It Begins 1/3
Note #1: This story is like Sonic Universe. A spin-off of my story Journey to the Past and Future. It'll focus on Ayla and her friends as they work behind the scenes as the Guardians of Freedom and juggle their lives as normal teenagers.
Note #2: I made some changes to the first six chapters.
Note #3: I changed Lina's personality.
Note #4: It begins before chapter 110 of Journey to the Past and Future.
(Third-Person POV)
Our story begins in the Kingdom of Acorn. Around both New Mobotropolis & Knothole. Six teenagers were waking up to the sound of their alarms, feeling excited for this very special day. In one bedroom (look up "W.i.t.c.h. Will's room" by "Lady-Angelia-13" on "Deviantart") was a cobalt blue female hedgehog with green eyes, peach skin, & wearing a white t-shirt over a purple tank top, & purple shorts (look up "STPC Cures in Pajamas" by "ziyee2007" on "Deviantart").In the other bedrooms, were a black & white female panda with brown eyes & wearing a short white nightgown (look up "STPC Cures in Pajamas" by "ziyee2007" on "Deviantart"), a red female fox with gold eyes, peach skin, & wearing a yellow top & orange shorts(look up "STPC Cures in Pajamas" by "ziyee2007" on "Deviantart"), a red female echidna with green eyes, peach skin, & wearing a pink top with yellow stars & light blue shorts (look up "STPC Cures in Pajamas" by "ziyee2007" on "Deviantart"), a brown female cat with blue eyes, peach skin, & wearing a long pink nightgown (look up "STPC Cures in Pajamas" by "ziyee2007" on "Deviantart"), a black & white male dalmatian with brown eyes, peach skin, & wearing a blue & white striped button-up shirt, & matching pants. They all leaped out of bed & made their way to their laptops, which were on their desks*
(Ayla's POV)
It had been six months since my brother, Sonic, & the Freedom Fighters defeated Naugus & chased him out of the Kingdom. The main reason I was in such a really good mood today was because it was a big day for me & my friends. Iwent to my desk, turned on my laptop, & saw all my best friends in their bedrooms (Meiying's bedroom ("W.i.t.c.h. Hay Lin's room" by "Lady-Angelia-13" on "Deviantart")) (Carmen's room (look up "W.i.t.c.h. Taranee's room" by "Lady-Angelia-13" on "Deviantart")) (Lina-Le's room (look up "The Bishop Residence" on "As Told by Ginger Wiki")) (Aura's room (look up "Winx Club Bloom's room (Earth)" by "Lady-Angelia-13" on "Deviantart") (Ryan's room (look up "Hey Arnold's bedroom" on "Google Images"))*
Ayla:Hey, what's up, my sistas!? Hey, Ryan.
Meiying: Ohayō.
Carmen: Hola, chicas and chico!
Lina-Le: Good morning, everyone.
Aura: Buongiorno.
Ryan: Morning, girls.
Ayla: Well, this is it. The day we've all been waiting for.
All: Our sweet 16th birthday!
Well, technically, our birthdays were on different days, but all in the same month. So, we all decided to have one big joint party together on the day of one of our actual birthdays. We rotate every year. This year, we were having it on Lina's birthday, which made it extra special because in her culture, on their 16th birthdays, girls get a big party called an Unveiling. And since the girls & I all like part of the family, her Mom suggested that we all celebrate it together. We've been planning this night for a month*
Ayla: Okay, we all know the plan. After school, we head to Aura's house for the club meeting. Then we head to the park for the latest update of our channel.
All: Right.
Aura: And then it's party time! I've had my dress picked out for months.
All: We know.
Ryan. And don't forget, my Mom is catering most of the food for the party, so we'll have great food for the party.
Meiying: My Mom's also going to do some cooking for the party.
Ayla: Awesome. Can't wait. Your Mom is one of the best cooks in the Kingdom. Not mention Meiying's Mom is a great cook.
Ryan: Thanks. I'll tell Mom you're looking forward to it.
Meiying: My Mom too.
Lina-Le: My Mom's also hired the best baker in Echidnaopolis to make our cake. She didn't give me all the details, just that it's going to be one we all love.
Carmen: I hope so. Last year's cake nearly made me blow chunks. Sonic's a great guy, but he should stick to saving the world and leave baking to the professionals. No offense, Ayla.
Ayla: None taken.
Aura: Hey, Ayla, are you going to ask your brother "that question" again at the party?
Ayla: You know it. Now that I'm finally old enough, there's no way he can say no.
Ryan: Knowing that brother of yours, it's going to take a lot more than just asking to get him to cave in.
Lina-Le: Yeah, he's just as stubborn as my brother.
