A/N: Hey everyone, it's chapter six! Yay! I really like this one...oh, and the name of the chapter is from this cool thing I did at school in third grade...

Disclaimer: Yeah, still don't own PnF. Maybe someday, when I'm rich and famous... You know it's gonna happen, guys :P

Chapter Six—Odyssey of the mind

"Oh great; I can read dreams too?" I finally took a good look around, and couldn't believe I hadn't figured it out before. The unicorns, the sparkles that stuck only to me, the other version of myself…these are all what Isabella dreams about.

"What do you mean, 'you can read dreams'?" An unconcerned Isabella was now standing next to a large kitchen area that seemed to have materialized from nowhere, still on the cloud. She and Other Me—who had somehow jumped the huge distance across the cloud and was next to her—were icing what looked like burned vanilla cupcakes, coated with alternating pink and orange icing. They both had managed to get icing all over themselves in the tiniest amount of time possible. Isabella had a dot of Other Me's orange icing on her nose, and Other Me had a smiley-face of pink on his cheek. They were both laughing. I gasped when I saw the icing.

I remembered that day. She was dreaming about a memory.

We had been alone that day a few weeks ago; Buford and Baljeet had never showed up for some reason (they do that sometimes), and Ferb was giving a seminar on wormholes, so we had been sort of bored. I didn't want to build without Ferb, so Isabella had suggested baking.

Bad idea.

We had managed to burn the cupcakes, loose every single sprinkle somewhere behind the fridge, and get icing all over our fingers.

"Phineas, you look like an orange monster!" Isabella had giggled at my icing-coated hands. So I had immediately taken a swipe at her nose, giving it the most adorable little dot. She had giggled, before carefully drawing a smiley-face on my cheek in her pink icing. I had held still for her, complimenting the amazing drawing skills that I couldn't see, making her laugh harder. Eventually, we had finished icing, and had both taken a bite of a cupcake the other had iced. And then we gagged and spit them out. We had thought we'd made chocolate cupcakes, but they were really just vanilla cupcakes burned beyond recognition.

That was one of my favorite days. I think I may have even liked her that day.

I looked back to my dream self and Isabella. They we're no longer in what looked like my kitchen—now they were roasting marshmallows over a fire. It was suddenly pitch black outside, stars twinkling. I looked down, and the pink clouds and sky had either disappeared or been buried by a new setting. Now we were in what looked like Danville Woods. It was another good memory. Around last fall, right after school had started, our dad had taken Ferb, the gang, and I on a camping trip. We had immediately discovered that Dad had no idea what camping was about, and Ferb and I had had taken over with setting up the tents and making fire. Everyone had gone to bed, but I had stayed up to watch the fire; me and Ferb had been alternating every few hours to make sure we kept the thing burning. Isabella had crawled out of her tent around two AM, saying she was lonely. She was the only person in her tent since she was the only girl, and I understood—I hadn't talked to anyone for hours. So we had snuggled together under a quilt in the chilly autumn winds, and Isabella had broken out a bag of marshmallows she had brought. After toasting mine to a crisp more than once (yes, I have a problem with cooking things), we had ended up trying to split her marshmallow in half, getting marshmallow goo everywhere. She had a sticky patch in her hair, but that somehow made her look even more amazing than without it. Another of my favorite memories, another thing making me realize that I had liked Isabella much longer than I had thought.

I looked back to Other Me and Isabella again, and scenes switched about as fast as I could blink; us together, cuddling in front of the fire last New Year's when the power went out; me pushing her on a swing earlier this summer, making her giggle; a recent day trip to Rome in a plane Ferb and I had built, us walking hand in hand along the streets, munching doughy slices of real Italian pizza. The scenes went on and on. And I realized how unconscious I had been to the fact that I liked her. But I wondered why Isabella was dreaming all these moments. I liked her. Unless…

"Izzy?" I said hesitantly. The images suddenly stopped, and we were back on those pink clouds, Dream Me and her hand in hand. He leaned over and pecked her temple. And I think that's when it clicked. "You…" I choked out. "You like me?"

"Well duh, silly," Isabella didn't seem to realize that I wasn't part of her dream. She assumed I was a figment of her own imagination. She was smiling dreamily (oh, the irony) and alternating her glances between Dream Me and real me.

"But—but in that elevator you were thinking about how you liked someone…oh jeez, I'm an idiot. I was on that elevator." How the heck did I not figure that out before? I have a serious romance problem (A/N: No derp, Phineas)

"What are you talking about?" Dream Isabella asked pleasantly. We—the Dream versions of myself and Izzy, and me—were now back at that moment on our driveway, Dream Izzy staring into Dream Me's eyes. I suddenly saw my expression from her point of view. I looked slightly gobsmacked, okay, a lot gobsmacked, but I also looked…I guess hopeful, somehow. Like I was wondering if maybe there was something more than friendship between us, and liked the idea. Like maybe something could happen.

"Isabella?" Suddenly, my words seemed to melt away the scene until it was only Isabella and I (Dream Me had disappeared) were seated in her living room on her couch in front of a warm fire. It seemed to be winter; Isabella was dressed in a soft pink cardigan and gray sweats that looked very cute on her, with tan UGG boots that went halfway to her knees. I was wearing my usual winter apparel: jeans, sneakers, and a thick orange sweatshirt that read 'Danville High Soccer'. I don't actually play soccer, though; I have no idea where the sweatshirt came from.

