The Zombie Friend Protocol

Maya's golden retriever, Buster, nosed her thigh at 7 AM. She groaned into her pillow. Another day of moving through high school like a zombie.

"Come on, boy," she muttered, dragging herself to the kitchen. Her mom was already at work, leaving a note on the counter: *Dinner at 6. Important.*

Maya's phone buzzed. Group chat blowing up. Everyone talking about Jordan's party Friday night. The one she wasn't invited to. Again.

She'd been friends with Jordan since seventh grade. Now they sat at opposite ends of the lunch table. Jordan had dyed her hair pink and started wearing vintage band tees. Maya was still figuring out who she even was.

The zombie feeling intensified. She walked through the halls, headphones on, existing but not really living.

After school, she took Buster to the park. That's when she saw it—a tiny calico cat kitten stuck in a tree, meowing its head off. Some boys were laughing and throwing rocks.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Maya shouted before she could overthink it. The boys rolled their eyes and left.

She coaxed the kitten down with some dog treats from her pocket—Buster was cool with sharing. The cat curled into her jacket, purring like a tiny motor.

"You're a mess," she told it. "Same."

Her phone buzzed again. Unknown number. *Hey, this is Alex from bio. Saw what you did with that cat. That was pretty brave.*

Maya stared at the screen. Alex, the quiet skater kid who sat behind her. She'd never actually spoken to him.

*Thanks,* she typed back. *Just doing what anyone would do.*

*Nah,* Alex replied. *Most people would've kept walking. Want to hang out this weekend?*

Something in Maya's chest unfurled. The zombie fog lifted, just a little.

Buster barked, happy just to be alive. The kitten snoozed against her. And for the first time in forever, Maya didn't feel like she was just surviving until graduation.

Maybe being a friend wasn't about who you'd known longest. Maybe it was about who showed up when it mattered.

*Sure,* she typed. *I'd like that.*

The cat opened one eye, then closed it again, perfectly content. Maya finally felt the same.