Little Miss Perfect - Kelly Aldrich

1

"Hurry up Mary!" Paige yelled at her older sister as she sat in the passenger seat in the front of the car. "Hey, you being late is not on me! You were the one who wasn't watching the time!" Mary, the eldest Benedict yelled front behind the wheel as she drove her younger sisters to the town's auditorium. "Okay fine, I'm sorry. I admit I got a little distracted. But still you're driving like twenty five in a forty. It's not like you're gonna crash into everyone, everyone's probably already there."

"Paige Benedict, late as usual." Younger sister Jody interrupted from the back, obviously trying to get Paige's blood to boil. "Keep it quiet Jody or you'll wait in the car until the play is over!" Paige snapped back. "I don't even understand why I have to come see this play. It's gonna be so boring!" Jody whined. "Because Jody you're not old enough to stay home alone and even if you were you're still not aloud. You don't know all the steps of your medication and if you messed something up I wouldn't be there to save your life. In conclusion, you're coming." Mary shut down the argument. "Ugh." Jody groaned as she stared out the window, sighing in defeat.

Jody was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was two years old. It means that her lungs don't function properly and she won't live as long as many people do in a lifetime. Most people with CF can live well into their thirties with proper care and maybe even a little longer, so that's why Mary focuses a lot of her attention on Jody. Paige often feels like she's swept underneath and doesn't get much attention but she can't say much because her sister can be very sick at times and Mary puts so much stress on herself enough. When Paige acts out, she feels like she's only putting more on Mary and sometimes she feels very guilty.

Mary had taken sole custody of Paige and Jody after her parents died in a tragic accident two years ago. Mary at the time was only twenty and was in the middle of college, forcing her to drop out to raise her sisters. Paige was always thankful that Mary gave up her entire life to help keep their family together, but that doesn't stop her from giving her a hard time when she's not in a good mood. This was one of those times.

"I don't get why I even have to go. This play is so stupid." "Paige quit being such a whiner. I get it, no one wants to go, but this play is a tradition for the teenagers in the town. Plus if you don't do this play, you can't go on the field trip coming up in a few weeks." "Do we even have the money to send it to me?" "You have some money leftover from your work don't you?" Mary asked Paige. "A little. I spent a lot of it on groceries last week though." "Look, if need be, I'll pick up another shift next week to help you pay off the rest." "What would I do without you?" Paige asked, grinning. "Girl you'd be dead if I wasn't here." Mary laughed. "True." Paige laughed back.

It went silent for a second as they pulled into the parking lot. "I don't know how we're even managing to live in this white rich town. I get we are white but the rich part." "I don't want to force you and Jody to move away from your friends." "Friends come and go Mary. Money is something we need." "Paige, don't have the money talk right now. You're already late, we will have this conversation later if you really want to. But like I always say, I'll tell you if something is wrong, and right now we're doing fine. Just go enjoy tonight with your friends." Mary replied. Paige grew a small smile before she leaned over and wrapped her arms around Mary. Jody smiled as she grabbed them both and the girls swarmed into a big hug. "Have fun Paige." Mary yelled as Paige exited the car.

Paige ran around the back of the building only to see something that really disgusted her. Kelly Aldrich and Harry Bingham, making out aggressively right by the door. Paige silently gagged to herself and she walked by them. "Don't get your tongue stuck in her throat." She said as she nudged Harry. "Paige. What a delight, not." Harry replied as he pulled his lips off Kelly. Kelly looked irritated. "Paige what are you doing here? The play started ten minutes ago." "I should ask the same question. Why aren't you there?" Paige shot back. "Our scene isn't up yet so we were just taking a little stage break." Harry cut in. "Whatever. I don't give a fuck. Just make sure you don't give each other HIV." Paige replied before she opened the door to Cassandra Pressman. "Harry, we're on in a minute." That was before she stopped. We all went silent as we smelt an awful sensation through our noses. The smell. Oh god. "Is that?" Cassandra asked. Kelly nodded, plugging her nose as Paige threw her hand over her face. Cassandra issues everyone inside as Paige runs backstage into her best friend, Allie pressman, Cassandra's little sister.