The Summer I Felt Like A Zombie

The worst part about working at Splashes 'N' Supplements wasn't the weird smell of chlorine mixed with berry protein powder. It was Maya.

"You look like a zombie," she said, leaning against the counter and popping a bright orange vitamin C gummy into her mouth. "Rough night?"

"Rough summer," I muttered, stacking pool chlorine tablets into a pyramid. "My parents got me a job instead of letting me go to camp with everyone else. Meanwhile, you're posting stories from the lake house every day."

Maya stopped chewing. "Wait, you're mad?"

"No," I lied. "Just tired of being the friend who stays behind while everyone else actually lives their life."

The truth was, I hadn't been sleeping much. Between stocking shelves at the store and worrying that everyone was having the best summer ever without me, I'd been averaging like five hours a night. I felt like a walking zombie, going through motions while my actual self was somewhere else entirely.

Maya slid her phone across the counter. "You know what everyone's been saying in the group chat?"

"That I'm boring now?"

"That they miss you, dumbass." She showed me the screen. Dozens of messages. "We were waiting for you to get off work. We're literally planning a pool day at your house tomorrow since you have that sick new pool your parents put in."

I stared at her. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah. Also, these vitamin D gummies are actually pretty good." She tossed me the bottle. "You need them. You're literally pale as a ghost."

The bell above the door chimed. A group of our friends walked in, dripping wet from someone's pool.

"There she is!" Jake called. "Finally off work?"

Maya grinned. "Told you. Now clock out and let's go. Your pool is waiting."

I looked at my apron, then at my friends, then at the stupid vitamin display I'd been organizing all morning. Being a zombie was optional, apparently. Some days you just had to remember you could choose to wake up.