Well, that was a good response! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this one - it's been fun to write. Here's the next chapter; again, enjoy and feel free to let me know what you think!
Five minutes later Isabella and Phineas were standing outside the girls' restroom on the other side of the athletic building from Evans Gym. "Um, I really shouldn't go in there," Phineas protested, his expression wary. "What if some other girl comes by and wants to use the bathroom?"
Isabella fought back a smirk. "They can wait. Come on. Gretchen needs her friends."
Phineas just sighed and followed her inside.
"Gretchen?" Isabella asked as she and Phineas paused in front of the two sinks positioned before a pair of stalls. "Are you in here?"
"Yeah," Gretchen admitted with a sigh after a moment. Her feet suddenly appeared below the walls of the far stall. "I'm sorry if I worried you."
"Are you okay?" Phineas asked.
There was a stunned moment of silence before the stall door opened and Gretchen looked out, blinking in surprise. "Phineas? You came in here, too?"
He pointed at Isabella and shrugged. "I was assured there wouldn't be a problem."
Gretchen gave a short giggle. "No, there's no problem. I'm the only one in here, which is what I'd been counting on."
"So what happened back in the gym?" Isabella asked. "Adyson and I saw what you did to that jerk, but we don't know why."
"You saw that? How embarrassing." Gretchen blushed a bit as she stepped closer to her friends.
"Did he say something that made you angry?" Phineas asked.
Gretchen sighed. "No, that's not it, not exactly. Well, he said something, but…" She sighed again. "He told me he still wanted to kiss me, and that he was hoping our square would get picked."
Phineas and Isabella shared a confused look. "Still wanted to kiss you?" Isabella asked. "As in, he wanted to kiss you before?"
Gretchen nodded. "That's why him wanting to take all the credit for our project bothered me so much. He'd been flirting with me, making me think he was interested in a romantic relationship. I have more than enough experience with people wanting credit for projects they worked on with me. That never would have been enough to make me lash out the way I did with… him." She shook her head. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to believe him."
"Hey, stop that," Phineas said, frowning. "You weren't stupid. He was. He tried to play with your emotions to get something he wanted. You're a great person who trusts people. He just didn't deserve it, didn't deserve someone as great as you."
"Phineas is right," Isabella agreed. "He was just good at fooling people into believing he can be trusted. He had all of us fooled."
"You didn't know about his feigned interest in me," Gretchen refuted.
Isabella shook her head. "Doesn't matter. He made us all think he was nice and friendly when he came over to work with you on that project. No one saw through the disguise."
Gretchen sighed again. "Yeah, well, I still feel pretty foolish."
Phineas smiled at her. "That'll pass," he assured her. "You'll find someone who's genuinely interested in you for all the right reasons, and then nothing this guy did will matter anymore."
"Like maybe a certain cute DJ?" Isabella said suggestively, grinning impishly.
"Oh, stop," Gretchen replied with a laugh. "Like he's going to notice me out of a gym full of people."
Isabella shrugged. "You never know. You could go up and request a song. Start up a conversation. And there's always the possibility of getting matched up with him during the mistletoe picks."
Gretchen shook her head and started to guide Isabella and Phineas out of the bathroom. "Speaking of which, I'm sure we've missed at least one of those picks. We don't want to miss anymore, do we?"
Phineas looked back over his shoulder at her as he was pushed along. "You're okay, then?"
"I'm fine," Gretchen replied with a soft smile. "I have friends who care about me very much. How could I not be okay?"
The three of them rejoined the rest of their friends not long after. Gretchen assured the others that she was fine, giving them a brief explanation of why she'd done what she did. She was struck with a mixture of embarrassment and flattery when they all expressed outrage on her behalf, followed by a combination of gratitude and affection at their expressions of friendship and support. She knew she had the greatest friends ever.
It wasn't long after things had gone back to normal amongst the group of friends that Blake and Ezra got the mistletoe started again. The dance crowd fanned out according to the letter-number combinations on their wristbands, and the mutters and murmurs of anticipation began. Adyson was actually left out of the process, there being more than enough others to take up the open slots. She waved at her friends from a seat on the bleachers.
