"Fireside Diaries"
Story Written by Freedom Fighter
Thanks to all of you who had something to say about last week's 'special' episode. I realize it's a very hard topic for a generally light-hearted series, but this was a case where I believe I was justified in presenting such an episode.
This week, drama of a different kind! Won't spoil much upfront... just know I wrote two new songs just for this episode. It's been awhile since I wrote music in this series, so I was afraid I'd be rusty. I think they turned out okay, but I'll let you judge for yourself.
Disclaimer: The characters of 'Phineas and Ferb' belong to Disney. Songs used are written by me and cannot be used without my permission.
Prerequisites (i.e. read these first before reading this):
- Entries #103, 407, and 421 ("Fireside Diaries," Episodes 105, 305, and 313)
Entry #424 - Written by Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, troop leader
Recently, something terrible happened...
Isabella had pulled Phineas's shorts down, revealing his underwear.
"HA!" pointed out Buford. "Isabella just pantsed Dinner Bell!"
Everyone laughed mockingly at Isabella's embarrassing mistake.
NOT THAT!
I'm talking about this!
Isabella was walking up to the bus stop on a cloudy Monday morning...
P.S. Remind Gretchen to take that entry down...
"Hey, Phineas! Whatcha... do-"
She cut herself off mid-catchphrase upon seeing Phineas holding a protest sign that read 'Save the music!' Ferb, Buford, and Baljeet were also there, and they had similarly adorned signs in their possession as well.
"'Save the music?'"
"It's terrible, Isabella! The school's being forced to shutter the music program due to budget cuts!"
Isabella gasped. "Oh no!"
"Music is such an important part of our lives! Almost as important as making every day count! I know today's a scheduled day off from school, but we're all going to protest in the courtyard!"
"Hmmm," hummed Isabella, as she started to think. "That's nice and all, but I think this requires something more than simple picketing."
Isabella cleared her throat, and said the key words.
"I know what we're gonna do this week!"
-
Entry #424 [FSD314] - Save the Music! (03.04.03)
-
Isabella was walking through the Googolplex Mall, and she had a lot on her mind.
I managed to have a chat with the principal, and got him to hold off on shutting down the school's music program until the end of the week. But I still had no idea how I was going to save it.
She stopped upon seeing something playing on a TV as she passed by an electronics store. It was a cartoon about a group of high school girls who formed a band.
And then... inspiration!
Isabella was now sitting at a table in the food court, and Gretchen, Adyson, and Holly were there as well.
"Where's everybody else? Never mind... the four of us'll have to handle it."
"With what, Chief?" questioned Gretchen.
"Surely by now, you've heard that our school has decided to cut the music program. We've got until Friday to raise enough money to save it."
The girls seemed hesitant. They wondered if such a feat was possible.
"Phineas and Ferb are working on something, but I figure us Fireside Girls should be the ones taking point on this task! And I have a great idea for a fundraiser!"
Isabella pulled out the 'Phineas and the Ferb-Tones: Gitchie Gitchie Goo' single CD and placed it in the center of the table.
"But Phineas and Ferb swore they'd never sing that song again!" Adyson recalled. "No one way they'd let us borrow it."
"We don't have to!" Isabella said in response. "We can write our own song! And a couple more on top of that."
"And a name? We can't exactly call ourselves the Ferb-Tones. Or the Ferbettes."
"I'm sure we'll figure something out. But first things first... we have to get some instruments, write some songs, and find a place to practice!"
Holly jumped in excitedly. "Leave that to me!"
Holly led us into Merry Melody, the newest store to set up shop at the mall. While she had a word with the owner/manager, we all decided to do a little browsing...
"Ooh!" cooed Isabella, as her eyes caught sight of a beautiful electrical guitar.
She ran over to it and picked it up from its slot on the wall. To her surprise, it was a little heavier than she thought it would be.
"Whoa! Never knew they could weigh this much. But..."
She pulled the strap over her head so that the guitar was now hanging from her body. Using her left hand to hold up the instrument's neck, she raised her right arm up into the air. She then quickly brought it back down, as if to strum the instrument, even though her fingers never actually touched the strings.
