The Zombie Glow-Up

Maya pulled her beanie **hat** down to her eyebrows, her usual shield against the world. Freshman year at Northwood High, and she was still the girl who muttered in hallways while everyone else seemed to glow with effortless confidence.

"You good?" Chloe asked, flopping onto Maya's bed. "You've been scrolling through Tyler's livestream for like twenty minutes. It's giving obsession."

"It's not obsession," Maya protested, though her thumb kept flicking. "He's just... comfortable in his skin. Watch." She pointed at the screen where Tyler, surrounded by RGB lights and a tangled mess of streaming **cable**, roasted his chat with the confidence of someone who'd never had an awkward phase.

Meanwhile, Maya was practically a **zombie** before third period—dead inside from overthinking every interaction, surviving on caffeine and the sheer force of willpower. Her mom had started her on those gummy **vitamin** D supplements, claiming they'd help with "mood and energy." Maya suspected they were just expensive candy.

"So ask yourself," Chloe said, grabbing Maya's phone. "What's the worst that happens? You're cringe? You survive. Tyler probably started somewhere."

"He definitely didn't start by accidentally streaming himself dancing to K-pop," Maya muttered.

"Okay, valid fear." Chloe paused. "But also, that would go viral. Gen Z loves unexplained chaos."

Maya's phone buzzed. Her streamer account—created on a dare last month—had its first follower request. @ZombieQueen69. The username hit different. Maybe she wasn't the only one moving through high school like the walking dead, waiting to wake up.

"Do it," Chloe said, reading her mind. "Lean into the zombie energy. It's a whole aesthetic."

Maya adjusted her hat, took a breath, and hit "go live."

"What's up, I'm Maya," she said to her audience of one (Chloe, holding back laughter). "I have no idea what I'm doing, and my mom thinks vitamins will fix my personality. Today we're figuring out how to not be awkward in public. Welcome."

The chat remained empty. But for the first time, Maya felt something shift. Maybe she wasn't a zombie anymore. Maybe she was just starting her glow-up.

"Lowkey," she told Chloe, "this wasn't terrible."

"Understatement of the year," Chloe grinned. "Now fix your lighting. You look like you're broadcasting from a dungeon."