Breaking Zombie Mode

Marcus shuffled through the hallways like a zombie, autopilot engaged since seventh period. Three hours of zombie mode every night—grinding through Battle Royale with the squad, headphones crushing his ears, eyes burning at 2 AM. His mom called it "concerning." His dad called it "phase." Marcus called it survival.

"You're doing padel club," Mom announced at dinner, sliding a flyer across the table like it was a court summons. "Your cousin loved it. It builds character."

"Padel?" Marcus snorted. "Is that even real?"

"Saturday. 10 AM. Be there."

The court smelled like rubber and ambition. Marcus clutched the rental racquet like a weapon he didn't know how to use. Across the net, a girl in mismatched socks stretched like she actually wanted to be here.

"I'm Cassie." She grinned. "You look like you'd rather be literally anywhere else."

"Literally anywhere else," Marcus agreed.

"Awesome." Cassie tossed him a ball. "Let's get this over with."

Something weird happened. Marcus's body remembered things his brain didn't—serves from seventh grade gym class, reflexes from backyard baseball. By the second game, he was diving for shots, sweating through his apocalypse hoodie, actually laughing when Cassie nailed him in the shoulder with a serve.

"You're not terrible," she judged, as thunder rumbled in the distance. "Not terrible at all."

Then lightning cracked—actual purple-white lightning that made the chain-link fence hum. The coach whistled everyone inside, but Marcus and Cassie lingered, breathing hard in the sudden downpour.

"My friends think padel's for losers," Marcus admitted, why he said this he didn't know. "They're probably right."

Cassie shrugged, rain dripping from her chin. "My friends think I'm weird for liking it. They're probably right too."

She looked at him, really looked at him, like she was seeing something beyond the zombie-fied husk of a person he'd been all semester.

"Lightning round," she said suddenly. "One truth. No filter. Go."

Marcus wiped rain from his eyes. "I haven't felt awake in months. Not really."

Cassie nodded like this made perfect sense. "I'm terrified that this is as good as it gets."

The admission hung between them, heavier than the humidity, more electric than the storm.

"Next Saturday?" Marcus asked.

Cassie's smile was slow and genuine. "Same time. Same zombie court."

Walking home, Marcus pulled out his phone and opened his group chat. *Sorry guys. Can't make zombie night tomorrow. Got plans.*

For the first time in forever, it wasn't a lie.