Isabella had gotten prepared to head to her Fire Side Girls meeting very early that morning, she had ironed out her uniform three times and made sure her hat and her bow were perfect. Isabella was always sort of competitive, and a perfectionist, she wanted to get all the patches after all, she wasn't gonna get them settling for being second best, but today she wanted to be extra perfect. Today, she would lead a budding new generation of Fireside Girls, affectionately known as "Lil' Sparks," toward their very first badges.
Well Isabella got ready a strange feeling of unease formed in the bit of her stomach, each button on her uniform feeling tighter then normal. She found herself looping the buttons only to find out out she had done the wrong one, and had to undo it, she fussed with the tiniest of wrinkles that the ironer had somehow failed to get out. A small stray string stuck from one of the seems in her shirt. How had she not noticed these problems when she was preparing earlier. She looked at herself in the mirror, in fussing so much she had messed up her hair, undone her bow, and wrinkled her clothes. Sighing in frustration she returned to her closet to grab the other uniform she had ironed and cleaned in case of emergencies, but ended up hooking it on the shair next to her mirror instead of putting it on.
"Argh what the heck am I cursed today!" She shouted in frustration, causing Pinky to raise his head from his nap, a look of concern on his face. Isabella flopped onto her bed where pinky joined her. "Why is it things always go wrong on important days Pinky." Pinky gently pawed at her, as if to comfort her. "Thanks." Isabella gave him a pat in return. "I'm okay!" She sat back up as quickly as she had flopped down. "I got this! I do…. Lemme just review the initiation guidelines one more time."
She picked the Fireside Girls handbook off the the shelf near her bed, it was sandwiched between a complicated car engine manual and motivational speaking book. Most of the books lining it had something to do with being a Fireside Girl in one way or another, some of them were guides or manuals for skills related to patches she wanted to or had already earned. She must have read the handbook a thousand times, she'd often leaf through pages before bed every night. If anyone could recite the book from memory it would be Isabella Garcia-Shapiro. But hey, a little review never hurt anyone.
She sat down at her desk with the book, clearing off a half abandoned art project she was fiddling with for an art patch. She was never satisfied with it enough to hand it in and so she kept re-starting it. She carefully placed the art supplies in the desks storage drawer before flipping open the guide book, carefully marked with sticky notes to help her easily find her way around, even if they were unnecessary at this point. She glanced up at her clock quickly before getting started, "Okay an hour… plenty of time to read through the important stuff."
But when her mom dropped her off she found herself frozen staring at the door to Fireside Girls HQ. She wasn't sure how long she was standing there.
"Isabella."
Her body was frozen in spot. So unlike her. How hard could it be?
"Isabella!"
Isabella nearly jumped out of her skin, finally noticing Adyson standing next to her, hand on her shoulder.
"You alright there chief? Not getting cold feet are you?" Adyson teased. She always had a sort of playful rivalry with Isabella.
"I'm fine!" she stammered, her voice less confident than she would have liked. "Just...formulating a game plan."
"And here I thought you'd have that sorted out days ago," Adyson replied, her eyes narrowing slightly, sensing Isabella's disquiet.
"I did—I mean, I do. I'm just...double-checking it in my head," Isabella said, her eyes flicking away, unable to meet Adyson's gaze.
A smirk crossed Adyson's lips. "Well, you could always fall back on the 'Help Phineas and Ferb' patch," she jabbed.
"Firstly, that joke wasn't funny last summer either." She said with a flat umammused expression on her face. "Secondly you know Phineas is out of commission right now, and thirdly…. Yea, actually the Help thy Neighbor patch is probably the best one to start with." She admitted defeat glumly.
"Cheer up Isabella, it's no fun giving you a hard time when you actually get upset." Adyson dropped the teasing and showed real concern. "Seriously, you okay, you know me and the other girls have your back."
"Yea…. Yea I'm good, thanks Adyson." They clasped their hands together in solidarity.
Upon entering the lodge, Isabella felt a small wave of relief wash over her; the Lil' Sparks hadn't arrived yet. But her own troupe was there, lounging about and chatting casually. They all snapped to attention as she stepped into the room, their eyes locking onto her with an unspoken mixture of respect and expectation.
For a fleeting moment, the gravity of her responsibility weighed her down, causing her heart to skip a beat. But she took a deep breath, pushing the uncertainty out of her mind. This was her moment to lead, to inspire, and she couldn't afford to falter.
