Keep Me from Falling Apart

~Disclaimer; I don't own the characters used in this story, only the plotline. This story will be Bat centered. I will have the characters meeting in the next chapter but for now, it's just introducing Cat and her story.

Cat's POV

My name is Cat Valentine, I'm 17 years old and this is my story. This story is not for little kids—You've been warned. I'll start now.

I love my dad; he's always been the best person in the world. See, my mom left us when I was three. I know she don't think she wanted to but she had some things she needed to work out or so my dad tells me. When I was younger, he was sweet and nice but when I got older and started acting like my mother, that's when everything changed, when he changed.

It was my first day at Hollywood Arts, a day that most people dread but I wanted to go to my new school.

I woke up to a bruise across my face and hand marks on left arm. It only reminded me of last night.

"Daddy!" I said, skipping along the pavement leading to my house. I'm excited to tell my dad I was accepted into my dream school. When I opened the door to the house, I wasn't greeted with my cheerful and loving father's face. I'm greeted by a shell of my former father, an evil spirited man whom I didn't know or wanted to know. "What do you want, Caterina? Can't you see I'm busy?" He yelled, causing me to shudder at the harsh voice coming out at me. I whimpered in fear, causing him to growl and chunk a half empty bottle of whisky at me. I ducked as the bottle hit the wall with a loud crash. To say I'm scared would be an understatement. "Caterina, come here!" He yelled again. I shook my head at him and crouched down lower, hugging my knees to my chest to protect myself completely forgetting about what I wanted to tell him. He walked toward me, anger in his eyes. "Get up, NOW!" He yelled firmly. I got up faster than I ever thought I could. "Yes Sir!" I told him, afraid of what would happen to me. He holds up his hand and before I know it, he slaps me across the face. I could feel the stinging sensation on my cheek, feeling the tears forming in my eyes. My lip quivered as I watched him with no sympathy on his face for what he had just done. "I just wanted to tell you that I got into Hollywood Arts!" I whined out, holding up the acceptance letter and trying not to let the tears fall my burning cheek. "I have more important things to do than to listen to you" He told me as he grabbed my arm and shoved me down by the stairs. I wanted to cry, my dad wanted nothing to do with me. I finally lost control and let the tears fall. "Go to your room, and don't come back out until school tomorrow"

Once in my room, I lay on my bed. Picking up my pillow and putting it over my face to muffle my cries until I fell asleep from exhaustion.

The next morning I woke up to a bruise across my cheek and hand marks around my arm where he had grabbed me. I turned away from the mirror in disgust. I couldn't believe I had to go to school like this and definitely get questions from almost everyone. I wasn't excited for school anymore, I just wanted to stay at home and cry but I knew the punishments would be worse if I stayed home all day.