When everyone was sorted out, Ferb and Isabella unexpectedly found themselves sharing the same square. A look around revealed that their other friends had noticed, and there were plenty of amused smiles and smirks aimed in their direction. Those expressions widened significantly when the mistletoe stopped above them, the pair suddenly highlighted for the entire gym to see.
"Well, this is a tad bit awkward," Ferb murmured as the crowd cheered.
"Just a tad," Isabella agreed, blushing.
Ferb smiled then leaned in, his mouth next to her ear. "Don't worry. I'll still respect you in the morning."
Isabella couldn't help but laugh at that. And when she stopped a moment later, Ferb lightly placed his hands on her waist and moved in to kiss her. It was more than a peck, but still light. With Isabella returning the pressure, they both knew the kiss was merely a tender expression of their close friendship. They were more than satisfied.
Moments earlier, as had started to happen around the time of the third pick, people outside the immediate vicinity of the chosen couple drifted off the dance floor and back to what they had been doing as soon as the spotlight was activated. Vanessa had quickly moved over to the drinks table, snatching up and filling a glass as soon as she got there. Buford joined her and grabbed a glass of his own as she leaned back against the table and stared at the spotlighted pair with narrowed eyes.
"Someone's not happy with this arrangement," Buford commented slyly as Ferb leaned in to whisper in Isabella's ear.
"What makes you say that?" Vanessa replied, then took a large drink from her cup.
"Defensive much?" Buford shot back.
Vanessa sighed. "I don't know why I am. It's not like I'm interested in him that way." She paused and froze as Ferb and Isabella's lips met. "I don't know why this bugs me."
Buford let out a loud catcall followed by a piercing whistle before returning to the conversation at hand. "Probably the same reason seeing a certain someone kissing someone else would bug the crap out of me. You like him, there's an attraction. Doesn't matter if it will ever go beyond that, the feelings are still there. And now he's out there kissing another girl with you looking on." He shrugged.
Vanessa watched Ferb and Isabella hug each other briefly then head for the bleachers where the rest of their friends had gathered. She sighed. "You're probably right," she admitted. She gave the muscular young man a smile. "Thanks for just talking to me about this instead of teasing me."
Buford shrugged again. "I know how you're feeling. I've learned over the years that there's a time and place for teasing."
"If it's not too personal, can I ask who this certain special someone is? That it would bug you to see kiss someone else?" Vanessa's questions were hesitant, but her curiosity was high.
"I dunno…"
Vanessa blinked as she realized Buford was blushing slightly. "I'm not trying to embarrass you or get ammunition for teasing, I promise. I was just curious." She shook her head. "You know what, forget I asked. It's none of my business anyway." She set down her now-empty glass and started to step away from the table.
Buford reached out and grabbed her arm before she could leave. "It's Baljeet," he said quietly when she turned her head to give him a questioning look. "I don't know if he's interested in me that way or if he ever would be – or even if I'd do anything if he was interested in that way – but the feelings are there. We really got to know each other over the years and he's someone special." He shrugged again with a touch of nervousness. "There's your answer."
The admission surprised Vanessa, and it took her a couple moments to respond. "I… wasn't expecting that," she said a bit hesitantly.
"Really?" Buford asked. "I've always gotten the vibe that people think there's already something going on between us."
"Well, the who was a little bit of a surprise, but I was thinking more about the fact that you told me at all. You really didn't have to."
"I know," Buford admitted with another shrug.
Vanessa smiled. "So why did you?"
Buford looked at her through narrowed eyes for a long moment then gave her a half-smile. "You don't live with us or hang around all the time. Well, not yet at least." His expression became a full-blown grin when Vanessa blinked and blushed. "And by the time you do, you'll be used to the idea. There won't be any weird looks at me and Baljeet, trying to see how much we like each other. You know, those long stares that even Dinner Bell would pick up on. Nothing awkward." He paused and let his grin fade back into an aw-shucks smile. "And I could tell you meant it when you said you were just curious. You really would have just walked away if I'd let you."
