Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. All Characters belong to Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and Dan Povenmire. (Forgive for any misspellings)
This story is the second in my Everything has Changed (EhC) story arc. The story will mention older siblings of Gretchen. I am developing them in to OCs.
Not so Merry Christmas
(Gretchen's POV)
I am sitting at my desk. Isabella's desk is directly across from mine. Phineas and Ferb are also in our group of desks. The teacher is talking about our winter vacation reading lists and the assignment we have over our vacation. No one is really paying attention except for Baljeet, Ferb and myself.
"Ok class, Class? Pay attention!" The teacher says frustrated. Everyone snaps to attention.
"Ok I know you kids are excited for vacation but you need to listen to this one final assignment" She starts saying, and hearing a collective gulp form most of the student" Have Fun and Be Safe"
Everyone sighs with relief. They thought that we were going to have a huge assignment over the break.
Isabella leans closer to me and asks "What is the assignment?"
"Reading a book for whatever holiday we celebrate" I answer her question.
"Oh" Say replies, sitting back in her seat.
The bell rings and most of the class goes racing out the door. I gather my stuff and put it in my backpack. I look up and notice Isabella, Phineas, and Ferb doing the same.
"I thought you were stoked for vacation" I say to Phineas and Ferb.
"We don't really have anything planned" Phineas replies.
We walk outside bundled in our thick winter coats. We look up as it starts to snow lightly.
"We'll walk you two home" Ferb says.
"Really?" I ask
"Yeah" Phineas says, "Besides Isabella lives across the street from us and you live around the corner, so it's not a problem"
Isabella starts to blush, and I elbow her. Phineas starts walking and Isabella is walking next to him. Ferb and I are walking at the same pace. I noticed that the boys have taken the side closest to the road.
(Ferb's POV)
I am walking next to Gretchen. She is staring at the pavement as we are walking. I haven't been in this close of a proximity to her since her dad's funeral during the summer. I realize with a lurch that this will be her first Christmas without her dad.
"So what are you doing for Christmas Gretchen?" I ask her.
"I don't know, Ferb" she replies.
"It the first Christmas without your dad" I say quietly
"I know" She says, her voice sounding sorrowful. I now want to kick myself. I see Phineas and Isabella grimace when I said that.
"I didn't mean it like that" I say gently
"I know you didn't Ferb" She says
(Isabella's POV)
Ooooh Ferb shouldn't have said that. I can't tell what Gretchen's expression is. I can see Phineas' expression, and form that I can tell what he is thinking. He is thinking "Oh-No She is going to kick his butt". But to both our surprise she says: "How about we forget that this conversation ever happened"
"Good idea Gretchen" Ferb says. We get to her house. We stop and she goes up her side walk up to house. She says "I will see you guys tomorrow"
"Smooth move Ferb" Phineas says.
"One of the few times I actually speak and I say the wrong thing" Ferb mutters.
"Don't dwell on it too much, Ferb" I say, "You forgot that it was still a sore subject for her"
"Yeah" He muttered.
(Phineas POV)
Wow it's been a while since someone brought up Gretchen's Dad being dead. The first person to bring it up is my own brother. I can tell he wanted to kick himself.
We stop in front of our house. Isabella tells us that she will see us tomorrow. She then runs across the street and goes inside of her own house. We go in to our house and Perry is there to greet us.
"Hey Perry" I say, ripping off my boots.
"Gruyruyruy" He chatters in response.
"Boys is that you?" Mom asks from the kitchen.
"Yeah" I call back to her.
"Did you take your boots off?" She asks
"Yes" Ferb says.
"Come in to the Kitchen for snacks and tell me how your day was" Mom said coming in to the front entry way.
"ooh cookies" I say grabbing one.
Mom pours us each a cup of hot chocolate. We are sitting at the table.
"So boys how'd your day go?" Mom asks.
"Good although on the way home Ferb managed to upset Gretchen" I say
"It was an accident!" Ferb exclaims," besides she said 'let's forget this conversation ever happened'"
"Not even going to ask on that one" Mom says.
"We got an assignment over winter break." I say
"What kind of assignment?" Mom asks
"Read a book and then write a book report for whatever holiday we celebrate during the winter" I reply.
MEANWHILE…
(Gretchen's POV)
I am in my room now. I tossed my backpack on my bed and flopped down on my bed.
"You are home good" My mom says coming in to my room, "Do you want to help me put up the stockings?"
