I know, I know! You probably saw that and your mouth probably gaped open. You look like a fish, by the way, close your mouth! Anyways, this chapter is going to introduce the first bit of tension between the two 'new couples'. We're also going deep into Emma's mind! Get ready for a highly unconventional chapter! (Sorry, I honestly don't know what to put as the picture for this chapter, it's too weird!)
After the party had ended and most everyone had gone home, Ferb and Isabella were sitting in the backyard waiting for the stage to clean up.
"We need a game plan. Something that's sure to make them jealous... but what even is our goal? Do we still WANT them?" she asked.
Ferb was fighting a war in his head. 'She hurt me. She got my hopes up and then chopped my heart into pieces. What do I do? If she's happy with Phineas, maybe I should learn to love Isabella... but I can't do that. She's perfect, and I'd do anything to get her back.' he thought, letting out a sigh of despair.
"What's wrong, Ferb?" Isabella asked.
"I just- part of me wants to hear what they have to say about it." Ferb said quietly.
Isabella's face went cold. "What they have to say? We saw them kissing, what more do you need?"
Ferb's expression turned cold towards her. "Isabella, I don't know about you but I'm going to have to face my brother tonight. Just because you don't have to look at Emma because you're being stubborn doesn't mean I have to do the same thing."
Her brows furrowed. "Fine! We'll go talk to them then." she huffed, and the two got up and rigidly walked to the back gate. To their surprise, they ran right into Phineas and Emma.
"Oh. Hi, guys." Phineas mumbled, and then Emma felt a hand push her into him from over the fence. She grasped Phineas' hand.
Isabella saw this and fought the urge to punch Emma.
"So... you guys are a thing too?" Emma smiled nervously.
"Yes, yes we are! And we're super happy together, isn't that right, Ferby?" Isabella giggled as Ferb wrapped his arm around her, shaking. He nodded and stared Emma in the eyes. She could tell that he was trying to tell her something, but she was going to have to wait until later to talk to him about it.
Isabella broke this connection between the two by pulling Ferb by surprise and kissing him on the lips.
Emma let out a small gasp. "Wow. You guys really are happy together, aren't ya?" she said, her voice starting to crack.
Phineas noticed this and gave Emma's hand a squeeze to let her know she wasn't alone. He took all of his courage, and anger towards his brother, and turned towards Emma.
"Hey, Ems, think we can beat them in romance?" he winked, and kissed her on the lips too.
Emma's cheeks turned bright red as she was completely unexpecting that to happen. She looked at him when he pulled away for a pink flash in his eyes, but it was still the same Phineas she'd been talking to all that afternoon. She shot him a glance to ask him why he did that, and he just smiled softly.
Isabella's foot was digging deep into the ground, and she took Ferb's hand and put it on her waist. "We should have a romance-off sometime. It'd be fun." she said, gritting her teeth.
Ferb, on the other hand, was feeling completely dejected and hurt. He knew Isabella didn't like him like that, and his crush was not only kissing his brother, but also blushing while doing it. He shook his head, thinking Emma was a lost cause, and let go of Isabella's hand.
"I'm gonna go take a walk." he sighed and walked to the sidewalk.
"Bye, Ferby! I'm gonna head home now. Phineas..." she nodded at him with a hurt smile and ran off, tears starting to crawl down her face. 'I don't hate either of them, it just hurts to have who I thought was my best friend betray me like that.' Isabella thought, taking the long walk to her house.
Phineas watched his crush walk off and couldn't help but want to go comfort her and tell her how much he loved her, but he had to stick to the plan. If everything went well, they'd be together in the end, but for now, Phinabella wasn't an option. He sighed and looked at Emma.
"Do we have to do this? It hurts, Emma." he frowned.
She looked at him with a sad expression. "I'm sorry, Phineas, but it's the only way. What would we do if everyone hated us?"
"Don't they already hate us..?" he said, tears starting to roll down his cheeks.
"Phineas, don't cry! Oh, I'm sorry!" she said, pulling him into a hug. She hated seeing him upset, because there was just something about Phineas Flynn being upset that broke everyone's heart.
Ferb looked back and saw this moment, and shook his head in anger and continued to walk down the street.
"Phin, it's okay, it's okay! I'm here... I don't hate you." she said softly.
He looked up at her and smiled sadly. "I think you're the only person."
"Wait! Your sister! Who would she side with? Do you think if we told her what was going on-" Emma started, but Phineas cut her off.