"Well, of course," Vanessa said gently.
"You know, Ferb's got good taste. He used to have the biggest crush on you when we were younger."
"I thought so," Vanessa said with a small smile. She then bit her lower lip briefly. "Um, you said used to?"
Buford shrugged. "Yeah, as far as I know."
Vanessa nodded. "All right."
The conversation came to an end when the mistletoe was sent out again. The two of them shared a smile and went out onto the gym floor amongst the rest of the throng. They were joined by the rest of their friends as well as one of the DJs, Blake Langley. They were ready for the next round.
Gretchen laughed along with the rest of her friends as they headed out to find their squares, the past trouble with her former English Lit classmate forgotten. The others had said there were good things waiting to surprise her just around the corner, but she had rolled her eyes and chuckled at the thought. And then she had been the recipient of a huge surprise when she found herself paired up with Blake Langley, the attractive DJ, another when he gave her a big smile and started up a conversation with her, and the biggest one of all when the mistletoe stopped above her square. Her eyes grew wide behind her glasses. Apparently her friends had been right. She nervously licked her lips.
"Well, aren't I the lucky one?" Blake asked with a wink. He then put his arms around the slim brunette's waist and pulled her into a gentle, lingering kiss. "Come by the DJ table and we can talk some more," he told her once they'd separated and the crowd was cheering. "I'll be looking forward to it." He gave her arm a squeeze and headed back to his station.
"Wow," Gretchen whispered as she watched him go, a delighted smile twitching the corners of her mouth upward. When it fully formed, she gave a little laugh and dashed over to the refreshments table, needing something to fix the dry throat her nerves had produced.
The rest of the gang was disappointed when Gretchen didn't join them in their customary spot at the base of the bleachers. They'd been looking forward to their planned congratulations and interrogation. They were appeased, however, when they saw her wend her way over to the DJ table, Blake eagerly stepping over to engage her in conversation. Adyson and Katie even gave each other a high five.
Ginger sighed. "Well, that makes me the last Fireside Girl to be left unkissed," she said, a bit depressed.
"Um, Adyson just kissed me," Isabella said.
"That's still a kiss," Ginger said.
"You'll get your chance," Katie assured her with a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Hopefully it'll even be with someone you'll find marginally attractive."
Phineas nodded. "Katie's right," he agreed in his usual upbeat tone. "And remember, Baljeet and I haven't been picked yet, either."
Ferb gestured toward the group of graduate students. "Vanessa hasn't been chosen as well."
Ginger sighed again. "Yeah, I know. And I know that there are other people here who haven't been picked, and some people probably won't get picked at all. Thanks, guys. I just have to remember it's not the end of the world if I don't have the mistletoe spotlight shine on me tonight." She gave them all a small smile.
"Anytime, Ginger. You know that." Isabella gave her longtime friend an affectionate hug that was fondly returned.
Just a little bit later the mistletoe was sent on its way once again, and the group of friends – with the notable exception of Gretchen - headed out, quickly losing sight of one another for the most part in the surprisingly still large and eager crowd. Squares were filled, and polite conversations were had. Everyone looked forward to seeing who was chosen this time.
And then the mistletoe stopped, its spotlight illuminating the square below it.
Every last one of the former Fireside Girls cheered louder than anyone else there when the spotlight shined down on the square shared by Baljeet and Ginger. Ginger herself covered her mouth in embarrassment once she cut off her own excited squeal. Baljeet simply blinked in surprise at the reaction. "You are happy to be chosen for this?" he asked.
"You don't know the half of it," Ginger replied shyly.
"Is it only because of the kiss, or because of whom you will be kissing?" Baljeet asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Ginger didn't reply in words. She merely rolled her eyes, took the curly-haired young man into a tight embrace, and kissed the daylights out of him. The lights and music came back on without them noticing, Baljeet having quickly and eagerly decided to participate.
