This is the exact same day, three years later.

Phineas sat in his room, trying to read a homework assignment but unable to process the words.

All he could think about was the horrible feeling inside. It's like people are split into two personalities, he thought. You feel like you know someone but then – they get mad at you – and –

He heaved a deep sigh, and gave up reading the science textbook. Instead, he reached for the phone on his desk and dialled a long-distance number. There was a handful of ringing sounds, and then someone picked up at the other end.

"Hey, buddy," Phineas said. "How was your first day of school?"

"What's wrong?" the British voice was worried, alert.

Phineas sighed again. He had meant to sound cheery and not bring up his issues until the end of a seemingly casual conversation – but there was no pulling the wool over Ferb's eyes.

"'Kay, I'll tell you," he said, and rolled over onto his back, staring up at the cloud-covered ceiling. "I've got two girls mad at me."

Ferb whistled, and Phineas frowned. "It's not funny. Remember me telling you about Gretchen? Well – I broke up with her today."

"And she's mad?"

Ferb talked more when he was on the phone, because his brother couldn't translate his questioning glances when he was thousands of miles away. But Phineas missed his inquisitive silence. He would've known just what to say if Ferb was right here in the room with him. He was rather tongue-tied at the moment. Girls were confusing, and talking about them was worse.

"Ummm – well, I didn't really know what happened. I told her – um, I told her we were just friends. I mean, what could I do?" he was suddenly defensive. "I'm pretty sure she wanted, like, a kiss, and that's just weird … for me. We're only fifteen, and we weren't even really dating. So I guess I broke it to her that I wasn't really interested, and she's totally mad at me now."

Ferb was quiet for a minute, and then he asked, "And who's the other angry girl?"

"Isabella. Who else? Gretchen told her about the break-up and she was really mad that we were dating without her knowing. She wanted to know why I didn't tell her. I didn't really know what to say, 'cause we weren't dating. We just went out a couple times. It was by accident."

Ferb was quiet – for so long Phineas cocked his head and said, "Ferb? Are you there?"

A stifled giggle broke over the speaker. Ferb was laughing his head off, trying to bottle it up with a hand stuffed in his mouth, but failing.

"I told you, it isn't funny!" Phineas said. Ferb's chuckles died down a little, but Phineas turned over onto his stomach again, his eyebrows drawn together at the middle, still not satisfied. "Ferb, stop laughing."

Only the desperate tone of Phineas' voice could've shut Ferb up, he found the situation so hilarious. But he figured his brother really needed his help, and so he stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "What's wrong?"

"Gretchen. I don't want to completely end – I don't know what to call it – our – relationship? Um, no. Our friendship. She's a really nice girl, I just don't feel – that way about her."

Ferb smiled into the phone somewhere in the middle of England. "Remember what I told you three years ago, when summer was ending?"

"Uh - I don't know."

"If you love something, let it go."

"What? How does that even apply here?"

"Well, let the relationship end. If it's worth having, the friendship will last."

"Oh - okay. What about Isabella?"

"Don't worry about her. Just tell her you weren't actually dating Gretchen."

"She won't listen!"

"You'd be surprised. Listen, Phineas, I must dash. Lights out is in ten minutes."

"Yeah, alright. Have fun at school! I miss you already."

"Ditto, my friend."

The phone went dead; Ferb had hung up.

I'm thinkin' this will be a four or five part story. 'Cause I can't make anything short, curse my overgrown imagination!