Sunrise Zombie Run

I woke up feeling like a straight-up zombie. Three hours of sleep will do that to you. My phone was dead at 3%, which meant—yep—no alarm. I grabbed my backpack, stuffed a tangled mess of a charging cable into my pocket, and started running.

The school bus was already pulling away from my stop when I turned the corner. OFC. My life is literally a compilation of fails.

"Wait!" I yelled, sprinting after it. The bus driver, Mr. Harrison, actually stopped. He gave me that look—the one that says I'm this close to banning you. I mumbled an apology and collapsed into the first empty seat, chest heaving.

Marcus, who's been my best friend since sixth grade, slid into the seat across from me. He took in my disheveled hair, the same orange hoodie I'd been wearing for three days straight, and my general vampire aesthetic.

"Dude," he said. "You look wrecked."

"Thanks, captain obvious," I shot back, pulling my hood up. "Been up all night grinding for that tournament."

"You're actually gonna zombie mode through school again?" Marcus shook his head. "Bro, this is becoming a problem."

"It's fine. I'm literally fine."

I wasn't fine. By third period, I was running on pure adrenaline and caffeine. My phone had died somewhere between algebra and history, so I couldn't even check the time. I was basically existing in another dimension.

Then I saw her.

Maya. The girl I'd been lowkey crushing on since September. She was wearing this bright orange beanie that matched my hopeless hoodie, and she was laughing at something her friends said. I froze. Should I say hi? Should I keep walking? Should I just disappear into the void?

Before I could make a decision, she looked right at me and smiled.

"Nice hoodie," she said.

My brain short-circuited. "Thanks! I mean, you too! I mean—your beanie! It's... orange. Like mine. But better. Obviously."

What was wrong with me?

But instead of looking at me like I was a total weirdo, Maya's smile got bigger. "You playing in the gaming tournament tonight?"

"Wait, you know about it?"

"My brother's team won last year," she said. "But I heard your crew's actually pretty good. I might come watch."

She might come watch. Me. Playing video games. In my crusty orange hoodie.

"Cool," I managed, trying to play it cool and failing spectacularly. "That would be... cool."

"Cool," she echoed, and walked away with this little wave that made my stomach do this weird flip thing.

Marcus appeared out of nowhere, looking at me with this mixture of horror and amusement. "Did that just happen?"

"I think so?"

"Bro, you need sleep, but also—you're welcome for being your wingman by existing near you."

I laughed, and for the first time all day, the zombie feeling faded. Maybe running on empty wasn't so bad if it led to moments like this. Sometimes the best things happen when you're too tired to overthink them.