Perry made a low clucking sound.
The kids screamed as the coaster rolled off the rails and up a busy street.
“Funny,” Phineas said, “I don’t remember this in the blueprints.”
The coaster zoomed toward a crane and went around, around, and around! It zipped into the air like a slingshot! “And I’m sure this is new,” Phineas said.
The kids screamed again as the coaster sailed toward the eastern seaboard. It slammed against the Statue of Liberty’s torch in New York Harbor. The statue bent backward, then rebounded. Next it shot the cars west. They sailed toward Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. They did a loop-de-loop around Teddy Roosevelt’s glasses and flew into the air back toward Phineas’s town. The coaster landed on a pine tree near the mall. The tree bent toward the ground.
“Welcome to Mr. Slushy Burger,” Jeremy said as the coaster paused near his stand. “May I take your order?”
“Anyone want fries?” Phineas asked.
But just then, the tree sprang back. The kids screeched as the coaster flew across the ocean. It landed at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which bent toward the street.
A guy behind the counter of a French cafe eyed the kids in the roller coaster cars. “Croissant?” he asked.
“Anyone want a croissant?” Phineas asked in a French accent.
But before anyone could answer, the Eiffel Tower shot backward. It flung them higher and higher and higher. They went past the clouds and past the planes. They went right into space and floated there for a moment.
A satellite beeped past.
“You know,” Phineas said, “if that thing crashes to Earth, Candace is in charge.”
Ferb blinked.
And then the coaster dropped.
“Ahhh!” The kids screeched as the Coolest Coaster Ever plunged toward Earth. Flames burst from the front car as they reentered the atmosphere.
“We should’ve charged more,” Phineas said to Ferb.
After all, this ride was way cooler than either of them had planned.
Chapter 5
“Okay, we’re here,” Linda said as she pulled into the driveway. “Are you happy now, Candace?”
Candace giggled evilly as she hopped out of the car. Oh, she was happy. But not as happy as she would be when her brothers got busted! She yanked open the gate. The backyard was empty. “Yes! See, Mom? I told you they weren’t there.”
Candace heard a slight rustle in the tree behind her. Linda peered over Candace’s shoulder. “Oh, hi, boys,” Linda said.
Candace turned around to see . . . Phineas! And Ferb! Even Perry was there. All three were stretched out beneath the tree just as they’d been when Linda had left for the store.
“Hi, Mom,” Phineas said.
“Come on, Candace, help me with the groceries,” Linda said as she started back toward the car.
“Uh, but, but, but, but . . .” Candace stammered. Where was the roller coaster? Where were all the kids who were riding on it?
“Let’s go,” her mother said.
“But, but, but, but . . .” Finally, Candace gave up and trailed after her mother. Her brothers had somehow managed to get away with something totally impossible—again.
“Hey, Phineas,” said one of the kids from the coaster, who dropped from the branches above Ferb’s head a second after Candace departed. “That was great!” The roller coaster had come to a fiery stop in Phineas’s backyard tree.
“Way too cool!” another of Phineas’s friends agreed.
“That was awesome!” said another boy who descended out of the tree. “Can we do it again?”
The rest of the kids climbed out of the tree. Everyone looked eagerly at Phineas and Ferb.
“Sorry,” Phineas told them. “Only one ride per customer.”
“That was great, Phineas.” Isabella smiled at him. “So what are you going to do tomorrow?”
“Don’t know yet,” Phineas said.
“Maybe you can teach Perry some tricks,” Isabella suggested. She petted the platypus. “See you tomorrow.” Isabella waved as she trotted toward the gate. “It really was the coolest coaster ever. You guys make a great team.”
“Well, a brother is a brother,” Phineas said. “But I couldn’t have asked for a better one than Ferb.” He smiled at Ferb.
“So, what should we do tomorrow?” Phineas asked Ferb. “There’s a world of possibilities. Maybe we should make a list.”
Just then, the tree above them burst into flames.
“Mom!” Candace shouted as she watched from the window.
“Give it a rest, Candace!” Linda told her daughter.
Phineas looked up at the tree and smiled. The Coolest Coaster Ever had really rocked. It was turning into a pretty awesome week.
And the summer was just getting started. . . .
Don’t miss the fun in the next
Phineas & Ferb book . . .
RUNAWAY HIT
Adapted by Lara Bergen
Based on the series created by Dan Povenmire & Jeff “Swampy” Marsh
It was the start of another potentially boring summer day in the lives of Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher. As they ate their breakfasts, a painfully bad Super American Pop Teen Idol Star contestant was croaking out a song on the kitchen TV. Phineas and Ferb listened as they dug into their second bowls of Sugar POWs and their mom, Linda, helped herself to her fourth cup of coffee. Phineas’s sister (and Ferb’s stepsister), Candace, was searching in the refrigerator.
“I . . . met my love in a—” the boy on the show belted out at the top of his lungs, sounding a lot like a human bagpipe, only worse.
As the boys watched, a big boxing glove shot out of nowhere and—BOOM!—whacked the contestant off the stage.
“Oh, boy!” cried the announcer. “Did that kid stink or what? Ha!” He laughed and shook his head, then grinned and pointed at the camera. “But maybe you’ve got what it takes to be...” as he spoke, the words flashed onto the screen: “. . . the next . . . Super . . . American . . . Pop . . . Teen . . . Idol . . . Star!! Auditions open today at the Googolplex Mall in beautiful downtown Danville!”
Candace immediately gave up her search for a raspberry yogurt and ran to the television. “Auditions! Today!” Her heart was pounding in her chest. Was it possible? Was her favorite show really having auditions at the local mall?
“Yes!” said the announcer cheerfully. “Today! At two o’clock sharp!”
“Yes!” Candace lifted the TV off the counter and planted a big wet kiss in the middle of the screen. “Mwaahh! I’ve got to tell Stacy!” She dashed off to her room to call her best friend right away. After all, opportunities like this didn’t just up and land in a girl’s very own hometown every day!
Unfortunately, Candace forgot that she was still holding the television set. And it was still plugged into the wall. . . .
“Oh!” she cried, as her arms flew back and —THONK!—her rear end hit the floor.
Phineas and Ferb glanced at Candace from their seats at the kitchen table to see what all the noise was about. Then they went back to eating their cereal.
“That pop-star stuff might be fun at first,” said Phineas between spoonfuls. “But then you’d be stuck in a dead-end job. Too bad you can’t just do it once and move on.”
“Well, what you’re talking about,” said Linda, taking another sip of coffee, “is a one-hit wonder.” She walked over to the counter and stood next to the TV.
“A one-hit wonder?” said Phineas, looking up. “Ferb,” he said excitedly. “I know what we’re going to do today!”
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