Zombie Walk to First Period

Maya dragged herself through the hallway like a zombie, her brain still mush from staying up until 3 AM doomscrolling. The school's ancient air conditioning had died sometime during first period, leaving everyone sweating through their outfits.

"You look like actual death," said JJ, falling into step beside her. His orange snapback was pulled low, eyes half-lidded in solidarity.

"Thanks, you too," Maya shot back, though she managed a weak smile. JJ was the only person who got her morning grumpiness.

Outside, the parking lot was a maze of charging cables snaking from the building's exterior outlets to cars whose owners refused to pay for the campus charging stations. Maya spotted Chloe's Tesla connected to a suspiciously frayed cable that definitely violated three different safety codes.

"Speaking of death traps," JJ said, following her gaze. "Chloe's gonna burn down the whole senior class one day."

Maya's phone buzzed—her mom, again. The notification bubble was a persistent little orange dot demanding attention. She swiped it away without reading.

They cut through the courtyard, where Mr. Henderson's golden retriever, Buster, had somehow escaped again. The dog was currently living his best life, sprinting in joyful circles around the fountain and spraying water everywhere. A group of freshmen shrieked as he shook himself off like a canine sprinkler.

"That dog has more freedom than any of us," Maya observed, feeling weirdly jealous.

"That dog also eats trash and licks strangers," JJ pointed out. "Life goals, honestly."

Maya laughed despite herself. The zombie fog was lifting, just a little. She could do today. Probably.

"Race you to the vending machines?" JJ asked, already backing away with a grin.

"You're on, loser."

And for the first time all morning, Maya didn't feel like a zombie anymore. Just a tired teenager with friends who got it, and a dog who was definitely about to get them both written up for disrupting the peace.