"Alright, girls, today's a big day for all of us!" She strode confidently up to the podium at the front of the room, commanding the space as she'd been trained to do. "This is an opportunity for us to earn our 'Spark Ignition' badges by assisting the Lil' Sparks in earning their very first badges!"
Dramatically, she clasped her hands behind her back, her eyes sweeping over her troupe. She could see their eagerness, their unspoken questions, and perhaps a touch of their own anxieties. "I know we're all a bit nervous—it's a tremendous responsibility—but let's not forget, our troupe is the best in the tri-state area! Today, we're going to show the world what that really means!"
With a dramatic slam on the podium, Isabella solidified her point. A few of the girls were visibly suppressing giggles; they knew Isabella was hamming it up, but what they might not have realized was that this exaggerated persona was as much for her benefit as theirs.
"The plan is simple," she continued, her index finger shooting up for effect as if pointing to an imaginary future full of achievements. "Raise your hand if you have over 20 'Help Thy Neighbor' patches."
A sea of hands shot up, accompanied by suppressed laughter and a few murmurs— the question was almost rhetorical in its simplicity.
"Exactly! It's a good, straightforward patch that reflects one of the core principles of the Fireside Girls. So today, we'll be helping the Lil' Sparks earn their first 'Help Thy Neighbor' patches. We'll split into teams and work individually with a Lil' Spark, fanning out across town to maximize our chances of finding people to help."
She paused, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of doubt or confusion. "Does anyone have any questions?"
Gretchen raised her hand. "Uh, Isabella, how do we ensure that each Lil' Spark actually learns the value of helping, rather than just going through the motions for the badge?"
"Excellent question, Gretchen," Isabella said, pleased that her troupe was already considering the deeper aspects of the mission. "The whole point of today is not just to guide the Lil' Sparks in earning a patch but to instill the values behind it. So, when you're out there, take the time to talk to them about why helping others is important. Share your own experiences if you have to."
"Any other questions?" Isabella scanned the room. Seeing none, she felt a small thrill of anticipation tinged with pride. Her troupe was ready, and she couldn't have asked for a better group of girls to tackle this mission. "Alright then, let's prepare for their arrival. Remember, we're not just helping them earn a patch; we're setting an example for them to follow throughout their Fireside Girls journey."
Immediately the girls jumped from their seats and began preparing the room for the Lil'Sparks arrival, cleaning the table, setting up additional chairs in a circle formation for the meeting, and opening the windows to bring in fresh summer air. Fire Side Girls troupe 46231 was a well-oiled machine when they set their minds to it. Isabella assisted by directing tasks, setting up meeting plans, and giving suggestions to the other girls about how to instill Fireside Girls' pride in the coming sparks.
Isabella's felt a mixture of nervous excitement and resolve; the weight of leadership felt heavy, but she knew she wasn't carrying it alone. She had her team, and her friends, and that gave her the strength she needed.
A cacophony of youthful laughter and chatter filled the air outside the lodge, making its way through the open windows. Isabella's heart began to pound. She took a deep, steadying breath. This was it. The moment she had been waiting for.
The door swung open, and a group of giggling Lil' Sparks, accompanied by a chaperone, tumbled into the room. Straightening her posture and putting on her most radiant smile, Isabella stepped forward. "Welcome, Lil' Sparks! Today is the first day of the rest of your Fireside journey!"
For a split second, a hush fell over the room. The Lil' Sparks looked up at Isabella and her troupe, their eyes widening with awe and wonder.
"Wow, she's pretty!" one of the Lil' Sparks finally blurted out, breaking the silence.
"They all are!" another chimed in.
Isabella felt a blush creep up her cheeks, but her smile didn't waver. This was unexpected, but it was also incredibly sweet. "Okay everyone why don't we all take our seats around the table and we'll give you a proper Fire Side Girls Initiation."
Isabella gestured toward the table, which was beautifully laid out with handbooks, blank sashes, and even a miniature campfire as a centerpiece. The Lil' Sparks scrambled to their seats, eyes wide with anticipation and awe.
"Okay, little troopers, let's begin your initiation into becoming Fireside Girls!" Isabella announced, standing at the head of the table. "You're on the path to starting your very own troop, and I couldn't be more excited for you. Being a Fireside Girl is about more than just earning patches; it's about friendship, bravery, and the willingness to help others."
"And being cute!" One of Isabella's troops yelled out, it sounded like Holly but Isabella didn't see. She was too busy trying to not think about all the eyes in the room being on her, if she started thinking about it her concentration would lapse.