Meiying: Yeah, those two are so much alike. I net they'd be best friends if they ever stopped arguing.
Aura: For like more than five seconds.
All my friends laughed*
Ayla: Ha, ha. Hilarious.
Bernadette*off-screen* Ayla, are you up!? Breakfast is ready!
Ayla: Gotta go. Forty minutes. Front entrance. We all walk in together. See ya there.
Meiying: Sayonara.
Carmen: Adios.
Lina-Le: See you later.
Aura: Ciao, my sisters. And Ryan.
Ryan: Bye, girls.
We all turned off our laptops & I went to get ready for school. I turned to a framed picture of me & my friends (look up "Picture of Ayla and her friends" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") that we took a few years ago & smiled. I loved my friends like they were part of my family*
I changed into a purple & white hoodie over a red shirt, magenta wristbands, black cargo jeans, & purple sneakers (look up "Ayla - Prime Zone (Redraw)" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") & ran downstairs to find my Mom, Dad, Uncle Chuck, & brother Sonic sitting at the table, eating breakfast*
Ayla: Morning, family.
Jules: Morning, sweetie.
Bernadette: Hey, there's the birthday girl.
Uncle Chuck: Morning, peanut.
Sonic: Hey, sis.
Dad got up from his chair & gave me a big hug*
Jules: I can't believe you're already turning 16. Feels like just yesterday I was cradling you in my arms.
He started getting teary eyed. Since he & Mom missed seeing me grow up, due to their time as Robians, they work extra hard to make every moment count*
Ayla: Dad, it's not like I'm going away to college. I'm just turning a year older.
Jules: I know, I know. But you'll always be my baby girl. Don't ever forget that.
Ayla: I won't.
Charles: Okay, okay, Jules. Let her eat her breakfast. We don't want her to be late.
Jules: You're right.
We all sat down & ate breakfast. Which was sausage, scrambled eggs, cheese, & bagel sandwiches. Once I was done, I grabbed my backpack & my Mom gave me my lunchbox*
Bernadette: I made your favorite today, Ayla. Meatballs with tomato sauce.
Ayla: Thanks, Mom! *I ran out the front door* See you after school. Bye! *as I ran down the street, I passed by Sally (look up "Sally Acorn (Archie)" on "Sonic Wiki Zone"), Bunnie (look up "Bunnie D'Coolette" on "Sonic Wiki Zone"), Antoine (look up "Antoine D'Coolette" on "Sonic Wiki Zone"), Rotor (look up "Rotor the Walrus" on "Sonic Wiki Zone"), Tails, Amy, Big, Abigail, & Lacey (look up "Abigail and Lacey - New Clothes" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart")* Morning, guys!
Freedom Fighters: Morning, Ayla!
(Third-Person POV)
The veteran Freedom Fighters watched Ayla run down the street with nostalgia in their eyes*
Bunnie Oh mah stars. How time flies.
Antoine: Oui. It seems like only yesterday she was following Sonic around like a little ducking, holding her stuffed teddy bear.
Rotor: And now she's all grown up.
Sally: Hopefully, grown up enough for Sonic to finally face reality.
All: Yep.
(Meiying's POV)
I changed into a gold blouse with quarter sleeves, orange cuffs, collar & buttons over a brown tank-top, denim shorts, yellow socks, & pale yellow slip-ons (look up "Meiying Chen" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") & went to the kitchen/dining room, where my Dad & my little sister, MeiMei (look up "Meiying's Family" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart"), were sitting at the table, eating a tradition Japanese breakfast (shio koji salmon, tamagoyaki, miso soup, steamed rice, seasoned seaweed, & mashed tofu salad with greens ). My Mom (look up "Meiying's Family" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") was at the kitchen counter, making our lunches. We live in an apartment over our family's restaurant*
Meiying: Ohayō, everyone.
Caihong, Aiguo, & MeiMei:Ohayō, Meiying.
I sat down at the table, Mom served everyone their food, we said "Itadakimasu", & started eating. Just then, MeiMei looked at my plate*
MeiMei: Hey! Meiying's salmon is bigger than mine!
Aiguo: No, MeiMei. They're equally sized.
MeiMei: But look at her plate! It's not fair just because it's her birthday! *she started flailing her arms* I want a bigger piece!
I rolled my eyes. It's almost always like this when we sit down to eat. She always complains that I get more portions than her. I've learned by now to just ignore it & keep eating. I soon finished & went to get my backpack*
Meiying: Thanks for the food. See you later!
I grabbed a lunchbox & ran out the front door*
MeiMei*off-screen* Hey, Oneesan! You took my lunch!
