No! I couldn’t let the S.A.C win. I pushed through the crowd to the cake table and grabbed Dad. I explained about Mr. Lynx and Gloria.

Quickly, Dad turned around and yelled, “Time for cake!”

The crowd rushed toward the refreshments. Mrs. Lynx tried to push through the crowd to Mr. Lynx, but it was hard to move. Finally, they met in the middle and Mrs. Lynx took Gloria’s leash. Mr. Lynx went to sit on the edge of the stage where he was taller than the crowd. He looked all around at the crowd, studying everyone.

I edged along the wall to Mom and helped her walk to another chair by the girl’s bathroom. If Gloria came her way, she could duck inside the bathroom.

With Mom safe, we just had to make sure Gloria stayed away from Dad and me.

Dad lit ten candles, and everyone sang, “Happy Birthday to Roman.”

Roman leaned down and blew out the candles.

Dad started cutting the cake and passing it out on paper plates.

I handed Roman the first plate. He took a bite and frowned. “Yuk! Carrot cake.”

Oh! We never had time to talk about the birthday cake. It was too bad Roman didn’t like his own cake. Would he be happy with everything else? Or would he be mad at Aliens, Inc.?

By now, Gloria and Mrs. Lynx were close to the cake table. Soon, she would be able to smell my Dad. But Roman bent to pet Gloria. “She’s my friend,” he told Mrs. Lynx.

Mrs. Lynx frowned. She probably thought that Gloria should be pointing at Roman, the tall alien kid. But Gloria just wagged her tail. Mrs. Lynx’s forehead wrinkled, and she shook her head at her brother. He just shrugged and waved at the basketball player dressed like Paul Bunyan. Mrs. Lynx nodded.

Meanwhile, Roman held his plate down low, and Gloria gulped his cake. She loved it! Her tongue licked the plate. And that gave me an idea. I found my friends and told them to give Gloria their cake, too. And get more and let her eat as much as she wanted.

Mrs. Lynx walked around and let Gloria smell the basketball players dressed like giants. In ten minutes, kids snuck Gloria sixteen pieces of cake. It was better than doggie treats. Her tail dragged. And then, she just sat.

Mrs. Lynx pulled up the leash, but Gloria didn’t want to move. She was so full that she just wanted to sleep.

From the other side of the room, Big Foot yelled, “Time for the stilt races.”

Everyone sat on the cafeteria floor and left a row down the middle for a racecourse. Dad taped a starting point and an ending point.

Four kids on stilts raced at a time. Next the winners of four races raced. Then those winners raced, until only four stilt walkers were left: Bree, Roman, Aja and Mary Lee.

“On your mark,” yelled Big Foot.

The kids stepped up on the stilts.

“Get set. Go!”

Bree and Aja shot out first. Mary Lee was right behind. But Roman had long legs, made even longer by the stilts. Each of his steps was huge. He gained on them.

Gloria staggered onto the racecourse and tried to point. Of course, she was pointing straight at me. But her point fell apart, and she sank to the ground. The kids laughed, and Mr. Lynx quickly moved her off the race course.

Now, Roman was in the lead. And he won!

Roman was smiling and smiling. Aliens, Inc. had done it again. A great party!

And finally, it was time for kids and adults to try the tall striker. Mom sat in a chair beside the tall striker, where she could step on the secret lever.

Kids came and went. Sometimes for small girls like Bree, Mom made it really easy. But mostly, kids had to work to make the bell ring.

When the kids got tired, the adults tried.

Dad picked up the hammer and swung it around a couple times. He heaved it overhead and brought it down on the red circle. Bang! The red arrow went up only halfway. He frowned and tried again. Bang!

I held my breath. Usually the third time, Dad hit his thumb! He swung the hammer and—Bang! The bell still didn’t ring. But his thumb was OK.

Mr. Hendricks, Bree’s Dad, swung the hammer around and—Smash! No bell.

Bree bounced up and down. “Try again, Dad.”

Mr. Hendricks tried again and again while Bree grinned and bounced. Finally, Mr. Hendricks shook his head and handed the hammer to Dr. East.

Dr. East laughed and said, “You two are wimps!” He rubbed his hands together, then picked up the hammer. He swung the hammer, but he was so tall that he swung it at the bell at the top. Bong! The bell rang!

Everyone laughed at his joke.

Mom wanted to try it, too, but Dad said she needed to rest.

Instead, Mrs. Lynx said, “I’ll try.”

She handed Gloria’s leash to her brother, while she stepped up to the tall striker game. She wiggled her toes in her toes shoes. The hammer was heavy for her, but she raised it high. Bam!

Ding!

Hurrah! The crowd cheered for Mrs. Lynx. A smile spread across her face, and she looked almost as cheerful as her brother.

Mr. Lynx hugged her and slapped her back.

Dad was brave. He asked, “What will you do with Gloria?”

Mr. Lynx said, “I don’t know what is wrong with her. I trained her, but she’s not pointing to aliens. I will take her for more training.”

Dad nodded, “Good idea.”

We were glad that dog was leaving town.

Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Dalal stopped to talk to Mom and Dad.

“This was a very nice party. Aja’s birthday is next month. Could you do a surprise party for him?”

Mom said, “A surprise?”

Dad said, “Of course. Aliens, Inc. can do any kind of party you want.”

“What kind of surprise party?” Mom asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Mrs. Dalal said. “It just matters that he is surprised.” She turned to me. “Kell, I know you are friends with Aja. You must not tell him anything.”

“I promise,” I said. “It will be a big surprise to him.”

Mrs. Lynx had been listening to Mr. and Mrs. Dalal. She said, “Mrs. Smith, I have some party ideas. I’ll call you later with some suggestions.”

“Thank you,” Mom said.

Now, almost everyone had gone home. Bree was helping me mop the cafeteria floor. Roman’s Dad was talking to Mom, checking to see how she felt.

Roman asked me, “Did Mrs. Lynx catch any aliens today?”

“No,” I said. “She thought your family was alien because you are all so tall.”

“That’s funny. Because the only aliens around here are short.”

I looked up and leaned on the mop handle. “Your Dad told you?”

“No. When you helped me jump out of Texas, I guessed it. That’s why I kept playing with Gloria so much, to keep her away from you.”

“Thanks.”

“I just have one request,” Roman said.

“What?”

“Could you wear your Dad’s cologne every day? It would smell better.”

Bree laughed. “It is true. Alien boys stink almost as much as Earthling boys.”

 

 

 

The End