Chapter Text
Phineas, Ferb, Baljeet, and Buford were in the backyard when Isabella entered through the gate, looking crestfallen. "Whatcha doin'?" she mumbled, all the peppiness drained from her voice.
"What's the matter?" Phineas asked her as she walked over.
“I- I'm moving," she said in a voice that could've been mistaken for a mouse's.
"What?" Phineas said, having heard her but hoping that he was wrong.
“I'm moving!!!" Isabella cried before bursting into hysterical tears.
“Moving?" Baljeet asked.
“But, that can’t be!!" Phineas added on.
"Do you really think I would joke about something like this?!" Isabella cried before continuing to sob. She grabbed the closest thing to her and hugged it, which just happened to be Phineas.
“Can't-breathe-" he managed to stutter out.
“Sorry," she said, letting him go.
"We're moving to St. Louis this Friday," Isabella continued, having calmed down a bit.
“St. Louis?" Buford repeated. "That's practically a world away!!!!” This brought a fresh stream of tears from Isabella and a sharp (get it? get it?) glance from Phineas. Baljeet was about to enlighten them with some delightful information on how far away they were from the city, but he decided against it.
Candace chose this moment to enter the yard. "You guys are so bust-" She stopped when she noticed a sputtering, hysterical Isabella. "What did you all do to her?!" Candace cried.
“I'M MOVING!!!" Isabella managed to stutter out before continuing to sob. She flung her arms around Candace this time.
“Can't. Breathe." Candace pried the girl off her waist.
“You still have this week to play with us," Baljeet said, trying to be helpful.
“But, I have to help my mom pack! That alone should take all week!!!" the forlorn girl replied.
Candace rolled her eyes. "Just get these guys to help you pack!!!!" she scoffed, gesturing to her brothers.
“That's a great idea!!" Phineas exclaimed excitedly.
“It is...?" Buford muttered before receiving an elbow in the shoulder via Baljeet.
"Really!?" Isabella said excitedly, her face lighting back up.
“Knowing you guys, you'll probably finish in about an hour due to some crazy....contraption....." Candace's face contorted into a sinister grin. "And when I show Mom, you guys will be SO BUSTED!!!!!!! *insert neurotic laugh here*." She ran inside, still cackling her head off.
Phineas glanced at Isabella, who had a hopeful smile on her face for the first time since she had entered the yard. Her somewhat content expression ignited a strange pang in the chest....
Ignoring it, Phineas pulled a blueprint out of his pocket. "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!!!!" he proclaimed. As an afterthought, he added "Hey, where's Perry?"
The next morning, the Flynn-Fletchers were eating breakfast. "Phineas," Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher said. "Are you okay? You haven't touched your cereal."
Phineas's head immediately jerked up. "Oh!!!" He stuffed a spoonful of soggy Fruity Rainbo Pebbles into his mouth. "Just...tired, I guess," he muttered.
Candace and Ferb exchanged a glance, knowing full well that fatigue wasn't the only reason for Phineas's gloomy demeanor.
“I heard you kids went to Isabella's house yesterday to help she and her mom pack up their stuff," Mrs. Flynn Fletcher noted with a smile. "That was very kind of you boys."
Phineas's expression seemed to grow a bit drearier at her words. "You know, I'm not really that hungry," the triangle-headed kid said, standing up. "May I be excused?"
"Of course, honey," his mother replied. Phineas put his dishes in the sink and slid open the screen door, walking into the backyard. "Phineas isn't himself today," Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher pointed out once he was out of earshot.
“Well of COURSE he isn't!" Candace responded. "Isabella's been one of his best friends for, like, forever, and she's moving! I’d be devastated if Jeremy or Stacy left." She nudged Ferb inconspicuously, as if to say, "Maybe you should go talk to him." Ferb nodded, which was his way of saying, "Let me finish my Poptarts first."
Phineas sat under "the" tree. He let out a sigh. "She's moving." Perry responded with a chatter. "I've known her for so long, and now..." He didn't need to finish the thought. "Is she going to miss me as much as I'm going to miss her?"
Perry couldn't bear to see his owner so upset. He wished he could tell Phineas JUST how much Isabella cared for him, but, of course, Perry couldn't say anything. He let out another sympathetic chatter.
“Thanks, boy," Phineas said with a weak smile. He patted the platypus on the head, trying to ignore the fluttery, inexplicable feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that had not ceased nagging away at him ever since Isabella had delivered her unexpected news.
"You okay, Phineas?" Ferb asked, walking into the backyard and sitting under the tree next to his brother.
“I dunno," Phineas replied. "I just can't believe Isabella’s moving."
“I know," Ferb agreed. "She's a true friend."
Phineas nodded weakly.
“Try not to dwell on her moving too much, though. She probably doesn’t want to think about it any more than you do. Today is just a normal day… Besides, even when she leaves, we'll still have Baljeet and Buford.”
