Sweet Staci

“Pardon me, excuse me.” Staci’s parents politely pushed their way through the mingling crowd to make sure they got the best possible seats. The theater filled up quickly, but Staci’s parents snagged a pair of reasonable seats near the middle rows, just a little off center. The important part was that they had a perfect view of their beloved daughter.

Already on stage with the other musicians, Staci was seated in the front orchestra row, on the end, violin in hand. She smiled nervously at the crowd. Discreetly, she nodded toward her parents to acknowledge that she saw them before they made a scene trying to get her attention.

Barely able to contain themselves, her parents beamed with excitement. Their little girl looked so pretty all dressed up and ready to perform. Her mother was thrilled to see that Staci was remembering to sit up straight and not fidget. Everything they had practiced and discussed was coming together for the wonderful night. Finally, Staci was an official member of the local orchestra, and she was given a respectable position in the front.

Staci was one of the youngest members, just out of high school, but she had probably worked harder than most to get there. She loved the violin, but mostly she loved making her parents happy. In many ways, tonight was her gift to them for all the love and devotion they had given her. Her childhood wasn’t perfect, by any means, but her parents clearly cared and wanted the best possible life for her. Making them happy seemed like the right thing to do and what any good girl would do. And that’s what she wanted to be, a good girl. Or at least that’s what she thought she should want to be.

The house lights dimmed and the conductor marched out to his podium. A soft applaud flowed quickly through the crowd. Staci’s parents sat up with eager smiles, focusing entirely on their wonderful, sweet daughter. This had to be one of the happiest moments of their lives.

As the conductor prepared to begin, the musicians raised their instruments, and Staci thought, “Holy fuck, there are a lot of people here. I should have done some more heroin tonight.”