Urrgh, is anyone else pretty irritated with Fanfiction right now? It's acting pretty weird, so I might be updating less until it stops freaking out on me.

I'm an only child. Sure, I have a giant extended family, but that only makes me wonder why my parents only had one child. Maybe they stopped because they knew I was going to be a mess the second after I toddled up to Phineas Flynn.

I stared at myself in my mirror. I was wearing a long strapless periwinkle dress, with my hair in a tight bun, with some strands out, framing my face. I didn't look or feel like myself. I was gently brushing some blush on, but my face still looked a little washed-out. I sighed. This wasn't me. I always have my hair down. My color palette rarely leaves the pink to purple area. I love big puffy ball gowns. The girl who I was staring at was a stranger. And even though she looked pretty, she also looked sad.

I got up and grabbed a clutch as I left. I guess I was going to check on Phineas. Technically, I think he was going to pick me up, but I wanted to go to his house. I want Ferb.

I hate him. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him! Why does he have to make everything so difficult? I don't need him! Phineas likes me after all. Can't he just let me enjoy that? He doesn't have to be so sweet and concerned and super attractive. I'm going to the apartment for Phineas, but every part of me, except my brain, is crying for Ferb.

I knocked on the door. "Isabella, hey!" Phineas said, as he opened the door. "You look beautiful."

"Really?" My sad little girl was coming out. The one who never got Phineas. "Are you ready?" I glanced at him. He looked about ready. He just needed to put on his jacket.

"One second." He dashed inside and I followed him.

"Where's Ferb?" I asked.

"His room!" Phineas called back to me from his bedroom.

I slowly walked to Ferb's room and peeked my head in. He was lying on his bed, propping up his laptop, with the same kind of pajama-like clothes I'm so used to seeing at this point.

I cleared my throat. He looked up and saw me, then instantly sat up straight. "Glamorous." I said sarcastically. He gave me this very tired, exasperated look. "Ferb, why aren't you coming?"

"There are already four of you going." He stated.

"You gave your tickets away!" I said angrily. "Why? What is this? Another pathetic attempt to set me up with Phineas?"

"Isabella," Ferb got up and firmly put his hands on my shoulders. "Phineas asked you completely by his own will. Phineas cares very deeply about you." He looked me over. "You look very nice." He said.

"What is that, an afterthought?" I said thornily.

"It's a compliment." He said, taken aback.

"Well, it's not true! I look like a paper doll that hasn't been colored properly!" I snapped. "I feel like I looked a lot better this morning, especially considering you decided to jump my bones again after we woke up."

Ferb instantly covered my mouth with his hand. "Jesus, Isabella! He's in the next room."

"Sorry." I said. We were very close to each other. "Ferb…" I whispered.

"Just go." He said, stepping back from me. "You can… leave early if you want to, and the three of us can hang out here."

"Sounds like a plan!" I heard Phineas say, as he walked in. He looked very dapper, in all black.

"Let's go." I sighed.

Phineas and I rushed downstairs and called a cab. "You excited?" He asked.

I nodded. I was. I just wish that maybe Ferb had tried to ask me too. That sounds awful, doesn't it? I really do only think about myself. For some reason, I'm unable to settle with the fact that maybe some boys are immune to me. Irving, Baljeet, Buford, Kyle, and now Phineas have all had crushes on me. But I still want Ferb.

"Hi, guys!" Phineas said, waving to Baljeet and Ginger. Thank god they're coming. I totally need Ginger right now.

"Phineas, Isabella." Baljeet said to both of us, coldly. What was wrong with him? It was like he was mad at us for going out.

"Ginger, you look really pretty." I said. She had a big black ball gown, but it was very simple, and she finished it off with some gold jewelry.

"Yeah." She said. "We need to talk."

"Let's go!" Phineas said, peppily, as we drove off.

"What happened?" Ginger whispered to me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I thought that we 'theorized' that maybe you shouldn't be with Phineas." She said.

"Look, he asked me, okay, not the other way around." I whispered.

"But…" She started.

"End of discussion." I crossed my arms and turned to face the window.

Then, the car stopped. Phineas paid, and jumped out of the car to open my door. I took his hand, a little surprised. "Ready to go?"

I smiled. "Of course, Phineas."

The room was beautifully decorated, and was practically glowing. Everybody looked so rich and important that I felt like shrinking away.

