The Zombie Who Loved to Swim

Lily loved summer days, especially when her mom took her to the neighborhood pool. The water sparkled like diamonds under the bright sun, and the air smelled of sunscreen and chlorine. But today, Lily forgot her favorite toy at home. "Mom, can we go back?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But look! Your friend Jake is here!" Mom pointed to the familiar blue swim trunks bouncing toward them.

Jake was Lily's best friend. They had known each other since kindergarten. But Jake looked different today. He walked slowly, arms stretched straight out, making a funny groaning sound. "BRAIINS..." he joked, and Lily giggled. Jake was pretending to be a zombie from the movies they weren't allowed to watch.

"I'm a swimming zombie!" Jake announced, jumping into the pool with a splash. "Come in, Lily! The water's perfect!"

Lily hopped in, and they played for hours. They had races to the other side. They played tag and dove for sinking rings. The zombie game became their favorite — Jake would chase Lily around the pool, growling playfully while she squealed and swam away.

Suddenly, Jake froze. "Oh no!" he gasped. "My iphone!" He had left his dad's phone on the edge of the pool. It was starting to slide toward the water.

Without thinking, Lily swam as fast as she could. She reached up just in time to catch it before it splashed. She handed it to Jake, who was already climbing out of the pool.

"You saved it!" Jake said, relieved. "Dad would have been so mad. That's real friendship, Lily — helping even when it's not your problem."

Lily beamed. She felt warm inside, warmer than the sun on her skin. That afternoon, she learned something important: being a friend meant more than playing together. It meant looking out for each other, zombie or not.

As they dried off, Jake turned to Lily with a big smile. "Next time, YOU can be the zombie."

"Deal," Lily laughed. "And maybe tomorrow, we can teach my little sister how to swim too."

"Perfect!" Jake said. "Every swimmer needs a friend — and maybe a zombie or two to make it fun!"