"Emma, I think it's just us against everyone else. Well, except for Adyson and Katie... thank heavens for them." Phineas sighed.
She nodded and the two parted and went to their own houses.
Ferb had his own idea.
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Emma heard a knock at the door and reluctantly opened it to see a tuft of green hair first thing.
"Ferb? What are you doing here?" she asked, opening the door all the way.
"Emma, I need to talk to you. I can't do this stupid pretending thing anymore. Jealousy is NOT my strong suit." he said in his smooth, British accent.
She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "Yeah... what's up?"
He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, preparing him for what he was about to ask. "Did you kiss my brother?"
She paused, looking at him in utter shock. She didn't know what she was expecting, but she didn't expect that, despite the fact that she should've seen it coming.
"Well... there's a story there."
"Story?! I don't want to hear how good of a kisser my brother is!" Ferb exploded, and turned around to leave.
"Wait! Ferb! Hold on! I didn't mean to kiss him!" she blurted out, and Ferb turned around.
"You... didn't mean to kiss him? How does that work then?" he asked, a sour face directed at her.
"Look, he got shot with a green ray and now a part of him thinks he's in love with me, and he snuck up on me and kissed me. I tried to escape but he wouldn't let go! Ferb, I- I... I-" she started, trying to confess her feelings for him, but all of a sudden, an overwhelming feeling came over her.
"You what?" he asked.
'No... this can't be happening.' she thought, and stared at him nervously.
"Emma, spit it out." he motioned, getting a bit frustrated.
"I like you." she said before thinking.
"Hold on, hold on. Before we get to that, you said he got shot with a 'green ray'?" Ferb asked, finally understanding what she was saying.
"Yes! It wasn't him! There was this pink sparkle in his eyes and then he turns into this completely different person, and if we don't fix him soon, he's gonna be in love with me forever." Emma sighed.
"Okay... but what was that hug and kiss all about, you guys seem to be 'getting along' fairly well..." he said, finding his fist clenched.
"Phineas is like my guy best friend! Who else was I gonna turn to when the rest of you hated me?!" Emma screamed, running inside. "Nevermind what I said about liking you, you're too stubborn."
Ferb's heart shattered into a million pieces, hoping he hadn't heard what he just heard. The one girl that he had liked had just not only confessed her feelings, but then denied them seconds later.
"Fine. I liked you too." he replied, tears starting to roll down his face.
Emma stood against the door from the inside, sitting down to the ground and crying in her arms. Ferb was doing the same thing, but on the other side of the door.
"What might have been..." they whispered at the same time, and went back to crying.
Ferb heard sobbing on the other side and figured he could try to salvage what little they had left. He knocked on the door again.
Emma opened it, her eyes wet and red from crying, and her hair frazzled.
"What do you want? Break my heart even more than you already have?" she whimpered, sniffling.
"No, no... I'm sorry, I was out of line." he said, reaching his arms out for a hug. She cried harder and jumped into his arms.
"Yo-you don't hate me?" she asked in between sobs.
"No... as long as it was an accident, we can fix this. Isabella isn't as forgiving as I am, though." he whispered, holding her close.
"Oh, brother... we need a plan, then." she said softly.
"This is gonna hurt the both of us, but I think we need to stick with the plan we already have. I'm sorry, Emma."
"It's okay, it's not your fault. I forgive you, Ferb. Well, I guess we're spies now..." she chuckled softly.
"Just like Romeo and Juliet, huh?"
"More like Ferb-eo and Emma-et..." she giggled.
"FERB, IS THAT YOU?" Candace called from the porch of his own house.
"Shoot, we've been caught. Get out of here, Ferb!" she whisper-yelled, pushing him away. "I'll talk to you later."
He nodded and ran around the back of her house, hopping the fence into his own yard.
Emma opened the door and walked in again, and her phone buzzed. It was a text from Phineas.
P - Brother just got home, wish me luck :)
E - Oh boy... good luck, Phin! :D
Her phone buzzed again, but this time it was a text from Ferb.
F - Glad we got that sorted out ;)
Emma stopped and looked at the screen. Her feelings were frozen in place, right in the middle. She didn't know which one she preferred, they both had their own charms. She had to figure it out, soon, because if she didn't, she might have to give them both up.
E - Me too, Ferb :)
What surprised Emma the most was the next notification on her phone.
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Alrighty, well, there's your next chapter to tide you over while I think of... yet... another... fight... oh boy this is gonna be the best day ever!