Zombie State of Mind

I'd been scrolling my **iphone** since 3 AM, so when 7:45 AM rolled around, I was definitely operating in **zombie** mode. My **cat**, Mochi, decided this was the perfect time to knock my phone off the bed, sending it skittering across the floor like it was personally offended by my TikTok addiction.

"Thanks, Mochi," I muttered, dragging myself upright. Today was the day. The first day of sophomore year, and I'd sworn to myself this would be different. New Maya. Confident Maya. Not-the-girl-who-spent-all-summer-curating-her-aesthetic-but-never-actually-hung-out-with-anyone Maya.

The plan started with my dad's old vintage fedora, the one I'd swiped from his closet. I'd been practicing cool hat tilts in the mirror for weeks. I positioned it carefully—slightly askew, like I didn't care about looking effortless while absolutely caring about looking effortless.

Mochi yowled from the kitchen, probably demanding his breakfast. I was almost to the door when I remembered—Nemo. My brother's **goldfish**, which I'd somehow been roped into feeding since Marcus left for college.

The fish floated near the top of its bowl, looking at me with what I swear was judgment in its bulging eyes. "Don't look at me like that," I whispered, shaking some flakes into the water. "At least you don't have to worry about first impressions. You just swim and look pretty."

My phone buzzed. A text from Sarah, asking if I wanted to meet up before school. My thumb hovered over the screen. Last year, I would've made an excuse. Last year, I would've said I was busy or tired or just not feeling it.

But the hat was already on. And I'd stayed up all night overthinking this exact moment.

"Sure," I typed. "Meet by the lockers."

Mochi wound between my legs, purring like he knew something I didn't. I adjusted the fedora, grabbed my backpack, and walked out the door feeling like maybe—just maybe—zombie mode could wait until tomorrow.