The Best Visit Yet

I, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, was sick. I was lying in my bed, unable to do anything. My mother had forbid me from leaving the bed. No television, no computer, no music, and the worst of of all: no Phineas! All I was allowed to do was read that boring boook they had assigned for us to do a report on at the end of the last school year. I just had to get sick during the summer. There was no school to miss, no joy of being here in bed while everyone you know is toiling away in classrooms. No, I'm just missing helping Phineas and Ferb build something crazy, earning patches with my Fireside GIrls troop, hanging with my friends, and working on Phineas noticing me. I'm missing the greatest, most exciting summer of my life.

I rolled over in my bed and spied my favorite book lying on the floor. Sitting up, I reached out my hand, straining to grab the little paperback novel. My fingers brushed up against the cover, but I couldn't pick it up. It was just out of my reach. Giving up, I lied back down, frustrated. This day was just so boring.

There was a knock at my door. My mother opened it up, peeking through. "Isa, you have visitors," she said, smiling. Suddenly, a group of little girls, all dressed in orange and brown, paraded in to my bedroom, surrounding the bed. My Fireside Girls troop.

"Hey Chief," Gretchen said to me. " We heard you were sick. What's going on?"

"I have Strep Throat," I answered her.

"Isn't that when your throat gets all red and the doctor has to stick that wooden thing that makes you gag down your throat?" Katie asked.

"Strep Throat is a bacterial infection that affects the pharynx," Gretchan stated calmly. "Some symptoms include a sore throat, a headache, fever, loss of appetite, and difficulty swallowing."

We all stared at Gretchen. She recounted this information as if she were reading a book. It was always like that. She never said anything, but I think she has a photographic memory.

"Anyway," I said slowly, breaking the ice. "I'm going to be in bed for the next few days, and I want you guys to continue on as like normal. Gretchen and Adyson, you're in charge."

"Great," Adyson said sarcastically, "I have to work with The Great Brain."

"What have a said about calling me that?" Gretchen asked her, her face turning red. Adyson is an awesome friend, but she can be so sarcastic and sometimes she doesn't seem to understand that it can be hurtful.

"Oh, I think it was something along the lines of, 'Oh, Adyson! I just love the nickname you gave me! Can you call me that forever!'" Adyson said in a mocking tone, her hands clasped together in front of her.

"I never said that!" Gretchan yelled, her face beet red. She looked like a tiger ready to pounce on Adyson. The problem with that is that Adyson is bigger and stronger than Gretchen. Adyson herself was cracking her knuckles, ready for a good fight. I needed to stop this before it started.

"Guys, stop it!" I yelled at them, drawing everyone's attention. "We're Fireside Girls! Fireside Girls do not fight with other FIreside Girls!" When I saw Adyson's annoyed look at me, I added, "No matter how mush they want to!"

The fight broke up immediately, with everyone returning their themselves to me. My friends chattered around me, talking about all the things we had to do when I got better.

"Oh, Isabella!" Holly squealed. "I saw the cutest dress at the mall the other day and I immediately thought of you! It's all pink and glittery. We just have to go get it when your better."

"Oh!" Milly chimed in. "Is it that one you showed the other day? The one from Connie's?"

"Yes!" Holly yelled. "And there was that yellow and orange shirt that would have looked so good on you, Milly!"

"Oh yeah! Isabella, can plan a trip to the mall soon?" Milly asked me.

"Sure," I told them. Holly and Milly squealed and continued to discuss clothes and fashion.

"Ooh, I just remembered," I heard Ginger say. She walked to the center of my bedroom. "Attention everyone," she said, and everyone turned to face her. "I have a new joke," she told us. You could here everyone groan at this news. "Here it is: Two flies are on a front porch. Which one is the movie star?" She waited for our response, but when none came, the punch line was given to us. "The one on the screen!" Ginger burst out laughing, but the rest of us groaned at the answer.

"Get it? The one on the screen! Like, a movie screen and a screen door? Get it?" she asked us, smiling wide. They smile faded when she saw that no one was laughing with her. "You don't get it?" Still, no one answered. "Do you want me to tell it again?"

"NO!" we all screamed.

"We mean," I said afraid of hurting my friend feelings, "no, we get it Ginger."

She smiled. "Good," she said to us. I rolled my eyes. Ginger's great, but it seems to me that she's memorized every corny joke book on the planet, and she tests her new material on us.

"Isabella?" Katie asked me quietly, embarrassed. "Do you want us to earn patches today? With out you?"

"Yes Katie I do. Just because I can't earn patches doesn't me you can't," I told her. I wished truly that I could go with them. These girls were some of my best friends. It hurts when you can't have fun with them. "Now," I said to all of the members of my troop. "I want you all to go out, have fun, and help Phineas and Ferb build... whatever they're building."

Adyson's face lit up. "Oh yeah, we saw them on our way over. Today's project looks awesome!" she told me. Gretchen and Milly elbowed Adyson. "Ow," she said, rubbing her arms. "What was that for?"

Gretchen made a motion towards me, sitting there glumly, my head in my hands. "Oh," Adyson said. "I meant, um, it's okay. No big deal." She was trying, and failing, to act calm and cool.

"It's okay," I told her, glumly. "You guys should go," I said simply.

"Oh," Gretchen said. "Okay then. You're right. You need to rest."

They left me, each saying, "Goodbye," and, "Feel better." And I was alone again. I slapped my hand to my face, angry that I hadn't asked one of them to hand me my book.

To Be Continued...