Zombie Mode at Maya's Party

Maya's iphone pinged for the umpteenth time, but she ignored it. Tonight wasn't about notifications or followers or whoever was posting what. Tonight was about proving she wasn't that awkward freshman anymore.

Her palm was literally sweating against the solo cup as she stood in Maya's crowded living room, watching the so-called popular kids do their thing. They moved like some strange collective consciousness—same laughs, same nods, same everything. It was like watching a zombie movie where the infected didn't eat brains, they just consumed attention and validation instead.

Then she saw Leo.

Leo from algebra, who sat behind her and drew those tiny dog sketches in the margins of his homework. Leo, who was currently crouched beside Maya's garage, petting something in the shadows.

Her curiosity won. "Hey," she called, slipping away from the party. "What are you doing?"

Leo jumped, nearly dropping his phone. "This cat," he whispered, gesturing to the garage. "She's been hanging around all week. I named her Pixel because she's kinda glitchy—she'll let me pet her for exactly three seconds, then she's done. It's weirdly consistent."

He seemed so unashamedly himself that something in her chest loosened. "That's actually adorable."

"Is it?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "My friends think I'm wasting time on a stray that'll never trust anyone."

"Maybe she's just selective about who she lets in." She crouched beside him, and Pixel the cat immediately trotted over and head-butted her hand. Leo's jaw dropped.

"What the—she never—"

"Some people are just picky about their vibe," she said, scratching behind the cat's ears. "Nothing wrong with that."

Inside, someone shouted that the pizza had arrived, and suddenly the zombie army was mobilizing. But she stayed there, crouched beside a garage with a boy who drew dogs and loved difficult cats, and realized she'd rather be exactly here than anywhere else.

"Hey," Leo said, "want to sneak some pizza and come back? I think Pixel might actually let you pet her again."

"I'd like that," she said, palm finally dry. "I'd like that a lot."