Chapter 7: Carpe Diem, Words of Warning
I slid down the tree and landed with a thump, and then shortly after, Perry fell on top of me, looking adorable in his pet mode.
Everyone else was outside in the front yard, waving as something disappeared into the distance down the street. When they all walked back into the backyard, both La-an and Phineas exclaimed, "Oh there you guys are!"
"So, where'd you go?" Phineas asked curiously.
"I was just hangin' out with Perry." I said casually.
La-an looked at me funny and I gave him a stern look that clearly said, Later.
Everyone else seemed satisfied.
"So, where'd the machine go?" Confident that they'd finished and had a blast in the time that I was gone.
"A scientist wanted it to prank his colleagues. They're food testers, you see." Phineas explained, and we all laughed.
"Isa! Dinner!" Vivian Garcia-Shapiro called from across the street loud enough for us to hear.
"Well, I guess I should go." Isabella said, standing up. "Bye Phineas." She said as she left the yard. When she was almost out the gate, she turned to look back at us. "Bye Sera. And you too, Laan. I had a great time." I smiled and waved at her as she walked out, closing the gate behind her.
"Yes, I suppose we should get going too." Baljeet supplied, and stood up.
"Whatever." Buford said, but stood up anyway.
The two walked out the gate and shut it behind them as well.
La-an's mouth started going full throttle in front of Ferb again, and I looked pointedly at him, who in turn began dragging the adorable green-haired teen in the direction of the house, who seemed to be listening just as intently as always.
"Poor Ferb," I thought to myself, not realizing I'd spoken out loud. "La-an's going to tire him out."
"Well, if he can handle me, than he can handle Laan."
"Touché."
"So, where does Perry go every day?"
The adorable little monotreme was sitting calmly under the bushes on the other side of the yard until that, who gave me a look that Phineas missed. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise when you find out." I said, knowingly. To change the subject, I said, "So, anything else interesting happen while I was gone?"
"Well, some strange guy popped out of the machine the first time we tried it. He was yelling at us, proclaiming that he wasn't food and shouldn't be eaten."
"I'm guessing La-an knew him?"
"I'm not sure . . ." Phineas said thoughtfully. "He appeared to at least have heard of him, but if he did know him, he was absolutely mortified."
"Wouldn't you be?"
"Touché." Right back at ya, I thought.
I looked towards the street and watched Isabella's house.
"What are you looking at?"
"Isabella's house. She cares for you, you know."
"Well of course she does, we're best friends."
"Phineas, you may be able to pull that oblivious approach over everyone else, but I know you better than they do."
"Maybe I don't really know how much I care about her."
"That's exactly what I thought. When the time is right, you will though."
"And then what?"
"And then always remember to enjoy every moment of it. As you always say, Carpe Diem."
"Seize the day."
"Exactly." I finished, just as Linda pulled in with Lawrence, and Candace came back from moping.
"Well hi there, Phineas. How are you, Sera?"
"Hi, Mom." Phineas answered.
"I'm good." I told her.
"Where's Ferb?"
"Inside with my brother. He showed up this morning, thus the other car."
"I wondered about that . . ." A confused Lawrence put in.
"Well, I guess I'd better make dinner. Phineas, you'd better go wash those hands of yours, young man. Sera, you'd better wash up too."
"I'm going to stay out here just a little longer, Linda. I'll be in for dinner though. And I promise to wash my hands."
I'd just spotted someone walking down the street and thought I'd talk to her.
"Alright then, but be in before it gets cold." All three of them left, and I stood up and walked out onto the street.
My feet pounding on the cement and my tote-bag bumping up against me, I chased after her.
My arm raised, attempting to get her attention, I yelled, "Vanessa!"
She turned on a dime, and I nearly ran into her. "Do I know you?"
"Not exactly. I'm a friend of Ferb's." Her eyes lit up at that, so I continued. "I've been hanging out with them and their friends for the past couple days. I just want to say that I really appreciate all you've done in their lives. Also, you need to think a little more when it comes to that boyfriend of yours. Is he all you think he is? In a few years, you'll be thanking me. Oh, and Ferb and his family live in that house over there." I said, pointing back to the house that I had just came from. "Which is where I need to be heading back to, since they've invited me to dinner."
I walked away, leaving her wondering. When she called after me, I looked back and raised my eyebrow. "Why do you think there's something wrong with Johnny?"
"There's nothing wrong with him now, but you wait a few years. You'll thank me then."
I turned to walk away again, and she called out again. "What's your name?"
"Sera. Seraphina Greene."
"Well, thanks Sera. Maybe I will keep an eye on him."
"And don't forget, Ferb lives there." I pointed again, hoping she'd make a mental note of it.
"I won't." and she turned to walk away, and so did I, for the last time, each heading our separate ways. Her to either her mother or her father's house, and me to the Flynn-Fletcher house, where hopefully the food hadn't gone cold.