Zombie Mode

Maya dragged herself through the cafeteria like the walking dead, backpack feeling like it contained actual bricks. Junior year was hitting different — she'd been running on empty since finals, existing on autopilot like she'd downloaded some kind of zombie mode mod IRL.

"Yo, Earth to Maya," snapped KC, her best friend since seventh grade who clearly didn't understand the concept of an introvert's lunch hour recharge. "You've been staring at that mystery meat for five minutes straight."

"It's not mystery meat," Maya mumbled, poking at what was allegedly lasagna. "It's... it's Italian adjacent."

"Bro, you literally almost fell asleep in Chen's class today," KC laughed, stealing a fry from Maya's tray. "You need actual nutrition. Remember when I made you try that spinach smoothie?"

Maya shuddered. "Don't remind me. I looked like I'd been chewing grass clippings."

"But did you die?" KC raised an eyebrow. "No. You actually had energy for once. Living your best life, not your zombie life."

Maya rolled her eyes but felt something unclench in her chest. KC was right — not about the spinach smoothies (never those again), but about the whole zombie-mode thing. She'd been ghosting through her own existence, too scared to mess up, too terrified of what people thought. But KC never seemed to care about any of that. KC just lived.

"Okay," Maya said, pushing her tray away. "No smoothies. But I'm down to try something actually new. Something not from this cafeteria."

"Bold of you to assume I don't have plans," KC grinned, pulling out her phone. "My neighbor's dog just had puppies. We're going over there after school to lose our minds. Consider it your anti-zombie protocol."

Maya felt something spark in her chest. Maybe it wasn't about spinach or grades or whatever weird performance spiral she'd been stuck in. Maybe it was just about showing up. About not sleeping through her own life.

"Fine," she said, actually smiling now. "But if that dog licks my face, we're fighting."

"Deal," KC said. "Now finish your food, zombie girl. We've got puppies to meet."