My Ninth Birthday By:
I remember it well, though I was nine at the time. It was my ninth birthday, and it started out as a normal day, until everyone was ready to go. I have a cousin whose birthday was only two or three days after mine. Therefore, my mom, knowing how close we were, thought it would be great if we combined the two parties. I thought I had really lucked out. I was going to spend the best day in the year, with Steven, the best cousin in the world. I felt like the happiest kid in the world.
My plans were in the works for months. When my mom asked me where I wanted to go for my birthday party, it was Peter Piper Pizza, no questions asked. I remembered all of the times my brothers and sisters had gone there. The place had everything for my day as king. There was a huge arcade with the coolest of prizes, a huge playground, and Mom said I could get tons of free tokens just because it was my birthday, and who can forget the dynamic duo of pizza and cake! I had the invitations out within a week. All I remember is that there were enough people invited to fill up three seven-seat cars, and my mom would not let me invite any more. Everyone was looking forward to the big day.

The day of the party finally arrived. I was very exited. I woke up and put on my pants and shirt, but before I could put my shoes on, the door bell rang. I stopped. "Kyle!" My mother yelled, "Someone's at the door for you." Barefoot, I ran to get it.
My friends came at once and in packs. There was a crowd piling up at the front door and flowing onto the landing. Dad pushed through the crowd, to his car. Curious, I followed, to ask him where he was going. "I'm going to the bank to pick up some money for the party. Then, I'm going to the pizza place. I might be a little late. Do you want to come?"
"No" I said. "I'll just stay here, and go with Mom." Therefore, he left, taking his third of the crowd.
I saw Mom and my aunt, Julie, coaxing the others into the two remaining cars. I should probably get a seat before they leave me I thought, but when I got into the car, I noticed something was wrong. "Great! Kyle forgot his shoes again." whined my petulant sister, Sara. I brushed her off and went inside to get them. Finally! I found them in my room, slipped my feet in, and started to tie the laces, but something distracted me.
I heard engines revving up, at the side of the road, just out of my window.
"Uh, oh." I feared for the worst. I started to tie my shoes a little faster. "This can't be happening. Not today!" I finished tying the laces, and ran as fast as I could. I almost slammed into the door. I stretched my arm up to unlock the door and opened it. The cars were just barely starting to move. By the time I ran across the lawn, they had pulled out. By the time I got onto the road they were four feet away. I chased Mom's car, still not but four feet away, until the engine gave another lurch and sped up, faster than my legs could carry me. "Mom!" I yelled. "Stop!. Wait!. Mom!"
I watched through tear-filled eyes as my mother drove away in the car, hoping that she would look back, in the rear-view-mirror, and see the crying nine-year-old that she left. ...that she would see me, that little boy, standing in the road. Why did she leave me? Maybe she will see that I'm not here, and she will come back. Where is Aunt Julie's car? Maybe she is still here. Maybe Mom wanted me to ride with her instead. She would be in the living room right now, waiting to tell me what is going on. I will go in, and she will be there. They will all be there.
I went inside. I shouted her name. "Aunt Julie? Aunt Julie?. Steven? Emily?" The house was silent. I looked all over. I couldn't believe I was left home alone on my birthday. What a crummy birthday present! I went back out-side, onto the road. I was still a little shook up, but I had to do something about this. The question is. what? All of the adults I knew were gone: my mom, my dad, Julie, Robin. That is it! Robin Davis, Codie's mom, lived only two or three houses down the road. I could walk over and maybe she could find my mom. I started walking down the road, fresh tears still in my eyes. She could help me, but will she be home?
I rang the door-bell of the old, dusty house, and I waited. Robin opened the door and saw me crying on her door step. She started with a look of surprise. "What happened?" She also had a town-girl accent. She probably had a million things running through her mind, each worse than the next, but not this one.
"My mommy, -sniff- she left without me, and I don't know where she could be."
"Oh! Well, calm down. Let's see if we can't call your mom, all right? Does she have a cell phone with her?"
"No."
"Okay, where was she going?" She got the phone and phone book out and started thumbing through it.
"The pizza place."
"Peter Piper?"
"I don't know. -sniff- I just want to find my mom and dad."
"Don't worry. It'll be all right." She stopped on a certain page. "There we are!" She said with confidence. I knew I was in good hands.
She called my mom and offered to drive me over. It turns out Mom saw me going through the hall with my dad and assumed I had left with him. Dad, of course, thought I was going with Mom. Nobody knew I was gone, and Julie, she was rolling on the floor with laughter when Robin called Peter Piper Pizza, and Mom got a call. I arrived with red eyes and a "How could you do this to me" look on my face, but Mom just distracted me with some pizza and presents. Everything turned out all right. This was the most memorable birthday party I ever had.