With Phineas back on his feet, the gang was soon back under the tree wondering about the day's plot. Buford came into the backyard then, a little later than usual.
"Sorry I'm late. Had to stop and get lunch.", he held up his hamburger to emphasis.
"Uh.. It's only 10.", Phineas noted.
"Well then, Brunch.", he shrugged and took another bite.
"Buford, you DO know what is in those things, right?", Baljeet asked, feeling a little sickened by the meal.
"Uh.. Pickles and beef?", he stated bluntly.
"Makes you wonder why it's called a HAMburger...", Isabella began to ponder.
"Well aside from the grease, what's with the sickly look, Baljeet?", Phineas asked.
"Uh.. As much as I would love to enlighten you.. I can not really say it with out needing to throw up...", Baljeet said, holding his stomach.
"Ooh... Sounds bad.. Wish we could find out.. Hey Ferb! I know what we're gonna do today!", Phineas popped up with a smile.
They worked on a lamp that, when shining light on a person, enlightens said person into understanding whatever question they have at the moment. As they worked, Ferb had to quickly stop and he rubbed his arm sorely.
"You okay Ferb?", Phineas asked.
"Yeah it's just..", Ferb groaned a bit, feeling the ache spread out in his body. "It's probably just the long walk back home last night.. Hard bed.. maybe?"
"Hm... Now that would be something for us to be enlightened about..", Phineas noted to himself. "Well if you wanna, you can take a break."
"I'm good.", he decided, trying to shrug it off.
It was soon finished and they shone it down on Buford who was looking into the hamburger, curiously. As soon as the light hit, his eyes widened and he quickly threw down the hamburger in disgust.
"Oh! Ugh! Oh man, I can't believe people EAT that!", he exclaimed. "And there isn't some really weird name for it that I'd never understand? They actually CALL it that? No-! No Greek-based name or anything?"
"Thank you!", Baljeet exclaimed in relief. "Finally you may eat in peace!"
"I seriously doubt it..!", Buford said, looking a few shades greener than normal.
"What? What's in it?", Isabella asked, coming over to understand.
'Mm.. I could probably use this to see if Vanessa likes me back...', Ferb began to ponder when his phone rang.
It was a text message and he felt his heart skip a beat when it was from Vanessa.
"Meet me at the coffee I need 2 talk w/ u privately" the text read.
It was easy to forget about the pain Ferb had been feeling that day. He quickly excused himself from the group and ran out as fast as he could to the meeting spot. Excited to see the love of his life. Hoping this would end in his favors. His heart was lighter than a feather and he was so blinded by this excitement that she wanted to talk with him NOW, that he couldn't see the downside that waited for him there.
Vanessa drummed her fingers impatiently at the coffee shop as she waited. It was a little ways out of the suburbs but it wasn't too far, she hoped. She had made it up in her mind that she would stop beating around the bush. It was high time to actually find out the truth to that nagging question in her mind and, though she couldn't form her thoughts of how exactly to ask him, finally make a decision about him, herself. She was surprised to see Ferb outside the coffee shop window though, racing down the street and slipping on something on the sidewalk by doing so. He picked himself back up, smiled sheepishly at her through the window and walked in, brushing himself off a bit. She had to giggle at the blush of embarrassment on his face. He saw Johnny waiting for his order at the counter and then looked back at Vanessa, somewhat curiously.
"He gave me a ride out here.", she explained. "I'm not.. No he's not really a part of this. It's still us."
The other seemed to relax with this and sat down opposite of her, asking what she wanted him for.
"Sorry, Ferb I uh.. Actually..", she began with a nervous laugh. "I.. Don't really...know how to ask you.."
She fidgeted and played with her hair as she tried hard to rack her brain into coming up with some way of saying what it is she wanted so badly to say. Ferb noticed she was wearing the telepathic ear buds at the time and held one of his up as she glanced over, silently offering to just go with that. She gave a nod and Ferb pulled the other out and placed them both in, catching onto her thoughts.
'Yeah, cause this is gonna be so... weird to say aloud.', she was thinking with a sigh. 'But this shouldn't be so hard to say.. I wonder if anyone else has ever had to go through this?'
'Through what?', he asked, curious of her anxiety.
'Well it's nothing really. I mean it should be nothing. It's actually kinda stupid. Just cause you showed up, it seems like everyone's been saying it and I know it's not true just cause it's so stupid! How on earth could you have a crush on me? I mean, you're only ten.'
As soon as he heard it, he felt his heart stop. Summer's heat suddenly felt like Winter's winds and it stung badly. His eyes became wide as he shakily took of his own buds just to hear the words echo in his mind. No other thought crossed him. Nothing else was heard. Vanessa saw his shocked expression and quickly understood she was wrong about something and had seriously hurt him.
"W-wait a minute! You-?", she began before Ferb quickly snapped back to face her and got up. "F-ferb-"
"No.", he said as he stood up, holding up a hand haltingly. "I-it's... Alright. It's..stupid.", his shoulder slumped as his heart sank into his stomach. "...It's really stupid..."
"N-no wait a minute, Ferb I didn't-"
"Vanessa, it's OKAY.", he said, starting to feel a little angry. "I mean.. After all, how on earth could a short, 17 year-old boy POSSIBLY win over YOUR heart. Especially when you've already got another one anyway."
It was Vanessa's turn to be surprised. He was what?
"It's a common mistake.", he said, seeing her expression. "My dad and I have kept it a life-long secret. I've always been shorter than most others. But you know, you're right. It's stupid for me to have a crush on you when I'm short and you've got a boyfriend."
He headed out with a sigh and shake of his head and Vanessa was left speechless, and heartbroken. After Johnny watched him leave, he came up, somewhat happy to see he still had his girlfriend and placed a reassuring arm on her shoulders. Vanessa flinched a bit, being snapped into reality again and looked up at him. Suddenly, everything was very different to her and she looked back down at the floor as she resumed being lost in her thoughts.
"You okay?", he asked finally, seeing she wasn't quite so happy.
"...Y-yeah.. I...", she finally said, a sob hidden in her voice.
She wiped a tear and tried to put on a smile, "I'm okay. Uh.. A-actually Johnny.. I.. I wanna go home.."
"Okay. We'll get on my bike and have the coffee at your dad's-"
"Actually I-I wanna go home to my mom's. I'm.. I'm supposed to be back soon a-anyway.", she said, wiping away a few more tears.
He simply nodded and they walked out. As they drove down the road on Johnny's motorcycle, her mind wouldn't leave what Ferb had said. How she was so wrong and had not only broken his heart but her own.
'Great going.', she thought to herself. 'Just made yourself even more of an idiot than your dad.'
She didn't remember what happened next other than sudden pain, loud noises, and everything becoming pitch black.
