The Baseball Zombie at Dawn

Marcus trudged toward the community pool, his limbs heavy and brain completely fried. Three days of finals had turned him into a certified zombie, operating on nothing but caffeine shots and panic. His phone buzzed again—another group chat blowing up about Jake's party tonight that everyone was going to except him, apparently.

'You coming, Marcus? Everyone's gonna be there.' He'd read the message five times without replying. Classic.

The pool sparkled obnoxiously in the morning light. Summer league swim tryouts. Because apparently his mom thought it'd be 'good for him' to make friends outside of his AP classes and video game habits. Marcus stood at the edge while other kids cannonballed and laughed like this was normal human behavior.

Then he saw her: Chloe, the girl from his English class who always drew anime in the margins of her notes. She was swimming laps like her life depended on it, cutting through the water with this fierce determination that made his chest feel weird.

'You gonna stand there looking like a zombie all day?' she called, treading water. 'Or are you actually gonna try out?'

Marcus blinked. 'Uh. I'm... debating my life choices?'

Chloe laughed. And just like that, something shifted.

Turned out Chloe was barely holding it together too. Her parents had just divorced, she'd failed her driver's test twice, and she was pretty sure she was 'socially awkward beyond repair.' They bonded over their shared zombie-ness while everyone else acted like high school was somehow fun.

'This is gonna sound so random,' Chloe said later at the pool's snack bar, 'but my brother plays baseball. Like, actually good. And they need someone to work the concession stand. No zombie required—we pay actual money.'

Marcus stared at her. Was she... asking him to hang out? Like, outside of school?

'So I'd be selling snacks while watching baseball?' he asked, trying to play it cool.

'Pretty much the most exciting job in the world,' Chloe deadpanned. 'But the nachos are honestly mid, so warning.'

That night, Marcus finally replied to the group chat: 'Can't. Got plans.' And for the first time in forever, it wasn't even a lie.