Poolside Apocalypse

The invitation said "pool party" but Maya's brain heard "social suicide." She stood by the chain-link fence, her heart doing jumping jacks that would've impressed her gym teacher. Inside, kids from sophomore year splashed around like they owned the place. Maya tugged at her swimsuit straps, suddenly hyper-aware of every inch of skin exposed to the world.

"You coming in or what?" called Tyler, the guy who'd sat behind her in bio since September. He was waist-deep in the water, grinning like this was just another Friday.

"Yeah, um, just gotta check something," Maya mumbled, faking a phone emergency. Classic.

Back at home, her actual emergency awaited. Buster, the family's ancient golden retriever, had decided today was the perfect day to dig up the neighbor's prize petunias. Meanwhile, Luna—her sister's demon spawn of a cat—had taken residence on top of the refrigerator, judging everyone from her porcelain throne.

Maya's phone buzzed. A text from her best friend Jayden: "U alive? U look like a zombie out there lol"

A zombie. That was generous. Zombies at least had an excuse for being dead inside—they were, you know, undead. Maya was just experiencing every teenager's favorite thing: existential dread combined with swimsuit insecurity.

She found Buster happily destroying the garden, dirt scattered everywhere like confetti at the world's worst party. Luna stared down from the fridge, yellow eyes unimpressed.

"Great," Maya sighed. "Cleanup crew of one, reporting for duty."

An hour later, covered in dog hair, cat scratches, and garden soil, Maya collapsed onto her bed. Her phone lit up again. Another text from Tyler: "Jayden said u had to bail. Everything good? We're doing pizza later if u wanna come over"

Maya stared at the screen. Her swimsuit was still damp. Her arms were sore from wrestling Buster. Luna was now sleeping on her pillow like she owned it.

She typed back: "Pizza sounds perfect. But warning: I smell like wet dog and regret"

"Lmao see u at 7"

Maya smiled into her pillow, carefully pushing Luna aside. Maybe she'd survived the zombie apocalypse after all.