Zombie Mode Pyramid Scheme

Maya dragged herself into third period like a zombie, hair sticking up in three different directions from falling asleep with wet braids again. Two hours of sleep would do that to you. Or maybe it was the existential dread of presenting her English project today.

"You look dead," whispered Jamie from the adjacent desk, flipping their perfect curls. "Rough night?"

"Rough life," Maya muttered, fishing a crumpled paper from her backpack. "Check this out. My cousin's selling those hair vitamins now. It's literally a pyramid scheme, but she swears by them."

Jamie snorted. "Your cousin who dropped out to become a psychic? The one who read your palm at Thanksgiving and said you'd 'meet a tall dark stranger'?"

"She said I'd have success in creative fields!" Maya protested. "Anyway, if I sign up as a distributor and get three friends to join, I get free product. Want in?"

"Pass." Jamie turned back to their phone. "Speaking of friends though, you're coming to Skylar's party tonight, right?"

Maya's stomach did that thing where it forgot how to be an organ. Skylar. The reason she'd gotten exactly two hours of sleep, overthinking their brief conversation at the gym yesterday where Skylar had complimented her new shoes.

"I don't know," Maya hedged. "Kind of behind on—"

"You're going." Jamie's phone pinged with what sounded like approximately seven notifications at once. "I need you there. You're my emotional support friend."

Maya rolled her eyes but smiled. Jamie had that effect on people—dragging you out of your comfort zone while making it seem like your idea. "Fine. But if I fall asleep on a couch, just leave me there. Don't draw on my face again."

"No promises." Jamie winked. "Oh, and wear that palm print shirt. You looked good in it last time."

The bell rang. Maya straightened her messy hair and thought about pyramids and zombies and friendship and how somehow, impossibly, she'd agreed to go to a party when all she wanted was to sleep until college. But Skylar would be there. And Jamie would be there, being Jamie.

Maybe being a little zombie wasn't the worst thing in the world. At least zombies had friends.