I looked & saw I had grabbed a pink bag with a bunny on it*
Meiying: Oops! Sorry! *I ran back inside & got my lunch* That was close. Friday's are Oekakiben bento box day. Besides, all my sister gets us cucumber sandwiches and milk. Blech!
(Carmen's POV)
I changed into a black chocker, cropped, loose red shirt over a cropped pale blue tank-top, short blue pants with black stripes on each side, & blue sandals (look up "Carmen Rodriguez" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") & rushed downstairs to the bathroom. But, to my annoyance, my little brother, Diego, had taken over it. No doubt to lather his hair in gel. I banged on the door*
Carmen: Diego! Andale! You've got ten seconds to get out of there, you little toad!
Diego*off-screen* Don't get your tail in a twist. Perfection takes time. And I'm worth every single second.
I banged again*
Carmen: Enough with the hair already. *then he (look up "Carmen's Family" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") came out, taking pictures of himself with his phone. that's when I decided to mess up his hair* Looking good, chico!
I ran away*
Diego: Carmen, you will pay for that!
I ran all the way to the kitchen, where Mom (look up "Carmen's Family" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") was cooking breakfast & Dad (look up "Carmen's Family" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") was sitting at the table drinking coffee & reading the newspaper*
Carmen: Mamá, Mamá, Mamá! *I stopped in front of Mom* Buenos dias, Mamá. Papá.
Enrique: Kids, no running in the house.
Josefina: Come on, ninos. Stop horsing around. You don't wanna be late. *she turned to Diego* Aye, aye, aye. Go comb your hair. *the little toad glared at me before stomping back to the bathroom* And you. Oh, my little mija. *she hugged me* Today's the big day. Oh, this is almost as exciting as your Quinceanera last year.
Last year, the girls & Ryan all celebrated their birthdays on the same day as mine. And since in my culture, turning 15 is a big day for girls, & we get a big party, the girls & I celebrated turning 15 together. For Ryan, his party was called a Quinceañero*
Carmen: I know. I'm not much for dress-up, but I'll make an exemption this year too.
Josefina: That's my mija. Now, sit down and eat. *I sat down next to my Dad* Diego! Andale! Before your breakfast gets cold!
Diego*off-screen* Coming, Mamá!
The little toad came downstairs, his hair combed, & sat down at the table. We all sat down & ate the breakfast Mom made, which was breakfast crunchwrap supreme, my favorite breakfast. After we finished, I "finally" managed to get into the bathroom. Then I got my backpack & Mom handed me my lunchbox*
Josefina: I made your favorite lunch today, mija. Tamales.
Carmen: Wow! Thanks, Mom. Adios!
I ran out the door*
(Lina-Le's POV)
I changed into blue overalls over a yellow t-shirt, & green boots (look up "Lina-Le the Echidna" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") & found Rosie, Sasha, Rory, & Snagglein the kitchen, having breakfast. Which was french toast*
Lina-Le: Good morning, everyone.
Sasha, Rory, & Snaggle: Good morning, Lina.
Rosie: Good morning, dear. You're just in time. Your Mother, Stepfather, and brothers are waiting for you on the video phone.
Lina-Le: Great! Thanks! *I ran to the TV, where the screen said "Call Waiting", answered it, & my Mom (look up "Lara-Le" on "Sonic Wiki Zone"), Step-Dad (look up "Wynmacher" on "Sonic Wiki Zone"), baby brother (look up "Knecapeon "Kneecaps" Mace"on "Sonic Wiki Zone"), & big brother (look up "Knuckles the Echidna" on "Archie Sonic Online Wiki), along with his girlfriend (look up "Julie-Su" on "Archie Sonic Online Wiki") appeared on two separate screens* Good morning, everyone.
Lara-Le: Good morning, sweetheart.
Wynmacher: Good morning, Lina.
Knecapeon: Li-Li! Li-Li!
Knuckles: Morning, Lina.
Julie-Su: Hey, kiddo.
Lara-Le: Are you and your friends excited for your party tonight, dear?
Lina-Le: Yep! We can't wait!
Lara-Le: Good. And everything's set up here for afterwards.
After the party, the girls and I were having a sleepover at my Mom's house in Echidnaopolis. Ryan was a having a separate sleepover at his house with his guy friends*
Lina-Le: Great! *I turned to my brother* Knuckles, I was wondering . . .
Knuckles: Yeah?
Lina-Le: Would you . . . Maybe . . . Share the first dance with me?
Knuckles looked surprised, but smiled*
Knuckles: Of course. Anything for my favorite sister.
I giggled*
Lina-Le: I'm your only sister.
Knuckles: I know. That makes it even better.
We all laughed*
Rosie*off-screen* Lina! Come and eat your breakfast! You don't want to be late!
