Phineas woke. It hit him that this was the last day of summer. He knew he had to get that vital information, now! He thought he'd interrogate his mother first. He got dressed quickly. "Mom, I need to find something out. If I don't find out why Isabella cares about my destiny by the end of today, she is going to never come back," Phineas exclaimed.

"You're joki-" his mother started.

"I'm dead serious!" Phineas yelled.

"Phineas Flynn, don't talk to your mother that way!" Linda scolded.

"I'm sorry," Phineas apologized.

"I accept your apology," Linda responded.

"Mom, I need you to tell me why she cares about my destiny," Phineas explained.

"Are you in love with her?" Linda asked.

Phineas blushed at this. "Yes," Phineas admitted.

Linda wasted no more time. "She loves you. She has a crush on you. She wants to be your girlfriend. Know it or not, you've broken her heart. I'd be very careful and hasty right now. What you need to do is tell her that you know these things, that you are in love with her, and ask her to be your girlfriend, and when she asks you for something, don't hesitate to do it," Linda explained.

"So the answer to the question?" Phineas asked.

"Isabella cares about your destiny because she is in love with you," Linda answered.

"Thanks, Mom. Oh, and Isabella must never hear of this talk we have had, ever," Phineas informed.

"Got it," Linda responded.

Phineas went outside. It was a cloudy day, almost overcast. Isabella came in through the gate. Phineas could feel himself lighting up. "Hey, Phineas, whatcha' doin'?" Isabella asked. Time seemed to stop. "Do you have the answer to the question yet?" Isabella inquired hopefully.

"Yes," Phineas muttered. "I think."

"And what would that be?" Isabella asked normally.

Phineas' tongue refused to move.

"Phineas, the fact that you aren't responding isn't helping!" Isabella exclaimed.

"I, uh," Phineas started.

Isabella waited impatiently. "Phineas, is your brain broken or something?" she asked. Her own words aroused excitement in her. Did he figure it out? Did he choose her?

Phineas nodded his head haphazardly.

"Phineas," Isabella beckoned. "Phineas!"

"What?! Oh, sorry," Phineas apologized. He could almost taste her lips from there. His heart was beating faster than a speeding car. He felt something moving inside of him.

Isabella was completely oblivious to all of this.

"Fine, if that's how you want to be," Isabella muttered.

Phineas got up immediately. "Wait! Isabella!"

"What?" Isabella murmured frustrated.

Phineas couldn't get words to come again.

"Never mind," Isabella muttered as she lay down in the grass unhappily.

Phineas lay down a foot away. He felt uneasy doing so, as if it wasn't his place. Isabella placed her left hand in his right.

"Look at that cloud," Isabella motioned.

"It looks like a, raindrop?" Phineas wondered.

"Hmm, I guess you could say that," Isabella agreed.

"What about that one, right next to us?" Phineas asked.

"It looks like a warhead exploding on thin air," Isabella responded.

"Cumulonimbus," Phineas muttered.

"What?" Isabella asked. Suddenly, rain permeated their garments faster than a mosquito on skin. They both got up immediately. They ran to the screen door.

Ferb stuck his tongue out from behind the glass. Phineas led Isabella to the front door, where the eve shielded them from the rain. He had no urge to try the door; he knew Ferb was smarter than that, and had already locked it.

"Isabella, are you okay?" Phineas asked.

She blushed this time. "I'm fine," she replied.

"Sorry, I just, I worry about you," Phineas admitted. Maybe he should tell her how he felt before he told her he knew how she felt. "I don't ever want to lose you." Even though he said it in an explanatory tone, it was really a plead. He knew how she felt, but he didn't know how to say so. "I made a PowerPoint presentation on that."

"Ookay," Isabella retreated. That was not the most romantic thing Phineas ever said. He had just gone from Romeo with pecs to nerd on the sidewalk.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Phineas asked.

Isabella face palmed in utter disbelief. Now she was remembering why she wanted to leave Phineas. He had improved a lot, but now and then, his inner weirdness shone through. She thought that she might still be in love with what Phineas had become, but she was so over who Phineas used to be: who he really was.

Phineas was getting to the part where he was going to tell her that he loved her and knew she loved him.

But alas, alas, Isabella took steps toward her house.

"Isabella! You aren't leaving, are you?" Phineas asked, full of fear. "I know why you care about my destiny!"

"It doesn't even matter anymore," Isabella responded. "You know why?"

Phineas shook his head in utter fear.

"I don't care about your destiny anymore. Heck, I don't even care about you, period," Isabella turned.

"What? No! But I wanted to be your boyfriend, and husband, and, I thought that was the reason you cared about my destiny," Phineas cried.

"It was; I don't know what possessed me, but I am so over you!" Isabella shouted.

"NO! PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING FOR JUST ONE MORE DAY!" Phineas screamed.

Isabella turned her back on Phineas.

"DON'T LEAVE ME ALL BY MYSELF! Please," Phineas begged. "I can't live without you," he stated. He stood in her way to leave. She was a little rattled by this.

"Let me go!" Isabella shouted.

"Not if you don't swear that you'll come back," Phineas responded. She tried to run past him, but he tackled her in a hug. She couldn't find mental strength to rebuke him as he held her for what might be the last time. She could feel her heart tugging against her own will. She expected Phineas to let go, but after forty-five seconds, it was obvious he really didn't want to let go. Phineas looked on in horror as she left across the street. He stared at her more intensely than he had ever before, hoping that by some stray chance, she would come back. Then he heard the most painful sound of all: Isabella shutting the door as she walked into her own dwelling place. That was the sound of Isabella shutting the door of their relationship for an unknown amount of time that was probably forever. Phineas stood like a statue as the sky rained down gallons of water upon his poor soul. His eyes were raining too, more than they ever had before. Maybe if he stayed right there, in the moment, Isabella wouldn't seem far. He put his hands out, both palms up, and watched the rain hit his fingers. They started shaking. "I just lost," Phineas admitted to himself. "I just lost everything important to me. Why, God, why?!" Lightning struck in the distance. The crack of thunder didn't make Phineas feel any better. It can be called coincidence, but that timing was something else. If God was against him, how could he stand? Phineas cowered in fear. Phineas knocked on the front door, Ferb opened it. "Thanks for ruining my life," Phineas spat. Ferb's countenance was one of shock, while only bitterness permeated from Phineas'. "Thanks to your little prank, Isabella left and she isn't coming back, ever," Phineas informed.

"Wait, seriously? I'm sorry," Ferb apologized.

"The damage is already done," Phineas muttered as tears travelled down his face like vagabonds.

Ferb gave him an unexpected hug.

Phineas cried into his brother's shoulder.

This chapter is Phineas' first and perhaps only low point. He just lost Isabella. I cried when I wrote this. At least he has Ferb, who has been thinking about his actions more lately, not that that unknown problem is fixed. Review your thoughts, constructive criticisms, and heartfelt emotions. Ok, that may have sounded a teensy bit corny. XD