Ginger looked around the cafeteria table at her friends' faces. "We're still on for our meeting tomorrow evening?" She inquired. Adyson nodded, as did Katie, Holly, and Milly. Gretchen sighed and looked at Isabella, "Will you be there?"
Isabella seemed taken aback. "Of course I'll be there. Why wouldn't I be?" The girls looked at each other; it was Katie who spoke up. "You've missed the last three meetings because you've been out with Phineas."
Isabella was at a loss for words. "Those meetings were cancelled, I cancelled them myself." Gretchen looked up as the guys walked in, "Cancelling ten minutes before the meeting starts, doesn't count. Now here come the guys." She shifted along the bench to make room for Ferb to sit beside her.
Phineas took his seat beside Isabella. Buford sat between Adyson and Milly and Baljeet sat beside Ginger.
Ginger smiled at Baljeet. "Are you able to come over to help me with my homework after school?" Baljeet nodded, "Of course I will help you study. Which subject to you need assistance with today?"
Buford, always the one to point out the obvious, "She don't need help studying, nerd…" The rest of the table did their best to not burst out laughing.
Phineas wrapped his arm around Isabella's shoulders. "I've got tickets to the concert tomorrow night. Wanna go?" Isabella's pupils transformed into little hearts. "Of course. I'd love to go to the concert with you."
Adyson coughed loudly. "We had plans tomorrow? Or did you forget?" The rest of the girls let out a collective sigh. Holly pushed her lunch away, "So much for our meeting."
Isabella tried to make her friends understand. "We can still have our meeting." She turned to Phineas, "What time does the concert start?" He checked his phone, "The concert starts at eight, though we should get there by seven to get our seats."
Isabella turned back to her friends. "See, the concert starts at eight. If we start the meeting straight after school... " She looked between her friends and Phineas. "I'll be home in time to get ready."
Friday afternoon Isabella left the school and rushed home, she didn't even wait to walk with Phineas; she had to get ready for tonight.
Isabella flung the front door open and closed it behind herself as she dropped her school bag, slipped off her shoes and shrugged out of her jacket. "I'm home Mama! I've got a date tonight with Phineas and I need to get ready! I'm going to have a shower now!" She called as she hurried up the stairs and locked the bathroom door.
Adyson and Gretchen were collecting their books from their lockers. "Twenty bucks says that Isabella's left the school." Adyson nudged her shorter friend. Gretchen sighed, "I'm sure she's half way home by now."
Ginger walked down the hallway as though she owned it. "Hey girls!" She called out as she neared her friends. "Where's Isabella?"
Gretchen and Adyson shared a glance, the former adding an eye roll for good measure. "Not here." Adyson pointed out as she closed her locker. "So, we going to have our meeting anyhow?" Gretchen shrugged her response.
Ginger stood with her hip cocked. "We should, at least we can focus." Adyson raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Are you going to run the moment Baljeet calls?"
Ginger's jaw dropped, "I don't run to Baljeet." She scoffed, "At least I don't blush so much it seems as though I'm sunburned." She gave a pointed stare toward Gretchen, who blushed red.
Adyson shook her head. "Gretchen and Ferb do their thing on their time. I've never heard anything about them." Ginger nodded, "Exactly… we should have heard something about what they do."
Gretchen's head and neck had turned a violent shade of red, she reached into her bag, retrieved her water bottle and took a long drink.
The girls turned to look toward the end of the hallway when the unmistakable bark of Buford's laughter exploded. The guys were coming down the hallway and something had obviously struck Buford as hilarious, he was still trying to catch his breath.
Ginger struck a pose and twirled a lock of hair around her index finger. "Hey Baljeet." She couldn't help the giggle that escaped. Gretchen turned her eyes up to Ferb who had silently stepped a little closer and they shared a small smile.
Buford finally stopped laughing. "Hey Sweetwater, with Girly gone fer the day, you wanna do sumtin'?" Adyson laughed at him. "You know we've got a meeting, but we shouldn't be long," she checked her phone for the time, "Give me… two hours? Then I'll meet you at Slushy Dog."
Buford nodded. "Sounds good." He then looked to the other two guys. "You guys wanna come along too? We'll clean out the back o' my truck and take the girls to the beach tonight."
Ginger shook her head and shivered. "I'm not going to the beach, it's too cold." She then looked to the girls, "Don't you agree?"
Adyson smirked at her fashionista friend. "Just snuggle down under a blanket. That's what I plan to do." She then looked at Gretchen, "How about you guys? You in?"
