Her...and Me

Chapter 1

{Momoi POV}

I clenched my fists. "It was because..."

"Geez, I get that you're the manager and shit but don't just do that without asking me first!" Daiki-kun yelled.

We've argued about this before; but that time, he apologized and said he'd try to understand...

I'm Momoi Satsuki, the manager of the Touou boy's basketball team.

"So what if we lost the Winter Cup! What does that have to do with me playing?!"

I bit my lip. The rain poured on us, just like that time.

"Sorry, Daiki-Kun, I wasn't thinking." I said, lifting my chin. Tears threatened to spill but I'm experienced when it comes to holding them in. "I'll add you in the lineup for our next game."

He clicked his tongue.

He's stressed about losing to Tetsu-kun. That's all. He doesn't hate me. We argue all the time.

"Let's go in before we catch a cold, yeah?" I said, those thoughts vanishing from my head. "You hate colds."

. . .

"Ugh!" I grunted as I was thrown onto the floor. Glass shattered around me as the man known as my dad smashed another bottle of alcohol onto the floor.

"Useless!" He yelled. "Where's your paycheck? Where's the money you owe me? Where's the money you get for working at that stupid school?!"

I stood up, flinching as he looked at me .

"I don't work for money at the school, Dad." I explained calmly for what seemed to be the billionth time, my hands trembling. "It's so I can add it to my college papers and get into a good college, so I can work hard and pay you all the money you deserve."

"You've been saying that how many years?! I'm sick and tired of your lies! Are you saving up to run away? You have a check somewhere, don't you?! Are you hiding money from ME?!"

"I'm not, Dad!" I yelled, already at the brink of tears. "Stop it!"

He hit my head, making me bang against the wall. My world shook for a few seconds.

"Don't you dare yell at me, you useless brat."

I heard footsteps, before Mom appeared in the room.

"Honey, don't bang her up so much." She said, a spoon in her hand. "Come eat. And you, Satsuki. Go upstairs for upsetting your father. You don't get to eat today."

I picked up my backpack and walked to my room, feeling something warm slip from my head and onto my shoulder.

Blood.

I walked to my closet and took out the first-aid kit, opening it up and sitting in front of my mirror. It had cracks and pieces of it missing from my dad throwing it at the ground and at me.

It was a small wound; it wouldn't leave a scar.

I sighed, smelling the delicious food float from the kitchen and up to my room. I hadn't eaten dinner in 4 days. School lunches are how I'm surviving.

After taking a bath, I tried my best to take the blood stains out of my hair. I managed to get most of it off of my roots.

"Satsuki."

I flinched, immediately sitting up straight when Mom walked in. She leaned against the door frame, eyeing my head. "What happened?"

The first time she asked me that, I told her Dad did it. She ended up beating me for calling the man of her dreams an abuser.

"It was my fault." I said in a whisper. "Why are you here?"

"You have blood on your hair." She said, walking towards me. I tensed, feeling her hands touch my wound tenderly. "It's...unsightly."

Before I could do anything, she grabbed the scissors from my desk and pulled my hair. I froze, watching in horror as she snipped almost half of my hair off.

"There. That looks better." She dropped the scissors, dropping my pink hair onto the floor. For a moment, I couldn't even see my reflection in the mirror. The hair I had tried so hard to keep healthy with my own money...all gone.

She left the room, closing the door behind her. My trembling hand rubbed at my head, as tears started to fall.

What have I done in my past life to deserve this? Why do they do this to me?

I reached for the scissors, and cut my hair more to even it out. Now it reached my ears.

This doesn't look bad.

...I hate them.

. . .

"Woah, Momoi-san! Did you get a haircut?"

"Yeah...Just a new change!" I replied, rubbing my head. "Does it look ok?"

"Y-you look super pretty, Momoi-san!" Sakurai-san said. "It suits you..."

I thanked everyone.

"Heh. Ugly." I heard Daiki-Kun say.

"Geez, so mean." I grumbled, rolling my eyes. "If anything, I like this look better!"

I hate this look.

"You looked nicer with longer hair. You always took real nice care of it." Imayoshi-san said, fluttering his hands against the edges. I flinched away by instinct, startling the senpai. "Oh, sorry. I smell, huh?"

"Y-Yeah! A bit..."

Blood smells way worse than this.

"Gather around!" Coach said. "We'll go over the lineup for next week's practice game."