Chapter 3 written by Razzleberry123
Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb
Every single moment in Isabella's 17-year-old life had led up to this moment. No other occasion had been more intimidating than walking through that door, the one with the faded and chipping "Slushy Dawg's" logo. Everything she did until she sat down felt like a daze, ordering a Coke, finding a table outside, and finally seating herself in the chair across from...no one. No Phineas. No Ferb. No giant floating baby head.
For the first five minutes, Isabella sat patiently waiting, occasionally sipping her Coke. She scanned her surroundings over and over again. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, then thirty. Finally, Isabella abruptly stood up and took a final scan of the restaurant, only to find the faces of strangers. She strolled out the door looking in vain for Phineas. Once outside, she flipped open her pink cell phone, thinking he might have left a text, or something.
Nope.
What is going on? wondered Isabella. She anxiously checked for missed calls, and e-mails that could shed some light on her desperate situation.
No such luck.
Maybe he was running late, forgot to call, and just went to the movies-without me? Isabella thought. It was more of a question, bot it was all she had. And when a boy doesn't show up on a date for a girl, anything goes.
Walking to the Danville movie theater was foggy for Isabella due to her discombobulated thoughts racing through her head, each cut off and unrelated.
What if he isn't there?...I should go left if I don't want to be hit by this cyclist...Am I supposed to pay for the movie?...Hey, there's my Uncle Bruno!...What size popcorn should I get? I don't want to it wolf down...
At last, she pushed open the glass double doors of Danville Cinemas. Isabella searched the lobby several times, looking without results, for Phineas. Frustrated and slightly depressed, she plunked down in a plush velvet lobby chair beside a popcorn machine. Glancing at the black-and-white analog clock that hung crookedly on the red painted wall. It read 12:30, causing her to sigh in relief. There was still time for Phineas to make an apperance.
Thirty-five minutes later, Isabella was still waiting in that cursed lobby chair, totally, and completely Phineas-less. Her only hope was that he had decided to meet her in the theater and didn't let her know. Again.
Realizing she was five minutes late, Isabella rushed to the counter and bought one ticket to Frozen. She handed her ticket to the usher who lazily pointed in the direction of the theater.
"Theater eight, on the right hand side." He said, obviously extremely bored.
Muttering words of thanks, she sped towards the theater. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. She was powered by hope. Any thought of doubt was quickly dashed away as Isabella pushed open the door and slipped inside. She scoured the endless sea of seats and people, searching for the distinctive shape of Phineas's head. Worry eased its way into her brain when she could not find the telltale signs of Phineas. She timidly found two seats in the back row, and sat through the bombard of commercials on the bright screen.
Through the bluish hue the screen cast on everything, Isabella could see that only strangers passed in and out through the theater. Growing more and more restless with every note of the opening theme song, she finally stood up and stomped down the steps to the exit.
"Shhhhh!" Practically everyone in the theater shushed her loud stomping.
"Okay, okay. Sheesh." Isabela muttered as she quietly made her way through the messy trail of mashed and long forgotten popcorn on the floor to the exit.
Once out of the theater, Isabella marched straight up to the counter where a bored-looking man with brown hair and a slouch stood leaning against the cash register.
"Excuse me," Isabella paused to look at the name tag on the man's uniform. " Mr. Heinz. But could you-"
"That is Dr. Doofenshmirtz to you, girlie!" The man rudely interrupted with a German accent. No, a Drusulstienian accent.
"Okay, then, I guess. Dr. D. Can you tell me of you've seen a boy with red hair, a triangle-shaped head like a Dorito, and possibly a platypus named Perry?" She asked.
"Is every platypus named Perry?" Wondered Dr. D in surprise.
"In a perfect world, yes." Isabella sighed contentedly. She snapped back in to reality and asked, "But have you seen him?"
"The platypus?" Asked Dr. D.
"No, the teenage boy!" Isabella told him, slightly exasperated with the doctor's cluelessness.
