Mysterious Forces

Just The Two of Us

Candace and her best friend Stacy were enjoying a nice day of tanning and chilling on the beach.

"Ah, Stace, I don't think I've ever been this relaxed in a loooonng time..." Candace sighed and closed her eyes under her red sunglasses, while laying back on her beach towel.

"I know what you mean, sister... hasn't been this nice since that spa day your brothers did in the backyard, and even then, that morning was TERRIBLE!" Stacy shook her head and the girls laughed.

"Oh, I remember that! Remember when I apologized and you were all like 'stop being like one of those TV shows we make fun of' and you gave me the spiel about third grade and-" Candace paused and looked at Stacy and they both slid their sunglasses partially down their nose.

"Ah, Billy Clark..." they sighed and then looked at each other and giggled.

"We should have more do-nothing days like this, Candy Cane." Stacy said.

"Yes, yes we- wait... do you hear that?" she asked, sitting up. She heard laughter and giggles and her head snapped to the left.

"Oh, brother... not this again." Stacy groaned and laid back down on the beach towel.

"Oh, boy... what are they doing this time?" Candace grumbled and stood up, marching over to the group of familiar faces. Stacy followed her.

"What are you little monsters doing here? Aren't you supposed to stay in the backyard?!" Candace asked her little brothers.

"Oh, hey, Candace! We're gonna make rubber duck boats that can fly!" Phineas replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Candace gave him the death stare and then inhaled deeply. "I'M CALLING MOM!" she screamed, pulling out her phone.

"Candace!" Stacy screamed, causing Candace to jump and turn around. "Candace, do you REALLY have to spend day in and day out trying to bust your brothers? Let the kids have fun! What about me?" she asked, clenching her fists.

Candace stood there in shock for a few seconds. "I- I didn't think of it like that... I'm sorry Stace, I'll do better!"

"You say that every time, and you STILL continue to obsess about them. I'm about done!" she threw her hands in the air and stormed off.

"STACY! Wait! Urgh, go take your stupid ducks and leave me and my friends alone! You always ruin everything!" Candace cried and ran off to go get her best friend back.

As Candace was running, the tears clouded her vision, making it hard for her to see. She ran into a little girl's sandcastle and smashed it, and left the scene of the crime by hearing wailing.

"STACY!" she screamed, and once her friend was out of sight, she collapsed on the sand on her hands and knees. "What did I do? I did this once, and now I did it again! I'm so stupid!" she said, wiping the tears off of her face with her arms. The excess sand on the back of her hands stung her eyes, causing it to sting and burn even more than before.

"Come back, Stacy, come back..." she sobbed and buried her head in her hands.

_______________________________

"What's wrong with Candace?" Phineas asked, watching his sister become a red-headed dot in the distance.

"Phineas, she's hurt... she lost her best friend." Isabella whispered, putting her hand on his shoulder. He tensed up at her touch, but his attention turned back to his sister.

"...was it really our fault?" he asked sadly.

"Well, you didn't try to, but she has gotten very stressed for a while because of your inventions... maybe we should go help her get Stacy back!" Isabella looked at him and he turned his head to look at her.