Zombie State of Mind

Maya dragged herself through the school hallway feeling like a literal zombie. Finals week had turned her brain into mush, and she was running on three hours of sleep and an iced coffee that was already melting. The social pyramid at Northwood High was brutal enough when you were fully conscious—try navigating it when you're basically a walking corpse.

Her best friend Chen caught up to her at her locker, practically vibrating with energy. "Maya! You're not gonna believe what went down at Jordan's party last night."

"Did I miss anything legendary?" Maya yawned, popping her locker open.

"Legend-ary. Jordan's uncle has this ginormous dog—like, bear-sized—and it got loose, totally crashed the party. Knocked over this beer can pyramid these frat-wannabe seniors built, then proceeded to eat someone's pizza rolls. It was chaos."

Maya cracked a smile. Chen always had the wildest stories. But something about his voice sounded different this time—almost wistful.

"You okay? You seem... off."

Chen leaned against the lockers, suddenly interested in his sneakers. His vintage Air Forces were scuffed at the toe, just like always. "I, uh, might've talked to Isabella last night."

"NO way." Maya's sleepiness vanished like that. "You finally made your move after ALL this time?"

"It wasn't even a move, really. We were both on the back porch watching the storm, and she actually laughed at my terrible joke about weather apps. But then lightning hit this tree down the street and everything went dark and—"

"And you kissed?"

"What? No! I literally tripped over a lawn chair and almost face-planted. She helped me up and our hands touched for like, a solid second. That's it. I'm down bad, Maya."

Maya wrapped her best friend in a hug, right there in the crowded hallway. Who cared if they looked cringe? Chen had been crushing on Isabella since seventh grade, when they'd somehow both ended up wearing the same neon green shirt on picture day. That moment—that tiny, awkward, perfect moment—was everything.

"You'll get there," she promised. "Even zombies like me can see it's gonna happen."

The warning bell rang. First period: AP Bio. Another day of surviving the pyramid, another chance at something real. Maybe being a walking corpse wasn't so bad when you had ride-or-die friends who'd help you find your way back to life.