And then... Isabella let her imagination run loose...
A packed amphitheater screamed Isabella's name over and over again as the rest of her bandmates could only watch as their leader as she riffed through a guitar solo that would make even Joan Jett jealous.
The instant she finished, the crowd erupted with monstrous applause. Isabella, sweating from playing so hard, was quickly rewarded for her efforts. Phineas had gotten onto the stage and was running towards her, with arms spread wide open. She let him get to her, allowing the triangle head-shaped boy to embrace her in a hug.
"That was amazing!" Phineas exclaimed. "I can't live a single moment more without you by my side! Isabella, take me away from this place!"
"You got it!" squealed Isabella.
A magical cloud appeared off to the right side of the stage. The crowd cheered as Isabella pulled Phineas by the arm, onto the cloud. Everyone watched, astonished, as Isabella played her guitar, powering up the fluffball. That allowed the cloud to rise up into the sky, carrying the couple up into the heavens, never to be seen again...
"Isabella? Isabella!"
Isabella woke up to the feeling of Gretchen gently shaking her.
"Another Phineas daydream?"
Isabella sighed.
Yep. Another Phineas daydream.
Holly walked up to the pair, unknowingly trudging past Ginger - who was hiding her face behind a music magazine - and she had a smile on her face.
"Good news! The owner's willing to give us a gigantic discount on any instruments we want for the concert! All we have to do is agree to let the shop sponsor us! We get a great deal; she gets free advertising! It's win-win!"
"Great job, Holly!"
"There's even more! There's a place a few blocks from here that rents out rooms-by-the-hour. Rooms for musicians to practice in! The owner here is good friends with the owners there, and she booked us a room for us to use. Even better, she's footing the bill!"
"That's incredible! I never knew you were such a good negotiator! We should really let you handle business deals from now on."
"Yes. Yes, you should."
With instruments taken care of, the rest of elements needed to pull off a successful fundraising concert fell into place like as if they were all part of a musical montage.
Speaking of which... MUSICAL MONTAGE!
Tuesday afternoon...
Rock music played in the background as the girls went shopping for outfits to wear for the concert. Adyson led the way, pulling out different wardrobe combinations for the others to try out.
The impromptu fashion show featured them all dressing up as the 'Spice Girls,' 'Josie and the Pussycats,' and 'The Pussycat Dolls.' They then move on to trying on private school uniforms, barista uniforms, running sweats, Perry the Platypus costumes, KISS outfits with makeup included, and Phineas' trademark clothes.
After an hour of trying clothes on, they finally found a set of clothes they could all agree on... their own self-sewn Fireside Girls' uniforms. Satisfied, they headed out, walking past a pile consisting of everything that had tried on. Once they were well out the door, Ginger popped out of it. She wanted to follow the others, but was stopped by the store employees, who were not too pleased with the mess.
Wednesday evening...
The girls were all in Isabella's bedroom, presenting song lyrics they had written the previous night. Isabella quickly voiced her disapproval of both Gretchen's and Adyson's lyrics, which were about books and a rip-off of a certain song of determination, respectively. They responded by shooting down Isabella's childish ideas to sing about unicorns, rainbows, and cupcakes.
But after one look at Holly's inspired from-the-heart lyrics about real life, they quickly shoved all their paper and pencils her way, designating her the songwriter. As she went to Isabella's window to adjust the blinds before starting her work, she unknowingly spooked Ginger, who was atop a ladder and peering into the room. Ginger screamed as she and the ladder fell backwards. Holly took a peek through the glass to see if someone was there, but there was no light on that side of the house, and thus, she could not see the ladder lying on the grass. Or Ginger's sprawled-out body, for that matter.
Thursday afternoon...
The girls were practicing in the studio the owner of Merry Melody had rented out for them. Their music was starting to come together. They just need a second vocalist, just so Isabella was not carrying the whole load. Gretchen declined an audition on the spot; Adyson was so bad that Isabella jokingly threatened to kick her out of the band if she tried to sing another note. Holly, though, stepped up once more, singing with the voice of a soulful angel. Isabella was so impressed that she decided to make Holly lead vocalist instead of herself, to the latter's shock and joy.