"Oh, that makes lots more sense!" He exclaimed. "Nope, sorry girlie. But he does sound vaguely familiar. Something to do with second dimensions. Oh, well. Have a terrible day!" The doctor said cheerily.
"What?" asked Isabella, puzzled by his answer.
"You see, my real job is an evil scientist." explained Dr. D. "I just work her to discover the art of popcorn popping, as to collect perfectly popped popcorn and use it to cover the entire TRI-STATE AREA!"
Isabella just stood there, bewildered.
"My goal is to take over the TRI-STATE AREA!" he yelled.
"O-kay... I'll just...go..." This guy was beginning to creep Isabella out. She backed away ever so slowly before turning on her heel and making a mad dash to the double doors.
Oh my gosh, what was with that guy? Talk about freaky! Isabella thought as she jogged to the exit. When outside, the ugly truth kicked her right between the eyes: Phineas was not showing up.
Hot and angry tears flooded down her cheeks. Her heart was snapped clean in half. She hurt like she had never hurt before. The bus ride home was cold and uninviting and Isabella was lost in self-pity. She scarcely noticed when the smelly Metro bus screeched to a halt. She stumbled down the steps, blinded by tears, and to upset to process a thought.
Isabella could only walk a couple of steps before dissolving into tears and collapsing on the crumbling curb in front of her house.
She sat there for minutes, wallowing in a pit of self-pity. Her tears and sniffles soon subsided, allowing her to hear the all-to-familiar sound of a drill against a metal bolt. Curious, she shakily rose and slowly started to make her way over to none other than the Flynn-Fletcher house.
Isabella crept up to where the garage met the wood fence surrounding the backyard of the house. Suddenly feeling out of place, she quickly drooped to all fours and crawled over to a gap between two wooden boards. Isabella peered through the gap and gasped at the sight before her eyes. There was Ferb, and Phineas, working on some sort of contraption. Isabella sank from her knees and sat on the concrete driveway. As grey clouds rolled in the sky, Isabella's eyes grew damp and in no time hot salty tears were streaming down her face and forming melancholy pools on the concrete below her.
Soon, Isabella's fists were clenched in rage. So hard, that in fact, her knuckles turned white. She stood up and dusted herself off, and slammed open the fence gate. She marched over to where Phineas's back was turned to her. Isabella tapped him on his shoulder. He spun around and smiled.
"Oh, hey Isab-" He didn't get to finish. Isabella raised her hand and slapped Phineas. Hard.
In addition to being shocked by Isabella's action, Phineas was clueless to why it was necessary.
"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his now red cheek.
"You know exactly what that was for." Isabella spat back. She was ashamed of the tears still spilling out of her eyes.
It took a while for Phineas to register what Isabella was talking about. Finally, something clicked. He gasped and then groaned.
"Oh my gosh! Isabella, I am so sorry!" Phineas apologized. "It's just that Ferb came back from debate camp early, and I was getting ready to meet you, but then I-I...I just..." He trailed off, and he hung his head. "I am so sorry."
But Isabella's back was already turned, and she was walking to the gate.
"Izzy, wait!" Phineas called from behind as Ferb looked on.
"What?" Isabella cried. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
What Phineas did next would stay in her heart forever.
He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips to hers, salty from tears.
Phineas kissed her.
Isabella's first instinct would be to kiss back, but under the given circumstances, she felt cheated. Hurt. Played.
She yanked back and ran down the driveway.
"Wait, please!" He shouted, dashing down to join Isabella. "I am so sorry."
She turned to Phineas, tears once again spilling down her eyes thick and fast. "Don't you see?" She whispered. "It's too late to apologize."
Isabella slowly turned as to not face Phineas, and slowly walked across the street to her house. She unlocked the door and shut it behind her, and strolled over to where the grand piano sat. She sat down on the bench and began to play a song she had composed. She wept quietly as she did so, now playing on autopilot. She hit the last key to the song, and then hung her head and silently cried herself to sleep, listening to the soft pitter-patter of rain outside the window.