My sister comes home from work looking exhausted. I was waiting on the door step because she has the keys and hasn't made a copy. She looks at me with guilt in her eyes as she realizes she forgot to pick me up and give me a spare key.

"I'm so sorry Nadia, I forgot, I promise to make it up to you!" I roll my eyes waiting for her to unlock the doors. One more hour and I'm sure some of these neighbors would have called for help on my behalf.

"Whatever." I leave her behind and walk towards my bedroom slamming the door so she can be very aware that I'm upset. She had one job, technically two because I need a key to my own house.

If it wasn't for her, I would have already been inside eating food and doing homework. And maybe a nap, but no, she just had to wait 'til the last minute to not make me a copy of the key.

This day couldn't have been more stressful than it needed to be. I hear a knocking on my door, she wants to say sorry and make it up to me. It's the usual routine of hers.

"What?"

"I'm sorry Nadia, I just did not have time to get that copy and my first day on the job was gruesome. I tried my best sis..."

I zone out from her ramblings when I notice a spider on the window. The same one I had saw earlier from the bus stop. Mr. Sutton had said they were deadly. I grab a shoe to kill it but before I could, Claudia walks in continuing her ramblings. Her entrance distracting me from the task and I turn to kill the spider but it was gone.

"Uh... what are you doing with that shoe?"

"Nothing, let's go."

*

*

Driving down the same road to get to my school felt so mundane. This will be my continuous repetition 'til I graduate. Even then, I will be on my way to adulthood where I become the modern indenture slave to capitalism.

I see my sister work tirelessly on many late nights. She says "I work so you can do great things for yourself", but I can see it in her eyes. She wonders why they didn't take me instead of our parents.

Sometimes, I wonder that too.

Before I realized we were already near campus,  Claudia turns to me and gives a small smile that barely reaches her eyes.

"I'm going to be late tonight, here's my keys for you to get inside. Don't let anyone in, you have my work number in case you need to reach me." She has yet to make the spare keys, I shrug and leave without saying goodbye.

She says love you while I leave. I don't ever turn back, why would I?

I can still feel the eyes follow me to the entrance of the school. It's not like I'm any special but the novelty of my presence hasn't worn off yet. For now, I'll be the talk of the school until something new comes along.

Through the halls, I can hear their whispers, the feeling of judgement being thrown on me. Like I mentioned, there wasn't a lot of newcomers here and I was not someone they meet all the time in this school. I knew there were other schools that had more diverse students just like me. Except my sister wanted me to have a better chance than the rest.

Her job affords her to get the best despite being a manager at a company. She makes money but not the type to get us a house. I suspect she's been sleeping with someone of higher power than her position. Maybe if our parents were alive I would care that she's selling herself. Except, I don't care anymore, time to make anything happened to get to where we want to be.

*

*

I get to my next class on time before the late bell had rung. Everyone else was rushing to get in before being marked late. But, Mr. Sutter notices who's early and late.

"You know there's no point in running when you already are late." The late students rolled their eyes at Sutter. He notices but is unbothered by their attitudes.

"Okay class, I assume you've all read the homework assignment last night." Everyone groaned except me, I read the material and know what we'll be discussing.

Class is over by then and it's off to our next class. Mr. Sutter reminds everyone about an essay coming up. Something about local or worldwide phenomenon of legends. Before I could leave his classroom. He stops me to talk about this assignment.

"Hey Nadia, mind if we speak for a minute of your time. If you're late, I'll write you excuse for your teacher."

"Uh... sure, what's up Mr. Sutter?" He leans against his desk, crosses his arms which flex underneath his shirt. He takes off his glasses and looks at me curiously. Like I'm some type of oddity.

"You're originally from California but have moved to Mexico where you lived majority of your life?" Wow, I guess your story gets around with the faculty.

"Yes."

"I heard the local legend of the death Maiden."

"Santa Muerta." I correct him on the official title of the legend in Mexico.

"Yes, her, I think she would be interesting for your assignment and could give the students a glimpse into your culture. As you can see, there's not much diversity here."

This annoys me and makes me feel reduced to only the area I'm from. As if I couldn't have picked a different legend of different worlds.

"I thought I'd might do my essay on this towns legend."

"To be honest, about five students will write about it. I merely figured yours could be different from others." Well... when he puts it like that.

"Okay, I'll think of something."

"Great, I can't wait to read it. And just so you're aware, extra 50 points if you volunteer to read it to the class." I nod my head as he writes me an excuse for my next class. We say our goodbyes and I think over what I should talk about in my essay besides the required topics he wants.

Santa Muerte is important to our culture, she oversees the dead and grants them passage to our world to visit their loved ones. But there are much darker myths to her nature, one I'm sure will bring a shiver down the students spines. I don't know if I should go a little goth on them. Besides the point, I have much research to do, and some side research on this local legend. What is it with these damn spiders? And why are they showing up around me?