The Zombie Who Loved Padel

Max loved playing padel more than anything. Every Saturday, he and his best friend Sofia would meet at the old court behind the park. Max's favorite padel racket had sparkly blue stickers that shimmered in the sun.

One cloudy afternoon, as they were packing up, something strange happened. A slow, shuffling figure emerged from the bushes. It had green skin, messy hair, and clothes that looked like they'd been through a storm.

"A zombie!" Sofia gasped, hiding behind Max.

But this zombie didn't moan or groan. Instead, it pointed at Max's padel racket and made a happy grunting sound. Then it smiled—a surprisingly friendly smile.

"I think he wants to play," Max whispered.

Cautiously, Max handed the zombie his spare racket. The zombie's eyes lit up. He bounced the ball, hit it with the racket, and let out a joyful laugh that sounded like crunchy leaves.

"ZOMBIE!" he cheered, giving Max a clumsy high-five.

"I'm Leo," Max said. "This is Sofia. What's your name?"

The zombie thought for a moment, then pointed to himself and said, "ZOM!"

"Nice to meet you, Zom!" Sofia giggled, coming out from behind Max.

They played padel until sunset. Zom wasn't very good—he kept missing the ball and hitting it backwards—but he was the happiest player anyone had ever seen. Every time he scored a point, he did a little dance that made Max and Sofia laugh until their tummies hurt.

As the sky turned purple, Zom's skin began to look less green. He was becoming more like a regular boy.

"Thank you for being my friend," Zom said clearly. "I was lonely for 100 years until you played with me."

Max realized that sometimes scary things just need a little kindness—and someone to play with.

"You can play padel with us every Saturday," Max promised.

Zom smiled, and suddenly he wasn't a zombie anymore. He was just a boy named Zom, with bright eyes and a forever smile.

"Best friends forever?" Sofia asked.

"Best friends forever," they all said together.

And every Saturday after that, the old padel court was filled with laughter, friendship, and the magic of three friends who learned that the best adventures happen when you're brave enough to say hello.