| abstract | - Admired from afar, she's my star — "Whatcha writin', Ferb?" my stepbrother Phineas asks me. I jump and begin to shred the paper I was writing on. "Um — nothing," I say hastily. If Phineas had caught me writing that... "It sure doesn't look like nothing," says Phineas. "Was it plans for a new invention? I won't think they're stupid, you're my best friend and stepbrother." I shake my head. I need someone to talk to... but who? I get up and run inside my house, thinking all the way, Thank goodness Phineas didn't see what I was writing... It wasn't plans for a new invention I was writing, it was a love poem for the girl of my dreams. Nobody in my immediate group of friends knows who she is except for me. I met her first on the day Isabella had her tonsils taken out... flashback! *dreamy music plays* No, wait, that couldn't be it... she said something more romantic to me, didn't she? That's my problem with dreams. I can never tell what really happened and what was just a dream. Well, I'm pretty sure that's what she said to me. If she had said something different, I would have remembered. Phineas told me once I had a killer memory, and I'm sure he's right. I reach my destination — the computer — and go online. There's only one person in the world I can talk to about Vanessa, and hopefully, they're online... Yes! She is! I open up a chat window and begin typing a message to Brooke, who I haven't seen in a long, long, time. ferbooch [10:21]: brooke? silverstar01 [10:21]: ferb! i havent heard from u in such a long time! silverstar01 [10:22]: so whats prompted u to talk to me? we haven't seen each other since we were six ferbooch [10:23]: i don't know how to say it... silverstar01 [10:23]: come on, ferb, u can trust me... it's not like i'll gab to n e one about it, i dont know who ur friends are silverstar01 [10:24]: ... silverstar01 [10:25]: *sigh* do i have 2 guess r something? ferbooch [10:25]: that would be nice. silverstar01 [10:26]: hmm, alright. silverstar01 [10:27]: ur pet died? ur losing a best friend? ur having girl troubles? ur being bullied? silverstar01 [10:27]: ...thats about all i got ferbooch [10:28]: the third one. silverstar01 [10:28]: oh, ferby-werby's having girl troubles? just kidding, whats the matter? ferbooch [10:29]: she barely notices me and i really like her. phineas, my stepbrother, almost found me writing her a love poem today. silverstar01 [10:30]: oh, ferb, uve got it bad. like really uber bad. i think the best thing 2 do is to tell her ferbooch [10:30]: did i mention she's six years older than me? silverstar01 [10:31]: oh silverstar01 [10:32]: well doesnt phineas build stuff? u and him? ferbooch [10:32]: you know? silverstar01 [10:33]: yes, word of ur creations has reached me. well n e way, u could build like an age ray or something to make her younger so its not so creepy silverstar01 [10:33]: see wat i mean? ferbooch [10:33]: yes, i do see! thanks so much, brooke, i knew i could trust you. silverstar01 [10:34]: i want deets, ferb fletcher. tell me wat happens ferbooch [10:34]: can do, brooke. bye for now. I log off and sit there for a moment. Talking to Brooke was a really good idea of mine. The thing is, in order to build the age ray with Phineas, I'd have to tell Phineas, and wouldn't that be awkward? Yes, it would. I slap myself across the face and think, You're Ferb Fletcher, the British boy with a lot of fangirls! You can do anything! Hooray for self-motivation. I walk outside and back to Phineas. "Um, Phineas?" I say. Easier said than done. "Do you think we could build something today?" "Sure, Ferb!" he chirps. "Did you have anything in mind?" "Maybe... maybe an age ray?" The words are out, I can't take them back. "Sounds cool!" Phineas says, then eyes me. "This wouldn't have to do with a certain sixteen-year-old brunette, would it?" "What?! No!" I say, but it's too late. Phineas grins and wiggles his eyebrows. "All right, we'll build this age ray for her." The gate of the backyard opens and Isabella walks in. "Whatcha doin'?" Phineas's eyes light up at the sight of her. "Building an age ray!" "Cool!" she chirps and sits herself down under the tree in our backyard. "Voilà!" says Phineas, pulling off the sheet covering the ray. Isabella draws in her breath as I push a few buttons on the ray. Suddenly, a robotic voice blares out. "LOCATING VANESSA DOOFENSHMIRTZ." I blush. "Nice to keep this private." The ray fires off a thin green beam. It arcs over the rooftops of Danville to a tall purple building in the distance. "So how are you going to contact her?" asks Isabella. "Simple," Phineas says. "Phone book." He holds it up and shows her it, then sets it down and starts looking through it. "D-i... d-i... d-o... here it is! Doofenshmirtz. There's a number." He shows me the number and I punch it in. The phone rings and rings. I get an answering machine, but instead of it being "Hi, you've reached _______, please leave a message!" like most normal people have on their answering machines, it says, "Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!" Personally, I'm relieved, because I don't talk often and when I do talk a lot, it wears out my voice. I make to go in the house to get a bottle of water when the phone rings. I look at the number. It's Vanessa's. "Hello?" I ask tentatively. "This number just called me!" croaks a weird German accent. "Are you looking for anyone?" "Um, yes. Is Vanessa there?" I say. "Yes, but she can't talk," the voice says. "She randomly shrunk to the age of ten years old, and I'm trying to figure it out." "Oh, well, I —" Hello, improvisation. "I'm an expert in... random age adjustments. I can reverse her." "Oh, really?" he says. "Okay, give me your address..." I give him my address. A few minutes later, a purple van pulls up. An unmistakably ten-year-old Vanessa jumps out, looking embarassed. The van roars away and Vanessa walks slowly into the backyard. "So my dad said you could fix me?" She spots me and blushes. Yes! "Sure," says Phineas. "But there's a catch." "Oh man." She begins to pull out a wallet. "How much do I have to pay?" "No money," says Phineas. She puts her wallet back in her pocket and crosses her arms. "See, the catch is... in order to be reversed back to your sixteen-year-old self, you have to go on a date with my lovely stepbrother, Ferb." He does a Vanna White gesture to me, and I smile. She looks at me. "You look familiar." "You kissed me on the cheek in the Superduper Megastore." "Oh, I remember you," she says. "You know, my dad still hasn't gotten me a car?" "Really?" I say. "Is it because you, are, you know, ten now?" She laughs. "You're funny." Phineas claps his hands and what appears to be a fancy restuarant falls out of the air, practically. Like the time we sent Baljeet and Mishti on a romantic cruise. I sit down at the table and begin to take a bite of spaghetti. "So are you going to change me back or not?" demands Vanessa. Phineas turns to the age ray and aims it at her. It's kind of like watching an elapsed time video: I see an eleven-year-old Vanessa, then twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen. She turns to Phineas. "Thanks." She then looks at me. "I suppose I should thank you too." She kisses me on the cheek, waves to Phineas and Isabella, and then walks out of the yard. Phineas smiles at me. I pull out a chair and slump down in it. As much fun as being with Vanessa was... maybe she is a bit old for me. silverstar01 [5:30]: so howd the date go ferbooch [5:30]: it went great, but i think i realised something tonight. silverstar01 [5:31]: which would be? ferbooch [5:31]: maybe she is a bit old for me and i should wait. i mean, if i ever see her again... silverstar01 [5:31]: nice choice silverstar01 [5:32]: just remember shell be there when ur older and then you can get married :) ferbooch [5:32]: oh please, brooke. i'm ten. silverstar01 [5:32]: i know, just joshing ya ferbooch [5:33]: ;)
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