Zombie Padel Champion

I felt like a zombie walking through the hallway Monday morning—three hours of sleep will do that to you. My best friend Jordan high-fived me as I slumped past his locker, looking way too energetic for someone who'd stayed up until 3 AM gaming.

"Dude, you look dead," he said. "Rough night?"

"Rough night," I agreed, though the truth was more pathetic. I'd been scrolling through Maya's Instagram again, watching her padel tournament videos until my eyes burned. She'd made varsity as a freshman. I was barely starting the sport.

"Speaking of," Jordan continued, lowering his voice, "Tyler's being a total bull about tryouts. Saying he's basically guaranteed first singles since he's been playing since we were like, twelve."

Tyler. The guy who'd made my life miserable in seventh grade until I finally stood up to him. Now he was threatening to dominate high school padel too.

The words spilled out before I could stop them. "I'm trying out."

Jordan's jaw dropped. "Since when?"

"Since this weekend."

That's when I saw her—Maya, laughing with her friends at the end of the hall. She looked perfect, effortless. I looked like I'd been dragged through a zombie apocalypse backward.

"You're serious?" Jordan studied me. "You know Tyler's gonna eat you alive, right?"

"Maybe. But I'd rather go down swinging than sit on the sidelines watching."

I hadn't touched a racquet until Saturday morning. But I'd spent every waking moment since then practicing serves against my garage wall, blisters forming on my palm, my shoulder screaming. My parents thought I'd lost my mind. Maybe I had.

But something had clicked when I finally nailed that backhand drive at midnight Saturday. The sound of the ball hitting the wall—solid, perfect, controlled. For the first time in forever, I didn't feel like a zombie going through the motions. I felt awake.

"So," I asked Jordan, trying to sound casual. "You gonna help me train or what?"

He grinned. "I was hoping you'd ask. But just so you know, if you make varsity before me, I'm never forgiving you."