Zombie Mode: Off

Maya's hair refused to cooperate. She'd spent forty-five minutes trying to tame the frizzy curls into something resembling effortless beach waves, but now she just looked like she'd stuck her finger in an electrical socket. Great. Absolutely perfect.

"You look fine," her little brother Leo called from the hallway, not even looking up from his iPhone. "You always look fine. It's annoying."

Maya groaned and shoved another vitamin gummy into her mouth. Her mom had bought the "teen wellness" pack with B12 for stress and biotin for "hair, skin, and nails." Apparently they were supposed to help with everything from acne to existential dread. So far, they'd just given her neon blue tongue.

Tonight was the night. Liam's party. The one everyone would be at. The one where she might finally talk to Jordan — the Jordan with the soft laugh and the way they always asked about her drawings, even though nobody else ever noticed them.

Her palms were already sweating. She wiped them on her jeans, leaving dark streaks on the denim. Why did nervousness always manifest in the most inconvenient ways? At this rate, she'd be that weird girl with clammy hands if she ever worked up the courage to actually hold anyone's hand.

She checked herself in the mirror one more time. Hair: slightly less disastrous. Outfit: her favorite oversized hoodie (comfort over courage, always). Nerves: through the roof.

"You've been in zombie mode all week," Leo said, finally looking up from his phone. "Like, literally walking around school looking half-dead. It's just a party."

Maya grabbed her backpack and headed for the door. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who's been planning conversations in your head for three weeks straight."

"Practice conversations?" Leo made a face. "That's weird. Just talk to them like a normal person."

Maya stepped outside into the cool evening air. Her phone buzzed — a text from her best friend Sam: "already here and jordan is asking abt u!!!"

Her heart did that embarrassing fluttery thing. She took a deep breath, wiped her sweaty palms one more time, and started walking. Zombie mode: off. Actual human interaction mode: on. Probably. Hopefully.

The night was young, her hair was semi-cooperative, and she had a pocket full of vitamin gummies. She was as ready as she'd ever be.