Falling Or Floating

• Sophie Clark, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2019

“Why do we have to do cross-country? I just don’t understand why –”
“Oh my God, Haley doesn’t understand? The world must be going mad! Is it raining cats and dogs?” I peer over my shoulder towards the windows to complete the act. Haley, my best friend, gives me a dumb look.
Then it starts. I look just past Haley’s curly hair to see a book fly above everyone’s head. My look must’ve intrigued Haley because she turns around to see.
“What the –” she exclaims as the book hovers past her face.
“I feel like I’m getting lighter.” The teacher says. I feel it too, the light, butterfly feeling in me is unmistakable, we are getting lighter. But how? The teacher shouts again. “Gravity has turned off! Get somewhere safe while we can still touch the ground!” When he says this, the room erupts into chaos. Students run out of classroom as their bodies get lighter and lighter.
For a minute, Haley and I just drift, mid-air, in the, now, empty room. The lightness makes me nauseous, but I ignore it because Haley, on the other hand, has gone pale. I gaze into her eyes as I reach out to hold her hand, hoping that she takes it. Fortunately, she does. Somehow that makes me feel better. “Haley, I need to tell you something –”
A beep reverberates through the hallway. Haley lets go of my hand to reach for her phone. Disappointed, I wait to see what it is.
“Jack look at this.” On her phone is a news report.
“The impossible happened today: gravity turning off. To give us the facts, I have Physicist, Dr James Graham here to talk about the consequences.”
“As we all know: Gravity has turned off. And I am sorry to inform but gravity holds all the planets together in place, without it, the pull between us and the moon and even the sun will collapse. We probably have one hour before the inevitable happens.”
The news reporter comes back. “New information tells us that the deaths have reached 37 million across the globe –”
I turn off the calamitous news report and look up at Haley, tears are rolling down her face. “The world’s going to end.” She releases a sob as I hold her in my arms.
“This may not be the time, but it may be the only time, I need you to listen.” I lift her chin to meet my eyes. “You have been my best friend since we were nine, I could list a thousand reasons why you are perfect, but I guess what I’m trying to say is… I like you, Haley.”
Haley looks into my eyes, wet cheeks from crying and smiles, “Jack… I like you too.” Her eyes flick from my eyes to my lips. Our faces are centimetres apart, breath mingling. Our lips touch, bringing us to kiss and it’s like the world is ok again.
Then we fall.