Momoshiro Takeshi//key to my lock\\4

Recap:5mins left. I kept my notebook, grabbed my P.E. attire and went to change.

....................................

When I stepped out of the locker room, everyone started to whisper and stare at me again. I put my arms behind my back and walked to the fence and leaned on it. The P.E. teacher had not arrived, and everyone went back to their screaming and shouting and running around. Everyone, except, of course, the viper. He was standing at the other corner of the courtyard, hissing. I spotted Momo somewhere in the middle of the courtyard, laughing very loudly with his friends. As very usual, they weren't so hard to find. I sat down and propped my knees close to my body. Dad whipped me again last night, so i cannot sit on my right thigh. It hurts if i do, but the wound itself isn't that bad. I'm so used to it that i don't even scream or cry when Dad whips me. Screaming and crying is a sign of weakness, and i am not weak. I do not give anyone the pleasure of calling me weak.

I heard someone sit down beside me. I continued to stare at the piece of ground in front of me.

"Why don't you go hand with the others." It was Kaidoh.

"I don't hang with people." I looked up and turned to face him. " Then why don't you go hand with them."

"Fssuuuhh. Same reason."

"You're hanging with me." I eyed him.

"I'm talking to you. That doesn't count."

"Does." I closed my eyes and put my hands behind my head. I saw Kaidoh follow the trail of my arm to my head. I don't blame him, loads of people do. Thankfully the guys' uniform had long sleeves and long pants. My legs were worse, i can tell you. Many people have freaked out at the sight of it. I wore the long P.E. pants to prevent people from staring at me. Anyway, my arms were covered in bruises and snake'like silvery streaks everywhere. There you have it- results of my Dad's work. Of course, i didn't tell Kaidoh.

"Can i ask you something?" Kaidoh looked at me.

"You just did." I closed my eyes.

"Fssuuuh. I meant- fine, another one more then."

"Whatever."

"Why d'you have a girl's name?" I thought he was going to ask about my arms.

"It's obvious." I lay down on my back (well, you know. when gravity pulls on you and when you lie down it isn't very hard to see.), opening one of my eyes and squintiing in the sunlight. It had to be a trick of the light, 'cause i thought i saw two patches of light pink blossoming on his cheeks. He turned away immediately, and i brushed that thought aside.

I saw Momo approaching, but suddenly a whistle sounded- the P.E. teacher was here. We all got into our positions .

Afterwards, when the last lesson of the day ended, i ran off before everyone else. It was almost 2pm, and if i was late, Dad wouldn't hesitate to kill me. Not that I was afraid of him, but I didn't want to take any chances. Swimming practices hadn't started for the year, so i sprinted off to buy something for Dad.

Dad was still sleeping when i returned home, so i just left the packetof rice on the table, got back to my room to change. I didn't have homework(first day of school hello?), so i got down to do the housework. Halfway through washing the dishes, I hear Dad wake up.

He stumbled over to the table and started eating his lunch. I continued with the dishes lifelessly. When he finished eating, he started hurling verbal insults and abuse at me. I pretended not to hear, dried the last dish and walked away. He slapped me with such force that i fell to the floor, he pulled my hair and rammed my face into the kitchen cabinet. Then, he walked away, cackling like a maniac.

My nose pumped out fresh, warm blood, and my head hurt. I hurried to the bathroom to stop the bleeding.