My eyes open from the awful dream I was having, being chased from potato monsters covered in socks. My neck is strained, probably from sleeping on it wrong. I wave my hand to readjust my pillow. But my hand hit just air, no pillow to move. What? I opened my eyes, still crusted from “eye boogers”. I tried to move the covers off of me, but there weren’t any covers on me. What the hell is happening? A thought popped into my head, was I still dreaming? I turned my head left and right, I could see my entire room. It was as if it was a bird-eye view. God I need to clean my room.
I lift my head up to find out it weighed nothing, almost as if it was a feather. My eyes focus and I can some sort of liquid in front of me. The liquid seemed to make a trail to the side of my mouth. Oh-its drool, how attractive. The drool didn’t move though, it stayed suspended with me like I was the puppet master and it was the puppet. God, do I really drool that much in my sleep?  I laugh to myself, I hope not.
So being the wise kid that I am, I guessed that gravity just wasn’t “working” for me. I decide to push off my ceiling in some sort of leaping stance, like a frog. Oh boy I can finally use gravity puns, it’s an attractive field of jokes, see what I did there?-Boy I need to get out more. I end up cackling at my own pun, great job you dimwit.
As I float to the bathroom door, I grab a hold on the handle and bring myself to level with it. I swing myself a slingshot into the bathroom. Somehow everything else is gravitated except me, but when I touch something- it seems to lose its gravitational pull. I decide to test the theory on my toothbrush. I grab the toothbrush and throw it. Proving my test, it floated to the other side of the wall and smacked against. Watch out everyone! Toothbrush’s can fly, call the cops! I smile at the thought.
Gravity doesn’t work for me, so let’s have some fun with it. With my toothbrush still against the wall, I decide to do a judo kick in mid air like Jackie chan. Wachow! This is the best thing ever. Still in the kicking position, I slowly glide to my toothbrush. I pick it up by roundhouse kicking it to me.
“RoadHouse!” I yell. I catch the toothbrush with my mouth and smile in approval. I push off the bathroom wall back to the sink. I grab a hold of the faucet and sway myself to it. Looking at myself in the mirror, it was a lot worse than I expected. Drool covered my entire mouth, trapped between the hairs in my little peach fuzz of a mustache. I grab the nearest towel and desperately wipe away the leftover embarrassment that caked my lips.
I decided to take a shower; such a bad idea. The water wouldn’t even work properly! The water would come out of the showerhead, but be trapped in space as a huge bubble of just H20. I had to grab the sphere of water and splash it on me. It was like having the worst experience at a water park. I tried to grab the soap to wash my body, but it kept slipping out of my hand.
“Curse my slippery hands.” I quietly curse to myself. It was so annoying! Every time it slipped out of my hand, it floated higher and higher until it was on the ceiling. Great, well, at least the ceiling is going to be clean. I finish the shower with what little dignity I had left and dried myself. Who knew that drying yourself could be so hard? The water didn’t soak into the towel at first. The water just stuck to it in little bubbles. I decide to give up on it and just toss the towel to the side; it floats there like it was a magical towel granting 3 wishes.
Finishing my time in the bathroom, I launch myself back into my room. I grab a hold of my drawer handle and pull myself towards it. Let’s see how getting dressed is while suspended in mid air. I fling open the first drawer, all my underwear fly out in a split second.
“Crap!” I groan as I fly around my room to grab each piece. I find the pair I want to wear and throw the rest back into the drawer. Okay, let’s not do that next time. I quickly acquire the rest of my clothes rather clumsily, and get dressed. The usual sweats with a white undershirt, I don’t like to dress fancy for school.
I grab my backpack, and to my relief, it weighs nothing as well. Thank god, the AP physics books usually make my legs ache. I groan at the thought, rubbing my calves. I pick up the rest of my school supplies and bound for the door.
“One small step for man, and one large step for mankind.” I joke as I remember the quote from the first moon landing. It’s one of my favorites to be honest; the subject on moon landing intrigues me. How could we have had such technology back then? The thought keeps my mind preoccupied as I swing down the stairs using the velocity I got from launching off the door.
“Crap! What are my parents going to think?” I shout inside of my head, overcome by panic. Are they the same way? How are they going to react!? My whole body writhes in anxiety, almost shaking uncontrollably. I’m on the last step of my stairs before I freeze. I can hear my parents yelling in the kitchen. The conversation is inaudible, but I catch words like “over”, and “divorce”. My parents have always been talking about divorcing each other; it just seemed to not work out between them. Their love dissipated over time. Mom told me that it’s common for people their age.
They don’t notice me open the door and launch away outside. Instantly I regret it, I start hovering uncontrollably over the front lawn; I end up grappling onto a tree branch for support. I’m stuck here, I can’t get down. Anxiety kicks into overdrive; I should’ve known skipping school would’ve been a better option. Its only 6:45 in the morning, so at least no one is out here staring at a floating kid in a tree. I’m too scared to jump down because I don’t know if I will float away or what. I can’t call anyone to help me; they’ll see me and freak out!
I close my eyes and try to think, pushing the anxiety out of my head for a couple of seconds. Think man think! It can’t be that hard to think of something. All these years of physics and I can’t even figure out how to counteract this situation.
The sun is slowly rising more and more, as the morning passes. I’m late for first period; Mr. Chowiski is going to fail me. I can see something off in the distance coming towards me. Wait—not something, someone. Panic once again rises in my throat, as I start to desperately look around trying to find a place to hide in the tree. The shadowy figure inches closer and closer to me until it finally reaches the base of the tree.
“Are you okay up there?” The figure shouted. I contemplate if I should answer or not.
“Yeah I’m fine, I just like to climb trees, gets me a great view of everything.” I lie weakly
“I know you don’t have any gravity.” He scolds
“What do you mean I don’t have gravity? What kind of person wouldn’t have gravity? I scoff, trying to hold back my panic.
“Alright, jump down then if you’re right.” He smiles. He’s calling my bluff. Anxiety is turning my stomach into a pure liquid.
“You’re right, I don’t. How did you know I don’t have any gravity?” I ask
“Because this situation that you’re in. it has happened to me like it’s happening to you.” he admits warily
“How did you fix it? See I have a final due in about 30 f****ng minutes and I’m sitting here stuck like an idiot.” I sigh.
“You just have to believe.” He smirks again as he turns around and walks away, his cane tapping the floor at each step for support.
WHAT?! My mind screams, what does he mean believe?! It possibly can’t be that easy, Right?
I close my eyes, trying. What do I even believe in? I whisper incoherently to myself as I shake my head. I screw my eyes shut. I almost give up when a sudden feeling tugs at my stomach, Anxiety? No-it’s different, but it’s strange, and the pull is from deep within my soul and equilibrium. I focus harder; wrinkles begin to form on my forehead, as a bead of sweat trickles down them. Weight seems to return to my feet.
I grip the branch hard; turning my knuckles white with strain. Slowly, the weight begins to travel up my calf to my hamstrings. Come on, come on, you can do this. My eardrums seem to pop from the strain in my face and the sweat accumulating on my body. Gravity seems to drip onto me inch by inch, and slowly, I can feel myself becoming heavier. After what seemed like an eternity, gravity returned to my head. My whole body is now void of weightlessness.
I jump down from the tree, and I land badly from the equilibrium unbalance. I gather myself and I dash off to school. As I enter my AP Physics class, the teacher is taking attendance. As she calls my name, I dart off to my seat and I say “here!” as normally as possible, concealing my panting from the 3 mile sprint.