Zombies Don't Swim

Maya felt like a straight-up zombie. Final exams had drained her soul, leaving her operating on nothing but caffeine and anxiety. Yet here she was at Tyler's pool party, clutching a warm can of orange soda like it was her only lifeline to sanity.

The real palm tree swaying over the crystal-blue pool looked faker than Tyler's smile when he asked how everyone's summer was going. Classic rich kid vibes—everything curated for the aesthetic, even the nature.

"Maya! You gonna swim or what?" someone shouted. She noticed some girls from her English class giggling near the deep end. They looked effortless in their matching bikinis, while Maya stood there in her one-piece like she was attending a funeral instead of a party.

Then she saw him. Liam. The quiet boy from AP Bio who sat three rows back and always smelled like sandalwood and old books. He was reading on a lounge chair, completely ignoring the chaos around him. A zombie in his own way.

Suddenly, the sky turned that weird greenish-gray color that promised trouble. Before anyone could process it, lightning cracked across the sky—actually lit up everything like a camera flash from the universe.

The pool surface shimmered electric blue. Someone screamed (playfully, dramatically). The orange soda in Maya's hand suddenly made sense—bright, artificial, exactly what she needed.

Liam looked up from his book, caught her staring, and actually smiled. Not the fake Tyler kind. Real.

"You gonna finish that?" he asked, pointing to her soda.

She laughed, and the sound surprised her. "You want this warm orange garbage? Be my guest."

"You'd be surprised what I'll settle for," he said, walking over as thunder rumbled like the sky was clearing its throat.

They ended up sitting on the covered patio together, watching the storm roll in over the palm tree that looked more real in the rain than it ever had in the sun. She forgot about being a zombie. She forgot about exams and social hierarchies and whether her one-piece was cool enough.

Sometimes lightning doesn't strike you down. Sometimes it just wakes you up.