A/N This will be a chapter in a story that I'm going to do, I just really feel like getting it out there right now. I do not own Phineas and Ferb or this song.
"You don't know me," Isabella said, looking Phineas straight in the eyes.
"What do you mean I don't know you, of course I do!" Phineas said.
"You don't know me like I know you," Isabella said.
"Sure, I do!" Phineas responded.
"Phineas, if you did, you would know exactly what's wrong with your opinion before you even said it," Isabella said.
"Why does my song that we're going to do for the talent show offend you?" Phineas said.
"'The Angry American song', Phineas, you should know right away what's wrong with that, you and Ferb," Isabella said.
"Leave my brother out of this; he had nothing to do with this!" Phineas said.
"Sure, no problem, I'll leave OUR brother out of this," Isabella said angrily.
"Isabella, why are you being like this?" Phineas asked.
"Because you have no compassion," Isabella said angrily.
"That's a lie and you know it!" Phineas said, insulted and hurt.
"I've never done anything like that to offend you, like what you did to me," Isabella said.
Phineas threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know what I did to offend you!" he said.
"Just forget it, you will never know me," Isabella said.
"What do you mean I will never know you?" Phineas asked.
"I mean, I will always know you like the back of my hand, but you will never know me that way," Isabella said as she walked out of the yard and back to her house.
Phineas sighed and slid down the tree in the backyard, when he spotted Ferb looking at him in the doorway. "Hey, Ferb," he said as he motioned him to come sit next to him. Ferb obeyed. Phineas turned to look him in the eyes.
"You didn't hear any of that, did you?" Phineas asked. Ferb nodded. "I'm sorry, Ferb, it's just I don't understand what she's talking about." Ferb leaned up against his brother and Phineas wrapped an arm around him.
"I know that was hard for you to hear; just try to forget it, ok?" Phineas said. Ferb looked up at Phineas with hopeless eyes. "I know, it's not likely that you will, but please try, for me and Isabella," he said. Ferb nodded. "I know you hate it when we fight, and we do try not to, especially in front of you but sometimes…" Phineas said, then stopping when he saw Ferb on the verge of tears.
"I know you love me, but I also know that you still consider Isabella as your sister," Phineas said. Ferb nodded, wiping his eyes.
"Do you want to talk to Isabella?" Phineas asked. Ferb nodded. Phineas took his cell phone out of his back pocket and dialed Isabella's number. She answered on the first ring.
"What do you want," Isabella said angrily, and Phineas noticed that it sounded like she was crying. Phineas took a deep breath to keep his voice calm for Ferb's sake.
"Your brother wants to talk to you," Phineas said calmly. It was quiet on Isabella's end of the phone for a minute.
"Ok, put him on," she finally said in a calmer voice than she answered the phone with. Phineas handed the phone to Ferb and he took it and pressed it up to her ear. Phineas could tell that Isabella was saying something, but he couldn't tell what. With the few words that he caught, he believes that Isabella was apologizing to Ferb about what happened.
After a long time, Ferb finally said "Yeah, I guess, bye." He shut the phone and handed it back to Phineas.
"Do you feel better?" Phineas asked.
"Yeah, I guess," Ferb said in the same flat tone that he gave Isabella over the phone, meaning that Isabella asked him that same question. Phineas bit his lower lip.
"Ferb, I have to make this right, call Baljeet, Beuford, and the Fireside girls and tell them to be there tonight," Phineas said as he handed Ferb his cell phone and ran into the house.
That night in the school, Phineas, Ferb, Baljeet, Beuford, and the Fireside girls were all backstage.
"Why did you have us come if all you guys were going to do is sing a song?" Beuford said.
"Because, I guarantee you, we will not make it through the song," Phineas responded. Baljeet was starting to ask something, but Phineas put a hand in front of him to shush him.
"If you don't want me to break down right now, don't say anything," Phineas said. Ferb looked out to the audience and saw his parents and Candace in the center of the front row, and Isabella and her mother next to them. He went back and joined the rest of the group.
Sharpay came to the group, clapping her hands, Ryan following after her. "Ok everyone, are we ready?" she said. The whole group shouted yes, but Phineas and Ferb just nodded. Sharpay looked down at her cousins. "Guys, can I see you for a minute?" she said. They both nodded and Sharpay took Phineas by the hand while Ryan took Ferb's and they led them into an empty changing room. Ryan and Sharpay knelt down so that they were eye level with the boys.
"Phineas, Ferb, what's wrong?" Ryan asked.
"Have you seen what song we're doing?" Phineas asked. Ryan gave them a puzzled look and then took a program out of his back pocket. Sharpay leaned in as they scan down the list of names. When they found the boys names, the gasped and looked up at them. They all were quiet.
"Phineas, you guys don't have to do this," Sharpay said.
"I know," Phineas said. Ryan bit his lip.
"Well, if you guys break down in the middle of it-" Ryan started.
"Which you know we will," Ferb interrupted. Ryan sighed.
"Yes, yes I do. But when you do, Shar and I will cover for you," Ryan said.
Phineas smiled. "Thanks," he said.
Sharpay smiled back at him. "Hey, family's got to stick together, right?" she said.
