Zombie Mode at the Padel Court

Maya dragged herself through fourth period, fully in **zombie** mode. Three hours of sleep tended to do that to a person, especially when you'd been doom-scrolling until 2 AM because your crush finally viewed your story back.

"You look like actual death," whispered Chloe, sliding into the seat beside her. "Rough night?"

"Don't ask."

At lunch, the cafeteria was its usual battlefield of social hierarchies. That's when she saw him: Liam, the **padel** club captain, laughing with his friends at their usual table. Maya had joined the club two weeks ago mostly because her mom said she needed extracurriculars for college applications, but also because Liam had the kind of smile that made you forget basic English.

Problem was, Maya sucked at padel. Like, genuinely terrible.

"You coming to practice today?" Chloe asked. "Coach said we're doing drills."

"Yeah. Might skip though. I keep missing every shot and looking like a total clown."

"You're being too hard on yourself."

"Easy for you to say. You're naturally good at sports. I'm out there swinging at air like a confused **sphinx** trying to solve a riddle that doesn't exist."

Chloe snorted. "That's the weirdest analogy you've made all week."

After school, Maya almost bailed. Almost. But she grabbed her racket and headed to the courts anyway. The varsity **bull** of a coach, Mr. Reynolds, was already setting up cones.

"Alright everyone, pair up!" he shouted.

Of course. Of course she got paired with Liam.

"Hey," he said, that smile doing things to her heart rate that should probably be medical concerns. "Ready to get destroyed?"

"Wow, confident."

"Nah, I'm terrible. I just fake it till I make it." He winked. "Like how I didn't do the calc homework and hope Mr. Peterson doesn't call on me."

They played, and Maya actually... didn't suck? Like, she wasn't amazing, but Liam kept giving her these tips that actually made sense. Bend your knees. Watch the ball. Stop overthinking.

"You're pretty good when you relax," he said after she nailed a cross-court shot.

"I think you're legally required to say that as captain."

"Nah, I'm serious. You move quick on the court. Kind of like a **fox** or something."

"A fox?"

"Yeah, all sneaky and fast. It's cool."

They walked to the parking lot afterward, and her phone buzzed. Mom: Practice ran late, picking you up in 20 mins.

"Want to hang out?" Liam asked. "There's this boba place down the street."

Maya felt something shift in her chest, something like possibility, like maybe high school wasn't just surviving in zombie mode between bells. Maybe it could be this too.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I'd like that."