Final chapter!
I don't own any Phineas and Ferb characters, places or themes only this idea.
Baljeet and Ginger called another meeting in the Fireside Girl lodge the next morning where they told the sea of expectant faces that their plan hadn't succeeded, if anything it had forced them further apart. Ginger relayed Isabella's resolution to move on and Baljeet explained that Phineas was on the same thought train. The two were both going to go out of their way to ensure they didn't see the other so that by time school started after summer, they were completely over what had happened.
"We tried our best, guys," Baljeet said glumly. "But there's really nothing more we can do."
"Surely not," Buford cried. "There must be something else!"
"Like what?" Adyson kicked the floor. "We did everything right, we got them to meet up, we left them alone in a place where they could have fun together and even then, it didn't work."
"It's time to admit that the problem is no longer with us," Gretchen agreed. "It's them."
"They're our friends," Buford insisted. "Just because they've given up on each other doesn't mean we're supposed to give up on them."
"I agree with Buford," Ferb said. "But I don't see what else we can attempt."
"Didn't we set a deadline?" Ervine asked. Everyone shot him a glare before Baljeet finally relented.
"Even if we didn't have the deadline, I'm afraid there's no denying it," he spread his hands. "We failed."
While her friends met at the lodge, Isabella was out on a walk. She had hoped to spend the time to clear her head and rid her mind of worries, but all she could think about was Phineas. The shock of last night had long since worn off and now she felt awful. She had spent a lot of her childhood with a crush on Phineas but only last night had it been confirmed that he didn't like her back. In all those years, he had managed to convince herself that he was simply oblivious to her affections instead of actively thinking of her as only a friend. But now she knew for sure and it hurt more than she was willing to let on.
She had been adamant to Ginger that her only option was to move on but it wasn't like that was going to be easy. Phineas had been in her life since they were both tiny and pushing him out would be no small feat. It would take time and she kept on doubting she would be able to stay on a path to fully disassociating with him. If there was one thing she was learning from this whole ordeal, it was that feelings couldn't just be turned off. If they could, life would be so much easier and she could instantly forget anything bad ever happened. But considering life was not easy, she knew that she would be doomed to spend at least the next few months constantly having to remind herself not to think about the ginger haired boy who lived across the street. It would take months for her to control the butterflies that constantly overran her body when she saw him. It would take months for her to not perk up every time she heard his name. It being summer might make it easier since she could busy herself with activities and the likes, but after they went back to school, Isabella's fear was that she'd be sent right back to square one.
Due to this, there was a little voice in her head suggesting maybe she shouldn't give up just yet. Until the almost kiss, the two had had an amazing time the previous evening. She hadn't felt so at ease, so happy, since they'd stopped talking at the start of school. Phineas was the only person who truly knew Isabella and accepted her for her. With her other friends, all they saw was the leader of the Fireside Girls and a straight A student who participated in every cocurricular activity that she could. There was so much pressure to embody the perfect image that had been built up for her and sometimes Isabella found herself being swamped. Sometimes she needed someone who could dismiss her status, forget all the praise they'd heard about her and listen to all the problems she had. Seemingly being perfect all the time was exhausting, sometimes she needed someone to relax and let loose around. Phineas had been that someone for as long as she could remember. When they started high school and they'd grown distant it had been so hard on her and that was only her shunning him as a romantic interest. What she was talking about now was shunning him as even a friend. Could she really put herself through that?
Maybe she should keep trying? Maybe there was some way to encourage him to feel the same way? Maybe she could give him one more chance to… No. She steeled herself. No, he'd had his chance, he'd had seven years of chances and he'd never once acted upon them in a way that should even remotely suggest to her that she had a had a future with him, even before last night had played out. The idea of submitting herself to this tortuous life style was unbearable to her. She needed to back off and think about herself for once. She couldn't sacrifice her health by putting everything she had into winning the affection of a boy who had made it abundantly clear he did not like her back.
She stopped walking for a moment, suddenly aware that she hadn't even noticed where her own body was taking her. She was at the park, the same park where years ago, she and Phineas had shared an innocent picnic under the very same tree where she now stood. Everything had been so much more relaxed during that summer. She'd still had that crush, but it was such a pure thing. When she was eight, a relationship with Phineas would be going for ice cream or French fries as a date. It was holding hands and hugging in public, maybe a quick kiss here and there. She hadn't expected to hold onto it for as long as she had and she definitely couldn't have imagined he would never return her feelings in any way shape or form. She almost wished she had reached this point earlier on. Instead, she allowed herself to become dependent on Phineas and on her crush on him. And now she was in quite the sticky situation.
She sighed and leaned against the tree, slowly sliding into a sitting position. And yet, she couldn't find it in herself to regret how things had panned out between them. Even if he had never taken any notice of it, her crush had allowed the two to grow close to one another. It had meant she'd gone out of her way to be around him, and that in turn had led to them spending more time together. It allowed her to become comfortable with him, comfortable enough to open up about her deepest and most shameful insecurities. It had allowed her to be the real Isabella for once instead of the person she was at school. There was no way she would ever, ever regret that. She treasured her friendship with Phineas, the only thing she would have done differently was to realise how much that friendship meant earlier on so to not ruin it now.