With everything seemingly under the control, the girls headed out of the studio, hoping to rest up for the concert tomorrow. On the way to the exit, they passed by Ginger, who once more was hiding behind a music magazine.
This time, though, Gretchen spotted her. Deciding Ginger was not busy at all after learning she had been tailing them the whole week for apparently no reason, Gretchen pulled out a stack of entries that still had yet to be posted on the troop's online blog. She assigned Ginger to do that, much to her chagrin.
And before we knew it, it was the big night...
The parking lot at Danville Elementary was already full, forcing many to park out in the street. Even if people managed to find a space, that was still no guarantee they would get in to see the show, as the multi-purpose room being used for the concert was going to be limited to standing room only.
Inside, all of the girls' equipment was already set up on stage. Phineas, Ferb, and Irving were in the midst of setting up video-recording equipment in a central aisle that split the rows of folding chairs in the room. As for the girls...
They were in the music room, which for tonight was doubling as their dressing room. Isabella was seen wrapping up a talk with the school's music teacher, while Gretchen, Adyson, and Holly did last-minute checks on their outfits.
As the teacher exited the room, she passed by Katie, who had come to give the band their five-minutes-to-curtain warning.
"You all look great!" Katie said, upon seeing the band's outfits.
"Thanks!" replied Isabella, in gratitude. "Are we all set?"
"Just one minor detail. Ginger's still MIA. She was supposed to help the guys pass around donation tins during the show."
"She'll be along," Gretchen said. "She's working on updating the blog."
"Ginger! Sorry I'm late! Are you ready?"
Stacy pushed open the door to her bedroom, which was slightly ajar. She knew Ginger was in there using her laptop, working on Fireside Girls' material. So she was surprised to find the room empty. In addition, her window was open, and her own bedsheets had been tied into a rope so that someone could climb down to the ground from there.
"This isn't funny, Ginger! Coltrane's waiting for us!"
Stacy thought about checking the bathroom, but she stopped moving when she noticed that her laptop was still on. She dragged her finger on the mousepad, bringing the monitor out of standby mode, and her eyes went wide upon seeing what was on screen.
"Oh, boy... this won't end well."
Phineas could see that the room was packed to capacity as he approached the lead microphone on stage. Everyone went silent as he began his introduction.
"Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls! Thank you for coming out to this special benefit concert to save the music program here at Danville Elementary! You've been mighty generous so far this week, but we're not quite at our goal yet! Hopefully tonight's performance will put us over the top!"
Backstage, Isabella and Holly were putting on their guitars, Adyson had her drumsticks gripped firmly in her hands, and Gretchen was slipping on some fingerless keyboarding gloves. Katie stood by the curtain, ready to pull it aside once Phineas had finished.
"So, without further ado... here's Fab-tastic Four!"
Katie pulled the curtain aside, and the four girls rushed out onto the stage, to a round of thunderous applause. They took their places and prepared to start.
"One! Two! A one, two, three, FOUR!"
On four, the girls started playing the intro to their first number. It was full of energy, and Isabella and Adyson drove it with the guitar strumming and drum banging, respectively.
15 seconds in, Isabella began singing.
"One minute, we're at our desks! The next, we're on the road! We could be selling you cupcakes or dissecting a toad!"
"For real?" questioned Adyson.
"We may be everyday girls, who do extraordinary things! Like feeding the homeless, or climbin' Colorado Springs!"
"Rocky Mountain high!" shouted Holly.
"Tonight, though, it's different! This time, we need your help. The music program will be no more unless you scream and/or yelp."
"Shouting works too!" bellowed Gretchen.
"Help us save the music! Donate some money today! Please give until it hurts! BUFORD, put that club away!"
"Oh, nuts!" grumbled Buford, who was about to hit a tuxedo-clad man in the second row with a billy club.
With that threat neutralized, Isabella went into the chorus, which she sung together with Holly.
