Hiya! This is the one and only HigherSilver speaking, and self-proclaimed Ferbella Princess, although I'm sure that's up for debate. Anyway, welcome to the first ever Ferbella round-robin, featuring all your favorite authors: TheCartoonFanatic01, Spazzumtard, veebeejustte, LaptopWriter22, Weird Heart, and Lilly-Belle. Oh, and me. Anyway, the way this works is that each author writes a chapter... based only on what's already been written. That's right... no collaboration, just combination. Enjoy!

- Silver


"Because Valentine, or Valentinus, was actually the name of more than one saint, historians believe they are all celebrated during Valentine's Day. We can trace our own celebrations back to a pagan festival where…"

Isabella wasn't paying any attention at all to Mrs. Lipton, her windbag of a history teacher, or her lecture. She was busy doodling hearts inside of her notebook. Valentine's day. It was only two days away. Valentine's Day was Isabella's absolute favorite holiday. She wasn't sure why, but it must have to do with the explosion of pink all over Danville, or the warmth it brought to winter, or it might have to do with the fact that it was all about love. The fourteenth of February was that one day a year when giving somebody a mushy card or sneaking a kiss was romantic, not lame.

And who knew more about love than Isabella Garcia-Shapiro? She had been completely and totally in love for about seventy-five percent of her life; which was a lot when you took into account the fact that she was only seventeen. With the same person all this time.

Isabella sighed. Why, oh why, did Phineas have to be so clueless when it came to her? The boy could figure out everything from quantum physics to Latin, and yet he didn't know his best friend had a crush on him. The problem with being in love with one boy like Phineas all your life was that she never really knew what it was like to spend Valentine's Day with a boy who really was romantic.

"Isabella!" A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to her right side, where Baljeet was sitting, with a fairly irritated look on his face. "Are you even listening?"

She sighed. "Not really."

The bell rang just at that moment. It was her lunch period. Isabella gathered her things, and watched as her Indian friend left in a huff. She rolled her eyes. As if anything mentioned today was important. The single thing Lipton had said that stuck in her mind was that Saint Valentine wrote the world's first valentine when he was in prison, presumably to the jailor's daughter.

Isabella made her way outside, to the swing set. The swing set was a peculiar blot on the Danville High campus. For some reason, the high school, of all places, had a very old swing set, with just two old swings, in the back yard of the school. No one really knew its back story. Some said it was supposed to go to an elementary school. Some said the high school was built over an old school, and it was that school's swing set. Some said it was haunted. And some just thought it was normal… because Danville could get sort of weird. But, for whatever reason, there was a tarnished old metal swing set at her high school.

Isabella personally loved it. It was the best spot in the world for straight-up thinking. And there was something so fun and innocent about swinging as high as she could, like a little girl again. Generally, the thing was swamped with half the school, but not now. Not in February. People were too comfortable in the heated cafeteria. Isabella didn't really mind. There was no snow on the ground right now, and sometimes she liked the feeling of the cold biting at her nose and ears. So she sat, swinging, back and forth, by herself.

What was she thinking about? Still old Saint Valentine. Now that was a love story! And maybe Saint Valentine was more than just a random dude clumped together with some namesakes into a holiday. Writing a love letter, in jail of all places? That was romantic.

Guys today weren't romantic at all. She could still picture Baljeet snapping at her because of schoolwork. Oh, and Buford, nobody could ever consider a boy who would enter an eating contest, win, then eat the whole dang ribbon, romantic! As far as Phineas went… sure, he might be able to plan romantic dates for other people, but he had yet to do so for himself.

Isabella pulled a granola bar from her pocket and chewed it as she swung slowly. She wasn't in the mood to eat when it was so cold out. She didn't notice a boy sit down next to her on the other swing until she was finished with it.

"Oh, Ferb!" She said. "You scared me!"

He gave her a little apologetic nod in return. They sat in silence, their feet just barely dangling over the ground. After several minutes, Ferb piped up. "Why do you come and sit here in the cold, alone?"

Isabella turned towards him. "I don't know. I love the old swings, but when it's warm, they're never available." He nodded again. "Do you remember?" She asked. "When I had to get my 'twenty-four hours of silence' patch, and I told you that I finally, like, GET you? Well, sometimes, I want that feeling. Just thinking to myself."

After a few more minutes of silence, Ferb spoke again. "What is the topic of today's inner dialogue, then?"

Isabella sighed. "Valentine's Day. And all I could think about, after that history class, is how stupid and unromantic today's guys are." She noticed by the look on his face that was at least somewhat offensive. "I don't mean it personally. But, guys today are so full of crap when it comes to things like Valentine's Day. Between the cheapo chocolate and factory-made store-bought cards, it couldn't be less heartfelt. Unless you're talking about one of those guys who doesn't even realize romance exists." She said bitterly. "To them it's just February 14, a normal day. I'm practically happy that I don't have a stupid date for Valentine's Day."

"No, you're not." He said simply.

"What? I so am!" She said indignantly.

"If you were truly happy without a date, you wouldn't need to use the excuse that men are too mundane for you."

Isabella's mouth fell open. Was he serious? "Ferb, this has nothing to do with me. I'm making an all-around statement: today's boys are not romantic. Period."

Ferb was quiet for a while again, absent-mindedly rocking on his swing. "I bet I could prove you wrong."

"You bet?" Isabella giggled.

"Yes. I bet that I can give you the best Valentine's Day you ever had, and prove that the male race is not too lost for redemption."

"Okay…" Isabella said. "But if you lose, you become my slave for a month! You have to do anything I say!" This prize could be used in so many ways for her. She could force him to build her anything, cook for her, even back off and give her some Phineas time!

Ferb nodded. "Agreed. But if you lose…"

The bell rang, and lunch period was over. Ferb hopped off his swing, slung his backpack around his shoulders, and walked towards the school.

"Wait!" Isabella called. "What do I have to do if I lose?"

He turned back towards her, smiled to himself, and shook his head.

"FERB!"


And it begins! Next up is the lovely Weird Heart! Stay tuned!