Sunday Six: Back in Time for Dinner (early draft)

Each Sunday, post six sentences from a writing project — published, submitted, in progress, for your cat — whatever.

 

Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of starting to write Back in Time for Dinner, the first fanfic I ever released. So you get a piece from the first draft, which had a more-traditional view of Phineas being oblivious than the final story.

 

Isabella was enjoying being held when she felt him twitch suddenly, as if a sudden realization had hit him. His voice quivering a bit, he asked, "I-Isabella?"

 

"Mm?"

 

"Am I the most oblivious boy on the planet?"

 

She looked up at him. The question was phrased so that all she had to do was act confused and the subject would be dead…and probably never ever come back again. Now or never time, Isabella.

 

"Yes. Yes, you are."

 

He closed his eyes, as if a painful memory was flashing across them.

 

He said, "I'm sorry. I…like you as a friend, but…" Her heart seemed to stop cold, but then he continued, "…I hadn't realized how much I like you as more than that too until just now."

 

She smiled at him again; he seemed almost dazzled. "I…like you as more than a friend too."

 

Hesitantly, he asked, "Would you…would you mind if I…stopped being oblivious?"

 

"I'd like that. A lot." She put her head back on his shoulder, and he hugged her a bit tighter.