The Zombie Who Loved Oranges

Lily and Max loved playing padel on the sunny court behind their house. Every Saturday, they'd hit the bright blue ball back and forth, laughing as it bounced off the walls. But one cloudy afternoon, something strange happened.

As Lily served the ball, it sailed over the fence and into the mysterious garden next door. The garden had been abandoned for years—or so everyone thought.

"I'll get it!" Max said bravely. He climbed through the bushes and found something unexpected. A small, green creature with patchy skin and tangled hair was sitting by a pile of oranges, happily peeling one.

"You found me," the creature said sadly. "I'm Zim, but everyone calls me zombie because I look different. I just want friends."

Zim's eyes were kind, not scary at all. He held out half an orange. "Would you like one? They're my favorite. I planted these trees myself."

Lily and Max looked at each other. This wasn't a monster. This was someone lonely, just like they'd felt before moving to this town.

"Can you play padel?" Lily asked.

Zim shook his head. "I've never played. But I learn fast!"

For the next hour, they taught Zim how to hold the racket, how to serve, and how to laugh when he missed. Zim was terrible at padel, but he was wonderful at making jokes and sharing oranges.

"Want to be on our team?" Max asked when the sun began to set.

Zim's face lit up brighter than any orange sunset. "Really?"

"Really," Lily said. "And tomorrow, you can teach us how to grow the sweetest oranges in the world."

Sometimes the scariest-looking things turn out to be the most wonderful friends. And that's how the zombie who loved oranges became the best padel player—and friend—in the whole neighborhood.