"Absolutely, that too!" Isabella agreed, her voice tinged with humor. "I know everyone's eager to dive right in, and enthusiasm is something every Fireside Girl possesses. But first, let's take a few minutes to go over some of the essential rules."
—-
"Hey, Ferb, you didn't really need to go all out building this miniature jungle ecosystem, you know? I drafted those plans so we could work on it as a two-brother job!" Phineas said, his trademark grin lighting up his face as he examined the transparent cube in his hand. Upon closer inspection, the cube contained an entire jungle, teeming with lizards, insects, and even a cascading waterfall.
"Well, we hadn't built anything in three days. I thought breaking the laws of reality might help dissipate some of our pent-up energy," Ferb shrugged.
"I appreciate it, but I could've helped too, you know... Ah, who am I kidding? Thanks, bro! It really did help, even though I mainly focused on drafting the plans." Phineas carefully placed the cube into the pocket of his cargo shorts and wrapped his good arm around Ferb, both brothers grinning ear to ear.
"The day's still young. With Buford and Baljeet away, and Isabella at her meeting, I thought this project would take longer," Phineas mused. "Maybe we should start on a second invention today."
"Two inventions in a single day? That isn't our usual formula, is it?" Ferb contemplated aloud. While he would never admit it, creating the miniature ecosystem had required a considerable amount of effort. And, it was worth it—especially since Phineas had been excited about that project for a while. Still, Ferb couldn't help but grapple with the idea of leaving with their father; he was torn between not wanting to hurt his brother and not wanting to disappoint their dad. But seeing Phineas' ceaseless optimism, Ferb began to wonder if he was overthinking things.
"Yeah, you're right," Phineas concurred. "Plus, Candace did make us sign that contract."
"Ah, yes, it's quite iron-clad," Ferb nodded.
"Alright then," Phineas said, pulling the cube back out of his pocket. "Let's grab our magnifier and see if we can discover a new species inside this little world of ours."
—-
"...and that's why you can't use tax evasion to earn your Financial Responsibility patch. It may sound like a creative solution, but trust me, the IRS doesn't find it as amusing as we do."
All the Lil'Sparks looked up to Isabella in confusion.
"Don't worry you guys will get the hang of it!" She reassured them. "So that about summarizes everything, do we have any questions?"
The room stayed silent. Isabella wasn't sure whether to chalk it up to her impeccable explanation skills or the Lil' Sparks' shyness.
"Alright, let's cut to the chase—the moment you've all been waiting for!" Isabella exclaimed, jazzing up her voice. "Troop, if you please!"
Her Fireside Girls fanned out, each holding a sash and a patch, and approached the Lil' Sparks. Isabella selected a girl at the front, both to help her and to continue addressing the crowd. They carefully draped the sashes over the shoulders of the new initiates and prepared to affix the patches.
"Meet your sash—a blank canvas for all the patches you'll earn," Isabella said, holding up a patch for everyone to see. "And this is your New Ember Patch, the inaugural badge of any Fireside Girl. Wear it with pride."
After everyone was properly sewn up, Isabella announced, "Alright, patches are sewn and sashes are on. Looking sharp, Lil' Sparks!" She beamed as she stepped back to admire the row of newly minted Fire Side initiates. "Now comes a really fun part—getting to know each other!"
—-
The welcoming ceremony had been a heartwarming success. The Lil' Sparks—Sophie, Katie, Lily, Emily, Grace, Olivia, and Hannah—had taken turns introducing themselves with bubbling enthusiasm. Each of them had a different reason for wanting to be a Fireside Girl: older sisters who were members, friends who had recommended it, or simply the longing for a place where they felt they truly belonged.
As the young initiates chatted and giggled among themselves, Isabella took a step back, allowing herself to soak in the moment. A wave of nostalgia washed over her; memories of her own initiation, of the excitement and the butterflies, came flooding back. It seemed like ages ago, yet also like it happened yesterday. How had she gone from a Lil' Spark to leading a ceremony of her own?
A reassuring hand touched her shoulder, pulling her from her reverie. "Great job, Chief," Adyson said, her eyes meeting Isabella's. "You really showed them how it's done."
Isabella smiled, touched by the sincerity in Adyson's voice. "Thanks, Adyson. That means a lot."
"Still feeling nervous?" Adyson inquired, sensing a slight undercurrent of tension in Isabella's stance.
"Maybe a little," Isabella admitted, "but it's more nostalgia than nervousness now."
Adyson chuckled. "Well, save the melancholy for when we're older and have more to be melancholic about."