From her seat on the ground, she had a pretty good view of the park and felt a pang of jealousy at the couples she could spot dotted around the area. A particular woman and her boyfriend caught her eye. The woman was leaning against him, reading her book out loud while he had his arms wrapped around her. They both looked so at peace and so… in love. Isabella would give anything to be in the same situation with Phineas.
Isabella ducked her head and looked away and that was when she caught sight of the last person she wanted to see, sitting with his head in his hands on a bench a few feet away. What was Phineas doing here?
She turned to leave the park but something pulled her back. He looked terrible, with his hair scruffy and red ringed eyes like he'd been crying. How could she just leave him on his own when it was clear he needed someone right now? She bit her lip but against her better judgement made her way over to him.
"Phineas?" She tentatively reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?"
When Phineas had left his house twenty minutes ago, he had been aiming to get his head straight with a bit of fresh air. Internally, however, he was kicking himself. He was kicking himself over what he'd done last night, he was kicking himself for running away before checking to see how his actions had affected Isabella and he was kicking himself for still wanting to be with her even after everything. There was no denying that Isabella probably didn't want to see him again but he had had such a great time last night. It had been so nice to just connect with Isabella again, especially after the long time they'd spent apart. She reminded him of his carefree days back when his only worry was what he and Ferb were going to build that day. What crazy invention they were going to have fun creating and using. Before school started getting actually serious and before he started having feelings that went beyond friendship. Before he started obsessing over whether or not she liked him back.
That question was answered now, of course. His feelings were not mutual. If they were, she would have told him after he'd stopped himself. She would have told him that it was ok, and that she wanted it. Instead she had stood there, frozen in her horror. At least, he'd taken her silence for horror. What else would her silence mean? Why else would she have said nothing?
He kicked a rolling bottle and sent it skittering across the sidewalk in his frustration. What had he been thinking, trying to kiss her? What sort of an idiot would up and kiss their best friend without knowing for sure that they felt the same way? And now he had no clue if things would ever be the same again between them and that hurt him more than the thought that she didn't like him the way he liked her. This was a lifelong friendship he had managed to destroy in one little ill-thought-through action.
A friendship built on years' worth of experiences and time spent together. All gone because he couldn't keep himself under control. A friendship that had lasted through ups and downs and yet had always managed to come out stronger than ever. Maybe that would apply here as well? Maybe despite how badly he screwed up, they'd be able to work past it and become even closer… Phineas scoffed. He already knew there was no coming back from this disaster. How was he supposed to live with himself knowing that he was responsible for messing up his friendship with the girl who had come to mean so much to him over the years?
He knew he needed to talk to her, get over himself and talk to her but somehow his mind contorted those three words into an impossible monster of a task. It was so simple to say to himself, "Phineas, talk to her" but instead he was imaging crazy situations that he, despite knowing were just that, conjures of his imagination, couldn't discredit either way.
He couldn't even ask her to go with him on the double date, how was he expecting himself to be able to openly confess his feelings, knowing that she felt differently? And what on earth was he even planning on saying to her if he did summon the nerve to do it? It wouldn't be as easy as simply telling he her liked her and accepting her personal feelings. He knew Isabella well enough to be sure she would try and let him down gently, maybe even pretend to feel the same as to not hurt his feelings. He let out a sigh of frustration. Why did she have to be so perfect and so pure? If she wasn't so kind and compassionate maybe this whole 'moving on' thing would be easier. But instead, he was in love with the most flawless being he knew and nothing he told himself could make him stop feeling the way he did about her.
Which was why a part of him ached to keep trying to win her over. Maybe if he persisted, he could show her how much she meant to him, how much he longed to be the one who's very name made her smile, who she knew she could depend on always. And maybe once she saw that, she might give him a chance. Maybe she would realise that he wouldn't be such a bad boyfriend and she might just come to feel the same way.
Or maybe he should just be grateful that she was his friend at all. Maybe he should put his own needs aside and focus on her, on rebuilding the friendship he had demolished. He knew how much she had depended on him while growing up, knew how much she appreciated him listening to her when she felt no one else would. He dreaded to think that he had taken away that from her. Dreaded to think that he was responsible for taking away her only means of keeping her head above the sea of stress and pressure that threatened every day to drag her down and crush her. That's what he should be focusing on; reminding Isabella that he was still someone she could talk to, still someone who supported her and understood what she was going through.
But how could she even trust him now? He came to a bench and sat down, leaning his head into his hands, sobbing quietly. There was so much he needed to talk to her about and yet no matter how many times he composed a speech in his head, he just couldn't seem to find the courage within himself to actually say it. What use was it to think about how sorry he was for trying to kiss her without asking if she was ok with it first? What use was it to think about how much he wished he could take it all back to before he knew he loved her. What use was it to think when what he needed to be doing was talking?
