XXXVIII. Emergency

                                    

                                          
This is Halloween! This is Hallo-
                          
"Nope. Creepy ass movie," Amari grumbled as she sat completely naked on the foot of the bed. Fresh out of the hot bath, Amari assumed she could get dressed while watching a movie. Except she forgot it was Saturday, which meant not a damn thing was on. The only thing she could really do was flip through the channels aimlessly, hoping to find something to soothe her boredom. 
                          
"Do I even want to get dressed? I think I'll be naked for the entire day. Let the bits breathe a little," She continued to talk to herself as she struggled to find anything good to watch. After giving up, she decided that YouTube would have to work. Amari's YouTube history consisted of music, cooking fails and Gordon Ramsay roasting people, but after learning about Viktor's hobby, she started watching woodworking videos. Hell, that was just yesterday. She watched people make an assortment of items just out of wood. Tables, chairs, figurines, dishes and even items from popular video games. Not only was it interesting as hell, but it was also relaxing. Last night, Amari found herself drifting off to the sounds of hammering, chipping and the buzz of power tools.
                          
The very naked black woman stood up and made her way to her charging phone. Her late-night YouTube adventures resulted in her waking up to a completely dead phone. Leaving her phone on the charger while she took an early morning bath seemed like a smart idea. As she made her way to the dresser that held her phone, she noticed her reflection in the large mirror that was propped up against her closet door. Amari immediately stopped in her tracks and examined herself.
                          
"God damn! Look at that ass! Dem thighs! Deez guns!" Amari exclaimed as she did goofy poses in the mirror. No longer could she see her ribs, collar bone, and hip bones. She was ripped! Well, not roided out, but she was definitely healthier than before. the dark circles under her eyes were stubborn, though. Her nights with Viktor helped her rest better, but it was still a challenge to sleep through the night.
                          
"One step at a time, Amari. Now all you need is a decent job and custody of your niece," After she was finished congratulating herself, Amari finally picked up her nearly charged phone. The amount of missed calls she saw horrified her. It didn't help that every single one was from Aisha. She attempted to call the teen back but was met with her goofy voice recording.
                          
'Hello. Please stop calling. I'm asleep. Goodbye.'
                          
"Fuck!" Amari swore. "Fuck Fuck Fuck!"
                          
The 25-year-old black woman charged through her room, grabbing any article of clothing to put on. A plain white shirt and a pair of black sweats were the closest things to her. She didn't bother diving into her closet to search for some kind of jacket. Yeah, the fall air would be crisp on her freshly bathed skin, but this was an emergency. It also didn't help that she got those calls an hour ago. Was she having an Asthma attack? She just hoped and prayed that Isaiah was taking care of her if she was.
                          
She sprinted outside and pulled on her car door only to realize it was locked and she didn't have her keys.
                          
"Dammit, Amari! Stop fucking up!"
                          
You've fucked up all your life. Why were you expecting anything different?
                          
"NOT NOW!"
                          
Once Amari had her keys, she quickly unlocked her doors and jumped in the car. She plunged her keys into the ignition and twisted with shaky fingers, only to discover that her car wouldn't start.
                          
"W-What?" She tried again. The engine sputtered in an attempt to start but to no prevail. "Come on, baby. I've had you for 9 years and you've been an angel. Don't do this to me. Not now."
                          
Deciding that the pep talk wouldn't make the car start, she jumped out of the defiant Taurus X and looked under the hood. What the hell could she have done? She drove home from Viktor's with no problem. Her tank wasn't empty, she filled it up last night. Dead battery maybe? But how could that have happened?