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It was a day like any other.
The summer sun smiled high in the sky, the temperature just right for swimming in pools and riding bikes, or in Phineas and Ferb’s case, inventing something new to deter the summer boredom that threatened to overtake them. Despite it all, autumn was just around the corner, and with it, the educational nightmare that made Buford want to claw his own eyes out; school.
But Buford’s mind was far from the strenuous workload, cramped hallways, or never-ending boredom school brought. All that mattered right now was him, his nerd, and whatever Phineas and Ferb decided to come up with tomorrow.
Oh, and this pie. Definitely this pie.
He and the rest of his friend group were currently in the Flynn-Fletcher’s dining room, having some fresh Doonkleberry pie that Ms. Flynn had baked for them. Even though it was still hot and burnt his tongue a little, he devoured his slice of pie in seconds, then sat contently, waiting for Baljeet to finish his own slice of pie, his eyes lingering on the boy.
He had been acting a little strange all day, more uptight than usual, jumpier with less energy. Maybe he didn’t get enough rest last night? Baljeet usually told Buford everything, and Buford did the same (except for… one thing he wasn’t quite willing to confess), so he trusted that whatever it was, Baljeet would tell him in his own time.
Probably.
Baljeet put his fork down on his plate with a metallic clink, wiping his mouth with his napkin. Buford scooted from under the table, getting up while Ferb collected their plates.
“Well, Dinnerbell, Bean-pole McGee, it was fun, but Buford is out of here. Stay safe, dweebs.”
“Wait,” Baljeet stopped him, “I… have something to say, since we are all still here. I must get this off my chest, so to speak.”
“Alright then, what’s been bothering you, Baljeet?” Phineas asked.
“I…,” Baljeet took a big breath, his face twisted into a frown, “I am moving to India for the next school year. My mom and dad told me yesterday, so I can get a better education. I am sorry,” He announced bitterly.
Everyone was silent.
As his words sunk in, the cheerful mood died, realization hitting them one by one. Even Perry, who had been eating pie from his bowl stopped, staring at the children intently.
Isabella was the first to speak. “Oh Baljeet… I can’t even imagine what this is like for you.”
“...It has always been a possibility I have thought about.”
"...Well it's not quite school-time, is it? We've still got more time to make the rest of this summer extra-awesome, just for you, right gang?" Phineas said.
Ferb put a hand on Baljeet's shoulder. "Regardless of where you are, you will always have a place with us."
"And we'll make sure this is a summer you'll always cherish in your heart," Isabella added.
Baljeet gave a smile, trying to mask his own sadness. "Thanks, you guys."
The only one who couldn't say a thing was Buford. He stood there, frozen, trying to process the words as they repeated over and over in his head. Feelings started bubbling up to the surface, strange, confusing things Buford had tried to suppress for so long, threatening to overtake him. Baljeet's eyes met his.
"... Buford ?" He said softly.
“You can’t ,” Was all Buford could whisper.
“Huh?”
“You can’t- you can’t go,” Buford said louder, hating the way his voice cracked as he said it, “You can’t just leave and expect it to be okay, that’s not how it- that’s not how we work!”
“But Buford-”
The bully wouldn’t let him finish. “I’m your bully! You’re my nerd- what am I supposed to do, find another nerd? There’s no one in the whole world like you, no one I’d rather bully, what am I supposed to do when you’re gone ?”
The world seemed to spin, he couldn’t focus on anything but Baljeet’s eyes, full of hurt and sadness. That was when the tears started rolling down his face. He couldn’t stop the hot tears, couldn’t control them, couldn’t control anything, couldn’t stop Baljeet from leaving him.
He could never stop people from leaving him.
Isabella tried to put a hand on his shoulder, but Buford flinched from her. He didn’t want to be touched, he didn’t want to be seen , he didn’t want any of this.
“Buford, I understand you’re upset, but please try to calm down,” Phineas said goodnaturedly, “You’re literally shaking.”
“Calm down? Calm down? You wouldn’t- You don’t get it, no one’s trying to take Ferb away from you! None of you get it! Just- Go ahead and leave! And you guys can leave me too for all I care, it doesn’t matter! It never mattered anyway!”
Baljeet was definitely crying by now, and Buford couldn’t stand it. He bolted out of the house, ignoring his friend's yells behind him, running as fast as his legs could take him until he got home. He was still sobbing his eyes out, his legs burned from running the whole neighborhood as he went inside the house. His phone rang nonstop before he turned it off. His mother still was still at work, so he had no one to comfort him but Biff, his goldfish. Unfortunately, Biff didn’t do much talking, leaving him alone with his thoughts as he went into his room and curled up on his bed.