Lina-Le: Oh, right! *I turned back to the screen* Gotta go. I'll see you all at the party tonight.
Lara-Le: See you then, sweetie. I love you.
Lina-Le: Love you too, Mom.
Wynmacher: Have a good day, Lina.
Knecapeon: Bah-Bah, Li-Li!
Lina-Le: Thanks, Wynmacher. Bye, Mace.
Mace was my baby brother's nickname, since neither of us liked his full name*
Knuckles: Bye, Lina. We'll see you tonight.
Julie-Su: Bye, kiddo.
Lina-Le: Bye, guys.
I hung up, went to the table, & ate my breakfast. Then I got my backpack & Rosie handed me my lunchbox*
Rosie: Here's your lunch, dear. It's your favorite. Pinwheel sandwiches.
Lina-Le: Yum! Thank you, Rosie. *I ran out the door* Bye, kids!
Sasha, Rory, & Snaggle: Bye, Lina!
(Aura's POV)
I changed into a light pink mini-dress with fuchsia lining & sleeves to accent the ribbon design on the chest, a white long sleeved top, denim knee-length pants, & fuchsia flats (look up "Aura Maize" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") & went downstairs to find my Grandma (look up "Aura's Family" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") making breakfast & my Mom, Dad, & sister, Stephanie (look up "Aura's Family" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") were sitting at the table*
Aura: Buongiorno!
Matteo & Stephanie:Buongiorno.
Aiyana & Kimama: Good morning, Aura.
My Dad's family is Italian & my Mom's family came from a tribe in Merica. I sat down & we all started eating breakfast. Which was Grandma's corn bread (my favorite), bacon, & scrambled eggs. As I was eating, I noticed my Mom looking at me nervously*
Aura: What's up, Mom?
Kimama: Oh, Aura. About your party tonight.
I sighed. Here it comes*
Aura: Let me guess. You both have to work the late shift and you don't think you'll be able to make it to my party.
Both my parents sighed*
Matteo: Yes. We're sorry, Princess.
Aura: It's okay, Dad. I'm used to it by now.
My parents looked guilty as I quickly finished eating & got up to get my backpack. Grandma handed me my lunchbox"
Aiyana: It's your favorite today, dear. Tuna salad sandwiches.
Aura: Oh! Thanks Grandma! *I out the door* See you after school! Bye!
(Ryan's POV)
I got changed to a jade green sweatshirt over a red t-shirt, blue jeans, & light blue sneakers (look up "Ryan Dalmatian" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") & came downstairs to find my Mom (look up "Ryan's Family" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") rushing around the kitchen like crazy & cooking up a storm*
Daphne: Let's see. Piggies in a blanket, cheesy bacon brussel sprouts, chicken cordon bleu roll ups, blooming onion, dill dip, popcorn chicken, garlic knots, ham and cheese sliders . . . Am I forgetting anything?
Ryan: Morning, Mom. *I sniffed the air* Smells good. What's for breakfast?
Daphne: Leftover spaghetti and meatballs from last night.
I groaned*
Ryan: Leftovers?
Daphne: Sorry, honey. But if the food for your party is going to come together, I need full use of the kitchen. I've already set up a bowl for you. It's in the microwave. *muttering* Of course, I could get more done if I could use the kitchen at the restaurant. But "no." My boss says it's for "professional use" only.
I rolled my eyes. She always gets like this when she's cooking for a big event. It was always better to stay out of her way when she gets like this. I went to the microwave to heat up my breakfast. Just then, I felt a presence behind me. I quickly dodged a jab that was thrown at me. Then I turned around & threw a hook. My fist was caught by my Dad (look up "Ryan's Family" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart"), who was also my boxing coach. He threw his own hook, but I dodged. Then I gave him a jab in the stomach, causing him to kneel over*
Lucas: Ha, ha! Not bad, sport. Good to see you're keeping keeping up with your training.
Ryan: I have a great coach to thank for that.
Lucas: And don't you forget it.
Daphne: Boys! What have I said about boxing in the house, especially in the kitchen!
Ryan & Lucas: Sorry, Mom/Hon.
Daphne: Just eat your breakfast before it gets cold.
Ryan & Lucas: Yes, Mom/Hon.
Dad & I ate out breakfast while Mom ran around the kitchen. Once I was finished, I brushed my teeth & grabbed my backpack*
Ryan: Hey, Mom, where's my lunch?
Daphne: On the counter. It's leftovers from yesterday's breakfast.
Ryan: Alright! Bacon and eggs! *I grabbed my lunchbox & ran out the door* Thanks, Mom! Bye! Bye, Dad!
Lucas: Bye, sport! See you tonight!