Nodding, Isabella stepped back into the circle and whistled to grab everyone's attention
"Alright, ladies! Since we've all gotten to know each other a little better, how about we dive into our first activity?"
The room filled with enthusiastic nods and a chorus of "Yeah!"
Everyone paired off into groups pretty seamlessly. Isabella ended up with Sophie, who as it turned out seemed to be gunning for a leadership position of her own. Adyson was with Katie, Gretchen with Lilly, Milly was with Emily, Holly teamed up with Grace, Ginger with Oliva, and Katie with Hannah.
sabella chuckled softly to herself, relieved that 'Lil Katie' hadn't ended up with Fireside Girl Katie. She had already seen a few amusing instances of double-takes when one Katie was called and both turned their heads.
"Alright, everyone!" Isabella announced, noting that the girls seemed to be settling into their newfound partnerships. "For the remainder of the day, we'll be spreading across Danville on a mission of goodwill. The goal? To earn our Help Thy Neighbor Patches! Let's show Danville what Fireside Girls—and Lil' Sparks—are made of!"
—-
Candace sprawled dramatically across Stacy's bed, letting out a world-weary sigh. This was a posture she'd adopted countless times before. "Stace, I am completely and utterly exhausted," she moaned. "Even with Phineas and the gang playing board games, I couldn't find a moment's peace!"
Stacy stood beside her bed, eyebrows raised as she looked down at her theatrically sprawled friend. "Um, why exactly? It's just a board game. That's like, low-key even by your standards."
Candace stared at the ceiling, her face tinged with introspection. "I can't help it. Every time I looked at Phineas, all I could think about was him getting hurt. It's unsettling."
"He did get hurt, but he's Phineas, he's fine. You know that."
"Yeah, I know. But still." Candace continued her ceiling-gazing. "I feel aimless this summer like I'm lacking direction or something."
"Dude, summer's barely kicked off. Isn't it a bit early for existential crises?" Stacy countered, perceptive as always.
"You might be onto something," Candace conceded, abruptly sitting up, her eyes lighting up. "Maybe it's because I haven't been as obsessed with busting the boys! Without that, I feel like I've lost my purpose!"
Stacy paused, slightly bewildered but also amused. "Uh, not the direction I was pushing for, but if it makes you happy…"
"You're brilliant, Stacy!" Candace exclaimed, overcome with newfound enthusiasm.
Stacy grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yes, I am a genius. I fully intended to lead you to this groundbreaking revelation." The irony was not lost on her, but hey, who was she to turn down a compliment? "This doesn't mean you're going to go back to busting though does it?" Stacy did not want to lose her friend to that monster again.
"Eh, maybe once in a while for nostalgia's sake but it just doesn't do it for me anymore." She crossed her arms and huffed. "Their stupid inventions really grew on me I guess." She laughed at herself.
Stacy glanced over at Candace, both of them grinning like idiots. "Wow, listen to you. That's like, grade-A character development right there. Come on let's go to the mall, I'll get you a pretzel"
"You're just saying that 'cause this means we'll get to hang out more…. But I'll take a pretzel." Candace grinned.
Stacy's grin widened, her eyes twinkling with playful mischief. "Oh, absolutely, I schemed this whole conversation to get more hangout time. I'm basically a mastermind." She lied through her teeth, but she knew she wasn't fooling anyone.
—-
"Can't believe I got dibs on the mall," Ginger said out loud to herself as she chaperoned Olivia into the nice air-conditioned mall. "We got lots of people to help and cool air, we got it easy!"
Olivia didn't say much in response, Ginger got the impression she was a little nervous but that was to be expected. Ginger took her hand "Come on let's go look around, I'll be with you every step of the way."
The two girls found themselves crossing the length of the mall several times. They would ask someone if they needed help and were often told no. Olivia seemed to get disheartened over time with every rejection.
Ginger saw the unease in the little girl and gently squeezed Olivia's hand. "Hey, cheer up. We're bound to find someone in need. You know the saying, 'Perfect makes practice.'"
Ginger paused, a finger tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Or, wait, maybe it's 'practice makes perfect'? Ah well, either way, the point is not to give up."
"Hey, Ginger!" A voice called out from behind them. Startled, Ginger and Olivia turned to see Stacy and Candace approaching, each holding a half-eaten jumbo baked pretzel.
"Hey, Sis!" Ginger's face brightened as she turned to Olivia. "This is my big sister, Stacy, and her friend Candace."