Vanessa couldn't stop herself from looking for Buford when she saw who made up the kissing couple. After a brief moment, he returned her gaze, a touch of pain touching the edges of his own for a second or two before being pushed aside with a sad half-smile and resigned shrug. Her expression became apologetic. He waved off her concern not unkindly, then deliberately widened his smile and filled it with teasing happiness for his friend.
Back on the dance floor, Baljeet and Ginger were still exploring each other's mouths, their embrace tight. When they finally pulled back from one another, they found they were surrounded by their grinning friends.
Buford gave Baljeet a punch to the shoulder. "Finally decided to breathe, huh?" he asked, smirking.
The girls all giggled. "You're going to want to touch up your lip gloss," Katie told Ginger as Ferb silently gave Baljeet his handkerchief.
"And maybe your hair," Isabella added.
"Thank you," Baljeet said quietly as he returned the scrap of cloth to Ferb after wiping the remnants of the kiss from his lips.
"I'm going to go… fix myself up," Ginger said quietly, giving Baljeet a small, shy, but happy smile.
Baljeet returned the smile and nodded. It didn't take long for Ginger to get swept away by the rest of the girls, all of them disappearing in the direction of the nearest girls' bathroom.
Once they were gone, Buford lightly elbowed Baljeet in the ribs. "That looked awfully enjoyable," he said in a teasing tone.
Baljeet blinked and looked at the husky football player. "Yes. Yes, it was," he said simply.
"Good for you," Phineas told him.
"I wonder how long the girls are going to be pressing Ginger for her description of what went on between you," Ferb mused, glancing off toward where the ladies had disappeared.
"At least through the next mistletoe pick," Buford said confidently. "Maybe through two."
Buford ended up being right. The next pick came quickly, and none of the girls had returned. None of the guys, including a still somewhat-dazed Baljeet who got pulled onto the grid by a smirking Buford, were anywhere near the square that ended up lit by the spotlight. But when they headed back toward their usual spot near the bleachers, Adyson came walking their way, although it was from a different direction than expected.
Phineas waved when she got close. "Hey, Adyson, what's going on? Something happen during your interrogation of Ginger?"
Adyson grinned. "Yeah, but not with that. There was a problem with the ticket count and I got hunted down to deal with it."
"Did everything work out?" Ferb asked.
"Yeah. Someone had tucked away an envelope with a few ticket payments in with the leftover tickets, so it got overlooked. The books are now even." Adyson shook her head. "Some people. And I had to go and miss the best part of the questioning."
"I'm sure you'll hear all about it later," Phineas told her with an amused smile.
She shrugged. "Yeah, but it's never the same as getting it first-hand."
They all laughed. A few moments later the mistletoe was sent out again, and the group headed out to find their squares on the grid. It was Adyson's turn to be pleasantly surprised when her square was chosen, her partner a cute guy that had been in her chemistry lab the semester before. The pair chatted for a bit after their kiss, and Adyson told him to find her before he left if he was interested in exchanging numbers.
Vanessa was standing by the bleachers waiting for the undergraduates when they all finally returned to their usual gathering spot. "So, does Django have something to be worried about when he gets home for Christmas?" the older young woman asked Adyson with an amused smirk.
"I doubt it," Adyson replied, blushing, while the guys laughed.
"I dunno," Buford drawled. "I'd say that guy looked pretty interested."
Adyson smacked the football player's arm. "Oh, stop it, you."
Buford just laughed.
The group gossiped about the partners they'd had throughout the night until Blake Langley – with Gretchen still standing next to the DJ table – started up the game again. Adyson shrugged and headed out, Buford pulled Baljeet onto the grid with Phineas shaking his head as he followed, and Ferb smiled a small, amused smile at their antics before pausing when he noticed Vanessa merely take a seat on the bleachers.
"Won't you be joining in on this round?" the green-haired young man asked.