(Ayla's POV)
I arrived at school the same time as all my friends*
Ayla: Hey, guys!
Meiying, Carmen, Lina-Le, Aura, & Ryan: Hey, Ayla!
(Awesome Group Handshake by Za Wa on YouTube)
Then put our fingertips together, curled them up, & then threw our hands in the air. That was our secret handshake*
All: Yeah!
Just then, the first bell rang*
Ayla: Welp, that's our cue. Let's go in.
Meiying, Carmen, Lina-Le, Aura, & Ryan: Yeah.
We all went inside the school & were immediately surrounded by students. Carmen's teammates from the girls track 'n field*
Teammate #1: Hey, Carmen. Happy birthday.
Teammate #2: Looking forward to your party tonight.
Carmen: Thanks girls.
We had invited a lot of people to our birthday party tonight, since this was going to be a big party. Meiying's teammates from the girl's swim team came up to us next*
Teammates #3: Happy birthday, Meiying.
Teammates #4: You're gonna love your present. The whole team pitched in to buy it.
Meiying: Great. Can't wait to see it.
Them came members from the Gardening Club, which Lina is a member of*
Member #1: Hi, Lina. Everyone's excited for your party tonight.
Member #2: Your Mom always throws the best parties.
Lina-Le: Thanks. I'll tell her you said so.
Girls from Aura's ballet class*
Female Student #1: Hi, Aura. Happy birthday.
Female Student #2: Mademoiselle Beaumont told us to tell you sorry that she can't make the party, she wishes you a happy birthday.
Aura: Thanks. I'll tell her thank you at our next dance class.
A black & white male panda with purple eyes & wearing a red T-shirt over a blue shirt, green pants, & blue & white sneakers (look up "Runchu Zhao" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") & a brown male coyote with orange eyes & wearing a green jacket over an orange shirt, blue pants, & light blue sneakers (look up "Nick Lopez" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") came up to Ryan*
Runchu: Hey, my man!
Nick: What's up, dude?
Ryan: Morning, boys.
All three of them did a fist-bump. These two were Runchu the Panda & Nick the Coyote. Ryan's friends outside our group. Runchu waved at Meiying, who shyly waved back & Nick waved at Carmen, who waved back, while hiding a blush on her cheeks. The girls knew them from swim team & track 'n field, though they were on the boy's version of both. They were the one's that introduced Ryan to them. Just then, a bunch of girls starting squealing. We all turned & I felt my cheeks turn red & my heart pound as a white male cat with orange & black spots, blue eyes, & wearing a blue jacket with fuzzy trim over a shirt with the British flag on it, brown belt, dark blue pants, & white sneakers (look up "Ethan Davies" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") came towards us. It was Ethan the Calico Cat. Quite possibly the hottest guy in school. I've kinda had a crush on him since *
Ethan: Morning, everyone.
Ayla & Aura: M - Morning, Ethan.
Meiying, Carmen, Lina-Le, Runchu, & Nick: Morning, Ethan.
Ryan just gave him a frown*
Ryan: Hey.
I gave him a confused look. I don't know why, but Ryan was always in a bad mood when Ethan's around*
Ethan: Oh, Aura. My Mom asked me to tell you thank you for babysitting my little brother and sister last Friday.
Aura's cheeks turned red*
Aura: Oh! I - It was nothing.
I don't why either, but Aura also acts weird around Ethan. Almost as bad I do*
Ethan: Oh, and Ayla. *my hearts skipped a beat as he turned to me* I can't wait to see your next channel update today. Also, happy birthday.
Ayla: Don't worry. We promise today's video will be one of our best. And th - thanks.
?*off-screen* Oh?
We turned & saw a black female panther with yellow eyes & wearing a dark long-sleeved purple dress with a purple stripe down the middle, a pink belt, & dark purple boots. Behind her was brown female cougar with green eyes, wearing a pink shirt, a dark blue skirt with a pink flower on it, & pink shoes & a golden yellow female jaguar with brown eyes, wearing a green shirt, lime green belt, dark green skirt, & green shoes (look up "Heather the Panther and her Entourage" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart")
Heather: The day hasn't even started yet and you and your little friends are already showing off, Ayla. By the way, the girls and I heard about your little party tonight. And I was wondering if you sent us our invitations. Cause we never got them. If they probably got lost in the mail, I'd be willing to forgive and forget if you hand them over now.
She held out her hand, expecting us to give their invitations. The nine of us just gave her deadpanned looks*
Ayla*off-screen* Heather the Panther's hated us since the third grade, especially me. Everyone's forgotten why. Not that I care anymore. Her number one mission in life is to put our club out of business. You'll find out more about it later.