Gretchen looked up at Ferb and tilted her head to the side, silently asking if he wanted to go or would he rather spend time with her away from everyone else. He twitched an eyebrow in response, indicating that they could take his car and leave when they felt ready. Gretchen offered a slight nose wiggle that communicated she thought that was a great idea. Gretchen then looked at Adyson. "We'll take Ferb's car. If that's agreeable."
Buford shook his head. "I still need help cleaning out the back of the truck." Ferb sighed, "I can lend a hand."
Buford studied his green-haired friend a moment. "You and Short Stuff gunna ride in your car? That so ya don't feel like a third wheel or-"
"Stop right there, Buford." Gretchen stated. "If we take Ferb's car and you and Adyson are in your truck, no one is squashed." She pointed out then looked to Adyson for backup. "The cooler won't fit in Ferb's trunk, I know Buford's going to want enough food to feed a group of eighty… just for himself. We can put blankets and whatnot in the trunk." Adyson pondered what her friend was saying and nodded. "You've got a point."
"Okay, we'll volunteer at the seniors' centre and look into starting up a school based daycare." Gretchen recapped the meeting. Adyson stood up and pulled her phone out of her pocket as she made her way to the door. "See you in an hour Gretchen. Night Ginger."
Ginger waved as Adyson left, not taking her eyes off the text she was in the middle of composing.
Gretchen put her tablet away, "Are you able to lock up?" She paused, waiting for a reply. "Ginger?" She tried again, "Are you able to lock up?"
"Yeah, sure… whatever. Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do." Ginger waved Gretchen off and continued with her text.
Gretchen started walking home from her meeting when a silver coupe drove up and slowed down. She could feel the base pulsating from the ground up her legs. The window lowered and the doors unlocked. "Need a ride?" A smooth voice asked from inside the car.
Gretchen blushed and opened the car door. "Thank you." She smiled as she pulled her seatbelt on. She leaned back into the comfortable leather seat and rested her head against the headrest.
"Tough meeting?" Ferb inquired of his girlfriend who sighed and turned to look at him. He reached over and took her hand in his, placing it on the shift as he drove. "Would you like another driving lesson?" He smirked.
Gretchen blushed. "You drive a six-speed, I somehow managed to not strip your gears the last time you tried teaching me." Ferb rubbed his thumb in a circle on the back of her hand, "You're too hard on yourself, you're a great driver." He smiled, "The blankets are in the trunk. I also took the liberty of picking up some water and sodas for us to drink, as well as a couple bags of pretzels. I thought we'd go out for pizza before I take you home.
Gretchen smiled. "That sounds like a plan," she said and pulled her wallet out of her bag, "Can we stop at the ATM first?" Ferb raised an eyebrow, "No need. I've got everything covered."
Gretchen's brow creased, "You need to stop paying my way. It's not fair." The car pulled to a stop at the red light and Ferb turned to face her, taking her hand in his. "I want to." He told her and touched her cheek with his other hand. "You know I don't ask anything from you except a couple hours of your time."
"Now remember Phineas, park the car in stall 227." Lawrence instructed his step-son. "It's reserved for our use whenever we need it." Phineas nodded his understanding as he reached for the keys his father was holding out. "Got it Dad, stall 227."
Lawrence kept hold of the keys a moment longer, "What time is the concert over?" Phineas stepped from foot to foot, he knew that Isabella would be waiting for him. "It should be over by 10:30. I was hoping to stop for burgers on the way home." The teen gratefully accepted the keys that were dropped into his hand, at long last.
Phineas headed to the door as Lawrence sat in his comfy chair to watch TV.
"I've got my keys, there's no need to wait up." Phineas called as he closed the door behind himself and made his way across the street. He knocked on the front door to the Garcia-Shapiro house. The door opened and Isabella stepped out, adjusting her purse strap. "Goodnight Mama! I'll be home late." She then closed the door before her mother could reply.
The young couple walked back to the Flynn-Fletcher house and got into Lawrence's blue car. Isabella adjusted the radio and the temperature controls. "You really need to get your truck fixed." She told her boyfriend. Phineas nodded, "I know, I just need $600 dollars and five hours to fix it up."
Isabella thought for a minute or two while Phineas drove. "I could help you come up with the money. I've got some saved up for a car you can have." Phineas smiled at her offer, "It's okay. I've got the money, I just need to sign some papers to access it."