A pair of purple sneakers stepped into his eyeline and he jumped slightly as a hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up in surprise to see Isabella leaning over him, looking worried.
"Phineas?" She said. "Hey, are you alright?"
He swallowed and blinked away his tears, "Isabella? What are you doing here?"
She laughed and sat next to him, leaning back against the wooden planks. "I needed to clear my head after what happened last night."
"About that…" he trailed off, unsure how to start. She kept her eyes focused on the distance, yet he knew she was waiting for him to continue. But being beside her wasn't making it any easier for the thoughts in his head to translate into spoken words. Ever second that ticked by he became more and more paranoid that she was about to get up and walk away which only served to make him even more nervous.
How was he supposed to begin? Should he explain first and then apologise? Or should he confess his feelings, hear out her reaction and go from there? Maybe he needed to ask her how she was, listen to her and what she needed to say: he could only imagine how she was feeling after the stunt he pulled. But if he did that, she might think he was dancing around the point, avoiding it so he didn't have to confront his mistakes. And she might be right, if that was what she assumed. Because he didn't want to talk about it for fear of hurting her anymore. His clumsy attempt at explanation, apology, or whatever was bound to make things worse and he just couldn't do that to her.
"I don't believe it," Isabella said quietly, finally breaking the silence. "I've rendered the great Phineas Flynn speechless."
He opened and closed his mouth a few times but no sound came out. "I'm not sure where to begin," he admitted. She laughed slightly.
"How about I start." She brushed a hair off her face. "I'm not sure if you knew this, but since we were seven, I've had a huge crush on you."
She paused, letting the information sink in while subtly trying to gauge his reaction. Did he know? Did he, like she suspected, know and simply didn't feel the same way? Or was he really as clueless as he'd seemed? And which one was she hoping for?
"I had no idea," he sighed, feeling stupid. How could it be that Isabella had had a crush on him for seven years and yet he'd never once realised it? "I honestly had no idea."
"I figured," she replied, internally breathing a sigh of relief; maybe there was still hope. "Although, I was sure I was making it very obvious."
"I'm sorry," he shifted so he was facing her. "I'm really sorry that I put you through that."
"Well," she spread her hands. "It's out now."
"So…" he reconsidered his words and tried again. "Last night…?"
"I'm sorry," it was her turn apologising. "I know you thought we were just hanging out as friends and I took it too far. I know you don't like me that way."
"But I do," he blurted. "Gosh, Isabella, you can't begin to comprehend how much I like you. As more than friends."
"You mean that?" She hardly dared to believe it. "You really like me too?"
"Of course," he cried. "You're the most beautiful, intelligent, caring, kind, passionate and dedicated person I know."
She blushed, making him smile. "You really feel that way?"
"I think I've felt that way since the moment I met you," he revealed, "But I only realised it when we started high school."
"But," she frowned, puzzling it over. "But that means we've both liked each other for over a year. And if that's true… what happened last night?"
Phineas ran a hand through his hair, "I thought you only saw me as a friend. I thought I overstepped and really hurt you."
"Oh Phineas," she said softly. "Even if you did hurt me, I know you'd never do it intentionally."
"You do?" He looked up at her, not fully believing that she could possibly think so highly of him.
"Before anything else, you're my friend." She smiled gently. "My best friend."
"That's what I'm worried about," he confessed. "I wouldn't ever want to ruin this friendship; it means more to me than anything else."
"But at the same time…"
"I think I'm in love with you, Isabella." He took her hands in his. "I think I want to be with you and I don't think I can pretend otherwise any longer."
"You don't know how long I've waited for you to say those words," she breathed. "This feels like a dream."
"This is real," he promised. "You see?"
And he leaned in and kissed her. It was, in a word, perfect. Perfect in every way possible. It was everything that Isabella had imagined as a child, the exact way Phineas had been picturing it. It was the final milestone to unlocking the deepest connections to each other. The love they both felt for the other had been hidden away, locked deep within themselves for so long that now it was finally allowed to resurface it burst throughout them. Happiness, comfort, safety all surged throughout them and yet the movement of their lips against each other was soft, caring, gentle.
And when they finally parted those emotions, those sensation stayed within them warming their bodies from head to toe and evident in their smiles.
"I was right," Phineas said finally. "I truly love you, Isabella."
"I love you too," she answered, squeezing his hand. "More than you could ever know."
"Would you," he laughed a bit, "Would you like to go on a date with me? A proper one this time?"
"I'd love that," she grinned. "This time, maybe without Baljeet and Ginger."
And there you have it. I really hope you enjoyed this story. I'm currently working on another piece at the moment so keep an eye out. Other than that, thank you to everyone who has read this story to the end and supported me throughout this process, I really appreciate it.