#1: Car Troubles

--

Looking back, I can see that my ‘abnormal circumstances’ trace their origins to one of the days my car broke down.

It was a Friday. The only thing that made it different from every other Friday thus far was that it precluded our first three-day weekend of the semester.

After getting out of my last class, I went to get some time in at the campus boxing gym before departing. It was actually rather nice; I had the gym to myself since everyone else left early to enjoy the time off.

High on endorphins, I walked out to my car in the deserted parking lot. As I search for my keys, I spotted some dark clouds in the distance but didn’t think much of them. As long as they didn’t turn into a major lightning storm that interfered with my watching a marathon on Animal Planet when I got home, I didn’t care. I threw my stuff in the cab of my pickup truck, a 1985 beat-up Ford Ranger that used to be my dad’s, and started up the car.

Except the car wouldn’t start.

The key turned fine, which was a relief since sometimes it got stuck and wouldn’t budge unless you begged nicely. But the engine simply sputtered, refusing to turn over.

“C’mon Aragorn…I know you have it in you…” I tried encouraging the Ranger. But my poor ride, ignoring its LoTR nobility-named origins, wouldn’t budge.

Being stranded was a common enough occurrence, and, not perturbed in the least, I whipped out my cell phone and started down my list of Friends With Cars Who Don’t Mind Rescuing Me At Random Times.

However, after the fifth “Sorry babe/dear/dudette! We’ve already left for the beach/city/bar! Can’t waste the extended weekend, you know,” and the third time leaving a message on my mom’s voicemail, I started to come down off my exercise-induced high.

My mom, workaholic art dealer that she was, was more than likely working the scene, cell phone tossed and forgotten in the bottom of her briefcase. And my dad, being in Alaska as he was, wouldn’t have been much help, even if I did manage to get a hold of him.

As I sat in the car listening to my mom’s voicemail for the fourth time, I thought, Screw this. I’m a fighter. I can walk.

Snapping my cell phone shut, I hoisted my backpack and gym bag back out of the car and started trekking my way towards home, about an hour’s walk away.

Now that I think about it, I suppose I could’ve taken the bus. Should have, really. But I hated riding the old thing. All my experiences on the bus were as far from pleasant as they could be.

So I walked.

I was starting to feel pretty good about myself again. Taking charge of my own life, dealing with whatever problems came my way, etc. etc.

If only I had known that after that walk home my life would change as drastically as it did, I would have risked the bus. Any problems I encountered up to then were normal enough, plus they gave my best friend Shaness and I something to laugh about when we were supposed to be studying.

But this…this was something I wasn’t prepared for.

As the thunder rolled in the distance, my confidence waned slightly. It was the only warning nature deemed fit to bestow upon me before things went south.

My name is Aria.

I’ve got 99 problems, but a female dog ain’t one.

--

A/N: Yes, I got my inspiration from Jay-Z :) But only loosely.

I plan on writing each chapter as a problem (yes, there are 99 of them!) but don’t be overwhelmed – some of the chapters will be VERY short, like maybe a paragraph or two. However, if I feel that the numerous chapters are too much – and please let me know in your reviews if you feel that way or otherwise, too! – then I’ll just have to be content with grouping them into chapters. This chapter size should be the norm, unless I get too carried away with detail, in which case inform me to back off the specifics and get back to the story.

Please let me know what you think!

EDIT: I've edited this chapter quite severely after deeming the previous draft too sucky for words. And hopefully you can now tell that Aria is, in fact, a girl (I made that oh-so-important switch from "dude" to "dudette"). If not, now you know! :)