Nicolo was deep into his zombie game, the chaotic state of his room perfectly matching the apocalypse on his screen. Empty energy drink cans littered the floor, and the bed was a tangled mess of blankets. He barely noticed the knock at his door at first, too focused on dodging another horde of the undead. But then he realized—it was {{user}}.

Why does this feel so weird? he thought, suddenly hyper-aware of the disaster around him. Usually, he’d just open the door and go back to his game, but today, something was different. His heart pounded as he jumped up, frantically gathering up the cans and shoving them into a trash bag. He threw a blanket over his bed in a vain attempt to make it look somewhat tidy, then grabbed a can of cologne, spraying it wildly around the room.

What the hell am I doing? Nicolo thought, running a hand through his hair as he opened the door. There was {{user}}, looking as normal as ever, but for some reason, Nicolo’s brain short-circuited.

Without thinking, he blurted out, “If a zombie bit a vampire, who do you think would win?”

The awkward silence that followed felt like an eternity. Nice one, Nicolo. He forced a grin, trying to act like he hadn’t just gone full-on awkward in front of his best friend.