Robot Wolf 26Z A/N: This was a fun one. Often with crushes you can find it hard to not only admit to yourself but your closest friends as well. Sometimes a leap of faith is needed. All I can say now is sit back, relax and enjoy
Sabrina06's A/N: I can't believe we actually pulled this one off. Humour, embarrassment and some gentle ribbing are in store for the gang as they search their feelings and admit the truth to themselves.
The Fireside girls were sitting in their clubhouse for their semi-weekly meeting. Isabella looked flustered as Adyson and Ginger wouldn't stop talking about something. She looked to her second in command for assistance. Gretchen put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly.
"Thank you Gretchen." Isabella commented. "Now, can we get this meeting under way?"
Gretchen noded simply as she once again took her post to Isabella's right. Once the ringing stopped in the other girls ears, Isabella continued, "As you know we only have a few months before we graduate from the Fireside Girls. Gretchen would you please give us a run-down of the last few patches we, as a group can earn?"
"Of course," Gretchen replied as she stood up again. She readjusted her beret and sash before pulling down a projection screen.
"Not another one of your slide shows," Adyson groaned.
"As you can see we have earned some of the more difficult patches. Of course the most difficult one has only been earned by one troop back in the Seventies, many other troops have tried and failed..." Gretchen trailed off slightly as she processed the idea of the patch.
She took a deep breath, held it for a moment and announced. "The Group Agreement Patch". Everyone looked around the room. "You mean we all have to agree on the same thing?" Katie inquired. Gretchen nodded and proceeded to read from The Fireside Girls' Manual.
"In order for a TROOP to earn this patch, all girls must agree upon and execute a task that is considered "of exceptional difficulty" (see appendix 6.9), and sign the agreement waiver (form 8.6). If one member of the TROOP fails to uphold their portion of the agreement, NOT ONE member of the TROOP will earn this patch."
Katie, Holly and Ginger gave a low whistle. Adyson and Milly looked at Gretchen and Isabella with open mouths. Gretchen looked back at Isabella with a slightly exasperated expression. Isabella stood next to Gretchen and spoke clearly and loudly.
"It was a joint decision on both mine and Gretchen's parts. I know all of us had disagreements in the past, especially when it came down to our crushes," Isabella said, glancing in Ginger's direction.
"So our task for, for," Gretchen started, then started stammering as she tried to inform the rest of the troop what task had been decided on.
"Our task for this patch is to accept and agree on crushes," Isabella cut in, saving Gretchen from tripping over her own words.
Adyson stood up. "Well, we know that Isabella's crush always has been and probably always will be: The Unattainable Phineas Flynn." There were snickers from most of the girls. Isabella rolled her eyes and blushed. "At least you didn't say the task would be to actually get any crush to notice us." Holly said and started to laugh behind her hand.
Gretchen looked to the podium and shuffled a few papers. "That was the second difficult patch." She muttered. Everyone, Isabella included, turned to her. "WHAT?"
Gretchen pointed to the screen as the next slide came up. "The Attain the Impossible Patch". She muttered and started handing out form 8.6 to the members of the Troop.
Gretchen avoided eye contact with Isabella when she handed the raven headed girl the form. As Gretchen handed Ginger her form, a small memory danced in her head. 'Who's the 'better' guy? Baljeet or Ferb?' Ginger had asked. Gretchen tried to shake the memory as she continued with the patch run-down. Isabella took back command as soon as the patches were explained.
"This is going to be hard," Gretchen muttered under her breath.
"So, what, we are just going to hash all this out right here and now?" Adyson inquired loudly, breaking into Gretchen's train of thought.
"No we have to fill out the forms and turn them in before we discuss it. This is one of the few patches where you fail the first time you don't get a second chance," Gretchen answered quickly.
The room fell silent. No one dared breathe once Gretchen uttered that last. "There is one condition." Gretchen said and turned to face everyone from the front of the room. "If you do not wish to earn this patch, you must leave the clubhouse and not return until you've been notified the task has been attempted by all remaining members."
Everyone looked at each other. The one junior member got up and left the clubhouse.
"Very well." Isabella said.
The scratching noises of pens on paper were heard for the next few minutes. Everyone then turned in their forms upside down to the podium where Isabella stood. "For the record... We: The Fireside Girls Troop 46231... Now embark on the task of completing The "Group Agreement Patch".
"So we all know who Ginger and Isabella are crushing on. Who's next?" Adyson commented from her position.
"How about you Adyson?" Holly shot back at the tall brunette.
"Uh," the tomboyish girl flushed a bright red in embarrassment.
"That's what I thought," Ginger started smirking.
"Does anyone of us have a crush?" Milly inquired. Holly, Katie and Gretchen remained silent; Gretchen was the only one of the three to not shake her head.
