Running Past the Zombie Zone

I swear my brain has been operating on total zombie mode since finals week started. Three hours of sleep, coffee flowing through my veins instead of blood, and I'm pretty sure I forgot what actual sunlight feels like.

"You look like you're about to collapse," Chloe says as we walk toward the field.

"That's because I am." But I keep walking. Because today's the day — the day I finally talk to Marcus.

Marcus is out there playing lacrosse with his friends, looking all effortless and golden while I'm over here feeling like a walking corpse. Then I see it: Mrs. Henderson's massive German Shepherd, Buster, bounding toward us like a fluffy missile of chaos.

"Buster! No!" someone yells.

The dog tackles me. I go down hard, books flying everywhere, dignity completely vaporized. Marcus and his whole team crack up. I want to dissolve into the grass.

But then Marcus is there, extending a hand. "You okay? That was epic."

"Epic embarrassing, maybe."

"Nah." He pulls me up. "Buster's a total legend. He took down Tyler last week."

I'm dusting off my jeans when Tyler — resident grade-A bull in the social hierarchy — saunters over. "Nice show, loser."

Marcus doesn't even look at him. "She took it like a champ, Tyler. Unlike when you cried when Buster got you."

The whole team loses it. Tyler's face turns tomato-red.

"Hey," Marcus says, turning back to me, completely ignoring Tyler's meltdown. "We're all hitting The Den after practice. You should come."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. You're not zombie girl anymore. You're the girl who survived Buster. That's basically crew royalty." He grins. "Anyway, I've seen you running at the park. You've got better form than half our team."

Later, when I show up at The Den, still wearing grass-stained jeans because honestly, who cares anymore, Marcus waves me over to his table. And for the first time in weeks, I don't feel like I'm just running on autopilot.

I feel awake.