Why did this keep happening? Why couldn’t he ever convince anyone to stay?
His whole world was falling apart again, and suddenly he felt small and helpless like he had been when his father left. He hated feeling like this again, he hated all of it.
“At least you’ll never leave me, Biff,” He sniffed.
Biff circled around his fish tank as a response.
He stayed on that bed for what felt like hours, not bothering to keep up with the time, sobbing until his head hurt. Then, when he had calmed down enough to see through his tears, he shuffled under his bed to find a notebook. On the cover was a crudely written “Keep Out!!! Buford Van Stomm’s property” on it in permanent marker.
His mom had given him the book not too long ago, telling him that sometimes it was better to write out your feelings rather than smashing and breaking things. He hadn’t listened to her then, but the routinely found himself drawn back to the book, writing out little snippets of stories and poetry that would definitely ruin his street cred if anyone looked through it. Especially since a lot of it was about Baljeet and those mushy feelings that tried to worm their way out into the open.
Flipping to a new page and grabbing a pen, he wiped his eyes and wrote down the date. After a moment’s consideration, he decided to title the page Autumn Winds and started up on the first stanza.
Why is it that what you love
Hurts you like no other?
<-O->
Upon arriving at Phineas and Ferb’s house, Isabella immediately noticed something very wrong.
Buford wasn’t there.
Buford and Baljeet always arrived before her, despite the bully living much farther down the neighborhood than Isabella. Even more so, Buford always walked with Baljeet, so it was unnerving seeing the nerd unaccompanied in the backyard with Phineas and Ferb.
She wasn’t surprised, however, not after yesterday’s fiasco.
Baljeet looked so defeated like he hadn’t gotten any sleep from crying all night. Phineas seemed antsy, picking his nails as he sat underneath his familiar tree. From an outsider, Ferb would seem stoic as ever, but Isabella knew better. He held his head a little lower, his gaze distracted rather than focused.
“Hey guys, what’cha doing?” She said with less enthusiasm than usual, walking up to the trio.
“Oh, hey Isabella,” Phineas said with a little wave, “Just.. trying to think of something to do today. Come up with anything, Ferb?”
Ferb didn’t seem to hear, despite Phineas being beside him.
“Ferb?” Phineas tried again, finally catching his brother’s attention, “Have you come up with anything?”
Ferb shook his head.
“I should have never told the news,” Baljeet sighed, “Then everyone would not be so downtrodden.”
“It would be worse if you had kept it all to yourself to fester,” Isabella sat next to him on the cool grass.
“My mother just does not think this American education is pushing me hard enough! And I enjoy a good challenge, but not at the expense of... everything.”
“Wait, so your mom doesn’t think our education system is pushing you far enough?” Phineas asked.
“Yes, that is what I just said.”
It was like a lightbulb flicked on in his head. “Ferb, I know what we’re going to do today! Why don’t we prove to her just how challenging our education system can be? Get all of the most difficult questions, the hardest calcuations, all on a game show, and show her what you’ve learned! Then there’s no possible way she could say we’re not pushing you hard enough!”
Ferb considered the idea before nodding, an almost-smile settling on his face.
“Do you think that would really work?” Baljeet asked, a bit of hope in his eyes.
“There’s only one way to find out! Isabella, could you get your Fireside Girls to help with construction after Ferb finishes with the blueprints?”
“Of course!” She nodded, “But, I’d also like to step out for a bit and check on how Buford’s doing, if you don’t mind. I want to make sure he’s alright.”
Baljeet’s mood seemed to diminish again. “I tried going over to his house this morning, but he wouldn’t answer the door.”
“Don’t worry, that won’t be a problem for me,” Isabella reassured him.
She had her ways. She always did.
Soon, construction was underway, with Fireside girls troop 46231 getting to work on the game show building, following Phineas and Ferb’s instructions. It was going just a bit slower than usual, without Buford to help with the heavy lifting, but they did their best in his absence. Isabella left Adyson in charge, but just before she made her leave, Candace dropped in, as usual.
“Just what are you two up to this time, huh? A giant death robot? A laser tag colosseum? An inescapable maze?” She asked, stomping into the backyard.
