frustrated growl creeping past his curled lips. Dipper took a step back whimpering. The last thing he need was Bill taking his anger on him.
"I-I like you!" Bill blurted. "I thought the flowers would make you like me back! Instead you had to be a big weenie over a worm and cried over it too!"
"Huh?" Dipper frowned unsure whether it was some cruel joke or something he should take seriously. He decided to give a neutral answer. "Giving me flowers won't make me like you."
"Why not?" Bill demanded stomping his foot angrily. "Adults do it all the time!" He tried reasoning.
"Because your a bully and always make fun of me." Dipper's pudgy hands curled up into fists. The younger boy was acting like he was being the unreasonable one. Like he had been tormented all this time.
"Not true." Those causal spoken words finally made something snap in Dipper.
"So true Bill you lair!" Dipper shoved Bill back with enough force to shove him onto his butt. His bulky glasses falling off in the process. "Why would I want to like a big bully and lair like you!" The boy screeched pent up frustration exploding. "You don't even like me I bet, just wanna make fun of the loner loser! It's not funny anymore Bill!"
Bill felt an unfamiliar prickling sensation at the corners of his eyes and a odd clutching feeling right above his heart. Suddenly he felt his actual size beneath the seething gaze of the older boy and he didn't like it. He scrambled to his feet, turned his heel, and ran away leaving a confused Dipper, along with his glasses behind
Bill went home early that day faking a a stomach ache.
***
The next day he ignored Dipper keeping his gaze on the used board and did all his work quietly. He wore his spare pair of glasses.
Dipper kept looking at him for the following week. None of his usual bullies picked on him that week.
***
"Okay class this is a project for a pair." The class cheered, noise rising as children excitedly called out each others name. "Assigned partners I should have added." There was a collective groan. As the names were being called Bill stared out the window bored, that cat outside providing more entertainment than the Rufus indoors.
"Bill with Dipper."
He whipped his head towards the teacher. Across the room he felt the prickling sensation of eyes on him. He turned to make eye contact with his crush. An uneasy knot coiled in his stomach.
Bill raised "Mr. Smith may I got to the bathroom!"
He didn't wait for an answer as he rushed out of the classroom. He pushed the wooden door to the old rest room and locked himself into the last stall. In the privacy of the stall he wiped the tears that had gathered around his eyes, his glasses ridding up his nose. He took a deep breath after a few minutes to unlock the stall and wash his face with water at the sink.
What did he care anyway. The boy was just a stupid fat cry baby? Yeah he didn't care.
Ignoring the way his stomach curled up inside he tried to smooth his tight curls and straighten his bow tie into a more presentable image. He lashed one more smile at the bathroom mirror before exiting the bathroom only to to bump into Dipper. The larger boy grabbed his shoulders to keep him from, landing on his bottom.
"B-bill there you are." He sounded breathless like he'd been running around.
"Yeah what do you want?" He spat keeping his eyes to the side. He couldn't afford to let Dipper see his blood shot eyes, it's give away the fact he was crying moments before
"I wanted to say uh." The boy seemed flustered stuttering worst than usual. He took a gulp of air before exhaling. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for yelling at you." Dipper played with his hands nervously, pulling at his fingers as Bill gave him a searching look.
"I don't care." He lied still refusing to look at the other boy's face. The last thing he needed was pity.
"I do. It was wrong of me." He reached into his pocket and presented Bill his other pair of glasses. "Here's your glasses."
"Thanks" He snatched his glasses from Dipper before pushing pass him. The teacher was going to wonder what was taking so long.
"Mabel says you got to be a gentleman through."
Bill stopped not sure he heard correctly. He turned around to see a red faced Dipper fidgeting in the middle of the hall.
"What does that mean?" He questioned, scrunching up his nose.
"Um," Dipper scratched the back of his head. "I think it means you got to hold the door for me and not bring me worms in my flowers, or chocolates with nuts, and not say mean things to me anymore."
"What all that?" Bill whined in his high pitched voice.
Dipper huffed his cheeks puffing up with air, they turned rosy. "If you don't want me to like you then you don't have to."
Bill jumped in panic, hands already up in protest. "No, no, no I'll do them!"
"Well good because I kinda like you a bit already!" The boy admitted happily.
Dipper dropped his crossed arms, easily pleased, and smiled brightly at Bill. He stepped over and pulled the boy against his round body. As they shared a hug Bill liked the way the bigger boy's full body was soft and round wrapping around him like a blanket. It warmed his heart.