The Zombie Who Just Wanted Friends

Lily loved Halloween more than anything. She dressed as a fairy princess with sparkly wings and a magic wand. But her favorite part wasn't the candy—it was seeing everyone's costumes.

In her driveway, she saw the strangest costume she'd ever seen. A boy shuffled along with green face paint, tattered clothes, and arms stretched out like a zombie. But he walked all alone while other kids traveled in laughing groups.

Lily's mom had given her a special snack before trick-or-treating: a bag of cheesy goldfish crackers. They were shaped like little fish and were Lily's favorite.

The zombie boy stopped at the edge of their walkway, looking shy. His dad waited by the street, looking worried.

Lily wanted to make him feel welcome. She opened her palm and held it out, dropping several goldfish crackers into his bag. "Happy Halloween!" she said with her biggest smile.

The boy stared at her with wide eyes. Then he smiled back—it was the nicest smile Lily had seen all night. "Thanks," he said softly. "Everyone keeps running away from me."

"That's just because your costume is really good!" Lily said. "Want to see my magic wand?"

The boy nodded eagerly. For the next twenty minutes, they waved their arms and cast silly spells on the decorations. The pumpkins became "magic pumpkins," the ghosts were "friendly ghosts," and the bats were "fairies in disguise."

When it was time to move on, the zombie boy held out his hand. "I'm Leo, by the way. Best friends?"

Lily high-fived his hand. "Best friends forever."

All the way home, Lily felt warm and happy inside. She hadn't even needed magic—all she'd needed was an open palm and a kind heart.

Her mom was right: sometimes the scariest-looking things just need someone to say hello. And that was the best kind of magic of all.