The Zombie Who Loved Baseball

Leo never thought he'd make friends with a zombie, especially not at the old baseball field behind his house. But there he was—a green-skinned, slightly crooked zombie named Zed, sitting on the bleachers with a glove on his hand.

"Want to play?" Leo asked, holding up his baseball.

Zed's eyes widened. He nodded enthusiastically.

Every afternoon, they met at the field. Zed was surprisingly good at catching, even though he moved a bit slowly. His favorite part was when Leo hit the ball into the air and Zed would shuffle-run after it, his arms waving happily.

One day, the mean kids from school came by. "Look at that zombie!" they laughed. "He can't even run properly!"

Zed's shoulders slumped. He started to walk away, head down.

"Hey!" Leo called out. "Zed's my friend. And he's the best catcher I've ever seen!"

Leo held out his palm. "High five, Zed!"

Zed's green face lit up. He slapped his palm against Leo's with a gentle smile.

The mean kids quieted down. Something about Zed's happy grin made them realize zombies could be friends too.

"Can we play?" one of them asked.

Soon enough, they were all playing baseball together—zombie and kids, running under the palm trees that lined the field. Zed wasn't scary at all. He was just someone who loved baseball and making friends.

That evening, as the sun set behind the palm trees, Leo realized something important: friendship isn't about how you look or how fast you run. It's about kindness, shared fun, and accepting everyone for who they are.

"Same time tomorrow?" Leo asked.

Zed nodded, holding up his glove with a grin. Best friends forever.