microstories

Cora
by Martine Leavitt

Everyone knows Planet Earth would win Miss Solar System, and not just for talent, either. She's gorgeous and round in all the right places.

But wow I wake up this morning, and I got a World! And, get this, my World is flat!

It's a round disc, about the size of a large dinner plate, and on it are all the continents and all the oceans, just like you see on the globes, except flattened out, like on a paper map. Under the disc the roots of my World dangle, like the planet had been unpotted. The water of the oceans slide off the flat disc and then freeze into icicles, and the ice keeps the oceans in. Clever. It has a moon, too, flat as a cookie. Sweet pretty Plate and Cookie, I think - you deserve Miss Congeniality at least.

I realize this is the perfect excuse to contact Jonah.

My girlfriends tease me about crushing on him, but this isn't just a crush. This is love. I know we'd be perfect for each other. He likes football, I like football. Now. He likes cars. I like cars. Now.

He didn't seem to notice me much. Yet. I tried talking about football and cars. He's nice enough, but then he'll sort of look right through me. I always wanted to text him – I had his number from a friend – but I could never think of a single thing to say.

But this. This is something to say.

I text him.

Hey. You're never gonna guess what! The World is flat!

U wanna go for coffee tomorrow? I'll show you

Who is this?

Cora

Cora?

Cora Fernsby

Oh ya.

You should see my World – sweet as anything, and flat! What's Mr. Vanderhorn going to say about that in physics class tomorrow, hey? Flat as a pancake.

Just like you.

For a second I don't know what he's talking about.

And then I know exactly what he's talking about.

🤣 <emoji: rolling on the floor laughing>

I put my phone down. I looked over at my World. I realize it's kind of ugly. Definitely ugly.

Who would want a flat planet? Nobody believes in flat Worlds anymore.

I grab the cookie moon and bite into it.

Cheese.