Zombie State of Mind

Maya stood at the edge of Jenny's pool party, clutching her phone like a lifeline. Finals week had turned her into a total zombie — three nights of minimal sleep will do that to you. Her brain felt like it was running on 2% battery, and honestly? Same.

"You okay?" asked Leo, sliding up beside her. Leo, with his annoyingly perfect hair and those dimples that made half the sophomore class swoon.

"Just vibing," Maya lied, gesturing vaguely at the chaos unfolding before them.

The pool was a battlefield of teenage social warfare. There was Connor, showing off with his canonball into the water. There was Chloe and her squad dominating the inflatable throne like they owned the place. And there it was — the giant inflatable bear floating near the deep end,占据ing the prime real estate.

"I call bear!" someone shouted, and suddenly it was a race. Maya watched as Leo launched himself toward the bear, cutting through the water with effortless strokes. Of course he'd make it look easy.

"Your turn," Leo said, paddling the bear over to where she stood. "Fair warning — it's harder than it looks."

Maya hesitated. Her zombie brain was already calculating the embarrassment potential of falling off in front of everyone. But then she caught Jenny's eye across the pool, that expectant look, and something in her shifted.

Whatever. If she was going to be awkward, she might as well commit.

She slipped into the water, cool and shocking against her skin, and something unlocked in her chest. The zombie fog lifted. She pushed off the side, strong and steady, reaching the bear in five strokes.

She hauled herself onto the inflatable, arms trembling, heart racing, and sat there like she ruled the world. Below her, the water rippled outward in perfect concentric circles. Above her, the actual sun broke through the clouds.

"Not bad," Leo called from the water.

Maya looked down at him, really looked at him, and for the first time all week, she didn't feel dead inside. She felt awake. She felt ready.

"Not bad?" she shot back, grinning. "I'm literally the queen of this bear. Bow down, peasant."