The new girl in Gravity Falls; by Joona Irene

Listening

By Joona Irene

The next morning I stayed in the tree. The Triangle had left a long time ago, during the night. I didn't even try to pretend to sleep, but what had gotten my attention was an impact from a rock on the back of my leg.
        "Hah! I got it!" I heard a voice say from below. Great, teenagers, I thought. Slowly I sat up and smiled as they proceeded to freak out.
        "Oh my gosh it's a person!" squeaked a girl.
        "Wait, it's a girl? What did you guys make me do? Is she okay?"
        "We should get out of here guys!"
Then I listened to them bolt away. I chuckled. At least I didn't have to lecture them now. I stretched, the morning sun feeling warm on my face. A cool breeze passed through the trees, making them hiss and bend. The sun was up in the sky, climbing steadily from where it'd initially broken the horizon.
        "Hmm..." I said aloud. "Where will I go today?"
        Anywhere would be fine. I might as well pick up on the local color since I was staying for a little while. I leaped from the tree to the ground, dusted off a twig caught in my "hair" and started walking.
        I avoided the Mystery Shack and instead walked right through town. The streets were clean, earthy and worn. Windows were filled with strange advertisements and I picked up some local slang.
        "'Sup Tambers!" I heard a boy call to a girl, who was looking at her cellular device. She briefly glanced at him with a frown.
        "Don't call me Tambers. I'm TamBRY." The guy laughed at her.
        "Hah! Classic Tambers." he ran away. I didn't follow the girl, but instead kept walking. As the hour passed I realized that "cool" was still used and popular, but was much more applicable than I thought. "Heavy" was no longer used, instead it was "rough" or "sucks."
        At about noon I decided I should go into a food place. I noticed Greasy's Diner looked empty enough, so I went inside.
        The air was thicker in here than it was outside. If I could smell it'd probably smell like grease, due to that name. A woman with way too much make-up and one eye closed came up to me.
        "Hi!" she said. "I'm Susan. Welcome to my diner. Take a seat! I'll be right with you." I nodded.
        "Thanks." I said. I chose a booth, putting my back to the doorway, and proceeded to practice the slang I'd learned. I noticed that Susan was hitting the top of a pie rack. Her aura was simple and nice.
        "That's so cool." I whispered. "Oh, I'm sorry that sucks." I smiled. "Like a vacuum? I wonder if that'll catch on. That sucks like a vacuum. Hm. Geeze it's way way up there man. That sucks. Wow, you totally made that jump, that's so cool!" Then I saw Susan walking towards me.
        "Hi. What can I getcha?" she asked, a pencil and paper ready.
        "Um...what kind of sandwiches do you have?" I asked.
        "We have meat, and peanut butter, and a different kind of meat, and chili..." Susan started listing them off.
        "Could you put a piece of lettuce between two slices of bread, and I'd also like a glass of ice." I asked. She wrote it down.
        "Okay!" she said, not even phased. I blinked at that. Typically waiters would ask why such a strange order, wow a glass of just ice how weird, and I'd make up a lie like I'm on a diet, stomach surgery recovery, something like that. I drummed my fingers on the table and looked out the window.
        I looked at the people who passed by. Some of them had questionable aura's but in general they all seemed fine. I decided not to get too involved with anybody here. Just then I saw Dipper and Mabel. They were talking together, Mabel waving her arms around slightly, and Dipper seemed frustrated. And, oh look, they're coming towards the diner. They got closer and closer...Then Dipper and Mabel looked up from their conversation. Dipper then saw me in the window.
        Snap (that was another one I just learned) he saw me! What do I do? No, what does protocol say? Social situation...wave! That's right, just wave friendly-like. I raised my hand and waved it, with a small smile. He grimaced and turned, walking in the other direction. Mabel looked disappointed and followed, did she see me too?
        Just then my food came.
        "Enjoy!" Susan said, setting it down.
        "Thanks. How much will that be?" I asked.
        "About a dollar." she said. I smiled and pulled it out from my pocket, handing it to her.
        "Okay!" Susan said, taking the bill and walking away. Then I proceeded to eat the sandwich, trying to take bites instead of swallowing it whole. Then I ate the ice one cube at a time.
        The food fell down my throat and was dissolved by my plasmatic energy core. The energy filled me up with excitement, and movement. I felt alive and ready to face the day, instead of calm and cool.
        Careful Lilac,  I thought to myself. You must be careful. I sighed, repressing my new energy.
I looked out the window again. Dipper and Mabel were long gone. I thought about the face Dipper made. Such confusion, anger, disgust...was it me? Did I do something to him? Maybe it was because I nearly broke his arm yesterday. Yes, that could be it. I stayed still for a few more moments, practicing the new words I'd learned, and then left the diner.