"Not right now," Vanessa said. She pointed toward where her group of graduate students were starting to make their way onto the playing field, one guy in particular apparently looking around for someone specific. "I've been lucky to avoid the gawking one all night; he's the last guy I'd want to be stuck in a square with. After the last round he announced that he was going to have to leave soon, so he was hoping to be picked while he was standing with one of the 'hot chicks'." She rolled her eyes. "Since he was staring right at me when he said that, it didn't take much imagination to figure out who he had in mind."
Ferb successfully fought back a smile. "Then I don't blame you for not wanting to participate for the time being. Would you like me to keep you company?"
Vanessa shook her head. "You don't have to do that, Ferb. I don't want you to miss out on the fun just because I've got an overzealous fan."
"Who said I'd be missing out on any fun?"
"Well, thanks for the compliment," Vanessa said, her cheeks blushing slightly. "But I'll be fine. I'm just hoping to sit out a couple of rounds as unobtrusively as possible until Mister Subtlety makes his exit. Then I'll be right back at it."
"I'll head out then," Ferb told her after a half-second of hesitation. "I don't want to draw any undue attention to you."
Vanessa smiled. "It's not like you'll be gone long."
Ferb returned the expression with a small one of his own. "Very true. In a few minutes, then." He bowed his head respectfully and moved onto the grid just in time to get one of the last squares, his partner a tiny waif of a girl who was so shy she only blushed and gave him a tiny yet friendly smile when he joined her.
The mistletoe went around and around for a couple minutes longer before coming to its usual dramatic stop. The lights dimmed and the spotlight highlighted the square beneath, making the pair standing there blink as much in reaction to the sudden brightness as to the surprise they both felt. Buford only blinked for a moment, though, before letting a huge grin light up his features. Baljeet, on the other hand, felt his eyes grow amazingly wide at the turn of events.
"Well, ain't this just a kick in the pants?" Buford murmured, smirking as the sound of some of his fellow football players taunting him started to ring out.
"It is a kick in the something," Baljeet replied. "I am not quite sure what, however." He took a deep breath and flinched slightly at a particularly loud wolf whistle. "Will this not cause you embarrassment at your future practices?" he asked, concerned for his friend.
"I'm not the first guy to get caught with another guy like this tonight," Buford refuted. "I'll be fine. But now to make this all worthwhile."
The big man got a wicked twinkle in his eyes and reached out to grab Baljeet's wrist. A flick of his arm had the thinner young man spinning in close to Buford's body, where the brown-haired man smoothly turned the move into a deep dip, Baljeet's curly black hair a fraction of an inch from brushing the gym floor. Buford waggled his eyebrows and brought his face in to close the deal.
It was a surprisingly gentle and tender kiss, Baljeet was stunned to realize. It was firm enough to qualify as more than a peck, yet not so much as to encourage either pair of lips to part and take things further. And it was filled with emotions; Baljeet wasn't completely sure what those emotions were, but they were definitely there. He found himself kissing back after a frozen moment.
And then it was over. Only a second or two after returning the kiss, Baljeet found himself planted back on his feet with the crowd roaring in laughing appreciation of what had just occurred. Buford gave him a saucy wink and a hearty slap on the back before strutting back to the bleachers where the rest of their friends – including the girls who had apparently returned from Ginger's bathroom interrogation while he was otherwise occupied – were gathering to wait for them. Baljeet blinked a few times then shook himself out of his stupor to follow along behind.
"Now that was an interesting sight to come back to," Isabella said with a grin once the pair had joined the circle.
"I just bet it was," Buford said coolly, flashing a half-smile.
"It was even more interesting to be a part of," Baljeet said, looking at Ginger to gauge her reaction.
Ginger gave him a small smile. "You sure seemed to enjoy it."
Baljeet shrugged. "Does not everyone wish to be swept off of their feet by someone?" he asked, shooting a sly look toward Buford.
Buford snorted. "I'm not sure I wanna see the person who tries to sweep me off my feet for any reason."
"I bet we could invent something to do that," Phineas said, an impish twinkle in his eyes.
"Don't even go there," Buford told him, raising his hands in a warding off gesture. "I don't doubt you'd do it."
"Wise man," Ferb murmured with a tiny smirk.