"Music helps us learn about teamwork! Music helps us keep our grades! And without music in all your lives, we probably wouldn't have those snazzy parades! Music pushes us to stay in school! Music brings us joy to all our lives! And with your generous help tonight, we'll ensure the music program survives!"
Outside the building, there was a familiar sight as Candace was arguing with the doorman, or doorgirl, in this instance, who was refusing to let her in.
"I DEMAND you let me in there!" screamed Candace.
"Sorry," Milly told her. "Place is packed. Can't let anyone else in."
Suddenly, an irate Ginger stomped up to the door. Milly quickly went to the door and held it open for her.
"Thanks," grumbled Ginger.
"You let HER in?" growled Candace, as Milly let go of the handle and let the door swing closed by itself.
Milly gave Candace an 'Are you crazy?' look.
"You've never seen Ginger angry before, have you?"
By the time Ginger made it into the multi-purpose room, the Fab-tastic Four was about to go into their final song of their set.
"Thanks for all your donations tonight!" Isabella said to the crowd. "While Phineas and Ferb tabulate our final totals, let me take a moment to introduce ourselves, in case you don't know who we are."
Ginger found a space along the wall, about seven rows back, and she then turned her attention to the stage.
"I'm Isabella, on electrical guitar and co-vocalist for the Fab-tastic Four! Most of you know me as the leader of Fireside Girls Troop 46231!"
Isabella then pointed to her far left.
"Over there is Gretchen! She's our keyboardist tonight, and a rockin' one at that, right?"
The crowd shouted their agreement.
"Behind me is Adyson, our drummer! Who knew our class president could rock so hard, am I right?"
Cheering could be hard from the crowd, but Ginger was not a part of it. She seemed to be glaring daggers at Adyson, even though the brunette could not see her at all thanks to the lack of lighting over there.
"And last, but certainly not least, my fellow co-vocalist, who also happens to be one dynamite songwriter! She's our bass guitarist, Holly!"
The screams were loudest for Holly, who blushed with embarrassment.
"Th-th-thanks, Isabella!"
Isabella backed away a little from her mic, allowing all the focus to be on Holly.
"Our final number tonight is a little emotional," she told them. "You see, at our age, we've all started to have feelings. Feelings of love. For boys. You know, us girls start to believe that boys like more than eating bugs or rolling around in the mud. And boys stop worrying about catching cooties from us girls!"
A good part of the audience laughed at that remark.
"We're all going through various stages of crushing on boys right now. Some of us have already found our dream boy. Some of us think we might've found him. And some of us are still searching. Regardless of which category each of us fits into, I think we can all agree on one thing."
Holly then winked at the audience.
"Boys aren't that icky anymore."
With that, Gretchen started playing, in a slow, somber tone. Isabella and Adyson joined in soon after, in similar fashion. Holly moved her strumming hand from being in front of the guitar to around the microphone, which she gripped gently.
She started singing, which was Isabella and Adyson's signal to stop, leaving Gretchen's keyboard the carry the melody alone.
"I used to think that all you did was play around in the mud. When I came around, you all hid. You said I was a dud. While you played with all your Joes, I did dress-up with my dolls. You ruined my parties with a hose and pelted me with baseballs. I believed all boys were just like you. None of you gave a darn. But just last week, there was a breakthrough... you gave me a hat made of yarn. I asked you, 'What is this?' You reply, 'I made it just for you!' Then you tried to give me a kiss; I had to bid adieu!"
As Holly held that last note, Isabella jumped in...
"Growing up is so crazy, crazy! The fine line between us gets hazy, hazy!"
And then two sang the chorus together.
"Snips, snails, and puppy dog tails meets sugar, spice, and everything nice! I used to think boys weren't all that, but it's something you work at! It doesn't take much to tip the scales. Heed me now, take my advice! If he tells you tomorrow that he loves you, you tell him, 'I love you, too.'"
The crowd began swaying back and forth, in tune with the song. Holly let go of her mic in order to perform the song's long interlude, led by her bass guitar. Meanwhile, Isabella sidestepped towards Phineas, hoping to get an update on the progress. But, along the way, she tripped over the cord for her microphone stand, and fell face first onto the stage.
