Two

Sara was still crying, lying face down on her bed. Daniel knocked on her door, urging her to hurry up so they could go to school. Sara forced herself to get up from the bed, though the hurtful words her father had said in the dining room were still echoing in her head. She walked over to what passed for a closet—a piece of wood with some hangers—and pulled out her school uniform. As she got dressed, she glanced at her mother's picture sitting on a small table near the window. It was an old, faded photo, yellowed by time, but her mother looked young and happy, her long, straight hair flowing freely, wearing a dress that probably cost more than anything Sara had ever owned.

Sara sighed. Her mother had lived a better life, a life that Sara would never have. She couldn't help but compare herself to her mom. While her mother had enjoyed a comfortable existence, Sara was stuck in this hellhole. After a moment, she left the room.

She walked through the narrow hallway between the bedrooms and reached the front door, where Daniel was already waiting for her. He looked her up and down and made a crude comment about how long it had taken her to get ready. Without responding, Sara followed him outside.

The street was just as miserable as always. Dogs barked furiously, either fighting over a bone or defending their territory. A neighbor was yelling at his wife because she'd forgotten to pay the electricity bill, and now the power company's truck was parked outside their house, ready to cut off their service. The hum of cars passing by, the murmur of parents taking their kids to school or kindergarten—it was all noise, all chaos. Sara kept her head down, trying to ignore the world around her, but everything reminded her of how fucked up her life was.

When they arrived at the school, Daniel went his way, and Sara headed to her classroom. Professor Moreno was already there, standing in front of the blackboard with his sunglasses on, as usual. He was a strict man, and Sara knew she couldn't afford to zone out during his math class. Though she didn't particularly enjoy the subject, paying attention had its benefits. At least it kept her mind sharp, helping her think critically and logically. 

But that focus disappeared when it came to other subjects like social studies, science, literature, or English. During those classes, Sara found herself distracted, tuning into conversations her classmates were having about a girl in the senior class who had just opened an OnlyFans account. Because of this lack of interest, Sara risked becoming someone easily manipulated, unable to understand how the world worked. She might fall for fake news, not know her rights, or fail to grasp basic things like how the body works, ecology, or technology. In the future, this could lead to poor decisions about her health, believing in pseudoscience, or being clueless about issues like climate change. Not to mention, without English skills, many job opportunities would be closed to her. She'd struggle with reading, writing, understanding contracts, or even expressing herself clearly. Debating, drafting formal emails, or defending her ideas would all be uphill battles.

Sara received several warnings from her teachers for her lack of engagement, which affected her conduct grades. When the bell finally rang, she left the classroom and headed toward the school exit, where her friend Alicia was waiting for her. Alicia immediately showed off a necklace her Sugar Daddy had bought her the previous weekend. Sara was shocked and felt a wave of disgust. She couldn't believe her friend was involved in that kind of thing.

Sara tried to talk some sense into Alicia, but her friend shut her up right away. "Come with me to the beauty salon," Alicia said, waving a wad of cash her Sugar Daddy had given her to "look good." Sara hesitated, torn between what she believed was right and the fleeting desire to experience something new. Eventually, she gave in and decided to accompany Alicia to the salon.

While they were inside, the woman cutting Sara's hair started chatting about how a 24-year-old girl had recently married a 66-year-old man who had been her Sugar Daddy for six years. Sara couldn't imagine herself doing something like that, but her reflection in the mirror seemed to whisper to her, telling her this was the easiest way out of the poverty her family was trapped in.

After leaving the salon, Alicia made a suggestive comment to Sara, encouraging her to consider following in her footsteps. But Sara quickly rejected the idea, remembering her mother's words when she was still alive: never sell your dignity. When Sara said goodbye to Alicia and watched her disappear into the distance, she turned back toward her house.

Once inside, Sara walked through the narrow hallway between the rooms and entered the small living room, where her father was sprawled on the floor, snoring like a pig, an empty bottle of aguardiente clutched in his hand. Sara shook her head, thinking about how everything had turned into a living hell since her mother died and her father started drinking. 

She went to the kitchen, hoping to find something to cook for dinner, but the pantry was empty again. Her father had received his paycheck, but he hadn't even thought about buying basic groceries. Her stomach growled, but there was nothing she could do. Ignoring the hunger, she retreated to her room, locking the door behind her, and tried to sleep.

That night, Sara had a dream that left her unsettled. She saw herself dressed in the same revealing outfits the girls on social media wore. For a moment, she felt a strange sense of power coursing through her body. But then the dream shifted. She saw herself naked, lying on a bed, spreading her legs as an old man penetrated her violently. She woke up with a start, her heart racing and her breathing heavy. A wave of disgust and revulsion washed over her, making her throat tighten.

Sara grabbed the scapular hanging from her neck and squeezed it tightly. She promised herself that she would never do what those girls did for money. But the idea of having a better life still lingered in her mind, refusing to fade away.