Buford almost shot the green-haired young man a glare for the soft-spoken comment but thought better of it.
There was a bit more give and take amongst the friends, and then the mistletoe was sent out again. Ferb gave Vanessa a quick, silent check then headed out when she shook her head and stayed seated. Baljeet and Ginger drifted over to a quiet corner away from the game. Buford watched everyone else walk away, then surprised Vanessa by sitting next to her on the bleachers.
"You're not going out?" the graduate student asked.
"Nah. I'm good for now." Buford gave her a little knowing smile, softly snorted, and raised his eyebrows. "I think we both know why I'm not out there, but what's your excuse? Not gonna get a chance to kiss the guy you want if you're sitting here."
"Overzealous admirer," Vanessa said briefly, gesturing toward the fellow graduate student she had told Ferb about earlier, the lean man pouting and crossing his arms over his chest as he stood in a square with a strawberry blonde woman with glasses that apparently didn't meet his standards for the definition of "hot chick".
Buford let out a bark of laughter then got the impulse under control enough to keep the happy sound from attracting too much attention. "He doesn't look happy to not see you. Want me to encourage him to look elsewhere?"
Vanessa smiled and shook her head. "That won't be necessary. He's supposed to be leaving soon."
Buford shrugged. "Your call." He looked out onto the gym floor and snorted again. "Look who's paired up. Now if only the mistletoe would stop in the right place, we'd get the entertainment capper of the night."
Vanessa looked in the same direction as her companion and felt her jaw drop and her eyes widen involuntarily. "It would certainly make things interesting, that's for sure," she said after a brief, stunned moment.
"You said it, sister."
Meanwhile, out on the dance floor, the potential entertainment capper was sharing a quiet laugh over the odd coincidence that had created the pairing.
"Considering the total number of different pairings that were possible, I really didn't think this was going to happen tonight," Phineas said a touch wryly.
"At least the mistletoe hasn't spotlighted us," Ferb said, glancing up at the still-moving mechanical sprig.
"Yet," Phineas added.
Ferb brought his gaze back down and smiled. "Yet," he agreed.
Phineas glanced back at the bleachers where Vanessa and Buford were talking. "It's too bad you haven't gotten your chance with her yet," he said sympathetically.
Ferb sighed. "I told you earlier, the crush I had on Vanessa faded years ago."
"I wasn't talking about your old crush. I know that you two have been hanging out and talking lately, and from the way you've talked about her I kinda got the impression that there was some real interest there. As in a current, adult interest."
"What could I have said about lunch meetings or the occasional study session that would give you that impression?" Ferb asked, bewildered.
Phineas shrugged. "That's just it, you talked about it. And not just to let me know where you were going to be. Maybe there was even a tiny sparkle in your eyes, too."
Ferb frowned. "I don't get tiny sparkles in my eyes, unless there's a piece of foreign matter in them that's causing them to tear up."
"I said maybe," Phineas said. He wore a half-smirk that spoke of a total lack of repentance.
"You're impossible."
"I say again, maybe." The half-smirk turned into a full blown grin.
Ferb lifted an eyebrow. "And what of your chances? I don't believe you've had an opportunity to be paired with your first choice of kissing partner this evening, have you?"
Phineas blinked at the change in subject. "What are you talking about?"
It was Ferb's turn to blink as he realized the question was genuine. "There isn't someone here you'd prefer to be paired with under the mistletoe?"
"Well, I suppose there are some people I'd prefer more than others. At least I guess so." Phineas frowned as he considered the question.
Before he could say any more, a familiar laugh rang out from behind him, making him turn his head to look at the source. A little ways away, Isabella stood in a square with Katie, and the two of them were staring at them and snickering beneath hands that were quickly brought up to cover their mouths when they saw the redhead looking in their direction. Phineas couldn't help but chuckle fondly. He supposed he and Ferb did look rather silly standing there together to someone who knew them and their relationship.
