Zombie Mode at Sarah's Party

Maya's phone lit up with the party invite, and she spent three hours choosing her outfit only to arrive feeling like a total **zombie**. Junior year had turned her into this walking dead version of herself, surviving on five hours of sleep and pure anxiety.

She stood by the snack table, desperately trying to look casual while nursing a cup of lukewarm **water**. Across the room, Jake—her crush since seventh grade—was laughing at something Jessica said. Maya had spent weeks building up the courage to actually talk to him tonight, but now her brain had officially checked out.

"Hey, earth to Maya," her best friend Renee appeared beside her, shoving a phone in her face. "Your mom's calling. Something about your **goldfish**?"

Maya's stomach dropped. "Bubbles?"

"She said he's floating sideways and she thinks he's dying. You should call her back."

Great. The universe was conspiring against her social life. Maya retreated to the bathroom, squeezing between a bunch of seniors who were practically fused together by the tangled **cable** of a gaming setup someone had dragged into the hallway.

She called her mom. Bubbles was fine, just doing his weird night swimming thing. But when she got back to the party, Maya caught sight of herself in the hallway mirror and wanted to die.

There, stuck in her front teeth like a neon billboard of awkwardness, was a massive piece of **spinach** from the spinach artichoke dip she'd nervously stuffed into her mouth earlier.

How long had she been walking around like that? Talking to Renee? Standing near Jake? She'd been inching toward him all night, and now she realized she'd probably been flashing a vegetable-filled smile the whole time.

Renee found her hyperventilating in the bathroom. "What's wrong?"

Maya pointed at her teeth. Renee doubled over laughing.

"Dude, I was literally about to let you embarrass yourself. Jake asked where you went like five minutes ago."

"He what?"

"He was looking for you. Clean your teeth and go talk to him. The spinach is gone, but your chance won't be if you stay in here all night."

Maya took a breath, fixed her hair, and walked back out. Zombie mode deactivated. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so terrible after all.