Zombie Mode

Maya's brain felt like it had been put through a blender on extra pulse. Three weeks of finals, zero sleep, and her phone buzzing with group chat drama at 2 AM had officially activated zombie mode. She shuffled to first period, hood up, hoping to remain invisible.

"You look dead," said Leo, falling into step beside her. "Rough night?"

"Rough life," Maya muttered, adjusting her backpack that felt like it contained actual bricks.

Leo was the only person who noticed she existed, which was both a blessing and a curse. He was nice enough, but talking to him meant expending energy she didn't have.

Her phone buzzed again. Mom: Don't forget to feed the cat before school.

Right. Baxter, the demon cat her sister had "temporarily" dumped on them three months ago. The cat that stared into Maya's soul while she tried to study, knocked water glasses off her nightstand at 3 AM, and somehow always knew when she was about to sneeze.

"At least it's Friday," Leo continued, undeterred by her monosyllabic responses. "You doing anything tonight?"

Maya almost laughed. Sleep. That was the plan. Glorious, uninterrupted sleep.

But then her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Chloe, the girl she'd been secretly messaging since they'd been assigned as lab partners last month. The girl with the gap-toothed smile and vintage band t-shirts who made Maya's stomach do actual flips.

Zombie mode flickered.

Chloe: Zombie movie marathon at Mia's tonight. You should come. 🧟‍♀️

Maya's thumb hovered over the screen. Going meant socializing. It meant people. It meant putting on real pants instead of the sweats she'd been living in. But it also meant Chloe.

"Who's that?" Leo leaned closer, reading over her shoulder.

Maya locked her phone so fast she nearly dropped it. "No one. Just... my mom. About the cat."

"Cool, cool." Leo's knowing look suggested he knew exactly what "no one" meant.

Her phone buzzed one more time. Mom: Also, the neighbor's dog got into our yard again. Can you check on him after school?

Because obviously. The universe's idea of a joke—a cat who hated everyone and a dog who loved everyone, constantly at war in Maya's backyard. Just like her internal monologue: one voice screaming "socialize!" and the other screaming "hide under blankets forever!"

"So, tonight," Leo pressed. "Are you?"

Maya looked at him, really looked at him, and something clicked. Zombie mode wasn't permanent. It was just... a mode. A setting. And she could change it.

"Yeah," she said, surprising herself. "I think I am."

"Nice." Leo grinned. "I'll save you a seat."

The bell rang, and Maya ducked into her classroom, phone already out to text Chloe back. Maybe zombie mode could wait until Monday.