Chapter 14

July fourth 5:00

Ferb placed a bowl of chips down on the setup table next to the house as the first batch of party guests wandered in.

The fireworks were to start at 9:00, but there was going to be hamburgers/veggie burgers and hotdogs, and lots of talking. Overall, around 70 people were coming.

Ferb usually dreaded this, as it happened annually and he hadn't had anyone to talk to before besides the 'gang', which was again, more Phineas's friends than his own.

But this year, he had Isabella to hang out with, so he was looking forward to it.

I do have to be careful though. Her 'friends' if you could call them that -who the heck views their friend as a movie trope?- may want to talk to her about everything that happened between them, and Bella doesn't seem to want to. If they try to say something rude, I'll ask for help with getting more cups from inside or something like that. There are never enough cups.

Isabella straightened her dress and looked at the mirror in her room. She gave herself a once over, double-checking to make sure there was nothing she could be made fun of for. Great. Everything will be fine. At worst, Ferb will still be there for you. Think positively! Everything will be amazing.

Now I just need to walk over there. Okay. I can do this.

An hour and a half later.

Ferb leaned against the setup table, waiting for Isabella to come back with her drink. A few feet away, Ginger whispered to Milly. "It's for her own good. Think of it as an intervention."

"You sure? It sounds kind of mean." Milly whispered back.

"Shhh. Here she comes."

Isabella walked into the backyard from the house, red solo cup in hand.

She walked over to where Ferb stood and was about to say something before she saw Ginger, Gretchen, and Milly.

She stiffened.

"Hey, Isabella. Some of the girls and I want to talk to you about the argument we had over the phone the other day."

"What about it?" Isabella said hesitantly. This is exactly what I was dreading.

"Well, we wanted to make sure that you'd come to your senses about everything. That you'd just been kidding the other day."

"Ginger, I wasn't kidding. That is how I feel." A crowd of kids was starting to form, including Phineas. Ginger noticed this and decided that she could use it to her advantage.

"Ha! Do you really think that you're just going to get over Phineas?! Don't be ridiculous. You two are destined to be together. And what, you're just going to replace him with a guy who you barely know? Who nobody knows. God, he could be crazy for all we know. But no, selfish Isabella has to ruin love for her and her Prince because she thinks she should run off with her own Manic-Pixie-Dream-boy. You're delusional. Not everything is centered around you." Ginger said. She emphasized the word 'prince', rolling her eyes.

Isabella merely stood there, blinking back tears.

"Now you want to play the victim. Nice play."

"Why are you doing this? I've never seen you this way before."

"Because usually, you're the one who stands up to someone's crap. You wouldn't to your own, so I had to step up."

Ferb decided it was his turn to say something."You are the one being crappy Ginger. People love who they need to love. Not who other people think it would be conceit for them to. Grow up. Isabella's just brave enough to not continue her cycles of pain with my brother."

As he was saying this, Isabella slowly backed into the house. At least someone's defending me. She reached the sliding door and opened it. His accent's stronger when he's angry. Or maybe just passionate.

Phineas, piecing it all together, entered the conversation. "Wait. Isabella like-likes me? Like, romance, like-like?"

"Uh, yeah. But now she's got the crazy notion that Green-brit-Magee is 'the one'." Phineas's brow twisted. But we've known each other since we were toddlers! It can't be possible. Why didn't she tell me? There were so many opportunities. Why did she constantly tell me she liked me if she could have told me she loved me?

Milly tapped Gretchen on the shoulder. "I think Ginger may have been a little too harsh with Isabella."

"You think?!" Gretchen exclaimed.

Isabella tiptoed back out the backyard door. Oh, why did I have to forget my phone?

She quietly grabbed her phone and crept towards the backdoor. Then she registered what Ferb was saying. "Bella isn't a character on a tv show and isn't a doll to be played with. Bella's the sweetest person I've ever meet and is constantly thinking about the rest of you. Get over yourselves and your ships. This is a real person."

"Unlike the rest of you," He muttered. He turned to walk away and saw the topic of conversation staring at him. He could hear the echos of Ginger's response, " 'Bella'? You really are in love with her!" and feel the humid air, but all he could see was her, looking at him with such an array of emotions, it was making his head spin.

What is she thinking?

Does he really think all those things about me? What does that mean? I'm just avoiding the real question.

Isabella felt a drop of water on her shoulder.

"And so, that's why I think that the troop should remove Isabella from her position as captain. It's just the smartest thing to do. Reasonable too."

Why is he the only one sticking up for me? What are my friends that I've been friends with since I was five doing? Nothing. So I guess that means I only have one real friend. That sucks. I feel strangely calm about this. But I also don't feel much like myself. The real Isabella wouldn't be hearing that she was being removed. I don't think I am her, but I don't really care. Like, do I even care about my troop? They certainly don't care about me.

Suddenly, It was raining, what would soon be torrential downpour from the looks of it.

Thanks, Universe. I'd like to avoid replying to whatever the heck Ginger just started. Maybe I have two friends.

As everyone was hurrying in, Isabella heard Phineas screeching, and thought, Not everything about him is perfect, I was ignoring his flaws before. I won't do that to him again. Isabella laughed after hearing Ginger shriek when she lingered under the house's overhang for a second too long, and the stream soaked her dress even more.

Isabella hurried to the bathroom, trying to avoid more ridicule from the other girl.

She sat down on the toilet seat, re-thinking what had happened in the past three weeks.

It was hard to imagine it had been that long. But also that short. When she first was getting over him- no, being without out the reassuring fantasy that one day, she would have a prince charming, was crushing, suffocating. But now, only nineteen days later, it was lifting, and she was realizing that there was something of a person still left under it. Under that confusing mixture of euphoria and grief.

It was confusing. What could she define herself by now?

So when she saw something that was proof that she was still here, and that she was working better than ever, she was a bit surprised.

Dark blue sky, white dress, red stain.

'Cycles of pain' for sure.

Yep, only have one friend, and it definitely isn't you, universe.

(A/N the following is not part of the story)

I was really excited to write this chapter.

Hope you all enjoyed it,

INFJslytherin.