okay so vanessa and gretchen become close after gretch decides to go to the local community college for tutoring. vanessa got bullied by her mom (and the pocket change the school pays) into providing her services, because otherwise she would not give a single shit about how others are doing in their classes. the college gives free tutoring to high school students and although gretch is better off, she didnât want to ask her parents for help because fuck her parents. vanessa recognizes her distantly like, âoh, hey, youâre candaceâs brothersâ friend, right?â and sheâs relatively civil, but the relationship is slow building until she overhears gretch and isabella argue while vanessaâs setting up to tutor gretchen. vanessa realizes that isabellaâs the little preppy girl who has a crush on phineas, and it isnât any of her business, but she asks anyway, because sheâs endlessly curious about the flynn-fletcher family, on the basis that her friend candace is part of it. vanessa notices how much gretchen needs to break out, and rebel in a relatively controlled environment, so she started inviting gretchen to the occasional party. people just think that vanessaâs invited her little sister, and vanessa doesnât correct them, because itâs safer for gretchen that way. vanessa herself is a slightly terrifying presence, but more theyâre afraid of her dad. yes, heinz is goofy and dumb and an internet sensation for clumsiness, but he also took all the blue out of picassoâs blue period and remorselessly disintegrated an adult man who hit on vanessa. vanessa keeps an eye on gretch, but gives her enough space to do what she wants. she never shames gretchen for her decisions, only tries to gear her towards the right ones.Â
