Survival Mode

I walked into the party feeling like a total zombie—thanks to pulling an all-nighter watching apocalyptic series—and honestly, that's exactly how I looked. My eyes were basically doing their own thing.

Then I saw him. Leo. The guy I've been lowkey crushing on since September, standing by the snack table like he owned the place. My brain went full glitch mode.

"Hey, you want some?" He held out a plate. "My mom's obsessed with exotic fruits. It's papaya."

I stared at the orange chunks like they were radioactive waste. "Oh, uh, I'm good. Not really into... healthy vibes."

Smooth. Really smooth.

"Come on, live a little." He grinned, and that dimple situation was not helping my thinking capabilities.

I took a bite. Mistake. It tasted like soap mixed with sadness, but I choked it down because I'm weak for dimples.

"So, you coming tomorrow?" he asked. "For the padel tournament?"

Padel. Of course. Because why wouldn't the popular kids be into a fancy tennis-ish sport that requires actual hand-eye coordination? I had the athletic ability of a cooked noodle.

"Uh, maybe?" I said, trying to sound casual instead of terrified. "I mean, if I'm not busy. Being busy. With stuff."

"You should come. We need more players. My bear costume still fits you, right?"

My face burned. The bear costume. From last year's fall festival, when I'd volunteered as the mascot and tripped over my own giant feet, faceplanting in front of everyone. Including him. He'd helped me up, laughing, and that was when the crush had officially begun.

"That bear suit has seen things," I muttered. "Things it can never unsee."

"Hey." His voice got softer. "You were honestly the best mascot ever. Everyone loved that bear."

I looked up, and for the first time all night, I didn't feel like a zombie anymore. I felt seen.

"So," he said, "tournament tomorrow? You can be the bear again. I promise not to let you faceplant this time."

"You promise?"

"Scouts' honor. And I'll even save you from the papaya."

Maybe this party wasn't going to be a disaster after all. Maybe, just maybe, survival mode was about to level up.