Chinese Lanterns

1. Chi

I live alone in a two story apartment with my Dad. I go to Higurashi High School of The Arts and Design. I'm studying the works of Digital Design, and find it very interesting, but either way Father makes me study it. That was the only school I was aloud to go to, seen as father doesn't want to drive me in the mornings, so I have to walk alone. It's fifteen minutes away, so I leave home earlier than other students.
I don't have any real friends, but I do have a few "friends" that I eat lunch with. There are four of them. They all talk behind my back, but they are the closest thing I have to friends.
After school, I walk home with one of the four friends, because the other three go in the opposite direction. Her name is Yui Asahina. She's nice when she isn't around the Three... which is good. We pass her house first, then mine.
When I walk in my apartment, the first thing I see, is a my dog, Daiki. Daiki is a German Shepard mix, and is the only one that truly loves me. He sits on my bed as I do my school work for an hour or two.
When I'm all done with my work, I cook my dinner. I usually make ramen, or soup. Anything easy, since I'm terrible at cooking. When I'm done eating, I sit on my bed next to Daiki and wonder what Father will do to me in an hour. I am terrified, thinking of the cuts and bruises I will have.
My Father is abusive, if that's not obvious all ready. I have many scars and blisters from my "punishments". I think he takes his anger and frustration out on me, because almost every week, he comes home fired from a job. He's never had a job for longer than three weeks, which I think is because of his lack of obedience and knowledge. Funny.
Father also probably "punishes" me because his wife (my mom) Anya, was murdered (I don't exactly blame him for being a bit... insane). No one knows who did it, but I am one hundred percent sure, that Father didn't do it. He loved her with all his heart and soul. When he found out that she was murdered, he went insane. He accused every new person he met, the murderer. He even drowned himself in alcohol to try to forget. Nothing worked. He eventually stopped all communication to the outside of our little apartment. I was five then, I hardly remember it.