AN: hi! This is my first phinabella fanfic. Im very late to the PnF fanfiction community, and I'm not sure how alive phinabella fans still are but these two have my entire heart. I hope you enjoy! Please like, comment and review. (I'm not quite sure whether this will fall into a oneshot or multiple chaptered story, but we will see! I guess we could call this somewhat of a test run.)

I kind of read most stories that play out where Isabella is the hopeless romantic chasing the oblivious realist. And while that pretty much is true during their childhood years, the conversation in Act Your Age interested me. Isabella gave up, while Phineas developed feelings throughout high schools. This story mainly revolves on what exactly caused the switch to happen.

I hope you enjoy!

"I sort of gave up when we got to high school."

"Yeah, I think that's when I started having a thing for you."

Despite what most of her friends would tell you, Isabella is a fairly realistic girl.

Yes, she lives in a dream world at times. Yes, she has very illogical and surreal fantasies. But she's always been one to be aware of it. Life truly is as meaningful as you fool yourself into thinking it is. She's thankful she hasn't had much time to doubt anything revolving around the meaning or purpose of anything. She knew her duties: as a daughter, a friend, a troop leader. It's never been hard to find the happiness in simple and necessary tasks.

Perhaps that's why she became so infatuated with Phineas Flynn. The boy made everyday feel important, made everybody feel special. The crazy thing is, it never was for himself. He could so easily use his talents, keep the fun exclusively to Ferb and himself, but he never has. He finds meaning in bringing happiness to other people. It was endearing, lovable, but kind of weird. Not a bad weird, but rather an undeniably beautiful yet confusing kind of weird.

Around the middle of 9th grade, Isabella couldn't keep wondering to herself anymore. She's had small conversations about the subject with the gang; usually resulting in Buford insulting Phineas and Baljeet translating what he had meant to compliment. 'He's just built like that.' was usually the average answer.

After a not so successful patch mission, Phineas did everything he could to make her feel better. She tried to convince him it wasn't necessary (with half effort. I mean, he was offering to spend focused time on her!) but he had refused, using the long weekend as a fake excuse. 'C'mon Isabella. Don't do it for me, or even for you, do it for the sake of being able to!' It was a wonderful day, filled with smiles, platonic hand holding, and adventures. The perfect day- and the perfect ending, it seemed, with him walking her home only minutes before her curfew. She was on cloud 9, and the butterflies she had felt throughout the day still very present, but something kept her from fully melting away the way she usually would when she had his undivided attention.

"Phineas, why are you so nice to people?"

Phineas looked at her like she had just grown two heads (without some invention involved, of course) "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you built me this entire amusement park so I could score the Triple Loop Patch. You didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to help you." She can hear the sincerity in his voice. She nearly melts. Oh Phineas. "You're my friend." Aaanddd it's gone. "It really wasn't a big deal. I was more than happy to-"

"Right, right." She waved him off, trying not to be rude, but trying to get to the point. "The thing is- you would do the same thing for anybody- wouldn't you?" Isabella pressed, looking at him expectantly. They stopped at her doorstep, but Isabella made no sign of leaving quite yet.

Although it was dark, she could still see the confused frown setting on his features. "I'm not sure I follow."

"If some random fire side girl had come to you complaining about failing something, you'd try to help her the way you helped me."

Phineas paused. "I mean, yeah. I'd try to help anybody. That's the right thing to do." He cocked his head, "Does anybody else need help with their patches? I'm sure Ferb and I-"

"No! No, nothing like that. I was just curious."

"Oh okay."

Isabella nodded slowly. Although the answer made sense, was valid and honest and kind- it hurt. They stood in silence for a few moments before she finally spoke up. "Well, goodnight Phineas. I'll see you at school."

"Goodnight Isabella!" He waved at her, not phased by their conversation nor her vague responses, and although it was late and both were so tired from building- he grinned with just as much enthusiasm as he had when the day begun.

Waving him off, mirroring his smile- she closed the door. The second it was shut, her smile fell. Nothing had changed. He was still the sweet, kind, extremely oblivious boy she had fallen for a while ago- but at the same time it felt as though everything had changed. It was as if she realized she had over-estimated her worth to him.

And that's when the thought crossed: Was Phineas even capable of experiencing personal love for anybody?

Of course he loved her. Maybe not in the way she had always wanted him to, but in the way he loved everybody else. He valued family over friends, no doubt- which she had always admired about him as well… But everybody is his friend! Even the boys who try to pick on him at school, Phineas greeted them with a smile every time. The boy radiates kindness, and she loves that. But who doesn't?

The rest of the night was spent with her tossing and turning in her bed, re-evaluating every conversation they've ever had, every time he had complimented her or confided in her about something. She felt crazy and guilty for doing so the whole time. Phineas is a genuine boy, he wouldn't tell me something not true just for the sake of making me happy.

The only problem with that re-occurring thought: that is exactly something he would do. Whenever he sees the opportunity to make somebody smile, he takes it.

What if she wasn't his best friend at all? What if he didn't even care if she showed up with the gang or not? What if he didn't even consider her a friend, or a human!?

Okay, the last thought was kind of crazy- even for her. The rest of them though, all led to the next day's final conclusion.

She woke up with a new decided goal. A tragic, painful, but in her eyes necessary goal.

"I will do everything it takes to get over Phineas Flynn."