"Yeah," I respond
The mood is different this year. It is not as merry as it was last year. Even though dad was sick last year, it still was a lot merrier last year.
We hanging the stockings and my two sisters and two brothers come in the front door. They stripped off their shoes. Mom turns around and asks them "Do you have any homework?"
"Yes" Glenn my older brother grumbled "Stupid Home Ec assignment"
"You took Home Ec because?" My other brother Parker asked.
"You are just a 6th grader you are too young to understand." Glenn retorted.
"Yeah but he is old enough to understand crushes Glenn" My older sister Sam said, Sam being short for Samantha, who is a year older than Glenn.
"He is not!" Shouted Glenn.
"There is no need to shout you two" Mom intervened before the two could start arguing.
Rachel started snickering. She stops at a glance from mom. Rachel is in the same grade as Parker. They are the only twins in our family.
I just roll my eyes at Glenn's statement. I thought about the conversation I had with Isabella at the Fireside Girls meeting last week. Everyone in our troop knows about Isabella's crush on Phineas, and Ginger's crush on Baljeet, which a lot of us don't agree with it. I realize with a start that I have a crush on Ferb. I don't know when it started but I know it was after the summer.
The phone rings and Glenn picks it up. He hands it to me and says "Here Gretchen it's one of your dweeby friends"
"None of my friends are dweeby" I say taking the phone from him (Aren't older brothers great?- sarcastically asked),"Oh hey Isabella."
(Isabella's POV)
I have been home for about fifteen minutes. I decided to call Gretchen. To my dismay her brother, Glenn, answered the phone.
"Here Gretchen it's one of your dweeby friends" I hear Glenn say
"None of my friends are dweeby," I hear Gretchen say indignantly, and then I hear the phone shift and then Gretchen's voice crystal clear on the other end, "Oh hey Isabella"
"Hey Gret" I say shortening her name.
"Hold on a sec Izzy," She said calling me by a nickname, I can hear her ask her mom if she could take the phone to her room, and I hear her mom say yes and then tells her older siblings to start on their homework.
"OK now we can talk without my older siblings listening in" She says, I can tell she is in her room as the tone of her voice had changed. Her tone is a bit more relaxed then it was when she first got on the phone.
"You do know that the last Fireside Girls meeting of the year is tomorrow" I tell her
"You know I already know that Izzy, What is this about?" She says.
"Normally you would have told someone off about what Ferb said earlier" I respond, flopping down on my bed next to Pinky.
"Your point being?" She asked, I hear a big poof in the background so I know she just flopped down on her beanbag in her room.
"You are crushing on Ferb aren't you?" I ask her.
"What? No…..What makes you think that?" She says, I think I caught her by surprise by that question.
"Are you sure you are not crushing on him?" I ask her, starting to smirk.
"No I am not sure and stop smirking!" She says at slightly louder volume.
"We will talk more about at the meeting, and how did you know I was smirking?" I was surprised that she knew I was smirking.
"I know you all too well Izzy" She replies.
"Yes, yes you do" I say.
I hear her sigh then she asks "When are you going to tell Phineas that you like him?"
"I don't know Gretchen" I reply.
I hear a knock in the background. Then I hear Gretchen say "come in".
"Here Isabella I am going to put you on speaker, Sam is in my room now though" She says.
"Its OK Gretchen, Hi Sam" I say.
"Hey Isabella" Sam says, I really like Sam, even though she is a Senior in High School, she takes time to hang out with her sister.
Sam and Gretchen look a lot alike. Sam has darker hair than Gretchen. They both wear glasses but Sam now wears contact lenses. They both have a smaller build than their siblings. They both have blue eyes, although Sam's are a light blue and Gretchen's are a darker blue.
"I still think you are crushing on him Gretchen" I say
"I told you I don't know!" She says sounding a little irritated that she doesn't know the answer to something.
"You are crushing on someone lil' sis'?" Sam asks Gretchen
"Isabella thinks I am crushing on Ferb" Gretchen answers
"Well I don't think you are going to like what I am about to say" Sam starts
"Go ahead" I hear a hesitation in Gretchen's voice
"But you are crushing on Ferb" Sam finishes," I can tell by the look on your face."
"Please don't tell anyone especially Glenn" Gretchen asks her sister.
"No worries little sister" Sam promises.
We finish our conversation just as my mom and their mom announces that dinner is ready.
(Ferb's POV)
We have just finished dinner and Phineas and I have decided to go to bed early tonight.