Full Summary: They say true love doesn't have an expiration date. But then your real true love will make you realize your first true love wasn't really your true love. Then what? At 17, Phineas got his first girlfriend. Isabella has lived with this reality for seven years. But when suspicions arise that she could be cheating, Isabella's willing to go above and beyond to prove to Phineas that he should have chosen her. Oh, and she recruits Ferb's help along the way. Ferbella? YES.

Expiration Date

I.

I threw a twenty at the cab driver as I stepped out of the yellow car that smelled like cigarettes and cheap cologne. Why can't they ever smell like air fresheners? Those little trees are stupid cheap; make me feel like I'm lost is the forest for half an hour!

I walked into the bar. What was it called? Thorny Rose? What kind of name was that, anyway? Whatever, I'm not here to judge. I'm here to forget. It's my night of forgetfulness and I'm not going to let it get ruined because of a corny bar name.

Flipping my dark hair over my shoulder, I made my way to the bartender. He was shaking up a drink for another girl, but I sat down and instantly demanded a Tequila Rose. It was my signature drink for many reasons. One: it was pink. Something about pink drinks just did it for me. Two: tequila was my best friend on nights like this, because it got me to where I needed to be quicker than anything else.

"New here?" I hear a voice next to me ask. I turn to see a young man. He was handsome enough…in a juvenile way. He probably just turned twenty-one.

"Yeah…is it that obvious?" I faked my nervousness. I bit my bottom lip as I blindly reached for my drink; I heard the bartender set it on the bar. I stirred my drink with the straw in a delicate fashion, staring at this boy as though I was a damsel in distress.

He grinned at me, "Just a little. That's okay, this is a friendly place. So what's your name, beautiful?"

I see he's going straight for the compliments. Good.

"Laura," I lie to him, because he's no one that's going to be important in my life.

His smile grew as he held up his whiskey, "I thought you looked like a Laura." Liar. "My name's Zack."

I giggle with a fierce falseness, "Funny, you don't look like a Zack," I flirt as I slowly bring my lips to my straw. Oh, how badly I just wanted to throw this drink down my throat…

"Oh yeah?" He leaned in closer and I could smell the alcohol on his breath, "What do I look like then?"

"Someone I've met before." Another lie. I needed to make him believe I was interested. It's working.

"Someone…good?" I watched his eyes burst with desire as I downed my drink and leaned toward him, showing off my goods, courtesy of my V-line dress.

I smirked when his eyes could no longer find mind; "Very good."

Three hours later I was lying naked in his bed. He was fast asleep now, so I was free to dress myself and leave without any questions. I snuck down his stairs and exited the house quietly, though I doubted he'd wake up after what I just put him through.

I searched for a street sign that was within a reasonable enough distance so that I could see it in the dark. Packard. That worked. I tried calling a cab. Three times. No answer. Seriously?! It was only two in the morning, don't cabs run all night? Whatever. Guess I'll have to depend on one of my friends.

Ginger? No answer. Gretchen? No answer? Shit…Adyson? No answer. Why doesn't anybody keep their phones off silent in the middle of the night?!

I scrolled through my phone. My eyes caught Phineas' name; I felt my eyeballs follow the name until it was off my screen. No way was I calling Phineas! He was probably sleeping soundly with…

I sighed loudly into the night as I pressed Ferb's name and held the phone to my ear. I felt terrible, because he was the one that picked me up last time, but is it really my fault he's the only one that answers his phone in the middle of the night?

The phone stopped ringing and I heard slight static. I knew Ferb picked up even though he didn't say anything. He never says anything when he answers the phone.

"Hey…it's me. I'm sorry to wake you, but do you think you could pick me up?"

"Where are you?" I heard the slumber in his voice, though he tried to keep it low and neutral.

"Packard?" I said in a questioning tone. I looked at the street sign again to make sure that's what I was reading.

I heard the high-pitched squeak of his bed as he got out of it, "Keep your phone on. I'll locate your destination and be there shortly."

"Thanks, Ferb! You're a lifesaver!" Then I hung up before he could respond.

I wasn't 100% sure where I was at, but I figured it would take Ferb about thirty or so minutes to get to me, so I went back to What's-His-Name's house and sat down on the front steps. At that moment, I was glad it was summer or else I'd be freezing in my sleeveless, low-cut, pencil-shredding's thin dress.

Summer. The word itself brought back a flood of memories. Like…building a rocket, discovering something that doesn't exist, or creating nanobots…or going on an un-romantic cruise, feeling sad in the city of love, or…

Whatever.

I looked at my phone. I had a picture of Phineas on my screen…he wasn't looking at me…when I took the picture, he was looking at someone else, but I made sure to cut and edit what I didn't want showing up on my phone.

The "what" being some blonde, namely, Scarlett.

Scarlett.

How could such a pretty name be so ugly? How could anyone hate such a name?

"I heard there's a new babe coming to school," Buford announced one fine morning.

"Are you sure? I have heard no such thing," Baljeet countered, grabbing his four math books from his locker.

"No, I heard about a new girl, too," Phineas countered, which caused me to blink my eyes in confusion, because very rarely was it that Phineas heard anything about anything unless it had something to do with what he had planned for the day, "I don't know why everyone keeps talking about it, though. Why is everyone so excited about a new person coming to school?"

Ferb leaned against the lockers and propped one foot up against the metal, "No doubt they're expecting her to be attractive."

I rolled my eyes, "Please, I'm sure she'll be just like every other girl here."

"So you are saying you are like every other girl here?" Baljeet asked.

"No! I'm the exception because…because I hang out with you guys," I replied, despite it sounding pretty pathetic.