“Oh, hey Candace!” Phineas waved, “We’re just making a game show, wanna help?”
“Why would I want to help with your geeky, very bustable plan? I’m going to tell mom about this, and you two are going to be in so much trouble!” She pulled out her phone, starting to call her mom.
Isabella tapped on her arm just before Candace could dial the number, “Wait! Candace, I know you usually want to bust Phineas and Ferb, but this is actually really important, so could you just hear me out a minute?”
Candace paused. “Alright, I’m listening.”
Isabella carefully explained the whole situation to Candace, trying to appease her more empathetic, non-busting side.
“And Phineas and Ferb thought of this whole game show just to try to convince Mr. and Mrs. Tjinder not to send him back to India. I know that busting Phineas and Ferb is important to you, but Baljeet is important to all of us, and we’d be devastated if he had to leave, so please , could you save busting them for another day?”
Candace went over her options before sighing and putting her phone away. “You dorks are lucky Stacy and I have a movie to catch up on,” She said to her brothers, before going down the street to Stacy's house.
Isabella smiled. Now all that was left is to get Buford to talk about his feelings, which would not be an easy task for anyone without an emotional communication patch. Luckily for her, she had earned that patch long ago, so she hopped on her bike and sped off, determination in her eyes.
After biking all the way to Buford’s house, she got off her bike and knocked on the door.
“Buford! It’s me, Isabella!”
She waited 30 seconds before knocking again. This time, she hears shuffling from inside.
“Go away,” said his muffled voice inside.
“If you don’t let me in, I will break in through your window.”
Buford groaned in annoyance, opening the front door. “What do you want?”
It was the worst Isabella had ever seen him. He had dark circles under his eyes, his eyes were red and puffy, nothing like the bully that scared the younger Danville population.
“Do you have any ice cream?” She asked.
Buford looked surprised. “Ice cream?”
“Yeah, ice cream,” She walked into his kitchen and looked in the freezer, “Do you want vanilla, chocolate, of strawberry?”
“Listen, Princess, if you think you can come over and get me to pour my heart out by coaxing me with ice cream, then you’ve got another thing coming… Also can I have strawberry?” He added.
Isabella got two bowls from the cabinet, scooping out strawberry ice cream for Buford and vanilla for herself, pouring caramel syrup on her own. She took them upstairs to the bully’s room, Buford following behind her. They both sat in the beanbag chairs in the corner of his room, bowls of ice cream in hand.
“...So, we’re you planning to avoid us all day?”
“I wasn’t avoiding you guys,” Buford said between a spoonful of strawberry ice cream.
“Of course, because that explains refusing to answer any of our calls and texts, refusing to meet Baljeet this morning, and not going to Phineas and Ferb's house.”
Buford stayed silent, shoveling more ice cream into his mouth.
‘You know we wouldn’t really leave you, right? We’d never try to leave you behind.”
“You say that now…,” He mumbled.
“It’s true! The group was in shambles without you and your puns this morning, and construction was taking twice as long-”
“Just find some other strong guy that has good puns then. You guys aren’t going to want me around after ‘Jeet leaves anyway.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You guys can do nerd stuff and you’ll be closer to Phineas to woo him or whatever, and I can go back to being the dumb bully when we’re at school. Simple.”
Isabella stared at him in disbelief. “...You’re joking, right?”
“It’s bound to happen eventually.”
“Buford, that is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard you say in my life. Do you seriously think we’d be okay with that? That any of us would be okay with that? You’re just as important as any one of our friends, you know that. Remember when you lost Biff and Phineas and Ferb made a submarine to help you find him?”
“Well, yeah, but-”
“Do you want me to recall each and every adventure we’ve gone on, just to prove to you that you’re just as important as anyone else? Because I have a list, and we’d be here all day,” To emphasize her point, she got a pad of paper out of her pocket and flipped through it to show him, the whole thing filled with notes from their numerous adventures and travels.
“Okay, okay, fine, you don’t gotta do all that. Yeesh. You really keep track of all that?”
“Of course I do, I earn a lot of patches this way,” She put away the book, “But you do matter to us, Buford, otherwise I wouldn’t even be here.”
“...Do you think that ‘Jeet is going to find some other bully in India?”
“Some other bully?”
“Some other… person who really cares about him,” he rephrased.
“Like you?”
“Yeah, kinda. It’s just scary to think he’ll be a whole ocean away and I won’t get to see him every day anymore.”