Ferb smiled. "Right," Phineas said.
"Well, you had better get out there, you're next." Sharpay said. The boys gave each of their cousins a hug before going out onto the stage. Beuford, Baljeet, and the Fireside girls all had their place in front of a microphone. Ferb took his place in front of a microphone and Phineas took the one next to him.
"Um, hey, everybody," Phineas said. He looked out and saw all his family, friends, and teachers. He looked over to right stage and saw Sharpay with a microphone in hand, ready to turn on at any moment, and Ryan right next to her. They both smiled at Phineas, and he smiled back.
"This song that I am about to sing, really means a lot to me and my family, so if it's just for the asking, please be respectful," Phineas said. Someone backstage turned on the music. No one except the boys recognized it at first, then Phineas started singing:
"Where were you when the world stopped turning
On that September day?"
He saw his whole family get a shocked look on their face, then he looked over at Isabella and she had her mouth open in shock. Her face almost made Phineas break down right there, but he managed to choke it up and keep going.
"Out in the yard with your wife and childrenWorking on some stage in LADid you stand there in shock at the site ofThat black smoke rising against that blue skyDid you shout out in angerIn fear for your neighborOr did you just sit down and cry?"
Phineas got tears in his eyes as he saw Isabella and the rest of his family do the same."Did you weep for the childrenWho lost their dear loved ones?"
That was it. Phineas clutched the microphone stand to keep himself up and was in hysteric sobs. Ferb went over to his brother and cried on his shoulder. Beuford, Baljeet, and the Fireside girls finished up the verse.
"And pray for the ones who don't knowDid you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubbleAnd sob for the ones left belowDid you burst out in prideFor the red white and blueThe heroes who died just doing what they doDid you look up to heaven for some kind of answerAnd look at yourself to what really matters"
Sharpay and Ryan came out from left stage and started covering up for the boys, just like they promised. Sharpay hugged Phineas and let his steady himself on her."I'm just a singer of simple songsI'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell youThe difference in Iraq and IranBut I know Jesus and I talk to GodAnd I remember this from when I was youngFaith hope and love are some good things he gave usAnd the greatest is loveWhere were you when the world stopped turning that September dayTeaching a class full of innocent childrenDriving down some cold interstateDid you feel guilty cause you're a survivorIn a crowded room did you feel aloneDid you call up your mother and tell her you love herDid you dust off that bible at homeDid you open your eyes and hope it never happenedClose your eyes and not go to sleepDid you notice the sunset the first time in agesSpeak with some stranger on the streetDid you lay down at night and think of tomorrowGo out and buy you a gunDid you turn off that violent old movie you're watchingAnd turn on "I Love Lucy" rerunsDid you go to a church and hold hands with some strangerStand in line and give your own bloodDid you just stay home and cling tight to your familyThank God you had somebody to loveI'm just a singer of simple songsI'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell youThe difference in Iraq and IranBut I know Jesus and I talk to GodAnd I remember this from when I was youngFaith hope and love are some good things he gave usAnd the greatest is loveI'm just a singer of simple songsI'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell youThe difference in Iraq and IranBut I know Jesus and I talk to GodAnd I remember this from when I was youngFaith hope and love are some good things he gave usAnd the greatest is loveThe greatest is loveThe greatest is loveWhere were you when the world stopped turning that September day?"
The room was silent and all you could hear was the sobs. Sharpay let Ryan take Phineas as she stepped forward.
"That is a song for our hero, Mr. Garcia-Shapiro, who died in the 9-11 terrorist attack. These two," Sharpay said, pointing to the brother, "considered him their dad. This one," she said, pointing to Ferb "wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. And that one," she said, pointing to Isabella "is his daughter. He was a good man, he was on a business trip…and never came back. This song is our anthem, and it was very brave and bold of these two to even attempt to sing that, so I think they deserve a round of applause." At this, the room filled with clapping, it lasted for a few minutes, then Sharpay started talking again. "As you can tell, this is a very emotional song for all of us, so I thank you for being so understanding." Sharpay walked off the stage and took the boys with her. Baljeet, Beuford, and the Fireside girls all followed them off. Isabella met them backstage and embraced Phineas in a hug.
"Phineas, thank you," she said.
"I told you I know you," Phineas said.
"By the way, what did Sharpay mean by Ferb shouldn't be hear if it wasn't for your dad?" Beuford asked. Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella all smiled at him.
"Well, Beuford, my younger brother, here originally came to Danville because his dad got married to Isabella's mom," Phineas said. Everybody's mouth dropped. Isabella smiled at Phineas.
"And then, once Lawrence met the Flynns, he fell in love with them, so my mom, because I had my dad for three years longer than Phineas had his, so she divorced Lawrence after they were married for about two months, then Linda married Lawrence, and well, you know the rest," Isabella said.
"So you're saying that you and Ferb are brother and sister?" Baljeet said.
"Well, technically, not anymore, but they were and they still consider each other that," Phineas said.
"Wow, you guys have been through some rough times," one of the Fireside girls said.
"Well, faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us," Phineas said.
Then Ferb finished, "But the greatest is love."