A moment later he realized his gaze was lingering. Instead of looking away, however, he considered why. The dimmed lights showed off the slight blue tint in Isabella's long, rich hair, the young woman blessed with what was called midnight black or blue-black tresses. He'd always liked her hair. It was rich and full, and Isabella could do some amazing things with it when she wanted to change up her usual style. It was soft, too; Phineas helped her brush through it occasionally and always loved its silkiness. Add to that how it brought out her dark blue eyes and light skin…
Phineas mentally drew himself up short and finally looked away from Isabella as he realized where his thoughts were going. Did he really pay that much attention to Isabella's looks? They certainly were pleasant; his friend had grown from one of the cutest girls around to quite a beautiful young woman, inside and out. But that was just fact, wasn't it? Or did that mean something more personal? He'd have to examine his feelings about it all.
But that would have to happen later. Just as Phineas made his resolve the mistletoe stopped, and the sudden blinding spotlight drove his thoughts back momentarily. He and Ferb stared at each other in shock.
"Apparently 'yet' has just come to pass," Ferb commented wryly with his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"I guess it has," Phineas agreed. He took a deep breath and blew it out. "How do you want to do this? It's not like we can back out."
"No, that wouldn't be fair. You did mention relatives being allowed to…" Ferb cringed slightly when a piercing wolf whistle rang out from the direction of the bleachers, followed by a chorus of laughter from the rest of the crowd. Buford would definitely have to pay for that one later. "Relatives are allowed to kiss cheeks if I remember correctly."
Phineas grinned. "I did say that, didn't I?" He cleared his throat. "Then let us get this over with, my brother," he concluded in a horrible fake French accent.
Ferb rolled his eyes.
In the next moment, as though it had been discussed and choreographed earlier, the two of them straightened to their full heights and simultaneously clasped each other's upper arms. They paused briefly and locked gazes, then quickly and precisely leaned their upper bodies in and lightly brushed their lips against the other's cheeks, left then right. Then they straightened again, patted the arms they gripped, and stepped back a half step from each other. In sync, they did a hundred and eighty degree spin and bowed deeply to the crowd that surrounded them. The music and lights came back on as they righted their posture, and the two brothers – Phineas grinning and Ferb with just a tiny, sly smile – headed back for the bleachers.
"Thank you," Gretchen said to Blake as she watched her friends gather in the evening's usual spot. "They didn't need to have that moment linger any longer than necessary."
"Anything for you, beautiful," Blake returned with a soft smile and a wink. "Besides, those two were really cool to hang with as we were setting up this afternoon. We've never gotten better sound out of our equipment, and they said they could hook us up with some upgrades on the cheap."
"Yes, that would definitely be Phineas and Ferb. They've always been like that. I'm lucky to have friends like them."
Blake nodded. "I hear you, babe. I definitely hear you there."
Over at the bleachers, the Flynn-Fletcher brothers had rejoined their friends.
"I think I'm disappointed," Buford told them thoughtfully after a silent moment of the group staring at them with small smiles. "That wasn't quite the show stopper I was expecting."
"Phineas proclaimed at the beginning of the evening that a pair that was related was not required to kiss on the lips," Baljeet said, rolling his eyes.
"I don't believe I said anything about expecting them to kiss on the lips," Buford shot back.
Katie gave the bickering pair an amused look then turned to Phineas and Ferb. "So did you have that whole thing planned out in case you got picked?" the blonde asked.
Phineas chuckled and shook his head. "Nope. I never thought we'd get paired off at all; the odds aren't exactly good for any two specific people to even end up sharing a square, much less the one that gets spotlighted. We just winged it."
Vanessa's eyebrows rose. "That was pretty good for being spontaneous."
Isabella gave the graduate student a smile. "The connection these two share is beyond anything else I've ever seen. I can't say I'm surprised at the results."
"To be fair, I did give Ferb a clue to what I was thinking by using a bad French accent right before we started," Phineas said as though that explained everything.
"You know that could have meant just about anything, right?" Ginger asked.
"Why would it mean anything else?" Phineas asked in return, truly bewildered.
Buford gave the redhead a dismissive gesture and shook his head. "Never mind, Dinner Bell. Just accept that you two don't think like the rest of us mere mortals, all right?"
