Zombie Mode

Alex shuffled through the hallway like a zombie, which was honestly appropriate considering he'd spent the entire weekend at a gaming tournament. His eyes burned, his brain felt like mush, and he was pretty sure he'd forgotten what actual sunlight looked like.

"Dinner's ready!" his mom called from the kitchen. "And don't think you're getting out of it this time."

Alex groaned. His family had this cable TV package that included every channel known to humanity, but apparently his mom had discovered some health documentary about teenagers and nutrition. Now she was on a mission.

He walked into the dining room and stopped dead. "Spinach? Again?"

"It's good for you," she said, sliding a bowl toward him. "Popeye ate it, and he was basically a superhero."

"Popeye was a cartoon from like, the 1940s. No one talks like that anymore. This whole thing is giving me major ick."

"Eat your spinach, Alexander."

"My life is actually over."

He was about to launch into a detailed explanation of exactly how unfair his existence was when the doorbell rang.

"I'VE GOT IT," he yelled, already moving toward the door like his life depended on it. Anything was better than the spinach interrogation.

Jordan stood on the porch, holding a plastic bag filled with water. "Hey! Sorry to bother you, but my mom bought these goldfish for my little brother's birthday, and she realized our tank isn't ready yet. Can your goldfish survive in a regular bowl for like, two days?"

Alex blinked. "What?"

"The goldfish, can they—"

"No, I mean, why are you asking me?"

"Because you have that huge fish tank in your room, and I've literally seen you keep a succulent alive for three years, which is basically magic."

"Fair. Come in."

Jordan's eyes went wide when they walked past the dining room. "Is that... spinach?"

"My mom's going through a phase," Alex explained, then remembered himself. "Do you want some? Like, obviously you do, who wouldn't want extremely healthy leafy greens?"

"Hard pass. That stuff is literally the enemy of joy."

"RIGHT?! That's what I've been saying!"

His mom cleared her throat pointedly.

"But also, vegetables are important," Alex added quickly. "For health. And wellness."

They ended up sitting on the front porch, the goldfish bag between them, watching Jordan's little brother chase a neighbor's dog while Jordan's parents tried to figure out aquarium logistics.

"So," Jordan said, "you look terrible."

"Thanks."

"No, like, in a cool way. That zombie tournament, right? My little brother was talking about it non-stop. Apparently you're some kind of legend now?"

Alex felt his face get hot. "It was just a local thing."

"You placed third in the whole state, and you're calling it 'just a local thing?'" Jordan shook their head. "The ick is strong with you."

"Did you just... use my slang against me?"

"I'm literally in your English class. I hear things."

A warm feeling spread through Alex's chest that had nothing to do with the warm evening air. Jordan paid attention to him. Jordan knew what he was saying in class.

The goldfish bag shimmered in the porch light.

"Hey," Jordan said suddenly, "my friend Maya is having people over next weekend. Nothing huge, just movies and snacks. You should come. If you're not too busy being a gaming legend, obviously."

"I'm never too busy for that," Alex said, and then, because he apparently had zero self-preservation instincts, "Especially if you're going to be there."

Jordan's grin was everything. "Smooth. You sure you're not still in zombie mode?"

"Positive."

"Good. Because I'm pretty sure zombies don't know how to flirt, and you're doing okay."

Alex's phone buzzed—his mom texting him to finish his spinach—but he didn't even care. Some things were worth enduring the vegetable torture, and the possibility of hanging out with Jordan while watching terrible horror movies and maybe, just maybe, holding hands during the scary parts was definitely one of them.

The goldfish swam in their temporary bag, completely unaware that they'd just accidentally helped a socially exhausted gamer take the first step toward something genuinely good.

Life, Alex decided, wasn't so bad after all. Even with the spinach.