Pure Perfection

Chapter 1: The Beginning

   Natalie had been doing pageants since she learned how to walk. Tiaras and smiles were all that mattered; to her mother.
  
   She wasn't a bad mother. Overly obsessive about winning trophies and tiaras, yes. She just wants the best for Natalie. But most of their family believes that her mother is trying to live out her own childhood dream through Natalie.
  
   Growing up, Natalie's mother had wanted to be a pageant queen, but her parents could not afford it. So the fact that she could afford it for her daughter gave her happiness. But if we are to talk about how all this happened, we should go to the beginning. The very beginning.
  
   Natalie was born on September 20th, 2003 as Natalie Karissa Khatri. She is from Indian descent, but has lived in Los Angeles, California her entire life.
  
   Two years later, her little brother Isaac Micheal Khatri on December 2nd 2005. With a small age gap between Natalie and Isaac grew up close. They had the kind of bond where they could tell when one was near, and they could have a whole conversation without even talking. But things began to change a few months after Natalie turned 6.

   Four months after Natalie turned 6, her father walked out of her life leaving them with nothing but child support, an overly crazy pageant mother and a broken family. Once Isaac and Natalie began to understand what was actually happening, which happened to be a few years after their father left, they grew distant. Isaac would lock himself in his room and Natalie would practice her routine for the pageant as always.

   They haven't seen their father since he left, and having constant changing step father was difficult on the household. They would be lucky if they saw the relationship last over two weeks.

   But as we get back to the story of what is going on now, Natalie was taught five things growing up: diet, practice, pageant, sleep and repeat. Anything else was considered a waste of time.

   Natalie was in the living room with her mom, practicing for her pageant for next week and getting scolded as always because something about her dance wasn't right and a peice of hair wasn't slicked back to perfection. "If you're not proper or pretty enough, you'll never find a husband". Is what her mother would say everytime Natalie messed up on one thing. She tried everything, but nothing seemed to impress her mother.

   She attempted her pirouette one last time as she finally stuck a landing and did it perfectly as she was flying through the air in the splits, graceful as ever. But apparently her back was bent over and arched slightly too much in her landing as her mother repeated those same words that carved a deeper scar in her every time. Natalie knew that no matter how hard she tried, there would always be a flaw that her mother could pick out somewhere.

   "Go get water. Take five and we'll resume practice. Don't disappoint me this time Natalie Karissa." Her mother threatened. "I won't." She mumbled under her breath. "Well don't mumble Natalie, you know how much I hate that and how unattractive it is to men." Her mother cringed. "I'm sorry mom." Natalie annunciated, her eyes becoming glassy.

   She stood up to walk to the kitchen and get water as instructed and got a glass for her mother as "it is impolite to take something for yourself and not bring one to someone else." Her mother would say.

   She walked back to the living room with two glasses in her hand as she gave one to her mother and carefully sipped it as to not spill any of it.

   "Now Natalie, show me your pirouette but on the ground." She gracefully fell into a right split with her chest puffed out, and her arms extended with her head tilted back ever so slightly. "Its good." Her mother said coldly. "Really?" Natalie asked with a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Yes, but good will never be enough. It needs to be perfect. No flaws." Her mother ordered.

    Natalie let out a sigh of annoyance and hurt. 'Good will never be enough'. The saying her mother always went to when something wasn't perfect to her.

    Perfect. The meaning is having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics. What an overrated and overused word. Nothing is perfect. But Natalie's mother thought everything that was perfect was prim and proper. Nothing out of place and nothing tampered with. Natalie's outfit must be perfect. Her makeup, her hair, her shoes, her smile, and her routine must be perfect. Not close to it and not great or amazing. Perfect. No excuses as to why she messed up on her twirl or her teeth were white enough in the picture. Always something to pick at that wasn't perfect.

If anything it was annoying. Natalie had gotten used to getting yelled at for small and stupid things. Like winning second place in the summer pageant that year. That was absolutly unacceptable. But as always, there's something to pick about whether its during practice or in a real competition.

    Once again, preperations for the fall pageant were being made.