Phineas shrugged. "Sure, Buford, whatever you say."
Ferb looked over at Vanessa. "Has your not-so-secret admirer left yet?" he asked.
"Not quite, but I think he might be making his excuses as he gets ready," Vanessa replied, gesturing in the direction of the group of graduate students she'd arrived with earlier. The man she spoke of had a jacket draped over an arm as he talked with the others and glanced at his wrist periodically.
"So that's why you sat out the last couple of rounds," Adyson said in a tone of realization. She only partially fought back a grin. "Afraid he'd be too pushy? Maybe think it would mean something outside the gym?"
"He'd take it as a victory and brag about it, and that's the last thing I want to give a guy like that," Vanessa said. "And for the reasons you said."
Buford cracked his knuckles. "Oh, that wouldn't last too long," he said menacingly. "He'd find out just how little he'd supposedly won if he kept talking."
Vanessa blinked. "You're serious, aren't you?"
Isabella gave her a look that spoke of a backstory. "He's completely serious. Completely."
Vanessa blinked again. "Okay. Wouldn't be necessary, but okay."
"Hey, there are perks to being friends with me," Buford said. "One is that you get my protection."
"Not all of the perks are pleasant ones," Baljeet said in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Random wedgies and noogies, for example, are quite unpleasant. I do not recommend them."
The others all laughed.
The conversation continued in a happier vein until the mistletoe was sent out yet again. Buford smirked as he meandered out onto the grid, and Katie, Ginger, and Baljeet were right behind him. Adyson and Isabella hesitated when they saw that Phineas, Ferb, and Vanessa were staying behind on the bleachers.
"You guys okay?" Adyson asked the two brothers.
"We're fine," Phineas assured her with a smile. "That last round went against the odds just enough that taking this one off seems the better course of action, that's all."
"And you're giving Mister Eager a little more time to get out of here?" Isabella asked Vanessa.
Vanessa nodded. "I don't want to give him even a thread of hope that he has a chance of getting paired up with me. He actually has his coat on now, so it shouldn't be too much longer."
Adyson shrugged and grabbed Isabella's arm. "Okay then, I guess we'll leave you here. Have fun watching the chaos!" She pulled the black-haired young woman into the gathering crowd.
Phineas watched them go with a soft smile then turned an impish look toward Ferb and Vanessa. "How about I go get us some drinks? Punch for everyone! You two just go ahead and talk amongst yourselves while I'm gone, all right?" He hopped to his feet with an eagerness that matched his tone.
"Phineas, stop," Ferb said firmly enough to startle both his brother and Vanessa. He rose to his feet without breaking eye contact with Phineas. "I will go get us drinks. You will simply sit here and wait. Thank you." He stood still until Phineas had done as requested then left for the refreshments table.
"Well, that was unexpected," Vanessa said, staring after the green-haired young man.
"Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly subtle," Phineas admitted sheepishly. "I think I may have gone a hair overboard this time."
Vanessa looked at him. "And why would you do that?"
Phineas shrugged. "You guys seem to enjoy all the time you've been spending together lately. I thought I'd try to encourage that."
"By leaving us alone together so blatantly?" Vanessa said with an amused chuckle. "Yeah, that might be a little much."
"I hope I didn't offend you," Phineas said.
"No, I'm not offended. I don't think we need to be pushed, but I'm not offended." She shrugged. "Ferb's a great guy."
Phineas grinned. "Yes. Yes, he is."
It wasn't long before Ferb returned, and the three of them watched as the mistletoe spotlighted a pair of students none of them knew. The two students awkwardly leaned in for a kiss that lasted longer than expected, inspiring a round of whistles and catcalls from the surrounding crowd. The encouragement soon turned to loud laughter when the pair tried to separate and found themselves stuck thanks to strands of the young woman's long hair getting entangled around the metal buttons on the shoulders of the denim jacket the young man was wearing. Some friends led them off the floor to start getting them untangled, and the lights and music started up again.