Day six of MerMay prompt month.

Possible trigger warning for feeling left behind, unwanted, or even forgotten. From here on out, everyone begins to overcome these issues, but just like in real life, they can still creep up on us unexpectedly.

Outcast - Isabella

Her fists still shook and her eyes still stung. It was as if she had just left the Flynn-Fletcher household, though instead she had stalked off about thirty minutes ago. Isabella sat on the plank that she had claimed as hers—the one at the very end of the abandoned boat dock off the boardwalk (abandoned due to petty reasons, honestly, but no one had ever tried to repair it so Isabella claimed it). And, as usual these days, she was alone.

Absolutely alone.

The waves crashed into the posts below her, seemingly as agitated as she felt, though it was in reality a calm day. She closed her eyes, breathing in the salty air and focusing on the sounds the ocean made, hoping to calm herself a bit in order to think rationally before she became a raging mess.

It started about a year and a half ago. Phineas had gotten an idea in his head that seemed to stump him. He said it was because Ferb left to visit his mom, but he never explained anything more about it—or explained if the idea was because Ferb left, or if that was the reason it wasn't working. No one expected Phineas to change if his step-brother went away. He always seemed fine when Ferb was away at debate camp or had to go to an appointment. But, apparently if it's for longer than a couple of days, Phineas goes coo-coo-crazy.

At first it was hard to notice a difference in his behavior. He bounced out of his house into the backyard where all of his friends were waiting. He seemed just as perky as ever, and he said their idea now was to figure out new places to live, such as on the moon or underwater.

Unfortunately, everyone put together couldn't come close to filling Ferb's shoes and that day their ideas did not work. Phineas smiled brightly and said, "That's okay! We will try again tomorrow!"

Well, tomorrow came… and the next day… and the next. A couple of weeks in, Baljeet bailed due to a resounding lack of consistent logic. Buford soon followed him, not entirely because he wanted to. He and his mom went on a summer vacation to his aunt's house across the country and he didn't return until a week before school restarted.

Isabella did her best, and the Fireside Girls followed her lead as usual… but then their patch earning schedule started getting messed up. They weren't going to get all of the patches they wanted that summer if they were stuck on a dead-end project.

But Isabella couldn't leave Phineas alone.

She was torn. She couldn't lead and help Phineas… something had to give.

Eventually she decided to pass on the leadership position. Holly did fantastic as group leader. They weren't able to get all of the planned patches, but they had nearly caught up by the time fall came around. Isabella, unfortunately missed out on more than a few of them… but she had to help Phineas. He couldn't do these things alone!

Because she loved Phineas! She really did… but…

He was so different ever since Ferb left, the dillhole—why did he have to go?! Phineas was lonely, hello! And she had no idea how to pull his head out of his… hat.

Their earlier argument still rang in her ears.

"It's been years! What happened to all the variety?! You used to be so creative!"

"Used to be creative?!" he said, his tense voice showing how offended he was.

Isabella huffed. "Yes, used to! You have lost your creativity because you're stuck on this one stupid idea!"

Phineas's jaw fell open. "It is not stupid!" he shouted.

Isabella threw her hands up. "Yes it is! There are so many other things you could be doing, but for some stupid reason!" she yelled back, her eyes burning into his. "—you are caught on going somewhere with no oxygen! What did you expect from us?!" Isabella demanded. "Did you think we could do the impossible and somehow make oxygen?! We. Are. Children!" she finished with a screech.

Phineas's hands twitched at his sides, his breathing ragged. His eyes were filled with fury. "Get. Out." he told her, his whole body shaking with repressed rage.

Isabella didn't bother responding. She stomped to the gate and slammed it behind her, ignoring the foomp sound a board made as it fell from the impact.

Her shoulders shook as she listened instead for the waves against the wooden posts below her. Her hands clenched the hem of her skirt until she felt something move on her cheek. She reached up to brush whatever it was away and instead found her fingers wet. She stared at the liquid on her hand, almost not seeing it, as more tears dripped from her eyes.

Something felt… off. She knew she was crying, but it was like her mind had shut down her emotions. She didn't know what was going on… It was like everything blurred around her; everything was numb.

A wave surged and washed over her bare feet, and almost instantly everything became sharp again. She gasped for air as one sob broke free, quickly followed by another. Her hands found the bottom of her skirt again, gripping it tightly as her emotions rose up within her relentlessly. Tears fell in rivers down her face, dripping from her chin into the deep blue below her.

There was so stopping it now, and Isabella resigned herself to riding the waves of sadness until they would eventually settle. After that, then she would focus on what she should do next. But for now… for now she would let herself drown in her tears.

A few days later, Isabella stood in the same backyard, her hands clenched behind her back as she readied herself. When Phineas walked out, she took a deep breath. "Phineas," she began, her voice unsteady. "I'm sorry for the things I said."