"Isabella's got a point," Phineas chimed in, "She's more like one of the guys."

I instantly felt Buford's, Baljeet's, and Ferb's eyes flit away from me, as all three of them knew I was wounded by those words.

"Right…" I said dryly, because at this point in my life, at seventeen years of age, I've kind of become numb to comments that have been slapping me in the face for years.

"There she is!" Buford pointed down the hall behind me.

I turned a little too quickly, feeling just a bit too eager to set eyes on the girl that would ruin my life. And I could tell…I could just tell that she was so faking that slow walk down the hall. Why take such exaggerated steps anyway? And that golden blonde hair that she flipped perfectly over her shoulders? What, did she think she was in some corny teen movie or something?

But when I turned back to my friends, I saw it instantly. Not only were Buford and Baljeet visibly drooling over this girl, but I saw Ferb trying to act nonchalant as he kept glancing at her, and Phineas…

Phineas was actually oogling her. In that moment, I saw something I never thought I'd see: Phineas noticing a girl. Not for being "one of the guys." Not for being "one of his best friends." But for being girl. An attractive girl. I saw curiosity in his eyes and amazement in his 'O' shaped mouth.

What just happened to my oblivious, late-to-puberty, girls-are-not-a-different-sex Phineas? What happened in that second it took this girl to walk into our lives that I couldn't get to happen for seventeen years?

And most importantly...where was it going to go from there…?

Flash forward six years. Here I was, a twenty-three year old, sitting on the front steps on some guy's house in which I just happened to have a one-night-stand (though it wasn't my first and certainly won't be my last) waiting for the love of my life's brother to pick me up so I didn't have to find my way home in heels.

The younger me would be so proud…..

I saw the headlights before I actually heard the car, but walked to the edge of the sidewalk so Ferb would be able to see me when he came around the bend. I watched as the red, two-door Chevy Corvette slowed to a stop in front of me, allowing me to jump in and be glad to forget this night ever happened.

One of the best things about having Ferb pick me up is that he never talks. He doesn't question me or what happened that night (though I'm sure it's purely due to the fact that he knows very well what I've done that night and chooses not to hear about it) and I'm free to daydream in a safe environment.

Daydreams were dangerous though, because they made me wish for things I could never have.

Poof. There went my work for the night. Going home feeling just as empty and unsatisfied. But that was life.

"How was your day, Ferb?" I asked in an uncaring way as I stared out the tinted window that made the night look even darker.

"Just dandy," he responded in the same uncaring way. I could hear the disconnect in his voice, which meant he didn't want to discuss his day with me when he knew I didn't want to discuss my day (or night) with hm.

I didn't even nod in acknowledgement. I just rested my forehead against the cool glass. I felt disgusting, but nothing a hot shower and a thirteen-hour sleep wouldn't cure.

I suddenly longed for my royal purple body pillow.

We were quiet the rest of the way home. I hardly mumbled out a thanks as Ferb let me out in front of my house. I pushed myself out of his car and slammed the door behind me, listening to the beautiful engine drive away into the night as I made my way up the sidewalk to my modest little home. I silently thanked whatever God was listening that I didn't have work tomorrow. And that Ferb wasn't at work. Because what if he was off constructing another building half way across the world tonight? What would I have done?

I made it into my house and kicked off my shoes somewhere down the hallway. I don't know how, but I managed to strip off all my clothes between the front door and my bathroom, so about time I turned the faucet on, I was ready for that harsh spray on my already abused body.

Though I tried to ignore the thought, I couldn't help but remember that tomorrow was Sunday. Which meant it was Phineas and Scarlett's Sunday Barbeque. That's right….I had to deal with going over their house every Sunday for steaks and socialization.

Why do I do that to myself, you ask?

Simple. To stay close to Phineas. So when the day comes that he and Scarlett break up, I'll be there for him. It's been seven years. It has to happen soon now…right?

I almost wished I wouldn't have slept with Zane, or whoever he was. From what I remember, he was pretty cute…I could have brought him as my barbeque date. Phineas ended up liking the other guys I brought on random Sunday's, but maybe he would have hated this guy. Then he would have shown his protective side for me and told Zilch to…

Oh, who am I kidding? Phineas gets along with everyone…

Guess I'm going solo again…

I couldn't wait for the water to wash me clean so I could just fall into a dead sleep. That's the only thing I was aiming towards since six pm yesterday.

Just to get up and do it all over again.

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My first P&F story, yay! And it's going to eventually be a Ferbella, because...well, HigherSilver brought me to this side so I don't know what else I would do? I wanted to take a moment to point out a few things with this story:

The main relationships will be slow-paced, but it may seen like everything else is fast-paced. I started the story in the middle for a reason, though I plan on incorporating a lot of flashbacks, some of which will hint at clues to certain attractions that will develop in the future.

Also, I'm labeling this story with a T, but I might very well bump it up to an M, because content may get a bit more M-ish. Basically.

And another thing: I'm in no way a P&F expert. I literally just started watching the show 2 weeks ago. I kept it playing on Netflix as I did random stuff around the house. What I'm trying to say is this: if I misconstrue the characters in any way, this is why. Though I feel like I know them well enough. This may not be the Isabella you see on the show, but what 23 year old is like how he/she was as a preteen (I know I wasn't)?

Another another 'nother thing: This story seems like it can have the underlying tones of being dark and depressing, but I'll still have classic P&F humor in here. Plus, I'm taking an the challenge of writing Phineas with a girlfriend, so this shall prove interesting.

Didn't mean to make the AN long. Please review! Tell me what you think and I promise the next chapter will back-story and explain a lot more.

-Enula