I turned to my friends, completely ignoring her*
Ayla: So, you guys catch the trailer for the new Chao in Space Movie?
Ethan joined in, not in the mood to deal with her bratty attitude, same as us*
Ethan: Oh yeah. It was pretty great.
Everyone else joined in too*
Carmen: Definitely.
Lina-Le: I swear the Chao who plays the main character gets cuter every time.
Nick: It stinks that we have to wait until next summer for it to come out. Ryan, dude, is there anyway you can hack into BreezTV's computer system and speeding up production?
Ryan: That's about as likely as Eggman actually defeating Ayla's brother.
We all laughed*
Heather: Hey! You can't just ignore me!
I turned back to her with a smirk*
Ayla: Oh, I'm sorry. Does my complete lack of interest in your existence conflict with your delusions of self-importance?
My friends snorted at that. Even Ethan cracked a smile, which made me blush. Delancey, on the other hand, turned red in the face as she got ready to pounce on me*
Heather: Why you little - !
?*off-screen* Miss Panther!
We all turned & saw a male doberman, standing in front of us. It was our homeroom teacher, Mr. McGinnis*
Mr. McGinnis: This is a school hallway, not a rock concert. Now either keep your voice down and get to class, or you can take a seat in the Principal's office.
Heather just stood there for a moment, staring at him disbelief as her face turned red*
Heather: Y - You'll be hearing from my Father about this!
She stomped away with her entourage behind her*
Mr. McGinnis: Yes, yes. I'm very scared. I was a Robian for 10 years. You think I'm scared of some schmuck in an over-priced suit?
My friends & I laughed. That's why he was our favorite teacher*
After school, we all went to Aura's house. We ran into the house, past her Grandma, who was in the kitchen. Aura's parents work at the hospital, so they often work late hours*
Aura: Hi, Grandma!
Ayla, Meiying, Carmen, Lina-Le, & Ryan: Hi, Nana!
Aiyana: Hi, kids!
Aura turned around & went back to the kitchen*
Aura: Oh, Nana. Is Stephanie home?
Aiyana: No. She's meeting with her friends at the marketplace. And no doubt, racking up another huge credit card bill.
Aura: Oh, okay. Hope she has fun.
We all went up to her room. I sat in a Director's chair, Ryan sat on beanbag chair, & all the girls sat on her bed or on the floor*
Ayla*off-screen* You're probably thinking that we're just hanging out like normal. But you're completely wrong. We're actually having a club meeting. You see, we have a club called the Babysitters Club. It's the club where we take babysitting jobs around the city & Knothole. We also do Echidnaopolis. We're pretty famous in the Kingdom of Acorn. Everybody knows us, because everybody uses us, especially when Abigail Catz, a member of the Freedom Fighters & one of the most highly requested babysitters in the city is away on a mission. We're right behind her. You call one number, and you get connected to 7 incredible babysitters, one of them an associate member. I'm the President & the founder of the club.
(Flashback - One Year Ago)
*It all started one night when Lina invited me for dinner at her Mom's house. Knuckles & Julie-Su were also there, since this was kinda a big family thing for them*
Ayla: Thanks again for letting me come over, Mrs. Echidna.
Lara-Le: Oh, it's the least I can do, dear. Since you've been such a good friend to my Lina. *she turned to Lina*Well . . . Actually, Lina. I was wondering if you or one of your friends could do me a small favor.
Knuckles: Here it comes.
*Julie-Su elbowed him*
Lina-Le: What is it?
Lara-Le: So, it's nothing big. It's just . . . Our regular babysitter cancelled on us for tomorrow night and we don't have anyone to watch little Kneecaps. I was wondering if you girls or any of your friends could watch him.
Lina-Le: Sorry, Mom. Ayla and I promised Rosie we'd watch Sasha, Rory, and Snaggle tomorrow night while she's attending a book club meeting.
Ayla: Meiying's going to be busy at her family's restaurant, Carmen's family's having a game night, Aura's got dance class, and Ryan's got training with his Dad for an upcoming tournament.
Lara-Le: Oh. What about Luke?
*Luke was Lina's childhood friend from when she still lived in Echidnaopolis, like me & Ryan*
Lina-Le: He's got a cooking class. We can cancel if you -
Lara-Le: No, you girls don't have to cancel your plans. *after dinner, when the rest of us sat down to watch a movie, she went to the phone & started calling every teenage Echidna girl she knew, but either they wouldn't pick up or they were asking for too much money an hour. she even tried going on a website where you can get a babysitter, but her subscription on it had expired & to renew it she had make a payment of 79.99 Rings* Why is this so hard!? When I was a girl, my Mother would just call some girl in the neighborhood on a landline and she would answer because it was part of the "social contract."
