Mabel POV

Melissa's hair was super amazing. It seemed to sparkle, to call to me. I was surprised that Dipper and I had a cousin, but I found myself drawn yet again to the beautiful sparkling hair on the mysterious girl's head. Dipper and Stan both stared at me in humiliation.

"So, Melissa." Stan broke the akward silence. It wasn't akward for me, but for them , very akward. "Come in! Come in! Don't mind Mabel, she doesn't mean any harm. It actually means she likes you! I think." Melissa looked over her shoulder at me, smirked, then followed Stan into the kitchen, where my plate of scrambled meat was still taunting me. How could someone make meat taste so bad?

Melissa sat down uncomfortably at the rickety table. Stan sat opposite her and Dipper sat in the seat next to her. I didn't sit, just stared at the back of my new found cousin's head. So sparkley. So so very sparkley. It put me in a trance. I almost didn't hear her wen she finally spoke.

"I come far away." She spoke airily, with some sort of accent. "I come by meself." Dipper nodded,so I assumed he had asked her a question while I was in my sparkle trance.

"Hey, Melissa! How'd you get your hair to be so amazing?" I pleaded with her to tell me for 2 minutes. She finally decided that I was worthy of her hair knowledge, and told me.

"I dye whole thing color, wait to grow, dye top 'nother color." She explained in her strange way. I nodded and made a sound of amazment. She was so smart! I had a sudden urge to go see if the summerween superstore was still open. They have the best dyes there. Then Stan seemed to find some manners hidden deep within that rude and repulsive mind of his.

"Oh, Melissa! You're probably thirsty or hungry!" He smacked his forehead with his palm. "Where did my manners go? Do you need anything?"

Where did your manners go? I repeated in my mind. To the moon! Boom! Mabel! You are on fire! I secretly gave myself a high five for my amazing insult.

"No thanks you. I really be fine." Melissa told him graciously. She stood up stretched." But am tired. Where's I be sleepin'?" She said glancing around the room.

"Oh! Right! You'll be sleeping with the twins upstairs." Stan told her and led her away up into the room I had grown to love with all those moldy spots I had named. I watched them go, Melissa's wonderful braid trailing behind her. It was strange how kind and respectful Stan was being to our cousin. He didn't welcome Dipper and I so nicely. Did he like her better than he liked us? No. That couldn't be it. Stan loved us a lot! Right?

"Dipper?" Dipper's head turned toward me. "Do you think Stan likes better than us?" I asked, ashamed for thinking such a thing. Dipper looked surprised.

"No. But there's definetly something off about her." He said in answer. He glanced at me, and we both raced to the attic. We both knew if something felt strange in Gravity Falls, it was. Plus, Dipper's book was up in the was coming out of our room just as we reached the top of the stairs. He looked at us strangely, then shook his head and headed back down stairs. Dipper ran into the attic room, with me trailing behind him. Melissa was sitting on my bed, studying my stuffed animals and the journal was a safe distance away. She turned around when she heard the door creak and smiled. Dipper sighed and closed the door.

"She hasn't looked yet. I don't think." He slid down the door and sighed with relief once more. Dipper and I went and found Soos and Wendy in gift shop. We told them about Melissa, then spent until dnnertime goofing off with them. We avoided Stan, who was helping Melissa unpack, and Melissa, who was unpacking. Finally Stan came into the gift shop to close up and tell Dipper and I that we were going out to eat. So we hopped in the back of his car, Melissa in the passenger's seat, and drove to the best restaurant in Gravity Falls. Greasey's Diner. Normally, I would have got a cup of ranch, but tonight, I got spaghetti. Actual noodles with actual sauce. Melissa was a magic worker.

"So how are you liking Oregon, Melissa?" Stan asked her without his mouth full like usual. She nodded and finished chewing.

"It have better food than where I from, least." she joked. "But people here seem nice and very pretty." She nodded again and turned to me. "Your Uncle met me with Toby, Bud Geeful, he son, Lazy Susan, and," She made a thinking face, then continued. "Oh I not remember all names. So many!" She smiled and laughed. I fake smiled and fake laughed in return. He had her meet all those people? I was angry at him for not doing the samewith dipper and I when we came. But I noticed she was avoiding eye contact with Dipper and couldn't help but wonder why.

We drove home in the dark, and I helped Stan with the dishes, or what dishes were dirty, in hopes of striking a conversation. But the dishes were too few and we were done with them before I could ask any questions. So I went up to the attic where Dipper and Melissa were talking loudly. I couldn't make out the words, but the tone was angry. So I opened the door a crack and tried to listen.

"Listen, Dipper. I seen he in your book." Melissa was accusing.

"So you did look in my book!" Dipper realized.

"Of course. I seen books that in past. but your have he in it."

"Yeah. So what? I didn't write it."

Melissa shook her beautiful head of hair. "But you only has he in book 'cause he your friend."

"No! No! I hate him! we're not friends!" Dipper sounded fearful.

She shook her head once more. "Your friends with triangle man." and then she made a triangle with her fingers and placed it over her eye.