"Oh, right! You mentioned you'd be mentoring new recruits today. How's it going?" Stacy inquired.
Ginger opened her mouth to reply, but Olivia beat her to it. "We're trying to earn a Help thy Neighbor Patch! Do you need any help?"
"Aww, she's adorable," Candace chimed in.
Ginger pondered for a moment. "Well, Stacy is my sister, so I'm not sure she technically counts as a 'neighbor.'"
Olivia's face fell slightly, but Stacy's eyes twinkled with mischief. "I might not be a 'neighbor,' but I'm with someone who is!" She gestured toward Candace. "Quick, think of something they can help with."
"Uh well…." Candace contemplated, "I'm kinda feeling a little sick from how salty this is." She pointed at her more than half-finished pretzel. "Think you can help me uh…. Recycle it."
"We can do that!" Both girls' faces lit up. They practically snatched the pretzel from Candace's hand and raced toward the nearest recycling bins.
Stacy and Candace observed as Ginger meticulously instructed Olivia about the proper bins for the wrapper and the pretzel, their faces radiant with glee.
"Yep," Stacy announced, grinning as the girls returned. "I'm really on a roll today. My genius knows no bounds."
When the girls returned Ginger had pulled out some paper and a pen from… somewhere. "Sign this."
"What's this?" Candace said picking it up.
"You don't remember? Patches like this need to be signed off on, I guess you had Isabella helping you when you were earning patches.
"A signature form? Wow, you're really thorough," Candace remarked, scanning the sheet of paper.
Ginger giggled. "It's all part of the process. A Fireside Girl leaves no T uncrossed and no I undotted."
Candace chuckled and scribbled her name on the form. "There, all official."
"Well, how's that for purpose." Stacy nudged her friend."
"It's a start." Candace smiled crossing her arms.
—-
Isabella helped her Lil' Spark, Sophie, earn a "Help Thy Neighbor" patch in just five minutes. Frankly, it was a bit anti-climactic. She'd mentally prepared herself for a day-long journey to instill Fireside Girls virtues, so when they achieved the goal so quickly, Isabella found herself scrambling for plans to fill the rest of the day.
Nobody would've been surprised, though; Isabella was among the best of the Fireside Girls. Almost everyone in Danville knew who she was, and they were often as eager to help her as she was to help them.
With the patch secured, Isabella spent a few minutes discussing with Sophie the importance of being a good neighbor. Afterward, they found themselves at an ice cream shop, idly whiling away the hours as they awaited notifications from the other Fireside Girls about their own completed quests. Isabella had already received a message from Ginger, but the rest were still pending.
"Um, Miss Isabella?" Sophie spoke up, breaking the momentary lull.
Isabella snapped out of the daydream she had slipped into—a rare occurrence for her lately. "Please, just Isabella is fine." She chuckled inwardly, wondering if this was how Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher felt all the time. "What's up?"
"I had fun today!" Sophie's face lit up, instantly lifting Isabella's spirits. "Do we get to do stuff with you all summer?"
Isabella smiled, pondering her words carefully. "Well, not every meeting will be with me. You'll be starting your own troop this year, so you'll sometimes be doing activities independently—perhaps with a chaperone." Isabella thought about how long it had been since her own troop needed a chaperone. It was mostly when the Flynn-Fletchers took them to their grandparents' camp, but Sophie didn't need to know that. "But yes, we'll be assisting you guys once a week."
After a brief pause, Sophie spoke up again, "Do you think I could be a cool leader like you?"
Caught off guard by another unexpected compliment, Isabella took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Well, considering how quickly you earned your first patch, you definitely have the skills. But being a leader is a lot of work. You need to be truly dedicated, and you can't just focus on what you want. You have to take everyone's feelings into account."
Isabella hesitated for a moment, pondering her own words. Had she always been so considerate as a leader? She couldn't help but think of all the times she'd steered her troop towards Phineas and Ferb's backyard projects, even if they did provide plenty of opportunities for badge-earning. Pushing the thought aside, she smiled warmly at Sophie.
"It's also incredibly rewarding," Isabella concluded. "So yes, I think you could be a fantastic leader one day."
"I'm gonna work really hard then, Miss Isabella!" Sophie beamed, her eyes twinkling with the same resolve that Isabella recognized from her own early days in the Fireside Girls.
Isabella was having a very good day.