*My eyes went wide as soon as she said that, an idea popping into my head*
(Present Time)
Ayla*off-screen* And that's how it all started. We've had our ups & downs, but we always stick together. And this past week has been particularly crazy.
(Third-Person POV)
Meiying sat at a table, wearing a smoke & dipping her fingers in paint. When she turned around, her eyes went wide. The wall was covered in paint handprints. Standing in front of it was a little female mouse, smiling*
Ayla*off-screen* Meiying, our club's Secretary, is an amazing artist and teacher. But she never would have dreamed that Suzie would finger-paint all over the wall.
Another night, Meiying sat on a bed next to a little male sheep, reading him a story. She kissed his forehead. Then he pointed at a bike on the bed. She smiled, leaned over, & kissed the bike*
Ayla*off-screen* She's also one of the most patient people I know. When Billy said he wouldn't take a nap without his new bike, she gave both of them a goodnight kiss.
Carmen struggled with a doorknob. Suddenly, it came out in her hand. She turned to Lacey's little brothers, Johnny, Benny, & Travis, & they all laughed. She shook with anger, steam coming out of her head*
Ayla*off-screen* I'm not so sure Carmen, our club's alternate officer, will ever babysit for Lacey's family again. Do you know what it's like being locked in the bathroom with three trouble making triplets? It's amazing she was able to keep her temper in check.
A reddish brown male echidna with blue eyes, peach skin, & wearing a short-sleeved red jersey over a long-sleeve navy blue mock-turtleneck shirt, light brown cargo pants, & white sneakers (look up "Luke the Echidna" by "SwanGirl24" on "Deviantart") took a chocolate bunt cake out of the mold. But when he turned around, he saw Sasha, Rory, & Snaggle with chocolate frosting on their faces & hands*
Ayla*off-screen* Lukeis our club's associate member. He's a good baker. He told Sasha, Rory, and Snaggle they could lick the bowl. But they didn't realize that he meant after the cake was frosted.
Lina-Le was walking down the street with a little male bird, who was pulling a red wagon full of books. One of the books fell out & she put back in*
Ayla*off-screen* It's a good thing Lina, our club's other alternate officer, loves reading almost as much as she loves gardening. 'Cause Arnold wouldn't go to the park without bringing all of his books with them.
In the backyard of a house, Aura was wearing a pink tutu & in a ballet position. She looked down at a two little female racoons, who were also wearing pink tutus, but not paying attention. One of them was just shaking her tail & & the other was just running around*
Ayla*off-screen* Aura, our club's Vice-President, is an amazing dancer. But even her expert coaching couldn't turn her little students into ballerinas.
Ryan sat at a desk next to a little male bulldog, doing homework*
Ayla*off-screen* Ryan's our club's treasurer. He immediately became Tyler's parent's favorite babysitter after he helped their son pass a math test. In fact, they pay him double for tutoring him.
(Ayla's POV)
I was sitting in Cream's room, having a tea party with her, Cheese, & Chocola*
Ayla*off-screen* As for me, I had the easiest job. Babysitting Cream and her Chao friend's Cheese and Chocola. She's everybody's favorite to babysit, because she's just about the sweetest, most well, behaved kid you'll ever meet. You know, we're more than just a club. We're best friends and family. And I hope that nothing will ever change that.
(Ayla's POV)
Ayla: Okay, this meeting of the Babysitters Club is now in session. For the first order of business, has everyone been reading the notebook?
Ayla*off-screen* Each member of our club keeps a notebook. After each job, we write about it & let the others read it. That way, we can learn from each other's experiences & not make the same mistakes.
Meiying: Yes.
Carmen: Yep.
Lina-Le: Just finished reading it. Luke's almost done with it.
Aura: Me too.
Ryan: I'm all caught up.
Ayla: Good. How's the treasury?
Ryan: Healthy. We've got a little extra.
Meiying: Do we need anything?
Lina-Le: I think we should update the Kid-Kits. We've been using the same stuff for a while now.
Ayla*off-screen* We also have these boxes called Kid-Kits. We fill them with toys, snacks, and books and bring them with us to play with the kids.
Just then, a phone rang. I answered it*
Ayla: Hello, Babysitters Club. Oh, Mr. Rabbit. *Carmen immediately flinched & waved her hands to say "no." we all giggled* Shh! Saturday afternoon? We'll get back to you.
I put the phone on hold. Meiying looked at the schedule*
Meiying: You're free, Carmen.
Carmen: No way! It took me two hours to get out of that bathroom because Benny thought it would be funny to take the screws out of the handle.
Ryan: He does manage to get into trouble.
