The Zombie Prom Apocalypse

Maya hadn't slept in three days. Finals week had turned her into a certified zombie, shuffling through the halls of Northwood High with dark circles that could rival any creature feature. But tonight was different — tonight was prom night, and she'd somehow convinced herself that showing up exhausted was better than not showing up at all.

The punch bowl was her first mistake. "Exotic fruit blend," the label promised. Maya should've known better than to trust anything labeled "exotic" at a high school dance, but she was desperate for something to make her feel alive. One sip of the suspiciously yellow papaya mixture, and her stomach staged a violent protest.

Then she saw him — Tyler, the track star who'd sat behind her in bio since September, currently looking devastating in a navy suit that actually fit. Maya tried to make her way across the crowded gym, but her body had other plans. The papaya punch was staging a coup.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Tyler said, materializing beside her with that easy grin that made her knees weak.

"Worse," Maya managed. "I think I'm dying."

He laughed, and it was warm and genuine. "The whole bear mascot situation earlier was pretty traumatic, I'll give you that."

Maya blinked. "Wait, what?"

"You didn't hear? Bobby Jenkins — total bull, by the way — got stuck in the bear costume during the pep rally and had to be cut out with scissors. It was legendary." He shook his head. "But seriously, you okay? You look kind of... undead."

"Zombie mode," Maya admitted, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Finals week nearly killed me."

"Same." Tyler's shoulder brushed hers, sending electricity down her spine. "I've been running on caffeine and hope since Monday."

They stood there while the bass from the slow songs thrummed through the gym floor, and Maya's stomach miraculously settled. For the first time all week, the zombie fog lifted. Maybe exhaustion had its perks — it made everything simpler, stripped away the overthinking.

"Want to get out of here?" Tyler asked. "There's this diner on 5th that's open all night. We could zombie out over pancakes."

Maya smiled, feeling something like hope bloom in her chest. "Only if they don't serve papaya."

"Deal." He offered his hand, and for once, Maya didn't overanalyze anything. She just took it.