Zombie Mode at 5 AM

My phone buzzed. 5:00 AM. Ugh. I dragged myself out of bed feeling like total zombie meat — three hours of AP Chem homework will do that to you. My hair was basically asking for a fight, and my eyelids were conducting a protest.

Outside, Maya was already waiting at the corner, looking suspiciously awake. How? Best friend energy, I guess. Some people just vibrate differently.

"You look dead," she said, grinning.

"Zombie mode activated," I shot back, tying my shoes. "Can we talk about how Coach decided morning practice builds character? My character wants sleep."

We started running — our usual pre-school ritual. Cross country was both freedom and torture, depending on the day. Today: mostly torture.

So here's the thing about Maya and me. We'd been glued together since seventh grade. But lately? She'd been acting different. Texting back slower. Hanging out with the track crowd more. And I knew what it was — sophomore year was reshuffling everyone's social deck, and I was terrified she'd outgrow our friendship like last season's trends.

"Hey," Maya said between breaths at mile two. "You going to Jordan's party Saturday?"

I almost tripped. Jordan Park? The guy Maya had been low-key obsessed with since September?

"Probably not," I said, trying to sound chill instead of hurt. "You know me. Social battery drains faster than my phone."

She slowed down. "You should come. It's not — it wouldn't be the same without you."

The sun was starting to peek over the horizon, painting everything in this unreal golden light. Maya's face was serious, her chest still heaving from the run.

"I'm not ditching you, dummy," she said, reading my mind like always. "Jordan's cool, but you're my person. Always."

Something in my chest unlocked. I'd been running from this conversation for weeks, scared to hear what I thought was coming.

"Okay," I said. "But I'm wearing my lucky Crocs."

Maya laughed so hard she almost snorted. "Deal. Now hurry up, zombie girl — we're gonna be late for first period."

We took off sprinting, and suddenly I wasn't tired anymore. Some things are worth running for.