“I can’t lie and say there’s no possibility of Baljeet finding someone else overseas… but you could always confess to him before he leaves, you know? About your undying feelings for him?”
Buford’s face turned red. “How about you confess to Dinnerbell then?”
Now it was Isabella’s turn to blush. “No, no- I couldn’t- it’s too early-”
“Exactly. Don’t tell me to do something if you’re not willing to yourself, Princess.”
“It would be romantic though-”
“Hush.”
“Well, the best thing I can think of is just… spending time with him before he goes. Wouldn’t that be better than wallowing around, worrying about what could happen to him later? You have to cherish these last days, don’t you?”
“I guess that makes sense…”
Compared to earlier today, Buford looked a lot better, his eyes o longer red and puffy, his cheeks now red and rosy. Isabella smiled, thankful that she could get past his rough persona to his warm, soft insides.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“Oh, no reason,” She said, taking his bowl, “It’s just that ice cream always works.”
Realization flooded his face. “Dang it.”
Isabella laughed, taking the plates downstairs and putting them in the dishwasher. Buford was all too easy.
When she came back upstairs, Buford had taken out several colored strings, beads, and other things from his bracelet-making kit Isabella had gotten for him last Christmas. It was intended to be a gag gift before his real gift, a brand new skateboard after he’d broken his old one, but Buford took a liking to it, evidently by the hand-made bracelets on his arms.
“What’cha doing?” Isabella asked.
“I’m gonna make another bracelet for ‘Jeet. So he can take it with him to India.”
She sat down next to him. “Do you mind if I made one too?”
“Knock yourself out, Isa.”
And the two made various friendship bracelets for the rest of the afternoon.
<-O->
The next day, at precisely 6:30 the next morning, Buford woke as all Van Stomm’s do, prepared for the day ahead of him. He had a couple of hours to prepare everything he’d say to Baljeet.
Soon, he found himself on the steps of Baljeet’s house, the same time he waited for him every day. Baljeet stepped outside, waving goodbye to his parents before noticing Buford on the step. He looked noticeably happier than Buford had seen him last. Buford never liked seeing his nerd cry.
“Buford ! You will not believe what happened!” The boy said.
“‘Jeet, I gotta tell you something really important.”
“Um, okay. What is it?”
Buford took a deep breath. “I’m really, really sorry for what I did- for getting mad. This has got to be far worse for you than me, and I kinda just panicked when I heard you were gonna leave.”
“Well, that is okay and all, but-”
“But it’s not okay! It wasn’t okay for me to get all wrapped up in my own head like that. Dinnerbell was right, we gotta appreciate all the time we’ve got left! We gotta make this the best rest of summer you could ever hope for, and I promise I’m gonna do my part in that, no more walling in sadness for Buford. Also, I uh, made you a little somethin’.”
Buford pulled the bracelet out of his pocket, blue, purple, orange, pink, teal, and black, and started tying it on Baljeet’s wrist.
“It’s got all our colors, see? For you to remember us by when you’re all the way across the ocean. Isa helped me make them for everyone.”
Baljeet seemed surprised by the gesture, usually, Buford would never do something so… sentimental. His cheeks went red, flattered by his bully thinking so much of him.
“Wow, I… do not know what to say,” Was all he could muster.
“Do you not like it? I could take it off you if you want, you don’t have to wear it,” Buford backtracked.
“No, no! It is lovely, I like it very much… but I am not going to India anymore.”
…What?
“You… aren’t?” Buford asked, dumbfounded.
“Not anymore. Phineas, Ferb, and I managed to convince my parents yesterday that I am better off finishing my career path here in the states rather than moving everything and potentially having to re-learn information returning to schooling in India.”
“And you’re not pulling my leg, are you? Not trying to stop me from being sad?”
“Why would I joke about something as important as this? I am not goi-”
Buford cut him off in a giant hug, so excited that he spun him around too, laughing the entire time. His nerd wouldn’t leave him! They were here to stay, together forever, despite it all. Baljeet laughed along with him, a bit surprised by the hug.
After what seemed like far too short, he put his nerd down, a bit embarrassed by the sudden show of affection. Still, he was far happier than he had been for the past few days, so it barely mattered.
“So… wanna see what Dinnerbell and Bean-Pole McGee are up to today?” Buford asked.
“I thought you would never ask,” Baljeet smiled.
Buford hoisted his nerd up on his shoulders, and together, they headed to the Flynn-Fletcher’s backyard, inseparable as always.