Zombie Mode at the Plate

Maya stumbled onto the baseball diamond feeling like a straight-up zombie. Three hours of sleep. Thanks, AP History paper. She'd pounded like five vitamin gummies at breakfast—her mom's "wellness hack"—but honestly? They might as well have been Skittles for all the good they did.

"You good, May?" Lucas called from left field. Perfect Lucas with his perfect swing and his perfect everything. He'd probably gotten eight hours,REM cycles included.

"Solid," Maya lied, adjusting her batting gloves. Coach Miller blew the whistle. Batting practice. Last tryouts before varsity cuts.

The first pitch came. Maya swung so hard she practically pirouetted. Whiff.

"Easy," some sophomore whispered. Not quietly enough.

Second pitch. Ground ball to third. Out. Maya's face burned. This was it. This was the moment she became the benchwarmer forever. Lucas was watching. The whole team was watching. Social suicide, imminent.

Then Coach Miller walked over, massive and bearded like a grizzly bear that had accidentally wandered onto a middle school field trip.

"You're gripping the bat like it owes you money," he grunted.

Maya blinked. "What?"

"Relax. You're swinging like you're fighting for your life. This is baseball, not the zombie apocalypse." He cracked this tiny smile. "Also, you're standing in the wrong batter's box."

Maya looked down. The dirt was worn on the LEFT side. She'd been batting righty her whole life, but in her zombie state, she'd literally forgotten which side she was supposed to be on.

"Oh my GOD," she groaned, face fully nuclear now.

"Hey." Coach actually laughed. "Happens. Switch. Try again."

She switched. Stepped in. Breathed. One pitch.

CRACK.

Line drive. Straight to center. Perfect.

Lucas whooped from the field. "NOW we're talking!"

Maya exhaled, adrenaline flooding her system. Okay, maybe she could do this. Zombie mode or not.

Later, Lucas jogged over as they packed up. "Nice hit, May. You looked straight-up dead up there, but then—boom."

"Thanks, I think?" Maya laughed, actually laughed. "I literally forgot which side of the plate I bat from."

"That's iconic," Lucas said, grinning. "Hey, you want to grab boba after? The team usually goes."

Maya's stomach did this little flip. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that."

Walking away, she fished another vitamin gummy from her pocket. Might as well. Zombie life required its own supplements, after all.