"It's not exactly a secret who Gretchen likes." Katie said. Gretchen's head whipped in her direction and her eyes went wide. "You like Toby. It's so obvious." Katie pointed out. Gretchen laughed nervously. "Right... Toby..." She replied.
"Gretchen, is there something you wish to tell us? Remember, Fireside Girls never tell a lie." Isabella pointed out. Gretchen looked around the room. 'I'm going to be ridiculed just like Ginger was.' She thought to herself. "I, uh, I... sort of, maybe..." her voice trailed off.
Gretchen's face was growing redder with each passing second as she stared down at her feet. She could feel the eyes of all of her troop-mates were focused on her. She managed to glance up at Isabella, whom was wearing a curious and interested expression.
"Well, Gretchen?" Isabella inquired.
Gretchen took a deep breath and shut her eyes tightly before managing to squeak out; "Ferb."
Complete silence met her admission. Gretchen looked up to see several shocked expressions. Gretchen became uneasy as no-one spoke. She shifted foot to foot. Only Ginger was not shocked to hear Gretchen's statement, she had known for three years about it.
Ginger coughed, then glanced around and broke the silence. "That's great Gretchen. I mean... he's almost perfect for you."
Gretchen shrank down behind the podium.
"What's that supposed to mean? Almost perfect? HA!" Adyson exclaimed. Ginger stood up and confronted her. "Who's the only member of the Troop who can, at any time, give a full explanation of what needs to be done for any given patch? Gretchen. Who's the only member who can be counted upon to research anything for anyone of us? Gretchen. Who's the only..." Ginger ranted before Adyson cut her off. "Okay! I get it. Gretchen's smarter than the rest of us put together. But that doesn't explain why she's got a crush on Ferb."
The rest of the girls, Isabella included started listing off everything they could think of about their friend. "He's smart, resourceful, compassionate. He corrects all minute calculations in their projects to ensure no one gets hurt. He's helpful. He listens. He cares about his friends."
Gretchen couldn't hear anything, she was too busy trying to recite the Fireside Girls' 1001 regulations to herself. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up and saw the rest of the Troop looking at her.
Face still red with a mixture of embarrassment and the fact that she had a crush on Ferb Fletcher. She stood up slowly. Full of apprehension, she slowly pulled out several sheets with several columns and passed them around.
"So we aren't going to change the said crushes. Basically the good, the bad and the ugly, and everything in between," Gretchen's voice was pitched soft and she spoke quickly.
"Weren't you listening to what we were saying?" Holly inquired.
Gretchen shook her head simply and gave a nervous smile. It was a smile she frequently gave new people, and it revealed her fear of being teased for liking the green haired inventor.
"Okay girls. The Group Agreement Patch awaits." Isabella said as she clapped her hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Gretchen, can you please explain the next step?" She asked with a smile.
Gretchen looked around at the Troop. She picked up a dry errase marker and went to the white board. "Okay, we've got..." she tried to write Isabella's name down but her hand was shaking too much. Isabella came over and with a smile took the marker from her friend's hand, she then nodded. Gretchen continued to speak. "We've got Isabella who likes Phineas. Ginger likes Baljeet... I like Ferb..." She said this so quiet even Isabella had a hard time hearing her.
Adyson interrupted. "Oh, all right. If Gretchen can admit it... I like..."
Adyson faltered as all the girls stares became focused on her. Isabella waved her hand in a motion for Adyson to just spit it out.
"Buford."
Everyone exchanged glances, not sure if Adyson was kidding or not. Gretchen gave a simple nod and Isabella wrote it down.
Milly groaned then sighed. "I've liked Django for the past four years." She admitted. Katie looked to her friend then to Isabella. "I might have developed a crush on Matt." Holly face palmed. "I'm crushing on Bill." She said this almost as quietly as Gretchen's admission.
"That wasn't so bad now was it girls?" Isabella said with a smile on her face. Gretchen, along with everyone else, glared at her. "Just think Gretchen, if things work out for the both of us... we might be related." The leader of the Troop said. The shortest member's eyes went wide, her face went red and she shook her head vehemently. "Don't tell a soul. You can't." She pleaded.
"But Gretch," Isabella began as the smaller girl shook her head so violently that her glasses fell off.
Gretchen muttered something obscure under her breath as she stood down to pick up the frames. She replaced them on her face as she straighten back up. She adjusted her glasses and they glinted under the artificial lighting. Her face was still a bright red.
"I'm serious Isabella. You can't tell anyone outside of the people in here right now," Gretchen's dark blue eyes were pleading with the taller girl.
Isabella sighed, "Alright I promise, I won't tell anyone."