Ferb blinked; did she just say what he thought she said? He had known Nellie for at least three weeks now and never once did she mention anything similar to the name Hannah, or even lend them any clue that "Hannah" existed. Was she playing with him now or was the formerly frightened little girl serious? "Beg pardon?", he asked incredulously.
Nellie or Hannah looked up at him with childlike annoyance. "My name isn't Nellie. Don't call me Nellie. My name's Hannah." She crossed her arms. "Why does everyone think I'm her? Me and Nellie aren't the same, got it?"
Everybody was staring to one another, wondering what kind of sick joke this really was, or was not. Isabella humphed. "Okay, Nellie, you had your fun, but now you're going too far! This isn't funny!"
"Hannah" stomped her foot. "My name is not Nellie! Hannah! Hannah! Hannah!" She was beginning to throw a fit.
Phineas decided to play along with her, at least until he could tell if this transformation was genuine or the sick humor of an ill mind. "So...Hannah," he began, testing the waters. "Why did you get so scared before?"
She looked at Phineas with suspicion and slight fear. "I don't like glass. Glass and the color red. They hurt... I don't like them one teeny weeny bit." She glared. "Why do you wanna know?"
He half-smiled at her sympathetically. "I'm just curious."
"Well don't be!" Hannah shot the words like arrows from her pretty bow-mouth.
Phineas frowned. "Why not? Being curious is fun!"
Hannah shook her head matter-of-factly. "Ever hear "curiosity killed the cat"? Bet the cat didn't think it was so fun!" She added, as an afterthought, "And stop asking me stuff! I don't like questions! Just because stupid Nellie likes you doesn't mean I have to." The words, though nobody was willing to admit it, stung. Picking up the book she had taken with her, Hannah, or Nellie, or whomever the young lady was, stalked off, head held high.
Buford broke the ten-minute silence. "That girl has serious issues, man."
Baljeet replied numbly, "Ditto."
At Nellie's house, Hannah brushed her long hair, scraping it into pigtails as was her custom. She adored her cute little rainbow barrettes and decided to add them as well, pulling away a section of her thick mane of hair and inspecting her appearance. The seven and one half year-old wrinkled her nose, recalling the kids she had met earlier; how in the heck could anyone, no matter how dumb, mistake her for Nellie? Hannah smiled at her long, straight ashen hair and large blue eyes. Although she resented the braces covering her pearly teeth, Hannah still liked her appearance. No, she thought. I don't look at all like Nellie. I don't know why other people are so dumb.
A/N: This chapter is brief, but supposed to be mainly for exposition. Sorry that it was so short, but it's there to get Hannah in and out. -Kaylee]