Mystery Kids - Opposite Personality AU

road trip

Wybie did most of the talking on the ride to Gravity Falls, but he was used to it. Coraline was listening, as usual, and she only let her hood fall during the good parts of the conversation. She may have been a girl of few words, and people knew that well enough to make fun of her for it, but she was definitely the best listener Wybie knew. 

He appreciated that. 

Coraline glanced over at him when he quieted down, only to see him not-so-discreetly trying to fix his hair. She smirked to herself. If he actually realized how well-groomed the curls on his head were, he wouldn't have made the effort to try and see himself in the smallest rear-view mirror probably made in history.

"You don't need to do that, you know," she said quietly, but loudly enough for Wybie to hear.

"There's your voice! I missed it," he chuckled, leaning back into his side of the peeling mess that was the backseat of the car. Coraline smiled and shook her head, leaning back with him. She turned her head toward the window again, her stare refixing itself on the trees and scenery rushing past like they were in a hurry. 

"So what exactly is this... Gravity Falls?" Coraline asked no one in particular. Usually, she would've just kept it in her head, but she felt a little guilty for being stone-cold silent the entire ride. 

"Not sure," Wybie replied, his eyes following the huge "Welcome to Gravity Falls" billboard as it sped past the car. "Can't be much farther down the road, though."

Suddenly, he gasped in surprise, causing Coraline to jump.

"Wait! I totally know about Gravity Falls!"

"Wait, I--uh--what?" 

Wybie practically hopped around to face Coraline, his face glowing with excitement.

"All the urban legends and unexplained mysteries I've seen online have mostly come from around here. Isn't that exciting?! If we're lucky, we might have the chance to witness something!"

Coraline waited until Wybie faced the window again to slowly slump down and yank her hood down over her eyes.

Urban legends? Unexplained mysteries? Things like that kept her awake for days until they became weeks. If she had to deal with that in real life, she'd snap like a twig.

She brought a strand of her wavy chocolate brown hair in front of her face and let the blue-tipped fibers gently flutter in the breeze coming in from the window. She enjoyed moments like these, where she could allow her mind to wander wherever it wanted to, yet keep her mind off it at the same time. 

"We're here," her mom announced moments later, rolling the car to a slow stop. Coraline craned her neck so she could see out the window, but the dust that kicked up under the car's tires made Coraline sneeze. She cowered back into the car and decided to look from a better distance.

"Mystery... Hack?"

When the wind pulled the dust back to the ground, she saw the shadowy outline where an S was. 

"Wow, okay," she mumbled, pushing the car door open. For a few moments, she stared at the ground below her outstretched boot that would soon have the outline of a footprint in it. From now until the end of summer, she'd be here.

That hadn't quite sunk in until now.

"Getting nervous again?" Wybie called from the open trunk of the car, peering in at her.

"No, no, no, just thinking," Coraline lied, practically shrinking as she stepped out into the open air. 

"You think too much," Wybie teased, wheeling Coraline's (surprisingly light) suitcase over to her. He marveled at the difference in size and weight between his and hers for a moment. "Oh, wow. You do realize we're staying here for three months, right?"

"Be quiet," Coraline chuckled softly, wrapping her fingers around the handle of her suitcase. She was startled by a sudden hug from her mother, who had somehow made it around the car to her and Wybie without her noticing.

"Have a good summer, okay? You brought water with you, right?" 

Coraline nodded, even though she couldn't remember if she actually did.

"Good. You too, Wybie?"

"Yup!"

"Great!" She looked back at Coraline, who was now pretending to take interest in the way her shoelaces shuddered in the wind. "You have all your extra clothes?"

"Yeah, Mom."

"Shoes?"

"Mm-hm."

"Your phone? Laptop?"

"Yep."

"You remember our phone numbers, right?"

"Yep," Coraline replied, even though she had them in her contacts.

"Do you have your glasses?"

"Yeah, I'm just wearing my contacts."

"Your snacks, too, right?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Mm-hm."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome. Be careful, okay, sweetie? Love you!"

"Love you more," Coraline said, cracking a half smile. She knew her mom could be exhaustingly smothering at times, but the experience she'd had with the Beldam a few years back told her that it was something she had to love her mom for. "Don't miss me too much."

She waited for her mom to drive off before she was able to start talking to Wybie again.

"Alright, you ready?" 

"Are you?" Wybie asked. 

Coraline shook her head and started toward the area where she could see a group of kids crowding together already. Today's share of talking had already been done on her part.