.:Rewind:.Prologue

Lucy sighed.


     She had been sitting here for hours, waiting for dinner. Her brother had gone to great legnths to make her first dinner of Christmas break 'fantastic.' But honestly, based on the odd smells wafting in from the kitchen, she knew it would be far from extraordinary.


    " Mom," She called to her mom, who was putting away laundry in the next room, " Remind me again why you let Franklin cook?"

   Isabella peeked her head out the door.

   "Don't be so hard on your brother, sweetheart. He's only thirteen, and he just wants to make you happy. This is the first time he's seen you in a month because you were at college, so just...suffer  in silence."

    No sooner did Isabella finish than did Franklin himself waltz in the room. He was wearing his father's apron, roller skates (for some peculiar reason) and a wide grin was spread across his freckled dorito shaped face, his brown eyes sparkling.

    "Dinner is served. " He said in fake british accent, bowing as Lucy and Isabella entered the room. Isabella cringed when she saw the strange, green-gray casserole, but sat down. Lucy turned a little green herself and did as her mother.

     Franklin skated around the table and splated the goop down on their plates. Then without warning, he perked up and  whisked off to the door, accidentally knocking over his father in the process.


    " Hi, dad!" he said, smiling as he stood up and dusted off his apron." guess what?" He said, helping Phineas up.


     "Lucy got home..." He sniffed the air, obviously smelling the rancid odor of the casserole, " And...you made dinner."


     "Yeah, come on, Mom and Lucy are waiting. Where's Cynthia? Isn't she coming? Or is she still at work?And Aunt Candace?"

     " She has to work overtime today, so she won't be here til tommorow. But at least she'll bring you niece. As for Candace, she's helping Stacy with that Llama legislation."

     "Still? I thought they'd already dealed with that."

     "Yeah, guess not. Now, let's get inside and eat something before we freeze out here. And put something on, young man, I'm surprised you haven't gotten frostbite from standing out here with nothing on but a sweater and jeans. It must be in the negatives right now."


      "Yeah, yeah, I got it..." He said rolling his eyes as he lazily skated inside.
When they arrived in the kitchen, they came across Lucy and Isabella with empty plates, trying to hid a even-greener-than-usual Perry. Lucy coughed.


" We're done...already...we ate it fast...because...."Lucy explained,



"..It was so delicious...?" Isabella finished. There was silence.


"Looks like perry has to go out!" Isabella said suddenly, grabbing the sick- looking perry.

" That bad, huh? " Phineas whispered to her as she left. She nodded, and walked a little faster.



  The mention of perry made Franklin pause for a second. He slapped his forehead.


    " Gosh, I forgot to pick up a new bottle of Perry's medicene from the Animal hospital. Lucy, you're done, so let's just  go now. He needs a dose every day at before bed, so we'd better hurry. " He said, tossing her the keys and untying the apron. " I'd hate to see him get sick again." He slips on his sneakers. " I mean, he really needs it tonight." He pulled on his coat, " Because casserole upsets his stomach. " He said, smiling at Lucy knowingly.

  
     As they left, Isabella adjusted the collar of  Franklin's red-orange and white striped turtleneck so it covered his neck more. With a wave and a smile, they were gone.

     Isabella watched as they left and drove down the street. Her stomach was in knots, and her throat felt dry as she watched them go. Some part of her was telling her something was going to happen. But she ignored it, dissmissing it as nausea from the casserole's fumes.