THUD!
Holly stopped playing immediately, as she ran over to help Isabella up. Phineas moved from where he was, too, walking up onto the stage.
"Are you okay?" Phineas asked.
"Uh huh," replied Isabella, her face red for multiple reasons.
"Can I tell you something?"
Isabella's eyes lit up. She stepped forward, hoping this was the moment she had been waiting for. Instead, Phineas held up the clipboard in front of her.
"WE DID IT! We raised enough money to save the music program!"
Upon hearing that, the crowd erupted with joy. As they celebrated, Isabella tried to advantage of the moment.
"That's great, Phineas! But isn't there something else you wanna..."
"I can't hear you, Isabella! But I think the crowd would love it if you finished your song!"
With that, Phineas walked back to his post. Isabella was stunned. Luckily, before she could get down, Holly put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Try again tomorrow?"
Isabella looked up at her friend and replied, with a smile.
"Oh, you bet!"
Gretchen and Adyson started playing once more, this time giving the song an up-tempo beat. Isabella and Holly went back to the center of the stage, where they sang the final chorus in unison.
"Snips, snails, and puppy dog tails meets sugar, spice, and everything nice! I used to think boys weren't all that, but it's something you work at, you work at! Keep trying to get through, but if all else fails, issue him an ultimatum; be as cold as ice! Say he will regret it if he lets you go. He'll believe you; you're the one, OH! It doesn't take much to tip the scales. Heed me now, take my advice! If he tells you tomorrow that he loves you, you tell him, 'I love you, too.'"
The girls stopped playing, but the song did not finish until all four of them repeated the final two lines, a cappella.
"If he tells you tomorrow that he loves you, you tell him, "I love you, too!"
The audience applauded the group for their fantastic performance. The lights came up in the room, and everyone got out of their seats to give the girls a standing ovation. The foursome was giddy at how well they had done, as they either took off their instruments or got up from behind them, and met at center stage for a group hug.
We had the night of our lives on that stage, and we accomplished our goal of saving the school's music program! Sure, I bungled another shot at confessing my love for Phineas, but hey, par for the course, right?
The important thing is... everyone's going home happy tonight!
The four joined hands as they walked up to the stage, and took a gracious bow. The ovation continued for a few minutes, as the girls waved and blew kisses to the crowd. All was well and good.
Until Adyson spotted Ginger staring at her on the right side of the room. The two's eyes stayed fixed on each other for a few seconds. Adyson gulped as she saw the anger in Ginger's eyes. Adyson knew Ginger had finally found out.
But Ginger decided to march out of the room without incident. They both knew this was not the time and the place to settle their issue. Tonight was a night to celebrate the salvation of Danville Elementary's music program. But come tomorrow...
Adyson was dead meat.
End Entry
Author's Notes:
You got singing, Phinebella, a Perry the Platypus appearance (sort of), and a Candace cameo. Almost a full-fledged 'Phineas and Ferb' episode, only with not so much of the boys and a lot of Isabella and the girls...
For the curious, the two songs in this episode are titled 'Music Helps Us' and 'I Used to Think.' In having a music-filled episode, this also gives Holly another opportunity to show off her singing abilities, which is something I wish they'd give her a shot to do in the show. Her voice actress isn't doing anything right now anyway...
Now, next week, it's the moment of you all been waiting for! On the season finale of "Fireside Diaries," Ginger has finally learned that Adyson has been dating Baljeet. Now she intends to do something about it. Will Adyson be forced to break up with Baljeet? Or will she prove to Ginger that Baljeet should only be with someone he actually likes? Friends become rivals in the explosive season finale of "Fireside Diaries," one week from tonight!
(Psst... I've decided to give you all a chance to choose how the season will end! Go to my profile page right now and vote on the poll! You have to be signed in to your account to cast a vote! Note that this only applies if you're reading this the week that this episode is posted! So help decide the fate of the Adyson-Baljeet pairing... vote now!)