Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb, only Disney owns it. I do however own Lili, Carmen, and all those other fictional characters mentioned in this upcoming chapter! XD

Summery: It's seven years later and the boy's have certainly grown in body and mind. Ferb is now seventeen and is a senior in Danville private school, while his step-brother, Phineas is a sophomore in public school. Candace has left to start her own life, which began as soon as she graduated when she was eighteen.

The story is mainly focused in Ferb's point of view, though it will swap every now and then to get into deeper issues and keep this thing moving along. It's a very deep and dramatic love story; I guess it's a love triangle…You'll understand when we get more into the story.

Anyway, the whole story takes place in Danville (which I don't own) and some of the main places are the Flynn/Fletcher home and public and private school. I know, it sounds really boring right now. But trust me, it'll get better! LOL!

Author's Note: Okay, there are some pictures on deviantArt of Phineas and Ferb I drew to help create a visual image of how I pictured/will picture them the entire time I wrote/write this. Just go to the deviantArt search engine and type in their name. Ferb's should be named 'Ferb - 17' and Phineas' 'Phineas - 15'. It definitely would have been easier to post a link, but my computer is being racist, or sexist, or retarded...or something. Well, it just won't let me do a link!

Also, there's a comic on my page. My deviantArt name is 'sk8erXGirl'. Check out some of my art...please.

Okay, well, I guess all that's taken care of! So enjoy the first chapter of Engaging Nightmare! =)

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Engaging Nightmare

Chapter 1

"A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge." -Thomas Carlyle

--

Ferb's POV

It all started back when I was only in the eighth grade, when I was thirteen. I was removed from Danville's public school and placed within the walls of an overachievers' environment: a private school.

I had to admit, it was a nice place. I was given a uniform, which was a black tie, white button-up shirt with a coat that matched the school colors, and tan pants, on the very first day and a class schedule that better suited my knowledge.

The walls were all a nicely painted crème color; there didn't seem to be a speck of debris on the floor (or rather the janitors were quick), and there weren't as many students in the school, making the halls much less crowded. I could easily remember being knocked around while making my way to classes and my locker all those years ago due to all the students.

It was much better this way…

Of course, there was the matter that I was separated from my step-brother, Phineas Flynn. It was awful hard to cope with at first, about leaving my friends, but I still got to see them when I got home and on weekends.

It was definitely better this way.

"…Now which of you think you can answer the question?"

I looked around at my class. They all seemed as unenthusiastic about the lesson as I was. Most of the girls had their fists in their cheeks with bored looks on their face, while the boys were either leaned back in their chairs or asleep with their head down.

Another thing I like about this school: the teachers don't seem to care if the students fall asleep during a lesson. If they choose to sleep, and fail, it's all their choice. I could recall some children from my earlier years being scolded by our teachers for that action.

"How about you, Ferb?"

I quickly glanced back at my Advance English teacher, Miss Lynn. She was a short woman with dark, ragged hair, who somewhat glowed whenever she smiled. Part of me wondered how a woman so kind and lovely could still be single while in her thirties.

She had probably caught me daydreaming, which was another good reason why almost the whole class was staring at me.

They were all right. I had been, so I skimmed the board behind her as nonchalantly as I could, trying to appear as though I was thinking about the answer rather than the question.

A lot of notes about nominatives and possessive pronouns were scattered upon it along with a sentence that read, "I gave the box back to their mother."

It was obvious what she had asked me.

"The word 'their' is possessive, ma'am." I stated after clearing my throat. Some of the girls giggled, as they always did after I spoke during class.

I was the only one with a British accent in school (not to mention a European heritage), and I wasn't too sure if they found it humorous or interesting.

She smiled warmly at me, "Very good! Now let's move on to gerunds and participles."

The students that had turned around were now back in their original positions, along with me resuming my blank stare out the window for a second time, trying to block out the grammar lessons I clearly knew.

A few people were outside on the football field. One was a boy I recognized from my chemistry class during first period, Derik Brown. He and I had been partners for an experiment, and it was evident that the poor guy had no idea what he was doing when we were given permission to start.

He and the other boys were just alike, tall and buff. It was very difficult to imagine myself in a uniform like that. I mentally laughed, knowing that there wasn't a size uniform in the world that would fit me in that sport category.

I was way too thin for my age and a bit on the short side as well. I definitely wouldn't last a second on that field with all those other boys, or for the record, any other sport's field.

