Phinabella
"You're just so... so..." Isabella groaned, starting to turn away from him.
But Phineas grabbed her wrist. "So what?" It was the first time they'd really talked since summer ended, and he'd already done something to upset her. If only he knew what.
She gestured ineffectually, probably farther hampered by his hold on her. "So obtuse."
"Obtuse?" Phineas blinked. Then he ran his free hand over a line of his face and gave her a cheesy grin. "I always thought I was more acute."
Isabella stared at him for a second before her lip twitched, making his grin widen.
Absently slipping his hand down to interlock his fingers with hers, he missed the frozen expression of wide-eyed surprise on her face. "But what did I do? I mean, we were just talking about if it'd be more fun to go trick-or-treating or to go to that party you heard about. And--" He stopped. And lightbulb moment. "Oh, you really wanted to go, huh?"
In hindsight, he realized he should have expected that. Maybe. Candace really only kept going tricking-or-treating into her teens because she was supposed to watch them. Of course, someone like Isabella would rather go to a party. He remembered how much fun she had at Vanessa's party a few years back. Well, other than the whole losing her shoes thing. He wasn't sure how that happened.
"If you really wanna go, I'd--" He stopped. "Isabella, are you listening to me?" Following her line of sight, he grimaced when he saw she was staring at their hands. "Sorry." Phineas pulled away, once again not seeing her expression. "Did you want to go to the party together?"
"Am I dreaming?"
"What?"
Isabella's head jerked up. "What? Uh, what did you say?"
"I asked if you wanted to go to the Halloween party together...?" Was he doing something wrong again?
"Yes!" The excitement in her voice made him release an internal breath. Then she added, "I mean, sure, if you want to," in a tone almost completely lacking in emotion, and he felt like screaming.
Why did girls have to be so weird?
But he wasn't going to actually ask her that. That would really be sticking his foot in his mouth. "Yeah, if we'd gone tricking or treating it would've just been you, me, and Ferb anyway, and we can always buy candy." Or build a great candy making machine, he'd have to mention that to Ferb later.
"You're going to invite Ferb?"
Phineas had no idea how to categorize that tone so he just skipped over it. "Well, yeah."
"Oh."
"Did you not... want me to?" What if she didn't? He couldn't not invite Ferb. He had to at least ask. He couldn't just ditch his brother after they'd made plans.
Could he?
No, no, he couldn't.
But Ferb would understand if he said he was going to a party with Isabella but she didn't want Ferb there? But how was Ferb supposed to understand it when he didn't understand it? They were all friends. They hung out and did things together.
"No, no." Isabella quickly backtracked, a smile on her face that conflicted with the disappointment shining from the rest of her features. "It's fine. You should definitely bring him."
Phineas wanted to push her to tell him the truth, but something held him back. Like there was some invisible line they were going toe to toe with and, if they crossed it, everything would change.
He could step into the unknown with a smile on his face and determination in his heart, but he feared whatever was on the other side of the line.
He stepped back, and words slipped out without thought, "I guess I'm just being obtuse, huh?"