They drove downtown, talking about a bit of this and a bit of that. Phineas found the parkade and entered. He headed up to the second level and slowed down, searching for stall 227. He pulled in and killed the engine. He smiled as he turned to Isabella, "Ready?"
Isabella smiled back as they got out of the car and made their way over to the concert. "This is going to be so much fun!" She squealed. Phineas reached for her hand, "How was your meeting?"
Isabella stopped walking. "My what?" Phineas chuckled and swung their arms, "Your meeting. You know… the one you were at after school?"
Isabella blanched. "I didn't have a meeting today… I had to get ready for... " she trailed off as she recalled the conversation over lunch yesterday, a lifetime ago. "The girls are going to hate me." She lamented.
"I doubt they'll hate you." Phineas consoled. Isabella turned her violet eyes to him, "They'll never speak to me again. They always say I'm more interested in our relationship than working with them."
"Is that true?" He inquired. Isabella started to slowly move forward. "No… yes… maybe… I don't know. They're my best friends, but I keep letting them down. I know they'd do anything for me; they have done everything for me."
Phineas kept pace with her. "Have you told them how much you appreciate them?" He inquired and Isabella stopped walking again and looked at him. "I'm sure I have. They must know. We're all best friends. I don't tell Buford or Baljeet how much I appreciate them."
Phineas silently pondered what she said. "Maybe you should call them, tell them you'll meet up with them tomorrow." He suggested. Isabella shook her head. "They're all busy tonight. Adyson and Buford are inseparable Friday nights, same with Ginger and Baljeet."
Phineas sighed, "I guess you know your friends best. I still say you should call them." Isabella pulled out her phone. "I'll send a quick text. Maybe they'll be able to hang out tomorrow for a bit."
They arrived at the gate and Phineas pulled the tickets out of his pocket. They entered the venue and made their way to their seats.
Ginger pulled her phone out of her pocket and read the incoming text and formulated her reply before tapping the 'Send' button.
Baljeet was used to Ginger paying more attention to her phone than to him every time it chimed. "Was that one of your friends?" He inquired and Ginger nodded. "Yeah, Isabella. She's just realized she missed the meeting this afternoon."
Baljeet took the shopping bag Ginger held out. "Were you not saying that Isabella has not attended a number of meetings that you and the girls have held?" Ginger nodded in response as she concentrated on another text.
Baljeet knew he just had to keep quiet and keep pace while Ginger was on her phone. She helped Gretchen and Adyson keep the schedule. He checked the time and pointed to the food court. Ginger nodded and followed, hardly taking her eyes off her phone.
Ginger took a seat at an empty table and smiled at her boyfriend. "Can you get me a chicken salad from Sandwich Stop?" Baljeet sat down and placed Ginger's shopping on the seat beside him. "In a moment. I am wondering, how do Adyson and Gretchen feel about Isabella not attending these meetings?"
Ginger shook her head and took the ponytail out of her hair, letting it cascade over her shoulders and down her back. "They don't care. Adyson feels that if Isabella were really interested, she'd be there. Gretchen's just given up and doesn't expect her to show."
"That is too bad. What are your thoughts on the matter?" He inquired as he checked his wallet to make sure he had enough cash. Ginger rubbed her temples, "I wish she'd make up her mind if she's still part of the group or not."
Baljeet stood up, "I will get you your chicken salad now, would you like anything to drink?" Ginger thought a moment. "Can you get me a water?" Baljeet smiled and nodded then went to stand in line.
Ginger watched as Baljet stood in line. He's such an awesome boyfriend. Buford and Ferb don't go shopping with Adyson and Gretchen. Though I'm not sure Gretchen ever goes shopping. I know Adyson goes shopping sometimes, but never with Buford. Maybe I should invite Gretchen out shopping with me, she could use a new look. Ginger took her phone out and sent a text to Gretchen.
At the beach, Gretchen and Ferb were sitting against a log under a blanket; Gretchen snuggled up close to him. They were looking out over the water aware that their friends were back at Buford's truck bringing the small cooler of snacks. Ferb would help with the larger cooler after a bit.
Gretchen's phone buzzed a text, but she had left it in the glove box of Ferb's car.
Ferb wrapped an arm around his girlfriend, pulling her closer. He then leaned over and kissed her. Once the kiss finished, Gretchen smiled up at him. "What was that for?" She teased and he kissed her again.