Phineas let out another sigh. "But, Ferb, Isabella’s different. I just…." He glanced around the yard.
“What?" Ferb asked.
Phineas didn’t know how to respond, didn’t even know how he WANTED to respond. "Uh, nothing."
Just then, Isabella opened the gate. "Whatcha doin'?" she chirped, though her voice wasn't quite as peppy as it could have been.
“Hey, Isabella," Phineas said with a weak smile.
The next two days passed by in a flash. Before Isabella knew it, it was Thursday evening, the night before her departure. Earlier in the day, she had appointed Gretchen the new leader of the Fireside Girls after earning her final patch under troop 46231. Now, she was headed across the street to the Flynn-Fletcher house.
"Hey, Isabella," Phineas said, opening the door the millisecond Isabella's knuckles met it. "We have a little something for you out back, but you have to close your eyes!"
Isabella smiled and did as she was told. Phineas took her hand (and Isabella couldn't help but giggle), slowly maneuvered her to the back door, and opened it. “You can open your eyes now."
Isabella's eyelids fluttered open, and they immediately grew wide with wonder.
"Oh. My. GOSH."
The boys had planned a GARGANTUAN surprise party for her!! There were balloons and streamers and a giant stage with big fancy lights! "Wow..." Isabella breathed. "Did you really do this...for me?"
"Yes," Phineas replied with a grin. "Yes we did."
“Well, thank you!! Thank you so much!!!"
Just then, someone shouted out, "They're here!!" and a giant spotlight beamed down on the pair. Isabella was immediately mobbed by countless friends and bystanders.
“Are you really moving?"
“What does your new house look like?"
"Do you like waffles?"
“Did you see Once Upon A Time?? Gosh, I hope Anna doesn't die!!!!!”
“Are you driving or taking a taxi?"
The girl's head spun as she tried to answer all the inquiries.
“Guys, give her some space!" Phineas instructed, leading her up to the stage. Somehow, they managed to get near the front of the yard. "Now, just sit here..." He sat her in a pink, puffy moonchair labeled "Seat of Honor".
“Let's get this extravaganza started!!!" Gretchen cried.
The next three hours were full of sing-a-longs, cookouts, and games, but Isabella's favorite part of the party came at the end.
"Now, some of Isabella's closest friends will deliver speeches about their favorite memories of her!"
"Although I hate to admit it, Isabella taught me that girls are just as good as boys…”
“…she never made fun of my love of Space Adventure, unlike SOME people…”
“…she’s like the little sister I always wanted...and never got....”
“…she’s the best troop leader a girl could ever have…”
By the time that Phineas took the stage, tears were fogging up Isabella’s vision. She quickly dried her eyes as her crush began to speak.
"Isabella's been my best friend for a while now," he started. "When I learned she was moving, I tried to convince myself that this day would never come." He sighed.
"Of course, it had to eventually. I feel like I took your friendship and cheerful 'Whatcha doin?'s for granted, and now, you're leaving, and I have no clue if I'll ever see you again."
A tear shown on Isabella's cheek.
“You’ve been by my side all summer, and for all of the summers before this one....and the thought of carrying on without you is just….unbearable. I'm SO thankful for all the kindness you've shown me all these years. So, I guess all I can say is…. thanks."
He slowly left the stage. Isabella wrung out her handkerchief.
“Would Isabella like to say a few words?" Milly asked from her spot on the stage.
Isabella slowly got up and joined her. “I just want to say thank you," she began. "Not only for this party, but for being so supportive and friendly all these years. I could go on and on about each and every one of you and the impact that each of you had upon my life, but that would probably take the rest of this summer alone." She wiped a sole tear from her cheek. "I love you, all of you, for being so…well, amazing." With that, she leapt off the stage.
“Okay! Show's over!" Milly announced.
Isabella managed to worm her way to Phineas through the crowd of kids milling out the yard. "Did you really mean all that stuff you said about me?" she asked, blushing slightly.
“Yep," Phineas replied, looking down at his aglets. "I mean, we're best friends, aren't we?"
“Yeah, um, about that..." Isabella paused, trying to find words for all the emotions she wanted to express.
"I...I'm gonna miss you so much!" she blurted out.
“And I think I speak for all of us in saying that we’re gonna miss you too…” Phineas replied quietly.
Silence ensued.
“Uh...I should probably get home..." Isabella said, heading toward the gate.
"Yeah..."
She swiftly sauntered (doesn't that sound cool?) up to the gate, but paused once more to look back on the faces of all her friends...her neighbors........the people she loved. Her lip quivered.
Then, Isabella ran, ran not only to the house that wasn't her home anymore, but from the sadness that threatened to eat her alive.
A sigh escaped her lips once she reached her room. She couldn't jut leave her friends....Phineas...behind like this.
And then, Isabella decided to write a letter.
(let the record show I wrote this before operation crumb cake aired.)