The Zombie Who Ate Spinach

Maya felt like a straight-up zombie. Third period chemistry, Mr. Henderson droning about molar masses, and she'd gotten exactly four hours of sleep thanks to that impossible history paper due at midnight. Her eyelids felt heavy, her brain was mush, and the lunch bell couldn't ring soon enough.

When it finally did, she shuffled to the cafeteria like the walking dead. The lunch lady plopped a sad, wilted spinach salad onto her tray. Maya stared at it. Who even ate this stuff voluntarily?

"Eating grass again, Maya?"

She didn't even need to look up. Dylan. The biggest bull at Northwood High, and unfortunately, her assigned lab partner for the semester. He loomed over her tray, flanked by his backup dancers—Jake and Tyler, who lived for this moment. The table next to them went silent. Everyone knew what was coming.

"Actually," Maya said, her voice shaking just a little, "it's for my energy. Gotta keep up with all those lab reports you never do."

Dead silence. Tyler choked on his chocolate milk. Dylan's face flushed that specific shade of red that meant he hadn't prepared for clapback season.

Then came the voice from the end of the table: "Yo Dylan, didn't you fail the last quiz? Maybe you should start eating some spinach too."

Everyone turned. It was Alex—that quiet skater kid who sat in the back of English and never spoke. He didn't even look up from his phone, just casual as hell.

Dylan sputtered something unintelligible and stalked off, his minions trailing behind like lost puppies. The tension at Maya's table dissolved into giggles.

Maya caught Alex's eye across the cafeteria. He gave her the smallest nod, then went back to scrolling. Something about that tiny gesture—solidarity from the randomest person—made the zombie feeling fade just a little.

She took a bite of spinach. Okay, it was still gross. But she'd take the small wins. Even the green, leafy ones.