Adyson and Buford came back with the snack cooler. "Ah, geez… Do ya hafta do that here where we can see ya? Buford complained. Ferb raised an eyebrow at his friend, "Would you rather we be on top of the blanket?" Gretchen turned a brilliant shade of red at the statement.
Adyson lightly punched Buford in the arm, "They're just making out a bit, you were telling me you'd-" She was cut off when Buford grabbed her and pulled her close, "We do what we do. Buford don't wanna know what his friends do."
Adyson wiggled out of Buford's arms and sat on Gretchen's other side. "You hear from Ginger?" Gretchen shook her head in reply, "I left my phone in the car."
Adyson blinked at her friend. "Let me get this straight. You left your phone in Ferb's car?" Gretchen nodded and Adyson facepalmed. "How could you do that? What if someone was trying to call you?"
Gretchen pulled back and bumped into her boyfriend. "If it's important they can leave a message." She pointed out and Adyson shoved her phone into Gretchen's face. "Ginger wants us to get together tomorrow with Isabella."
Gretchen reached out and held onto Adyson's wrist. "Stop moving, I can't read a jumpy screen." Ferb wrapped his arms around his tiny girlfriend and whispered in her ear; making her relax. Gretchen tilted her head to look at him, then back to Adyson. "I'll have to check with my parents. They were expecting my help around the house tomorrow."
Buford heard this and barked a laugh. "You… help out around the house? What' you gunna do? The laundry? The dishes?" Gretchen's features became hard and clouded. "I'm going to help my father instal new kitchen lighting."
Ferb smiled inwardly to himself, he always knew that Gretchen was a rival to himself when it came to handy-work. He was also quite aware that she was much stronger than she appeared, both physically and emotionally. He could only recall one instance when she needed a shoulder to cry on.
Adyson brandished her phone once again, "Isabella went to the concert! Can you believe it? She knew we had a meeting but she felt that her date was more important. Now she wants to make it up to us.
Gretchen stretched her shoulders and snuggled against Ferb. "I know she missed our meeting. We all knew she was going to the concert, there's no point getting upset about it now." Adyson's eyes went wide, "Who's upset? I'm not upset? Are you? I'm angry. I don't think she should be a member any longer.
Buford caught Adyson around the waist, "You know you need Girlie. She keeps ya thinkin'." He then nipped at her neck, leaving a mark. Adyson turned to look at her boyfriend. "I'd appreciate it if you'd-" She was cut off as Buford lifted her off the ground, forcing a kiss.
Phineas and Isabella enjoyed the concert and made their way back to the car afterward. "Do you want to get some burgers before we head home?" Phineas inquired and Isabella readily agreed, not wanting the date to end too soon.
Phineas grinned and pulled into the parking lot of a Slushy Burger. "How hungry are you?" He asked and heard Isabella's stomach rumble. She laughed, "I was going to say I only wanted a small fries, but I guess I'm hungrier than I thought. I've not eaten since lunch."
Phineas' smile faltered a little. "Didn't you have time for dinner?" He winced, "I mean, since you didn't go to that meeting after school." Isabella shook her head, "I had to get ready for tonight. I ran out of time. I couldn't even grab an apple from the fruit bowl, but I didn't want to smudge my makeup." She smiled at him. "Let's grab a quick something before Mama thinks it's too late."
The young couple entered the restaurant and placed their orders, then took their seats. Isabella inhaled the spicy aroma of her burger and took a bite, then another and another. Phineas watched, his burger half way between the table and his mouth, as Isabella's burger vanished. He took a slow bite and offered the remainder of his burger to her. "Hungry?" He inquired and she finished her fries in the time it took him to blink twice.
Isabella shook her head. "I'm fine." She answered and started helping herself to his fries. Phineas took another bite of his burger. "It's okay, you can have the fries. I'm good." He offered and she paused her movements and looked at the fry, daintily held between two of her fingers, "I'm so sorry. I guess I'm just really hungry."
Phineas finished his burger and watched Isabella as she slowly finished his fries. "Do you want anything else? Or should we just head home?" She looked up at him, it was obvious her adrenaline rush was wearing off; it had been a long day at school, then the concert. At least tomorrow they could sleep in. "Maybe we should head home." She suggested.
Phineas agreed, it had been a long day. He still wanted to review some blueprints before asking Ferb his opinion. He was trying to come up with a more efficient alarm clock. This was something he started when he was a kid, but looking back on his own notes, he realized that having a rubber mallet bonk you on the head was counterproductive to getting out of bed.