The bell rang loudly enough to dismiss my thoughts as well as the class, stimulating everyone to grab up their things and head for the door.

Miss Lynn called out our homework assignment for the night, which I quickly wrote down in my planner before grabbing up my books and heading out the door along with everyone else.

I tried my best to dodge the others in the hallway, only being bumped by a few others as I made my way to my locker.

My locker was, and had been for the past couple of years, on the top of what felt like the very end of the school, ironically opposite of all my classes. I had the combination almost encrypted into my mind:

02 - 14 - 03

Well, it wasn't too hard to remember anyway, seeing as the combination perfectly reflected Valentines Day five years back.

I threw open my locker door as soon as the tumblers inside had allowed me to do so. It wasn't the cleanest nor messiest in the whole school, but it could have used a good tidying up before the second semester had begun. Carefully I shifted through the many books, papers and folders that lay in a sad waste within until I pulled out my oversized history book.

That was practically the only thing regrettable to me about taking advanced classes: the advanced sized books. My history book alone had to be a good estimation of fourteen-hundred pages and fifteen pounds. I stacked it on top of a few other things in my hands, trying my best to balance the ridiculously heavy load with only one hand.

The sound of a large group of people suddenly distracted me from closing my locker door. I carefully peaked around it to see who was speaking, only to have to whip my head back where I was unable to be seen.

Easily recognized, standing within the large crowd of boys and girls, was Carmen Alexander. For a second time, more carefully than before, I glanced in her direction. Noting every detail of her was one of the only things that made my face turn red.

Her hair was a dirty blond color that she kept straitened to a point where it glided behind her when she walked. Whenever she talked, her lips shined from the gloss she painted on them every morning, which coated burgundy lipstick. I hadn't ever gotten a really good look at her eyes, from fear that she would see me staring within them. But what time I did get to slip a gaze in her direction, I quickly noticed how her irises were the same color as my hair--a grassy-green shade. Her eyes only complimented the dark skin which clung to her slim figure, almost matching entirely her shoe color.

She was absolutely gorgeous!

I had learned her name only from the teachers, even though I didn't have a single class with her, and a few other students; I never dared talk to her. She was obviously highly out of my league. Besides, I probably wouldn't be able to talk if I were within six feet of her beauty. I'd only stutter and make a fool of myself like I did with any other person who spoke to me.

Time slipped by rather quickly as I stared at her, laughing and talking to the people that surrounded her. Only when I caught that a tall, unfamiliar senior standing to her left was staring in my direction, and locked eyes with him, did I snap my head back in the position where they couldn't see me.

Within seconds I could hear snickers from about ten yards away. I was too scarred to look back and see if it was me they were laughing at: not so much out of fear but embarrassment.

I grunted and slammed my locker shut without much consideration of the clanking of magnets falling off the door. I was far too concerned about the fact that I only had about a minute to get to my fourth period class which was on the other end of the hall.

Carefully I power walked to my class, making sure not to trip over my own or someone else's shoes and humiliate myself.

--

Lili's POV

I hugged myself as tightly as my skinny arms would let me, wishing quietly to myself that I had brought my jacket.

Why on earth did they always keep the Chemistry room so COLD!?

"So, did you see him before class started?"

"Yeah, it was so cute the way he blushed when Jordan caught him!"

My ear slightly twitched when I caught wind of the conversation taking place behind me. I leaned back slightly in my chair and kept my head down. I wasn't normally a nosey person, but these two girls (I think their names were Joanna and Alexis) were particularly interesting when it came to gossip.

Joanna, a much taller person than I with long red hair, giggled at her friend. "He's always secretly staring at Carmen when he thinks no one's looking."

"Yeah, I guess now we know why he turned you down when you asked him out last week." Alexis said. She was about the same height as Joanna, only with jet black hair and an Asian look about her.

"He didn't turn me down!" snapped Joanna. "He just said he and his brother had plans."

"Oh, yeah? What kind of plans?"

There was a short pause. Tempted I was to turn and make sure the teacher, Mr. Edwards, hadn't walked in.

"Umm…he didn't really say…"

The sound of two hands slamming upon the desk behind me almost made me jump.
"That's exactly what he said last time someone asked him out!" Alexis chuckled mischievously. "I think it's obvious what's going on: Ferb Fletcher has a crush on the high school bad girl Carmen!"

