After leaving Dairy Queen Kelly decided to go to the gym. She didn't really need to exercise but she needed to be occupied. She grabbed some running shoes that were in her car and her headphones from the glove compartment and went inside.
She approached the woman at the front desk.
"Hello and welcome to planet fitness. Do you have a membership with us ma'am?" The short girl asked.
Her hair was in a slick ponytail and she was wearing her planet fitness polo with knee length spandex on.
"Uhh no." Kelly spoke.
"Were you interested in signing up today?"
"Not really. I'm getting ready to move, I won't be able to use it. Do yall have like some one day workout deals or something?" Kelly asked.
"No. I'm sorry" she paused "but we actually have a fitness class going on right now. I'll give you this pass for the session but you can go right in and use the equipment." The girl offered.
"Oh thank you!" Kelly smiled.
She headed for the treadmills. She set the distance for five miles, popped her headphones in, and began to jog at a steady pace. She turned on pandora and tuned in to the Pleasure P station. Pretty Ricky's Hotline was playing.
While running she started to think about the night before. She felt betrayed that Denise was talking to Kendrick without her consent. It wasn't anything serious but what if it had been? What if they were in established relationships? Denise would backstab her like that?
Dwayne then crossed her mind. She was surely attracted to Dwayne. He dressed nice. His hair was always fresh cut as if he got a line up everyday. He was sweet and she liked talking to him. She could see herself being close friends with him in the future.
Kelly thought about the snapchat earlier that she got from user baller23. She continued to run and decided not to open the notification.
She knew of the sender. It was her ex boyfriend Eric who she went to school with in Georgia. Kelly's relationship with Eric was bittersweet. Eric was handsome, loyal, and he was wealthy. The only thing was that he hung around people and Kelly didn't approve which made him phony in her eyes.
When they went to school together, Eric was dating a girl named Britney. They had relationship issues. For real. Britney was Kelly's classmate and Britney put their business out only all the time.
After the two broke up, Eric conivinced Kelly that he was feeling her since the day he met her and now that he was free from "cruela" he wanted to be with her.
Kelly again decided to wait to open the message.
***
She went home and showered. After, she decided she'd spend the day pampering herself. She got a manicure and pedicure and also went to get a massage. Boy doesn't it feel good being able to take care of yourself. Later, she got her makeup done by Texas's favorite, Ali.
She felt great. She felt like she could conquer the world. Too bad she wasn't even going anywhere.
It was Saturday so her mom was closing up shop early. When Kelly got home her mom wasn't there. But sometimes a Tasha would make it home later for whatever reason so Kelly didn't sweat it. She went into her room and collapsed on her bed. In a while she was gonna be missing this old place. But just a little.
***
Hours passed and Tasha still wasn't home. It was night time. Kelly usually didn't go to bed until her mom was home.
Kelly decided to call her. She didn't get an answer. After long hard thought she called her stepdad.
"How are you?" He answered. He sounded unstable.
"What? I'm good. What you talking about?" Kelly asked almost freaking out.
"You didn't hear?" He voice scratched.
"Hear what?" Kelly demanded in a sharp tone.
"There was an accident at the salon." He started sniffling.
That word dead began to echo in her ears.
Everything was black. The atmosphere had evaporated and planet earth began to rot.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Kelly stared at the back of her eyelids. A little above a whisper. "When did this happen? What happened? This can't be real!" Kelly began to question the man uncontrollably.
"Kelly listen," he exhaled with obvious build up.
"No. Where is she?" Kelly began to pace the floor as her eyes started to flood. "Are you with her?"
"Yes. Kelly..." She cut him off.
"Is she okay?" Kelly boldly asked.
Her heart raced in her chest afraid at what his answer would be.
"Come to the hospital."
Kelly got into her car and sped towards the hospital's address. She put on her emergency lights to avoid any trouble with traffic and police.
She started to think of her mom. Her sweet voice, her ambition, her strength. Tears began to flow without an end. She struck the steering wheel as she drove.
"Oh my God." She screeched. She was going well over 100 miles per hour. She was hurting. Her thoughts were eating her alive.
The last thing Kelly needed was to lose her mother. She was grown, yes. But she still depended on her mother's guidance through the transition of her moving out. She was going to college. She was about to be exposed to the real world.
When Kelly got to the hospital she ran into the building. She quickly approached the front desk.
"Tasha? Tasha Wright?" Kelly said as clear as she could.
"Have a seat ma'am." The woman said pointing to the waiting area.
"I don't have time to take a seat." Kelly banged the desk before storming past the woman. She checked every room she passed looking for her mother.
She saw her stepfather standing outside a room. He started walking toward her. She stopped in her tracks. He continued to walk until he reached her wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"Get your hands off of me!" She yelled rolling her eyes and walking into the room.
She dropped her car keys and broke out in tears at the sight of her mom.
"Mommy." She squealed.
She almost died having to see her like this.
"From what I've been told, she slit her wrist at work and her vein punctured her arm causing her to bleed out. She's lost a lot of blood." Tasha's husband stood beside Kelly. "She passed out and she's been unresponsive ever sine 4 o'clock."
Kelly grabbed her mother's fragile hand. A nurse came into the room. She stared at the woman who looked intimidated.
"How in the hell did that happen?" She looked at her stepdad standing there. He looked as if he would collapse.
"I wasn't there." He sighed.
The nurse proceeded to check Tasha for signs of responsiveness. She called her name several times and manipulated parts of her body for movement.
"Still no response. Dilating of the pupils. Temperature dropping."
"Is my mom going to die?" Kelly cut the nurse off sitting on the side of the doctor bed.
The woman sighed. "Only time will tell." Then she left the room with her clip bored patting my back on the way out.
Minutes later Kelly was asleep in the bed with her mother. Suddenly the pulse monitor flatlined. Kelly was immediately waken from her sleep.
She buried her face in her mother's chest and began to sob. Her stepfather sat in a chair sobbing softly in his hands.
