Dead Perfect

Maya smoothed gray foundation across her forehead, checking her reflection in the bathroom mirror. The zombie makeup was supposed to be ironic — dead inside, lol — but mostly it was covering the fact that she'd cut her own bangs two hours ago and now looked like she lost a fight with a lawnmower.

"You coming?" Jordan yelled from downstairs. His voice did that thing where her stomach flipped over itself, which was pathetic because they'd been best friends since seventh grade and he'd never once looked at her like that.

"Yeah!" She yanked her beanie down, tucking her destroyed hair underneath. The hat was cringe but necessary.

The Halloween party was already loud when they arrived. Someone had constructed a beer can pyramid in the kitchen, six feet tall and wobbling. Maya stood near it, nursing a Sprite, feeling like a regular person pretending to be a zombie pretending to be a regular person.

"Zombie Maya goes to a party," a voice said behind her. Chloe, dressed as a sexy nurse — of course. "You know, most people try to look hot on Halloween."

Maya's face burned under the makeup. "I'm going for authentic decomposition."

Chloe's friends giggled.

Then Jordan was there, hand on her shoulder. "She looks amazing. Don't be jealous just because you couldn't pull off zombie."

He steered her away toward the backyard, where people were sitting in a circle on the grass. Someone was doing palm readings, which was stupid, but they followed the crowd anyway.

"Your life line is interesting," the reader said, tracing a line across Maya's palm. "You're at a crossroads. Something new is coming."

Maya almost laughed. Yeah, the new thing was that she was exhausted from carrying around feelings for her best friend while he dated girls who weren't her.

Later, when the beer can pyramid finally crashed and everyone cheered, Maya found herself on the roof with Jordan. The air was cold, her zombie makeup cracking around her smile.

"Your hair," he said, reaching toward her beanie.

She dodged his hand. "Don't."

"I already saw it earlier. It's not that bad."

"I cut it myself."

"I know. I watched you through your window." He paused. "I mean, that sounded creepy. I was just walking past and you were — anyway. You always hide stuff, Maya. The makeup, the hat. You're already cool without all that."

She looked at him, really looked at him, and something in her chest loosened. Maybe that's what the palm reader meant. Not a boyfriend, not a promenade transformation. Just being seen.

"Whatever," she said, but she was smiling now, genuine. "Help me fix this mess before school Monday?"

"Obviously. I'll bring hair stuff." He grinned. "No promises though. I'm great at a lot of things, but I literally failed cosmetology in my dreams last night."

Maya laughed so hard she almost fell off the roof. Being a zombie was overrated anyway. Being seen — that was the real horror show, and somehow, the best thing ever.