Phineas blinked at her and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm sorry too…" he murmured. "I… I became so focused on this one thing that I lost sight of everything else," he said, his voice becoming stronger as he finished.

Isabella took a step closer to him. "I'm sorry I couldn't help get this working with you."

He was already shaking his head before she had finished her sentence. "It was never your job to get this to work. I shouldn't have put so much pressure on you."

She smiled at him, a little awkwardly. He returned it just as bad. "Maybe… we could do with a break?"

Phineas's smile became a bit more relaxed. "Yeah… that sounds good. What should we do?"

Isabella thought for a moment. "Maybe we could invite the old gang to a movie," she suggested.

His face visibly brightened. "That sounds like fun! I hadn't realized how little I have seen of everyone." His face fell slightly and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Isabella," he said, his voice cracking. "I want to thank you."

She blinked at him, curiously. "Thank me?"

He nodded. "Thank you for always being my friend, even when I didn't deserve it."

Isabella felt her eyes burning, tears threatening to make an appearance, but she smothered it ruthlessly. She instead stepped forward and wrapped the redhead in a friendly hug. "I'll always be your friend, Phineas," she promised.

Isabella hadn't known it at the time, but the day she had made her apology was the day after Phineas's first therapy appointment. When she found out about that, a lot about that day became understandable. Going to the movies didn't work out so well, because Phineas wanted everyone to know he appreciated and missed them, and that he was sorry. They ended up instead at a park talking, laughing, and playing like old times.

As the days passed after that, Phineas began to revert to his focused (and frankly obsessive) self. But, after another appointment with Doctor Sanni, he started showing more of his open friendly nature. It was a balancing act at first, but each appointment showed an improvement in Phineas and he started meshing both versions of himself into a pretty well-rounded person.

Getting to know this new Phineas though… Isabella realized there was something different about her feelings towards him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, and after a while she decided to just ignore it all until either they went away or she figured it out.

One day, a few months after Phineas started therapy, she was passing by the Flynn-Fletcher's house on her way home from the restaurant. She saw Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher ("You're fifteen now, Isabella. You can call me Linda.") gardening in the backyard. Phineas was nowhere to be seen, so he must have been inside. She began to raise a hand to call a greeting when Linda checked something on her phone. With a soft squeal, a noise Isabella didn't know a middle-aged woman could still make, she ran inside. Isabella could hear her faintly yelling for Phineas and her husband before the door closed, blocking out the rest of the noise.

Isabella stared at the door curiously before glancing back at the garden. She noticed a hose was draining into a flowerbed and decided to save the poor things from getting overwatered by turning off the outside faucet. Plants rescued, Isabella headed towards home again.

Later that day, she got a text from Milly.

I'm so happy for Phineas!

Isabella looked at her phone curiously.

What for? She sent back.

What do you mean? Because Ferb called, of course!

Oh! That must have been what Linda had run inside for.

He did? That's great! I'm so happy for all of them!

Yeah! I can't believe it's going to be a few years still before Ferb comes back! Phineas is so sad.

Isabella felt like something was itching in her brain. How, exactly, did Milly know these things?

What do you mean? Why is it going to be so long?

He already told us all in the group message. Didn't you see it?

Group message? Isabella went back to the list of messages she had on her phone… The last group message between them all was a few days ago, and it was about Buford's last lunch… There was nothing about Ferb.

Before she could say anything about not getting anything new, Milly sent her another text.

Sorry Katie, I gotta go. Holly and Adyson are here for the sleepover. Cya!

She stared at the last message, ignoring the blinking line in the middle of a word in the outgoing text box. Numbly, she deleted the unsent message and put her phone on her bedside table. Group message… Katie… Sleepover... Words circled her mind, but she couldn't focus on any of them.

Eventually she stood up and, after a moment of hesitation, she grabbed her sketchbook instead of her writing notebook. She told her mom where she was going and grabbed her bike for the familiar ride to the beach.

Her phone was left behind.

Lamia

In ancient Greek mythology, Lamia was originally a beautiful woman who was one of Zeus's lovers. After Hera learned of the affair, she cursed Lamia into killing her own children, which later caused her to become disfigured from the torment.

They are humanoid with serpentine qualities, such as a human upper body growing out of a snake body. Some are also depicted to have serpent eyes, tongue, and/or fangs. Some artwork shows a fully human appearance, with the woman either holding or wearing snakeskin.

Not to be confused with the Gorgons (ie Medusa), who had snakes as her hair.

[Maybe I should explain a bit...]

[Around when Ferb left, Isabella was still so stuck on Phineas that, when he started falling off the deep end, she ended up pulled down too. Her friends kind of grew up a little without her. But none of them are bad people, and she isn't left behind forever, though she may at times really feel those missing moments between them.]