        I aimlessly wandered the streets, contemplating peoples conversations and admiring the trees. I tried hard to not stare at the sky too much. Sometimes people thought that was weird. The sun was beginning to sink in the sky and I kept thinking about those twins.
        "I should probably find out." I said to myself. Oops. Dang it, I need to stop talking out loud by myself.
        I remembered that they were staying at the "tourist trap" called the Mystery Shack. I looked to my left and there was a sign with a huge arrow telling me just where it was. Perfect.
       
        "Step right up!" I heard an old man say in the distance. I could see a crowd of people gathering around him. Hm. I don't think I like him. His aura was light brown and orange. Separately, they were okay colors to have, but together they make somebody who doesn't get along with people. Regardless, he seemed to run this place, so when the crowd was inside and he was about to enter in behind them I tapped his shoulder.
        The fez was a nice touch, the eye patch obviously fake, and I really liked his eight-ball cane. I couldn't help but notice he looked familiar to me.
        "Welcome to the Mystery Shack kid!" he said in a loud voice and a big smile. "Wonders beyond your comprehension! Come, come in!"
        "Can I see Dipper and Mabel?" I asked him.
        "Oh, so you're not here to shop huh? Well, maybe you can swing by the gift shop later then, on your way out. KIDS!" he yelled. "There's a girl here!" Then he went inside to tend to his...crowd. So he's the tourist trapper, then. I wonder what he does once they are in the trap? Skin them? Beat them? Make them do tricks?
        I stood thinking about it outside when I saw two aura's coming towards me. Dipper and Mabel.
        "Lilac! Wh-what are you doing here?" Dipper asked nervously, his brow furrowed. Mabel greeted me with a smile.
        "YAY! You came back!" she hugged me. "It's great to see you again Lilac."
        "Yeah, I just wanted to check on you guys, and um...thanks for being to nice to me. You know, because I'm new and all." I said. Mabel let me go from the hug and started stroking my hair.
        "Wanna hang out ag-" Mabel was interrupted by Dipper.
        "Mabel!" he said, wide eyed. "Can I talk to you in private?" he tugged his sister around the corner of the shack. I was tempted to listen in. I could see their aura's through the building-they weren't very far away. I could sneak around and listen. Seems harmless enough. So I snuck around, pressing my body close to the shack, and listened.
        "...but we can't trust anything he says!" Dipper was saying. "I know that. Ever since he took my body and invaded Stan's mind I knew that. But I have a feeling he's right about her. Think about it Mabel!"
        "I AM thinking about it Dipper. That's why you're wrong. She's nice! She's new too. And she didn't recognize the journal like Bill said she would. He was wrong Dipper. He just doesn't want you to make friends! He's trying to bully you." Mabel said. I looked and her arms were folded, a firm frown planted on her face. Dipper sighed.
        "I'm just so tired." he said softly, putting his hand on his forehead. "Bill won't leave me alone! All week he's been in my dreams, messing them up, giving me nightmares...uh."
        "It's okay Dipper." Mabel put her arm around him. "He's just a dream bully. We can find a way to stop him."
        "It's just...he is right about her, Mabel. He's right about Lilac. She's different! She's strange...I just don't think that she is everything he said, but some of it is true. But then, what isn't true? Uh! So confusing." he rubbed his eyes. I could tell Mabel didn't know what to say. But I did. I coughed and stepped out.
        "Hey guys!" I said cheerfully. "I wanted to know if you wanted to play."