This is the first story I've written that takes place in the same summer as the show. It's also the first story I've written without my OC, Steve. It kinda feels weird, but good at the same time.

"LOOK OUT, BALJEET!" Phineas yelled.

Baljeet looked behind him and screamed. A bright orange monster the size of a bus was barreling toward him. "HELLLP!" the Indian boy cried as he turned and ran.

The monster was closing in fast, and it took up the entire hallway. Baljeet thought he was destined to be crushed.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Ferb swung down on a rope from the top of the huge wall and grabbed Baljeet under the armpits mid-swing. The rope's arc carried them back up to the top of the wall.

Ferb set Baljeet down and they watched the monster pass by beneath them. The monster abruptly turned dark blue and reversed directions, only to find a giant pac-man waiting to eat it.

Baljeet wiped his brow and looked out across the giant pac-man board that had been constructed in the backyard. The massive pac-man was controlled from a joystick on the roof of the Flynn-Fletcher house. The door to the ghost nest in the center had jammed and Baljeet had run down to free it. Unfortunately, the electronically controlled monster had recognized him as pac-man and started chasing him.

"Thanks, Ferb. You saved my life!"

Ferb nodded, but said nothing, his expression unchanging.

"Aw, man!" Buford exclaimed as pac-man came into contact with a monster. All four monsters disappeared and then pac-man folded in on itself and blinked out. The board reset: The monsters returned to the ghost nest and pac-man returned to the bottom center starting spot. The number and position of the pac-dots on the board changed as the score board changed from "Player 3" to "Player 4."

"It's your turn, Ferb!" Isabella called from the roof.

Ferb nodded and grabbed Baljeet under his arms again. He tapped his shoes together and tiny rockets in the soles ignited, launching Ferb and his passenger into the air. They flew back to the roof and Ferb took his place at the controls. He pressed the "Start" button and began to play.

Baljeet joined Phineas, Isabella and Buford on a different spot on the roof, right by Phineas and Ferb's bedroom dormer.

"Whew!" Baljeet whistled. "Thank goodness for Ferb."

"Did you see his expression?" Isabella asked.

"No," Buford said.

"Yeah, I know, you were too busy playing to worry about your best friend's well being. Phineas, since I know you were the only one watching, did you notice? Ferb never so much as flinched!"

"He never does," Phineas replied.

"I know! He never does! Ferb stares death in the face-"

"-and makes it blink!" Baljeet finished.

"Uh, yeah. That's actually exactly what I was going to say," Isabella said.

"Ferb lets nothing defy him," Phineas said. "He denies physics. He takes the impossible and makes it possible."

"You sure can't surprise him," Buford added. "He's so on top of everything it's almost scary."

They all turned and watched the green-haired Brit shift the joystick around, that same old stolid look on his face.

They turned back to face each other again.

"Ten bucks says it's not possible to make Ferb scream," Buford said, pulling a bill from his pocket and holding it up.

"I think you've already won the bet," Baljeet told him.

Phineas swiped the bill from Buford's hand. "I accept your challenge!" he exclaimed.

"Phineas!" Isabella cried. "You can't win that bet! It's impossible!"

"So is half the stuff Ferb does. I know Ferb better than anyone else. If anyone could make him crack, it's me. Besides," he continued, "I can't turn down one of Buford's bets."

Buford snatched the bill back. "You'll get this after I've heard Ferb's voice go up three octaves."

"Fine." There was already a twinkle in Phineas's eye.

"You already have a plan, don't you?" Isabella said. It was less of a question and more of a statement.

"Yes, yes I do," Phineas said. "Scaring him will not work. Nothing scares Ferb, not even the possibility of death. No, I need to do something that will cause so much stress on that big brain of his that he just can't take it. And I think I know how…"

"Ngrgrgrgrgrgrg."

"Oh, there you are Perry."

The Next Day

Phineas and Ferb leaned against the tree in the otherwise empty backyard.

"Hey guys!" Isabella called out as she walked in through the gate. "Whatchyadoin?"

"Hi, Isabella!" Phineas called back. "Nothing so far, but I think I'm about to win ten bucks from Buford."

Ferb shifted his gaze to look at his step brother, not understanding the origin of the statement, but otherwise did not react.

"Cool!" Isabella said, and she sat down next to Phineas.

"Hello, everybody!" Baljeet called as he and Buford walked in. "We did not miss anything, did we?"

"Nope. Not yet," Phineas said as Baljeet sat on Isabella's other side and Buford sat in the empty spot next to Ferb. No one saw the tape recorder in his beefy hand. "But we're close. I was just thinking about…"

He stopped here and gave a sly grin as he winked at Isabella, who smirked back.

"That's it!" he cried as he jumped to his feet. "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today! Hey…where's Perry?" He paused for just a moment, then continued. "Okay guys, we've got a lot to do, so let's get to work!"

They all stood and started to follow Phineas out the gate. All except for Ferb, that is.

Phineas turned and faced his brother. "What's wrong, Ferb? Aren't ya coming?"

Ferb made a twirling motion with his hand.

"What? What's wrong?"

Ferb opened his already wide eyes even wider and leaned his head forward, gesturing with his hand at the same time.

"Ferb, I don't understand," Phineas said. Behind him, Isabella, Baljeet and Buford were trying to hold back giggles.

Ferb threw his hands in the air, his eyes bugging out of his head, desperately trying to get Phineas's attention.

"Ferb, I honestly have no idea what you're trying to tell me."

Ferb bent backwards slightly and covered his eyes, his fingers clutching at his hair as if to rip it out. Buford held out the tape recorder.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGG! Phineas! How can I draw up plans and order materials if you don't give me any kind of context to work with? You always have some kind of lead up to your catchphrase, and it gives me a chance to be one step ahead and figure out what your plan is! But today you gave me nothing! You just jumped in and said 'Ferb, I know what we're going to do today,' but I still don't know what that is! I was trying to get you to elaborate on your thoughts with all those hand gestures! You always know exactly what I mean without me speaking! How could you not understand what I meant! You're torturing me here! GAH!"

And with that, Ferb ran screaming into the house, brushing past Candace, who was just on her way out.

"What was that all about?" Candace asked.

"Oh, you know," Phineas said, taking the ten dollar bill from Buford, "Just making Ferb lose his cool."

The End