"Why, if it isn't little Phineas Flynn!" Mayor Roger Doofenshmirtz came up to us. Phineas smiled brightly at him. "Good to see you again. You know, I might be calling you again the next time I throw a party. Your activities always astound my city. And you are?" He gestured to me.

"Isabella. She's my…" Phineas looked for the word to say. I rolled my eyes. Probably friend again. "Date." He finished.

I felt a little taken aback. Phineas liked me. He actually considered this a date. Wow.

"Pleased to meet you." The mayor said.

"Likewise, Mr. Mayor." I said sweetly. "Pardon my inquiry, but is your family here?"

"Of course!" He said in a jolly voice. "You'll see most of the Doofenshmirtz clan here. Look." He pointed towards the appetizer tables.

I saw a scary looking old man in a horned helmet yelling at a waiter, a little old woman who looked a lot like the mayor talking to a pretty lady with glasses and an irritated pharmacist, who had a… oh, never mind, I thought he had a platypus. But no Vanessa.

"Where's your niece?" I asked.

"Poor thing is going through a rough patch with her beau." He said simply.

"Oh." I said, more to myself, as he left. It just made me feel very worried inside.

"Do you want to dance?" Phineas asked.

"Yes!" I replied happily. Yet, as we danced, I realized I wasn't having such a great time. He couldn't dance like… Ferb.

"Do you know why Baljeet and Buford would be upset with me?" Phineas asked.

"No. You should ask Ginger." I said.

Phineas spotted her and Baljeet walking by. "Would you do it for me?" He pleaded.

"What?" Suddenly, he was pushing me towards them. I frantically turned towards him. He flashed me a thumbs-up and disappeared into the crowd.

"Isabella!" Ginger said to me.

"Hey, Baljeet, why are you treating Phineas poorly?" I accused, turning towards him.

"You two are so very clueless!" He said in frustration. "And Buford's an idiot! I knew I was right about you not being in love with him all along!" And he stormed off.

"In love with Buford?" I asked quizzically.

"No, Isabella." Ginger sighed. "Ferb."

"What?" I gasped.

Ginger turned on me. "Isabella, your world revolves around you. Did it ever occur to you that maybe some of us are actually smart enough to figure out what you and Ferb have been up to? And that maybe while you're too busy thinking of yourself, you've been ignoring a certain boy's feelings for you?"

I was speechless for only a few seconds. "Shut up. Just shut up, okay! You don't know anything! You don't know what we've been doing or how we feel about each other! It's none of your business!" I said angrily. "And you tell Baljeet to lay the hell off Phineas, because he didn't do anything wrong!"

I stormed away. She hadn't known a thing up until now, and I bet Baljeet was the one who actually figured it out! Screw them! They thought they were the relationship masters now? He couldn't get a girl if he paid one! She had a more pathetic crush than me! I wish Ferb were here.

I ended up grabbing an entire bottle of champagne and storming out onto the back balcony. I was all alone. I shook the thing vigorously and popped the top, spraying everything but myself with fizz. I poured myself a glass. I was sad.

I had just finished my second glass when I heard footsteps behind me. "Ginger, I will hurt you!" I threatened.

"It's Phineas." He said. We stood there quietly, together. "So, I'm guessing you didn't like the party?"

"No," I hung my head. "It was really nice."

"Oh." He responded. We stayed quiet for a few minutes again.

"Hey, Phineas," I don't know if I was drunk or crazy. "I have a huge crush on you. Like, since I first met you."

He seemed taken aback. "I… I know."

I almost fell down. Yeah, I'm probably drunk. That couldn't be true. "What?"

He turned and gazed out into the distance. "I think I always knew."

"Why didn't you ever..?" I didn't know what to say.

"I don't know. I tried to ignore it, actually. I guess I was kind of… scared… of ruining anything. If I turned you down, it would ruin everything. If we ever broke up, it would ruin everything." He smiled at me. "We are best friends."

"What if we didn't break up? What if everything worked out perfectly?" I asked quietly.

He took my hand. "That's why I decided to ask you out."

We stood there, in tranquility. I genuinely felt happy.

"I guess we should go home early, right? Like Ferb wanted?"

And all my problems came swooping back, the minute I heard his name.

There you have it. Of course Ginger and Baljeet figured it out: they're smart! As for Phineas, I honestly do believe he's oblivious, but I'm sure we've all been through points where we're thinking "HOW DOES HE NOT NOTICE?". So, now, in String Theory, he HAS been noticing. Alright, darlings, please review!