Zombie Mode at the Padel Courts

I was running on pure caffeine vibes and two hours of sleep—basically functioning in full zombie mode. My converse scuffed against the pavement as I dragged myself toward the community center, where the padel tournament was already in full swing. The neon lights from the courts reflected off the dew on the grass, making everything look like a fever dream.

"You good, bro?" Marcus asked, spinning his padel racket like a boss. "You look like you've been mainlining Monster energy drinks again."

"Finals week is trying to end me," I groaned, adjusting my lucky beanie. The hat was crooked, my hair was doing whatever it wanted, and I had zero energy to fix either situation. "But I promised Jasmine I'd sub for her partner. She's at the vet with her cat—you know, the one that ate half a houseplant yesterday?"

Marcus laughed. "Classic Luna behavior. That cat's a whole mood."

We walked onto Court 4, where the opposing team was stretching like this was the Olympics. One girl in a matching tennis outfit gave me the once-over, her expression screaming she'd already calculated my defeat before I even served. The social dynamics of tournament play never changed—padel was just high school with more boundaries and a glass wall.

"Game point," the ref announced.

Something shifted. Maybe it was the adrenaline kicking in, or maybe I was just tired of feeling like a zombie in my own life. I slammed the serve, the ball hitting the padel racket with a satisfying *thwack*. We rallied back and forth, the game blurring into instinct and motion—no overthinking, no stress about finals, just pure movement.

When the final point landed, Marcus high-fived me so hard my hand stung. "What did I tell you? Zombie instincts activated."

"Whatever," I grinned, breathless and actually alive for the first time all week. My phone buzzed—Jasmine sending a thumbs-up emoji with the caption: Luna's fine, just dramatic.

The neon lights flickered overhead. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and had somehow managed to not embarrass myself. Being a teenager felt like walking through life half-asleep sometimes, but moments like this? They made the zombie state worth it.