Benjamin Cipher had bad luck this morning.

First, he'd been late to the debate club meeting. All because William decided to "review" his notes at three in the morning and forgot where he put them. And because William's room was a mess, it took hours to find all six pages- all of which were scattered about his room.

Then, he had to walk through the woods and into the town. And only when he got to the school did he see the sign that said the meeting was rescheduled.

How fun.

Still, he was out and the walk back home was long, so what was the harm in staying out in town for a bit?

Well, he wasn't exactly a people-person. Large groups made him uncomfortable and tense. His hands would become fidgety, and his eyes darted everywhere. It didn't exactly help that he always seemed a bit out of place.

Even in his family, he knew he didn't fully belong. His brothers were full of energy and were people-people. They just did better in the public eye. They thrived off attention and spotlight.

Then, there Ben was. Quiet, introverted, and intrinsically motivated. Being alone was where he benefited. He did better with machines, books, and plants than he did with people and animals.

Everyone described him as... different. That just seemed like a nice word for weird.

The only person who really seemed to get that was his newest sibling. A human girl named Ida Micheals. Well, Ida Micheals-Cipher now. She'd been adopted by the Ciphers only a few months prior. His dad, Bill, had known her for years before. She also was a bit strange.

She meshed well with the rest of the Ciphers. She could be quiet and listening, or energetic and talkative. She was troubled, though. From what he gathered from her life, she was pretty miserable. Life with the Ciphers seemed to be a thousand times better for her.

He understood that feeling of living a life so horrible, then being brought to a home with the Ciphers.

A home.

That word still felt funny some days.

So, that was what landed him by the creek. It was one of his favorite places. The Sun would glint in the ripples, and shine on fish's scales. The water was cold and dust would scatter through it.

Ben put his hand in the water, feeling the cold tingle his skin. Dust got into his fingernails and small fish swam around his hand.

Everything about the creek was like all the wonderful things about Gravity Falls. He just felt happier there.

"Benjamin!"

The boy's voice startled him. He jolted, making the fish dart away. A kid in purple ran to him, his unbrushed hair messy. "Ben! Did you seriously forget?" William called to his brother.

Ben stared at him quizzically. "Forget what?" He asked.

William reached his brother and grabbed his sleeve. "Zace's tennis team is playing in a few minutes." He yanked him up. "To go to the championships."

"Oh-" Benjamin blinked a few times. "Oh, right-"