Chapter 2: The Truth in T.V., Undaunted Love

"I was at my grandparent's house for one week in summer break—like always. It was about seven o'clock in the morning and we were sitting down for breakfast when Teri, my cousin, changed the channel. Suddenly, I heard Bowling For Soup, and told her to keep it on. It was a theme song. For—you guessed it—Phineas and Ferb." Everyone looked alarmed. "My favorite part is the ending, with Candace screaming, 'Mom! Phineas and Ferb are making a title sequence!' After that, I really enjoyed the show. The show, of course is in two dimensions, since it's shown as a cartoon, which is why I was at first very shocked to see you all, having not believed that you were real." Phineas gave me a how could you think we're not real? look, and I replied, "Well, think about it. Do you think Pinhead Pierre is real?"

"She has got a point." Baljeet replied.

Even Buford nodded in agreement at this.

"So what are you going to do when you get home?" Phineas wondered curiously.

"Well, I can't very well tell everyone that you guys aren't just a cartoon. First of all, I'd be put into a mental hospital. Second of all, Ferb'd be swamped with fangirls."

Ferb snorted at that, and Phineas looked alarmed. "Why wouldn't I?" His ego setting in for the first time I'd ever seen.

"I doubt a certain someone," looking pointedly at Isabella, "would allow that."

Isabella giggled and blushed in agreement, and Phineas simply looked at me in confusion.

"Eh, you'll find out when you're older, Phineas." He only shrugged, and said, "Okay, guys, let's finish this!" Referring to the machine.

Ferb, Baljeet, and Buford stood up to join him, along with the Fireside Girls. Isabella was just about to join them when I pulled her in the opposite direction. "Chief?" the second in command of the Fireside Girls said to Isabella.

"Gretchen, I'll let her go in a minute. I just want to talk to her privately. It's about Phineas."

Gretchen giggled and agreed that it was okay. "Go on then, and take Ginger, Milly, Holly, Katie and Adyson with you. This is just between me and Isabella."

The rest of the girls looked astonished that I knew their names, and I knew that many people forgot their names because they were often in their leader's shadow. (Not that they minded a whole lot, they loved their leader dearly and they did what was best for the troupe happily under her instruction)

"If you're sure . . ." she said, looking over at her fearless leader.

"I'll be fine, Gretch. Just help Phin."

So the Fireside Girls walked away to help Phineas and the gang with the machine, leaving just me and Isabella. I pulled her away over to the fence out of earshot of the others so we could talk, grabbing my precious tote-bag on the way.

"So, Isabella, I hear that Phineas is, to quote you directly, 'the very thing I live for'."

"That was a private Fireside Girl meeting!" She exclaimed, but blushed deeply, obviously not hiding it.

"As a member of the Society of Wish-Givers," I continued, ignoring her protests, "I am proud to announce one thing. Despite the fact that he remains oblivious to those little hints you're giving him, he does care about you, more deeply than he, you, or even I know. Why else would he spend an entire day helping you cure your hiccups?"

"Wow, do you know EVERYTHING?"

"Well, no, not everything. I don't know how Irving got a lock of Ferb's hair."

"But you know that he has one in the first place."

"Touché. I also know that he has his entire room dedicated to them. Their pictures cover the walls. If anything, I'd be concerned about him messing up your boy's brain."

"I'll keep an eye out for him, thanks."

"And don't you get discouraged, Isabella, cus that day when he notices you is just around the corner. I promise. That's how it worked out with me."

"Did it really?"

"Yeah. Then all I had to do was take the last step."

"And what was that?"

"To figure out if he liked me back.

"And?"

"Well, at first I was hoping that he would tell me himself, but he was taking too long, so I flat out admitted that I was in love with him."

"And?" she stated again, but a little more urgent.

"With wonderful results. He told me that he was in love with me too."

"You think that it'll happen for me?"

"Well, they often say that anything is possible with Phineas and Ferb. I like to think that anything is possible with Phineas and Isabella." I replied with a wink, and Isabella blushed a dark shade of red.

Across the yard, I heard Phineas shout to Ferb, "Hey Ferb? Where'd Isabella go?"

Ferb pointed to where Isabella and I were sitting.

Phineas waved at the two of us, and Isabella looked as if she were daydreaming.

"Isabella, snap out of Phineas-land. I know it's wonderful in there, with Phineas being a centaur and all, but back in the real world you have a chance with him too!"

Isabella smiled, gave me a sheer look of shock, realizing that I knew what existed in her Phineas-land, shook it off, and then the two of us walked over to where the machine stood, still incomplete.

"On another note," I said, picking up a hammer to help build, "Where's Perry?"

Everyone turned to look at me, surprised since I hadn't met Perry, remembered, but continued to stare, wondering why it mattered, and I couldn't help but exclaim, "What? Oh come on! Everyone's said it before, even Stacy!"

"She has a point." The aforementioned individual commented, having arrived at the Flynn-Fletcher household to spend time with and console an on-the-brink-of-self-destruction Candace. Then she noticed that it was me who had spoken. "So you're the 'totally our age but hanging out with my obnoxious little brothers' girl?"

"Yeah, that would be me."I replied happily, pointing to myself. "I ended up here by accident. I've been hanging out with the whole gang actually."

"Well, Candace being well . . . Candace, really only thinks about them much. So anyway, I have to go give her a chill pill, so I'll see you guys later, kay?"

This earned an agreement from everyone, and Stacy walked back into the house to find Candace, and we all went back to building.