Imperfectly Perfect

This Is How a Heart Mends

Phineas was desperate. He hadn't talked to Isabella in... it seemed like forever. He missed her voice and her contagious laugh. He missed the cute 'Whatcha Doin?' That he would be greeted every morning through a text from her. They'd do homework and laugh... They'd cuddle for hours on end....

He'd tried calling every day. Heck, every hour!

He tried texting. Nope.

He emailed her. Nada.

He remembered the time when she gave him a stuffed animal for Valentines Day. Man, he hated that thing. But he put it up in a place of honor, just to make her happy. So every time she'd come into his room, she'd smile in remembrance and cuddle with it. In fact, the day before her parents died, she had cuddled with it. 

He wondered....

He reached up and pulled it into his chest. He inhaled slowly, and sure enough, her scent was all over it. She smelled like vanilla and coconut and almost every time they went on a date, Phineas would lean over and smell her beautiful scent. 

Gosh, he missed her...

The next day, Phineas could not take it anymore. He did what he should have done a week ago. He persistently called her. 

52 times, to be exact.

At the 53rd time, he started to panic.

Phineas paced in a nervous frenzy. 

Back, forth. Back, forth.

Why wasn't she answering? 

Back, forth. Back, forth. 

Click.

"Isabella? Hello? Hello? Are you there? Is everything ok?"

"Phineas? Where are you? What's going on?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing..." Phineas said breathily. He stopped pacing.

"Phineas... Where's your mom?" 

"What? We haven't talked in almost a week and you want to talk to who? What about me? I've missed you, Isabella..." He said the last part softly. "I- I need you to talk to someone... Anyone..." Phineas stopped. He knew he was going to start crying. 

Wait.

His mom.

Phineas face-palmed. He remembered how Linda had always said that Isabella was like family. And Isabella and Linda had become closer over the last few years... Having tea, and giggling whenever he walked into the room.

"When am I ever going to listen?" He muttered. He cleared his throat and declared, "I'll be there in 3 minutes." 

"What?" Isabella said. "Phin, I'm fine..." And as Isabella tried again to throw him off, he couldn't handle it anymore. 

That was the last straw. Phineas' penned up emotion had been building up and now it came gushing out.

"NOT YOURE NOT, DAMN IT!!! I CAN HELP YOU, WE CAN HELP YOU!! I DONT CARE IF I HAVE TO DRIVE ALL OVER THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH TO FIND YOU!!" Phineas' voice cracked. "Please...don't do this to me, Iz..." 

No answer.

"Iz? Please? Isabella?...." Phineas sighed and started to lower the phone.

"... Thank you." Came the faint, raspy whisper. "I'm here. Come get me. I can't live like this anymore."

"Damn right, you can't. Now I'm coming to your dorm in 1 minute. Be ready." Phineas said gently.