—-
Phineas and Ferb found themselves doing something quite unusual for them—watching TV. Perry was curled up beside them, clearly enjoying the coziness. Phineas, however, was more preoccupied with their new miniature eco-system cube, fiddling with it during commercial breaks. Truth be told, he wasn't too engrossed in the show Ferb had chosen. Neither of them were avid TV watchers; Ferb occasionally enjoyed British series, while Phineas typically only watched shows when hanging out with friends.
Last winter break, he and Isabella had spent an entire day indoors sipping hot chocolate and watching a series that had captivated her. Although it wasn't something he would've chosen himself, he enjoyed it simply because Isabella was passionate about it. The show followed a boy and a girl on weird woodland adventures, and Phineas was particularly drawn to the imaginative monster designs. Isabella, on the other hand, was enamored by the close friendship between the two characters. He remembered coming back from a bathroom break to find her wistfully staring at a paused scene where the boy and girl were holding hands. Phineas could relate; he always cherished seeing tight-knit friendships depicted on screen—it reminded him of his own bonds with his friends.
Still, even if Phineas wasn't paying attention to the tv that much he enjoyed just spending the time with his brother. It was never lonely or boring with Ferb around, with Buford and Baljeet gone to camp he'd be relying on him a whole lot more.
"Oh, hello there, boys!" Lawrence chimed in, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "Quite a change of pace to see you two here, glued to the telly."
"We already built a miniature ecosystem today," Phineas shrugged, "and we promised Candace only one big idea per day."
Lawrence chuckled. "Ah, that's marvelous! It's wonderful to see you two so engaged with nature." He paused, shifting gears. "Oh, Ferb, have you given any more thought to our little trip? I really must start organizing it soon."
Phineas froze up for a moment, and Ferb noticed it instantly, tensing up a bit himself. He knew that reaction. Ferb knew, Phineas did not like to have things happen behind his back. It was a deeply ingrained emotional sore spot that Ferb was all too familiar with. Sensing his brother's discomfort, Ferb hesitated, grappling with a sudden surge of anxiety. He could only hope their father would notice the unease, Ferb hesitated to answer. Earlier he had thought he was thinking too much about what Phineas might think, but now all that anxiety came rushing back.
"Trip? What trip? Are we going somewhere dad?" Phineas voice dripped with concern. He put an emphasis on the we part, tacity questioning if he was involved in this affair and they just forgot to tell him.
Lawrence seemed to catch on that Phineas was concerned, but he didn't quite grasp the full weight of the issue. "Ah, Ferb and I were considering a brief trip to England to help your grandparents with something. Your mum thought it wouldn't be wise for you to travel in your current condition."
Both Phineas and Ferb stayed silent for a moment, exchanging a glance loaded with unspoken words. While Ferb was known for his quiet demeanor, he'd always been adept at understanding the unsaid feelings behind Phineas' more outspoken personality. Right now, he could tell that Phineas was deeply upset.
Turning his gaze towards Ferb, Phineas' face was a blank canvas, which Ferb found more unsettling than an outright expression of anger. "You're... leaving? You didn't tell me," Phineas said, his voice almost unnervingly calm.
The atmosphere thickened, almost tangible. Even Perry seemed to sense the tension, though Ferb knew the platypus couldn't grasp its full depth. Lawrence hesitated, grappling for the right words. Linda or Candace usually had a better knack for comforting Phineas.
"I-I..." Phineas started, breaking off.
"Phineas, I—" Ferb was interrupted.
"I can't believe this!" Phineas burst out. "You're leaving, and you didn't even tell me! And why can't I go? I'm fine!" As if to prove his point, he gestured widely with his arms, only to wince in pain. "What am I supposed to do without you, Ferb? How could you keep this from me? We don't keep secrets!" Phineas was winding himself up further with every sentence.
"Phineas," Lawrence attempted to intervene, "Ferb and I didn't mean—"
"But you did!" Phineas yelled. "You kept a secret! Why should I listen now? You only want to explain because I found out!"
"Phineas, I—" Ferb started, but was cut off again.
"Forget it, Ferb! You clearly don't want to keep me in the loop!" Before either Lawrence or Ferb could respond, Phineas stormed out to the backyard, taking refuge behind the large tree, out of sight from the house windows.
Awkward silence enveloped the room. "I'm sorry, Ferb. I thought you had told him. I'll go speak with him," Lawrence finally said.
Ferb shook his head, signaling to his father that it might not be the best idea. Phineas needed time alone right now. Ferb wasn't ready to talk either. Not because he was angry; he was hurt. Regret filled him for not having told Phineas about the trip earlier. With a heavy heart, Ferb stood and walked to their shared room without another word.