Zombie State of Mind

Maya dragged herself into third period feeling like a straight-up zombie. Three consecutive nights of TikTok doom-scrolling will do that to you. Her AP Bio partner Leo shot her a look that said, "You good?" and she managed a weak thumbs-up.

"We're dissecting today," Leo whispered, sliding her a specimen tray. "Try not to pass out."

The creature on the tray lay there—gross, unfamiliar, and somehow ridiculous. Mr. Harrison announced they'd be examining fetal bulls from a local farm. Maya stared at the tiny curled form, suddenly weirdly moved. This thing never even got to be a whole bear of a creature, just a learning opportunity for sleep-deprived teens.

"You're gonna love this," Leo said, brandishing his scalpel. "I went vegetarian for like, a week after last year. Then I remembered In-N-Out exists."

Maya snorted. She'd tried going vegetarian too. Lasted until her abuela made her famous arroz con pollo, because apparently challenging tradition was worse than eating meat. Though honestly, her spinach quesadilla phase had been low-key tragic anyway.

"Hey," Leo said, dropping his voice. "You doing homecoming? Everyone's talking about it."

The question hit like a physical weight. Homecoming meant dresses, photos, spending hours getting ready for something that could be captured in a single Instagram post. It meant performing happiness for an audience.

Maya thought about her older sister Sofia's homecoming photos—the perfect dress, the perfect smile, the perfect boyfriend who turned out to be messaging other girls the whole time. Performing joy when you're actually hollow inside? That's the real zombie state.

"I think I'm good," Maya said, surprising herself. "Actually, no. I'm NOT good. I'm exhausted. But I'm also not doing it."

Leo's eyebrows shot up. "Bold move."

"It's not bold, it's boundaries." She gestured at the bull specimen. "This thing literally never got a choice. I do."

Leo considered this, then slowly nodded. "Fair. You know what? I'm only going because my mom's making me. I'd rather be literally anywhere else."

The admission hung between them, genuine and weirdly intimate. Maybe authenticity was possible, even in the middle of AP Bio dissection.

"Wanna get boba after school?" Maya found herself asking. "We can NOT talk about homecoming."

Leo grinned. "Deal. But I'm getting taro. No spinach for me."

"Deal."

For the first time all week, Maya didn't feel like a zombie anymore. Just a tired teenager who'd accidentally made a real connection over a dead bull specimen. Weird how life worked.