Another bites the dust

Prologue

I wake up to mami slamming the kitchen cabinets. My head feels fuzzy as I squint harder at the light that drags closer to my feet. As the blinds swiftly glazed over with the power of the new fan, abuela got me Christmas Eve. It was meant to be my good luck charm since we moved away. "Can you take out the dogs? I'm running late, tilín," said mami while scurrying on her way out the door, looking for her keys. Normally, she'd keep them in the bowl Dad always loved to put his fresh fruit from the garden in. "Puñeta, dónde están— COÑO, mija, ayúdame, please, I'm really late!" I looked down at the dinner table while shuffling a few boxes and newspapers from last night, and sensed a jolt against the table as the keys slid to the floor, taking every piece of mail underneath with it. Mami paused recklessly to take a breath, both unprepared for the impact when it hit the floor. I felt the nerves of a freshly widowed woman, mourning her murdered husband. It felt like it happened all over again with each passing second. Teary-eyed, I hand Mami the keys and hug her. I wish her good luck on her first day and say Bendición as she heads out. We still haven't talked about it, since all I can think about lately is Abuela. I look at the time and realize I have fifteen minutes to get ready for school.

Bell rings

"Okay, class, everyone, welcome our new transfer student, Angel," Ms Elizabeth announced.

The endless blank stares and weary expressions grew louder. "You can sit next to me if you'd like," a distinct voice woke me from the dissonance of whispers echoing through the class. A bright sweater, curly-haired, freckled girl said to me, looking to enjoy the stickers on my bag as I approached her. I felt anxious as I walked over, feeling so many stares. Meanwhile, Ms. Elizabeth handed me a sticker to write my name on. "This will be your seat for the school year in group B," said Ms. Elizabeth, sitting in her pencil skirt. Oddly enough, she's so tall; I smiled, impressed to see her pull it off. During the last ten minutes of class, we get downtime to finish assignments or study. Stacey showed me her collection of affirmation stickers as she introduced herself. She seems like the rich type, with an almond mom who tells her no to sugar. I reached into my bag for my bracelets since I didn't have time to put them on before I left the house. "Whoa, your bracelets are so cool! Are you Puerto Rican?" I replied sarcastically as I tied the knots of my bracelets from Río Piedras across my wrist from Uni, where Dad loved to wait for me. Stacey complimented my teal one as she talked about how much she loved to eat when she traveled to San Juan. We shared a lot of moments before the bell could ring. "You know when you order things off of Shein, and there's always that one inconspicuous item." Stacey found a funny cactus smoking and freaked out. I asked if she wouldn't mind letting me keep it. In exchange, she managed to bargain for my teal bracelet from Rio.