Juniper Redpath [D5F] wip

I know my place in the world. My whole life has centered around a two-person food chain, with my father on top and me at the bottom. We both know who the alpha is in our relationship, and he's not afraid to use that against me. I know I should hate him, but at the same time, I feel a sense of responsibility for him. He may beat me and call me awful things, but it's just his way of dealing with Mom's death. The women he brings home don't mean anything; they're just victims of his depression and frustration. Mom wouldn't want me to abandon Dad. She'd want me to remember him for who he was and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. 

He may not appreciate it, but it's me who leads him to his room at night. It's me who leaves some water on the nightstand in case he wakes up, scared and confused. It's me who spent days emptying his room of everything that had the potential to hurt him if he fell. I care about him, and it scares me. He doesn't treat me like a daughter, and I don't treat him like a father, so why do we share this strange bond? Why don't I despise him like any sane girl?

I like to think it's just not in my nature, that I'm just an inherently good person, but that would be a lie. I steal to survive since Dad doesn't have a job and I don't have the desire to get one. I beat up other kids for their money and food. In fact, I've actually developed a bit of a bad reputation on the streets of District Five. It sucks, and prevents me from having friends, but who needs friends when you have a cat?