Meiying: I like Benny, even if he is a walking disaster. I'll take the job if nobody else wants it.
Carmen: It's yours.
I went back to the phone*
Ayla: Meiying will take the job, Mr. Rabbit. Great. See you Saturday. *I hung up & the phone rang again. I answered it* Hello, Babysitters Club. *as soon as I heard the voice on the other end, I blushed* Oh, h - hi Ethan.
Meiying, Carmen, Lina-Le, & Aura: Ooh!
Ryan had a glare on his face for some reason*
Ayla: S - Sure. Hold on. *I hung up* So . . . Ethan needs a sub to babysit for his brother and sister on Friday. He has to study for a make-up math test and his Mom's going out. So . . .
Meiying looked at the schedule with a smirk*
Meiying: Yes. You're free that day.
I did silent "fist pump" & went back to the phone*
Ayla: I'll take the job, Ethan. Great. See you then. B - Bye.
And for the next two hours, we took calls & made appointments, while doing our homework in-between. We got the usual appointments, along with a couple of weird ones. This one lady wanted to know if she could book us for New Year's Eve, even though it was October. Another lady asked if one of us could dress up as a clown for her daughter's birthday party. Ryan took that job, since he can be pretty funny when he wants to be*
Once we finished with our club meeting, we went to the park & set up our equipment for our next big thing*
Ayla*off-screen* This is another thing we do together once a week. Just watch and you'll see*
Ryan: 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1!
He turned on his camera & laptop &, as usual, we started the show with the theme song I had written for this*
(Coop & Cami Ask the World Intro)
Ayla: Hey, Wratherheads! You know the drill. I'm Ayla.
Meiying: I'm Meiying.
Carmen: I'm Carmen.
Lina-Le: I'm Lina.
Aura: I'm Aura.
Ayla: And, of course, we can't forget our trusty camera-man, Ryan!
Ryan turned the camera towards him*
Ryan: What's up guys?
He turned the camera back to us*
Meiying: We've got questions.
Carmen: You got the answers.
Ayla: And this week, we've got an extra special question for you all.
Aura: As I'm sure most of you know, today is our . . .
All: Sweet 16th birthday!
Ryan pressed a button on his laptop & confetti rained down on us on the screen*
Lina-Le: Before we get to today's question, we'd like to thank you all for your birthday wishes in the comments.
Carmen: Especially this one from JewelLoverBatGirl who wrote "Happy birthday to the funniest group of kids on Mobius."
Ayla: Which brings us to our WyW. Wratherheads, would you rather . . . Receive a birthday present from someone you don't like or receive a birthday card from someone you like? Vote now.
Red & blue arrows appeared on the screen of Ryan's laptop, pushing against each to show our fan's votes. The red arrow said "Receive a birthday present from someone you don't like" & the blue arrow said "Receive a birthday card from someone you like". The arrows started pushing against each other, showing that our watchers were voting*
Meiying: Meanwhile, Carmen's little brother, Diego, has already made his choice.
Ayla*off-screen* Diego acts as the comedy relief for our show. By showing our fans what could happen when you pick one or the other.
Ryan turned his camera towards Diego, who had a present in his hands. He handed it to Carmen, who opened it & was hit in the face with a cream pie on a spring*
Diego*laugh* That's for messing up my hair this morning!
Carmen: Why you little - !
While Carmen chased after her brother, yelling words in Spanish, the rest of us finished the episode*
Ayla: As you can see, getting a present from someone you don't like, isn't fun.
Lina-Le: You never know what you're going to get.
(Third-Person POV)
All around the world, people were watching & laughing*
(In Meropis)
Fish Mobian: Man, these kids are hilarious!
(In Empire City)
Teenage Girl #1: I never miss an episode.
Teenage Girl #2: I'm going to subscribe right now!
(In G.U.N. HQ)
G.U.N. Agent: I'm serious. You never know what they're going to do next.
Molly*laugh* Too funny! Great job, guys!
All of the Freedom Fighter teams around the world were also watching*
Even some members of the Dark Egg Legion were watching. Along with a few of the Grandmasters*
(Ayla's POV)
Just then, we heard a "bing" from Ryan's laptop. It showed that 90% voted for "Receive a birthday card from someone you like" & the rest voted for "Receive a birthday present from someone you don't like"*
Meiying: Good choice, Wratherheads. But just remember, even if you have to get a present from that person, like for a Secret Santa, don't let them get the last laugh. Instead, just laugh along with them.
Ayla: As always, good advice, Meiying. Well, that's all we have for today, Wratherheads. See you next week. Like, subscribe, and don't forget to . . .
Carmen quickly came back, while giving Diego a noogie*
All: Check us out!
To be Continued . . .