High School Cruches are for Wimps

Aoshi had tried finding Misao that afternoon, but had not found any trace that would have suggested she was still at school. His mind soon came up with the idea of an 'ice queen' like her probably wouldn't stay after school to do activities like many other students did.

"Shinomori?" Aoshi turned when he heard his name being called and noticed it was Himura-sensei walking up to him. He held a small smile noticing he seemed to be up and walking around which was a good thing.

"I received word from Nurse Okon about what happened, it wasn't intentional I hope." He spoke sternly hoping that Misao didn't do it on purpose and he relaxed when Aoshi shook his head and explained his reason.

"Its not so bad, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time Himura-sensei." Kenshin wasn't too sure of that but soon produced a blue folder, which contained the notes of the last lesson in it.

"Takani created the spare notes for you so do read over them tonight and answer the questions on page 24 in your text book okay?" Aoshi nodded his head affirmatively and then watched as his teacher waved goodbye to him and headed back down the hallway.

Aoshi reached his locker, placing in the books he needed for his homework and then proceeded down the steps of the main entrance and out of the yard to head for the bus stop. His eyes grew wide when he noticed his bus pulling away from the curb.

"Shit!" Aoshi cursed aloud and read the timetable to see when the next one would be coming: 20 minutes.

* * * *

Aoshi had shielded most of his face by his long bangs as he rode the bus home. He wore a pair of black sunglasses as well just in case. Once the bus came to a stop at his street he got off and headed towards his house, which was just a block away from the actual bus stop. He looked at his watch noting it was 5pm and cursed himself at being so late. He picked up his pace going into a run and opened the side gate since the block next to them was a park and closed it silently behind him. His eyes made out a beige coloured car and he cringed as his father was home. He opened the front door, slipped off his sneakers and placed them to the side. His bag was placed on a hook for the moment and he entered the lounge where his father stood impatiently waiting for him

"Ta-Tadaima…" Aoshi muttered while bowing at his father.

"It's passed 4:30, where have you been?" Aoshi's father voiced in displeasure, his arms folded across his chest.

"There was an accident during PE today and I had to stay in the nurse's office for the remainder of the school day. She did not wake me and so I missed the first bus, I'm sorry Sir, it won't happen again." Aoshi voiced while bowing lightly and then stood up.

"I don't give a shit for your excuses! You come home when I tell you to come home got it? I have an important meeting to attend to and your slackness pisses me right off boy!" Aoshi cringed lightly, his teeth gritting together when he received a punch to his abdomen, the wind being knocked out of him and sending him to his knees gasping for air. The glasses he had been earing had fallen off, his fathers boot stepping on them and crashing them to smithereens.

"GET UP BOY! DON'T YOU DARE BLACK OUT OVER THAT YOU POOR EXCUSE FOR A MAN!" Aoshi stood up, his right hand clutching his stomach and he waited for it, knowing exactly what was coming next…and this one would hurt more then any of the others he had ever received in his life. The smack to the face…on the exact spot he had been hit by the softball.

* * * *

Aoshi was doubled over on the carpet in the lounge room. There was silence in the entire household, his father obviously having left for his meeting. His meeting was with no one except himself and his old mate sake. Aoshi finally opened his eyes, not even noticing he had closed them in the beginning or the fact that he didn't even remember hitting the floor either. He slowly got to his feet and headed for the bathroom. Aoshi flicked the light switch on and noticed the blood trail on the side of his face. His cut had been opened…and the right side of his face was now swollen from being smacked again.

Aoshi placed his hand at his stomach trying to massage the pain away but ended up running towards the toilet and began coughing up some blood. He rested his head against the bowl; his eyes tightly closed willing away the hurt that wished to break free. He flushed the toilet, washed out his mouth, cleaned his face and headed upstairs towards his room. He would not have pity on himself! Once he finally got his high school certificate and a good job he'd get the hell out of this city, support himself and his two orphaned sisters and take them far away from their abusive father. Two years of this he could handle if it meant he would have the rest of his life without his father after he graduated from high school…at least that is what Aoshi kept telling himself.

He closed his bedroom door and locked it like he did every night. His father sober scared the shit out of him, but his father drunk made Aoshi want to curl into a tight ball and just die right then and there before he could ever lay a finger on him. A chair was placed against the knob and not to forget the desk that was in the room was placed against the door as well. His father usually went on a rampage in the house and this seemed to be the only room he could never get into at two in the morning.

Aoshi's finger brushed over the photo that was hidden in the top draw of his desk. He finally flicked off the light and collapsed onto the single bed.

* * * *

Aoshi startled from his sleep when he heard the loud crashing coming from downstairs. His father was home and went on a mental rampage breaking every little ornament that decorated the lounge room. The lounge suite in the entertaining room was the third one Aoshi had to go and buy in two months. His father had a pair of ancient kodachi's used back in the Meiji Era; the blades kept in very good condition surprisingly enough. A drunken father and kodachi's was not a good mix either.

Aoshi swiftly got out of the bed, still dressed in his PE Uniform and curled up into the darkest corner of his bedroom. His arms were wrapped around his shins and his chin was placed on top of his knees looking over at his bedroom door.

"Please full unconscious…please full unconscious…" Aoshi muttered over and over again as he heard his fathers loud footsteps head upstairs. He held his breath when they stopped right outside his door and then the banging began…the father wanting to break the door down, but having used up all of his energy in tearing the lounge room apart he was doing it all in vain.

"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!" His father yelled in a slurred voice, but Aoshi did no such thing. He curled himself into a ball and began rocking himself back and forth praying to all the gods that he'd hurry up and fall unconscious like he usually did. After about the most horrifying five minutes every night of Aoshi's life that's without counting the beatings…the yelling stopped and a loud thud was heard. His father had promptly gone into sleeping/comatose mode.

Shuddered breaths, almost akin to sniffling came from the severely beaten and tormented young adult, as he never budged from the dark corner of his bedroom. This night he had lived another day and as he drifted off into a weak and troubled sleep, his head resting against a chest of draws the house growing silent as the night began to turn into yet another day of heartache and beatings for Shinomori Aoshi.

* * * *

To be continued…

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