Aya's 12th birthday

Author's Notes: I don't own Uglies. I wrote this when I was about 12 – 13.

Today was a very special day for Aya: today was the day she turned 12. She couldn't wait! Today was the day she would go to Uglyville and be with Frizz (at least until he turned pretty.) What she didn't know was that... things were changing. If she didn't find out soon, though, it might just affect what happens next.

"Happy birthday, Aya!" Aya's parents said.

All of Aya's littlie friends were there, except Amy and Kaity. *Sigh* She wished they were here, it would be so much more fun if they were, she remembered all the fun times they'd had together. There was the first day of pre-school; when they first met. Well, when Amy and Kaity first met. They met Aya in 2nd grade. She had first noticed them in pre-school though. That's when she had thought, wow, they look like they are the bestest friends, *sigh*, I wish I had one. Then, there was the time when they had tried out for a sport (or at least, that's what the Rusties had called it.)

There was also the time when Aya tried to teach Amy and Kaity Japanese as a second language, and, even though it was in 1st grade, she somehow succeeded. She had thought, wow, how did I do that? I must be very gifted or something. (She didn't know THAT much English/Japanese herself, considering she was only in 1st grade.) She had pulled it out somehow, though. Aya also remembered the time (PRETTIES) when she, Amy, and Kaity had snuck out all the way to New Pretty Town to see how the New Pretties were doing and WHAT they were doing.

Aya had overheard some boy talking about a (Shay) who had wrote this letter to him about having this a so-called "friend" named Tally who had shared pills of some kind with a boy named Zane instead of sharing it with her. Aya had no idea why pretties would need pills at all, she had no idea what was going on, for now. She, Amy, and Kaity had then walked all the way back to Crumblyville because they knew that if they stayed in New Pretty Town any longer, their parents would go call the wardens, or, even worse, the Specials. Aya had no idea what Specials were, but she knew they were super fast and had super vision. Her parents said she was too young to understand the whole story; they were probably right. Or at least they were THEN. Now, though, she was about to turn 12 and was heading to Uglyville. She was old enough to understand. Why wouldn't they tell her though? Were there no specials left anymore? And if so, why? All these questions needed answers that Aya hoped she would get, but she knew she probably wouldn't and why? Because her parents were too strict about telling her things like that. Why were they though? Aya wondered.

One night when her dad came home from his work as a doctor and Aya had overheard him saying to Hiro that there was a consequence about turning pretty but he wasn't allowed to talk about it outside of work. Hiro had said, "Okay, fine. I didn't want to hear about it anyway." Aya knew Hiro better than that though. She knew that whenever he heard a big story, he would want to get it before anybody else to boost his Face Rank up. Barely anybody worried about Face Ranks though, all they were really concerned about was what it would be like to be pretty. Maybe that's what the named Tally had took the pills for, Aya thought. Oh well, I still can't wait to be pretty. Dad was probably just joking, or, maybe he meant the consequence was pure beauty or amazing colorful clothes in huge wardrobes and parties every night. Oh well, I'm sure it was nothing.

Then, all of (well, almost all of) Aya's friends started singing. "Happy birthday to you, you're ten years after 2, happy birthday dear Aya, happy birthday to you, and best wishes..." Aya blew out the 12 candles, and licked off the U of the cake in Best Wishes in Uglyville (the message that was on the cake.)

"Happy birthday, Aya," said Yoki (you-key), one of Aya's first friends and one of the ones who would go to Uglyville tomorrow. "I hope you have a fun time in Uglyville."

"Oh, come on, Yoki," said Aya, ;) winking her eye. "You know you'll see me again tomorrow." She laughed and sighed with delight.

"*gasp* I will?" Yoki said, winking and laughing, using her usual comedy and sarcasm. She smiled, her already too-high-above-her-eyes eyebrows lifting higher. "Hahaha, well, let's have some of that cake."

"Hahaha," laughed Aya, smiling. "Okay, let's get started." She cut a piece of the cake. The icing was the flavor the Rusties had called Vanilla and the cake was the flavor they had called Chocolate. Aya thought that was a strange name; chocolate.

"Okay, who wants the 'Best'?" asked Aya, looking towards Yoki.

"I'll take it," Yoki said, walking towards Aya. "No, wait, does it have sugar in it? Because I'm allergic. Hahaha." She winked at Aya.

"Oh, in that case, I'll just give it to Alexandra." Aya looked over at Alexandra and then laughed, then Alexandra and Yoki joined in, soon they stopped however and Aya walked over and gave the piece of cake to Yoki, then everybody dug in and ate up all the cake. Even Aya's parents played a part in eating the cake.

"Jhat bis e," Yoki said, talking with her mouth closed, she swallowed. "BEST cake I've ever tasted, hahaha."

"Hahaha," said Aya, getting the joke. She sighed. If only Amy and Kaity were here, she thought, it would be so much more fun! She sighed again. She began to think back to that very day, at the littlie and ugly fair. She remembered how sad she was after they had finished The Last Ride and then left to go back to where they came from (Tally's city). Aya had walked back towards her mom and Frizz with her head facing the ground and her eyes making a puddle of tears. She was crying and sighing, thinking about how she would give anything to have just one more day with Amy and Kaity. She had cried through the whole car ride and was sent to what the Rusties had called a guidance counselor. Another strange name, Aya thought, a tear dropping down her cheek. Why did the Rusties have such strange words? Guidance Counselor? Chocolate? What were up with those words? Aya remembered crying out of control in her room, even reading her favorite books and playing with her favorite toys didn't help. She cried the entire night (well, at least until midnight.) "Aya," said her mom several minutes later. "Here's the last present."

"Oh, yes," said Aya, and then she looked at the card that said who it was from. "Wait, why does it say-" she turned to face her mother, and blinked.

Her mom nodded yes, "they sent it here because they missed you and felt bad they had to leave."

Aya opened it, and it was just what she had wanted. She smiled. "Thank you Amy and Kaity."

Seven minutes later, the party was over and Aya and her mom were heading towards Uglyville in her hovercar, they slowly passed through Crumblyville. Aya knew she would come back... eventually but nonetheless she said "good bye, Crumblyville, good bye, Yoki." They slowly came in for a landing, and there, waiting for her, was him.

"Hi, Aya," he said, waving. Aya waved back at him and they walked up the stairs, but Aya soon stopped.

"Bye, mom," she said.

"Bye, Aya," her mother said. They blew kisses, waved goodbye to each other, and Aya and Frizz continued up the stairs until they arrived inside Aya's dormroom.

Aya's Younger Years