"Yes, Phin?" Isabella smiled and played with the cords on my sweatshirt, something that I found very distracting.

"I, um, I don't think I'm supposed to be here," I managed.

"Oh course you are," she giggled softly and looked at me with her big beautiful eyes, and I found myself about to say "yes, yes I am." But I caught myself. Barely.

"No, you don't understand," I insisted. "I'm…I'm inside your head, when I should be in my bedroom. I'm reading your mind, but since you're dreaming instead of thinking right now, I've been thrown inside of your dream. And I need to get out."

"Mhmm," Isabella sighed dreamily and toyed with the hem of my sweatshirt. Ugh, she wasn't paying any attention! Maybe I had to try something more drastic…

"Isabella, don't hate me," I said quietly. "But I'm going to have to wake you up to get out of your head, and the best way to do that is by hurting you emotionally." I was about to literally start crying at what I had to do. I had to turn my best friend and crush's dream into a nightmare and scare her awake with emotional pain. I had to break her heart.

"Why would I hate you?" Isabella asked absently. She was still mesmerized by my sweatshirt.

I steeled myself. "Isabella, don't hate me…because I never want to see you again. Ever. I think you're ugly and stupid." I about crumpled at the look on her face. It went from the sweet smile she had while we were talking, to confusion, to disbelief, and finally to pain—terrible, gut-wrenching pain that hurt me as much as it hurt her.

"You're…you're just joking, right Phineas?" Izzy asked waveringly, her tears making little shinny trails across her cheeks. "Oh course you were. You love me. You have to love me." Isabella seemed to be assuring herself now, rocking slightly back and forth and rubbing her arms.

"Nope." I was about to break. I couldn't be this cruel to her, I couldn't! But I had to. "I meant every word I said. Everything." Her face was literally a mess of raw emotions; rage, pain, and jealousy all competing for a space on her expression. And under it all, trying desperately to hide, was fear. She was afraid this was real. She was afraid she wouldn't wake up and it would become true.

"No," she whispered, backing away from me with wide eyes. "No, no, NO!" She started screaming. "Phineas loves me! He does he does he does he does he does and always will!" Then, she made the most horrible sound. Like…like a dying, rabid animal. Like someone insane.

And then I was sitting straight up in my bed, breathing hard and drenched in sweat.

"Oh, Izzy," I whispered sadly. I checked the time on my nightstand. It was two in the morning. I quickly grabbed my phone—which was recharging on my bedside table—and texted Isabella, who I knew was awake no.

Me: Hey, just remembered; did u put ur black box in ur pocket when you zzzzzed? I didn't want to admit that I had seen what she dreams about me.

It immediately buzzed back. Izzy GS: No I didn't, thnx that could've been bad. I just had the worst nightmare. I'm wide awake.

Me: Are u gonna be ok or do I need to go over there?

Izzy GS: I'm fine. Just shook me a little.

Me: U sure?

Izzy GS: Positive. Gnight, I gtg back to bed now, c u tomorrow?

Me: 4 sure. Bye Iz.

I turned the screen off and put my phone back down. I rolled over and threw off my sheets; it suddenly felt way too hot. I willed my eyelids to close, but they wouldn't, like broken shades. I tried to turn off my mind, but thoughts ran through like crazy. At least they were my thoughts this time.

Isabella likes me! Yes!

But she's going to hate you for what you did.

No she won't, she'll understand. And I'll make it up to her!

How? What are you going to do, give her flowers? "Here Izzy, I'm sorry I broke your heart into a million little pieces and scattered them. Will these nice weeds make up for it?"

She's Isabella! You know she'll understand!

"Shut up, me," I said, annoyed. "I'm trying to sleep." Yes, I was talking to myself. Don't look at me like that.

Ferb's snores halted for a moment and he sat up. "Huh?" He asked groggily. He thought I was addressing him.

"Nothing, go back to sleep," I muttered. He didn't have to be told twice; he was out before his face hit the pillow.

I turned over and stared at the little glow-in-the-dark stars over my bed. Another sleepless night. Great.

I really needed to fix this. And suddenly, a little light bulb flickered in my mind. My eyes widened. "Ferb!" I whispered loudly. He turned over and looked at me, his eyes half open.

"What?" He said, annoyed.

"Ferb, I know what we're going to do tomorrow!"

A/N: And...voila! Another amazing work by phinbella-luvr22! And on to my sweet, sweet reviews!

writer-person2: Aw, thanks a lot!

thedoraemons7: Maybe...oh, who am I kidding. Phinbella forever!

AmityTheDerpy: Okay, okay! Don't have a heart attack, here's your next dose of TNSPM!

14AmyChan: I did warn you that I liked the idea... :D

MassiveSinger: Does Phineas' realization answer your question? :3

phineaslover: No better praise than that :)

Whythis: Does that mean I'm no longer cliche? Yay for non-cliche-ness!

You know what? You people are flipping awesome. I asked for more reviews, and I got them! Hmm, maybe I'll try again... Please give me more reviews! The more the merrier! And you get to have your name on someone else's work; how cool is that?

Oh, and anyone who can guess the reference with the 'streets of Rome holding hands' and 'doughy pizza' thing gets their name in the next chapter! (Hint: It's from a book...which is mentioned on my bio page...)

Well, ciao, my (hopefully!) reviewers!

-Cutie