Dead Inside and Green Teeth

Maya dragged her feet through the cafeteria, feeling exactly like a zombie except without the cool excuse of actually being undead. Just three weeks into freshman year, and she'd already perfected the art of moving through high school like it was an apocalypse: head down, minimal eye contact, survive until 3 PM.

Her older brother Jordan had told her to just be herself, but Maya was pretty sure 'herself' included social anxiety levels that rivaled the characters in her favorite zombie shows. She'd spent the entire weekend watching The Walking Dead marathon instead of going to Taylor's back-to-school party. #missedopps, she thought.

At lunch, she sat with her new friend Chloe, who was actually trying to be healthy with this spinach salad situation. 'My mom says the iron will help with volleyball season,' Chloe explained, stabbing at the green leaves with genuine enthusiasm.

Maya nodded, trying to look interested while subtly checking her phone. That's when she saw him: Caleb, the junior who sat behind her in English, walking toward their table. And he was wearing that beanie—the gray knit hat with the tiny patch that she'd mentally catalogued as 'aesthetic goals.'

'Hey,' Caleb said, stopping at their table. 'You're Maya, right? From English?' He adjusted his hat, looking casual. Like, irritatingly casual. 'Mr. Harrison said you're good at writing. Could you help me with that personal narrative essay?'

Maya's brain short-circuited. This was it. The moment every coming-of-age movie promised. Cute boy talks to awkward girl. But instead of saying something normal, she just nodded vigorously and probably made a face like a zombie encountering its first brain.

'Sure,' she managed, her voice cracking slightly. 'Totally.' Why did she say totally? Who says totally?

'Cool.' Caleb smiled. 'Thanks. You're a lifesaver.' He walked away, adjusting his hat again.

Chloe was staring at her with wide eyes. 'Did that just happen?'

Maya started to respond, then felt Chloe suddenly grab her arm. 'Spinach,' Chloe whispered frantically. 'You have—huge chunk—right in your front teeth.'

The entire lunch, Maya had been talking to Caleb with spinach visibly stuck in her teeth like some kind of vegetable flag announcing her eternal awkwardness to the world. She died inside. Actually died. This wasn't metaphorical zombie status—she was spiritually deceased.

But then Chloe started laughing, and somehow Maya was laughing too, helplessly and uncontrollably. And when she checked her phone later, she had a text from an unknown number: Caleb. 'Hey it's Caleb from English. Thanks again for helping with the essay tomorrow. PS I like your style.'

Maybe high school wasn't a total apocalypse after all. Maybe she could survive this, spinach disasters and all. Maya touched the empty space where her own favorite hat usually sat, then squared her shoulders. Dead inside? Maybe not today.