The Zombie Who Loved Green

Leo was sitting on the bench, watching his friends play padel. The ball went *thwack* back and forth, but Leo couldn't join them today. He had forgotten his racket at home.

Suddenly, something rustled in the bushes nearby. Leo's iphone lit up with a message from his mom: "Come home for lunch!"

But Leo couldn't move. Because stepping out from behind the bushes was the most surprising thing he'd ever seen.

It was a zombie—but not a scary one. This zombie wore rainbow-colored sneakers and a friendly smile. His green skin sparkled like emeralds in the sunlight.

"Hello," said the zombie softly. "I'm Zed."

Leo wasn't afraid. "I'm Leo. Why are you here?"

Zed's tummy rumbled loudly. *GRUMBLE GRUMBLE*.

"I'm so hungry," Zed sighed. "I've been walking for days looking for something delicious to eat."

Leo's eyes widened. "What do zombies eat?"

Zed looked at his feet sadly. "Everyone thinks we want scary things. But really, I just want something fresh and green and crunchy."

"Wait here!" Leo shouted, and started running toward his house. He dashed through the garden and grabbed the biggest, freshest bunch of spinach from his mother's garden.

When he returned, panting, Zed's eyes grew wide.

"Spinach!" Zed cried. "My favorite!"

The zombie ate the spinach happily, his green skin glowing even brighter. "Thank you, Leo! You're my best friend."

"But why were you wandering alone?" Leo asked.

"The other zombies laughed at me," Zed admitted. "They said I was weird because I didn't want to scare anyone. I just wanted to find good food and make friends."

Leo smiled. "Well, I think you're wonderful. And guess what? I have a padel racket at home. Want to learn to play?"

Zed's face lit up. "Yes!"

From that day on, Leo and Zed played padel every afternoon. And when the other zombies saw how happy Zed was, they came out of the shadows too. They learned that being different wasn't bad—it was what made them special.

Sometimes the best friends are the ones you least expect, especially when they love spinach just as much as you do.