The Zombie Cable Guy

Marcus's brain felt like it had been chewed on by actual zombies. Three hours of sleep because the stupid **cable** modem died at midnight, right when he was supposed to be grinding ranked matches with Tyler. Now he was walking through the cafeteria looking like death warmed over, and naturally, he had to be carrying the world's most obvious spinach salad from the lunch line.

He spotted Maya at their usual table, laughing with Jordan from drama club. Jordan. The guy who literally played a zombie in the school production of Night of the Living Dead and somehow still looked effortless. Marcus's stomach did that thing where it forgot how to be an organ.

"Hey!" Maya waved him over. "Jordan was just telling us about the afterparty on Friday. You should come."

Marcus set down his tray, trying to look like a person who possessed social skills. "Yeah, maybe. I've got—"

"Marcus," Maya whispered, eyes wide, pointing at her own teeth.

Oh no.

He grabbed his phone reflection like a lifeline. Sure enough. A massive, embarrassing piece of **spinach** parked right between his front teeth, green and terrible, like it was applying for residency.

"Dude," Jordan said, not unkindly. "Happens to the best of us. Last week I had zombie makeup stuck in my braces for three periods and literally no one told me."

Marcus laughed, actually laughed. Jordan's eyes were crinkled, genuine.

"We're all just zombies trying to make it through high school," Maya said, sliding Marcus a napkin. "Some of us just have better camouflage."

Jordan grinned. "True that. Hey, about Friday — Tyler said you might bring your setup? We're doing a gaming tournament, and honestly, we need someone who actually knows what they're doing."

"Wait, Tyler?" Marcus blinked. "Tyler's going?"

"Yeah, he's the one who told me to invite you," Jordan said. "Said you're basically a god at Call of Duty."

Marcus wiped the spinach from his teeth, feeling something weird and warm expanding in his chest. He'd spent months thinking Jordan was cool and unapproachable, that he and Maya existed in a completely different social galaxy.

"So?" Maya raised an eyebrow. "Friday?"

"Yeah," Marcus said, and it came out easier than he expected. "Yeah, I'm in."

He took a bite of his salad. It actually tasted pretty good. Being a zombie wasn't so bad when you found the right horde.