They continued to chatter on to themselves.
Ferb Fletcher…That name was all too familiar to me. He and I both took Creative Writing during seventh period. We sat across from one another and talked frequently, though we never shared any deep emotions or thoughts with one another.

I sighed, brushing a stray lock of chocolate-brown hair from my pale face. I had never heard up until that moment he had a crush on Carmen Alexander. It was as much a surprise to me as those two.

Ferb was a very handsome boy. He could easily date any girl in the school, which every girl in this school (or at least a good estimation of them) did give him a chance to do so. I had always wondered exactly why he turned down every offer he received.

It wasn't just that. He also neglected to associate with the boys. They would constantly invite him to parties and such events, only to have him refuse every time.

I couldn't so much as blame him though. The boys at Danville Private School were smart, but wild! No one as quiet as him would want to be in a place surrounded by people so outgoing.

I sure didn't, and I was practically the same as him!

"Anyways, have I told you the news yet?" Alexis started up again, a little louder than before. I got back into my eavesdropping position, prepared to hear more. "I finally found out exactly how Carmen manages to stay in this school!"

"What do you mean 'stay in this school'?" Joanna inquired. "She stays in this school the same as all of us do, with good grades, right?"

A few seconds of silence told me that Alexis was shaking her head to indicate either a 'yes' or 'no'. My answer came quickly.

"It turns out she doesn't have the sense of a dime to stay in this school; if she were here on grades, she would have been kicked out a long time ago." I laughed barely loud enough for even my ears to hear. Carmen had been in this school longer than I had, which was about six years. "I heard from someone that the only reason she's allowed to stay here was that her father had a lot of family ties and a LOT of money!"

I could almost hear Joanna's brow furrow. "Well, money I can understand. But how can family ties keep her in a private school?"

Alexis smacked her lips before answering. "Apparently, before her mother divorced her father, Mrs. Alexander knew some people that could get her daughter into a school better suited for her," It was easy to tell how Alexis thought Carmen was a stuck-up, spoiled brat. Her tone was enough to tell me so. "She paid the principal and a few other people a heavy sum to let Carmen stay in a school like this."

"But what about when she left Mr. Alexander?"

"Well, the divorce determined that he was a better suited guardian for Carmen, and all the alimony Mrs. Alexander paid him was enough to keep Carmen in this school AND pay the bills to that enormous house they live in just out of town!"

"Wow." Joanna breathed in an amazed tone. "So, how do you know all of this anyway?"

A chair behind me creaked, indicating that Alexis had leaned back in hers. "Oh, I found out from a boy she used to date. He certainly did seem eager to give me all the juicy details about her." She chuckled in a sadistic manner, one that made me roll my eyes.

"You know, Carmen has dated every good looking boy in this school…minus Ferb. You'll have to give me more information than that."

The chair creaked again. "All right. It was that guy in my Spanish class; the one who sits next to me."

"Andrew C.?"

"Yeah, him! When Mrs. Andy wasn't looking, he gave me all the dirt he'd dug up from when they were going steady."

"And just how did you manage that?"

"Perhaps he has a thing for me…" Alexis giggled.

The bell suddenly rang, and all the students standing scattered to their seats in a matter of seconds. Both Joanna and Alexis were still talking softly behind me, but I wasn't listening anymore. It was very interesting what I had heard. Carmen never really said much about her home life or grades. To be honest, the only thing she did talk about that I was able to hear was how she thought some guy looked cute, how some girl should have done her hair that morning, or what base she had gotten to the night before.

To me, she was nothing more than a loaded woman who cared only about herself. It was somewhat disgusting to hear about how Ferb Fletcher could look at her like that.

Everyone in the room was instantly quite when the door swung open, and in came Mr. Edwards. Before he could even close the door again, speak of the devil, Carmen Alexander stepped into the room, carrying nothing but her leather purse.

"Carmen, this is the fifth time you've been tardy this semester! If this keeps up, I'll have to inform the principal!"

Carmen said nothing. She slightly nodded her head as she made her way to the desk in the front of the room. Her long, golden hair followed suit behind her.

I peaked at the board for our assignment as Mr. Edwards began role call. Just reading. Easy.

Absent-mindedly, I opened my Chemistry book to the instructed page and began to read, without really contemplating any of the words.

--TO BE CONTINUED-----

Confused yet? Heh. Don't' worry, it'll get better!

I know there's not very much dialogue in this chapter (between the main characters), but the next should be chattier.

Please review and tell me what you think so far!