Generation 1, Chapter 9 - Ayla

Her brothers might think of Ayla as a baby, but she knew better. She was a big girl, and this year she would even be going to school!

Yes, that was right. Today was Ayla’s fifth birthday. How time had flown! Of course, it didn’t seem that way to the birthday girl. Ayla felt like she’d been waiting forever to be as big as her brother. She hoped it wouldn’t be long before she was even as big as Sam!

Of course, her mother told her that she would probably never be as big as Sam, but she also said that Ayla could do anything she wanted to do, and she wanted to be as big as Sam, which meant that she would be. Ayla could do anything. Her mother said so.

When the sparkles were over, Ayla was thrilled. Finally! Now she could dress herself, and style her own hair, and make friends, and even leave the house without a grown-up! Her father’s birthday present to her had been a bicycle, just like the ones her brothers had. She would have preferred one that was even better than her brothers’, but this was fine. It got her where she wanted to go.

And today, where she wanted to go was the beach. She’d never actually been before, but it seemed like it would be fun. Kids on TV always had fun at the beach, as long as they could swim, which she could. Her father had taken her and Dylan to the pool to teach them on weekends.

Surprisingly, the beach was almost empty when she got there. It was Sunday, and she would have thought that lots of people would be here enjoying their day off. But hey, that was fine. It meant more space for her.

Given that the beach was nearly deserted, Ayla figured that she would be left alone. But as soon as she started to build a sandcastle, a shadow fell over her. She looked up to find a girl, maybe a little bit older than her, looking confused.

“I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’ve never seen you either.” Ayla went back to her sandcastle.

“But I know everybody in town.”

“You don’t know me, which means you definitely don’t know everybody.”

“Who are you, then?” The girl seemed a little bit frustrated now.

Ayla stood up and held out a hand the way she’d seen grown-ups in fancy clothes do on TV. “Ayla Doe. Pleased to meet you.”

“Are you related to Dylan Doe?”

“He’s my brother, but I’m much cooler.”

“That doesn’t take much work. Ayla’s a weird name.”

“No, it’s unique. It means that I can’t be confused for anyone else.”

“I’m sure there are more Aylas out there somewhere.”

“But there’s only one Ayla Doe, and she’s awesome!”

The girl finally cracked a smile. “I like you. I’m Carla Wan. Your brother is friends with my brother.”

Ayla shrugged. “It’s a small town.” She’d heard her father say that sometimes when they ran into somebody he knew at the pool or the grocery store. She knew it wasn’t the same thing, but it felt appropriate.

Carla nodded, seeming to agree. “I think you’re worthy of being my best friend.”

Ayla grinned. “Of course I am. I’m awesome. But are you worthy of being my best friend?”

“I’d better be.”

Ayla laughed. “Yeah, you are. Besides, if I’m going to prove exactly how much cooler than my brother I am, I need a best friend like you.”

“And what does that mean?”

“One who’s almost as cool as I am.”

Author's Note: First, here's a CAS picture of Ayla as a child. You can see what her unfortunately glitchy hair is supposed to look like. I think I might have my graphics settings too low. 

Ayla's new trait is snob, which you might be able to see in this chapter. I'm really excited for her story. This chapter was really just a brief introduction to her personality, and to Carla, who is very important to Ayla's story. She will probably even have her own chapters if you vote Ayla in as heir. Don't worry, though, you won't have to make that decision anytime soon. Dylan and Ayla both have a long way to go before you have enough information to choose an heir. Join us next time to learn a little bit more about Dylan before he becomes a teenager! (His birthday won't be until chapter 11, though.)