Post it Notes

Chapter 1 the Night Before

'If nothing changed, there'd be no butterflies.'

It was the night before school, most students would have probably left their homework to last minute dot com. Sasuke could see them now, they'd be sitting at their desks and frantically scribbling down something along the correct lines and hoping that at least a third of it made sense. Those slightly lazier and a bit more intelligent would be surfing the internet for answers and simply copying and pasting, thinking that the teacher wouldn't realise. Of course there were also students like Sasuke who did their homework at the beginning of half term, then having the satisfaction of being stress free for the remainder of the break.

However, Sasuke fitted into neither of these categories. It was peculiar to some. Sasuke Uchiha hadn't done his homework? Was this a new side we were seeing of him? Sure the ever present nag at the back of his mind was telling him to get on with it, taunting him with the numerous detention slips which would have his name on it. His immaculate record would be stained. Tragic. He made no move to do any; he remained spread eagled across his bed and his damp hair sticking to his forehead like cello tape.

Sighing, Sasuke continued to gaze at his blank ceiling; he was now slightly regretting having plain when he could have had some curves or bubbles. It would've taken the boredom away for a while. Anything to get him off the thought of the dread that was tomorrow. For tomorrow was school. Oh joy. Turning his attention from the ceiling, his eyes flickered over to his alarm clock before returning to the ceiling. Correction. School started in 8 hours and 29 minutes. The mere thought of it made Sasuke feel nauseous. He'd have to go in and act like everything was normal when he'd have to receive all those knowing looks, sympathetic greetings and smiles, whispered words which would drift to his ears like moths to a lamplight, he just wasn't so dumb. Of course he'd also have to face his friends; they'd all be walking on egg shells until he told them to stop it.

Turning onto his right side Sasuke clutched the pillow next to his, delving his head in and sighing deeply. Like an electric wire his body was buzzing, his eyes were half-mast yet he wasn't in the least tired. Maybe his mum would allow him the day off if he sulked around in bed, he'd let go of his pride for that moment. Just anything apart from school, even if he had to help his mum do some obscure thing like cleaning the attic. What was the true point in that? The attic would forever be dusty because no one went up there anymore. Well, in truth, the attic had been in use frequently up until a month ago. Maybe he could convince her to do some other chore for today…

Shifting his eyes over to his desk he spotted several notebooks stacked into a leaning Pisa, odds and ends of papers sticking out disorderly. He'd have to go through that lot later; it was beginning to irk him. His room was always immaculate, having the theory that if he had a tidy room he also had a tidy mind. Glancing towards his computer, which was on, its fan whirring, he contemplated getting up and checking his emails. He fought the urge down like a batter hitting a pitch, effortless. The difference between the batter and him was the fact the batter put his all into it, Sasuke, well, he just couldn't be asked. The bed was comfy, his computer was a gigantic five steps away and he didn't see the point in it anyway. It would reveal the same, whether he checked it or not. A small annoying zero, no new emails, of course there wouldn't be. He'd given his email address to one person only and it wasn't like they'd be messaging him anytime soon. He could read through his old ones but what was the point if he knew them off by heart?

Clutching the pillow tighter he shuffled from side to side, gritting his teeth. He couldn't get comfy, let alone sleepy. It was no surprise; he'd barely left his room let alone house for the majority of half term. His mum would bring him food or if she was in a persistent mood he'd eat downstairs with his family, in silence. Itachi would sometimes, with great effort, strike up a conversation, which Sasuke would tune out of immediately and resort to playing musical chairs with his food. He'd see his mum cast a disapproving look before trying to keep the flow of conversation. His father was quieter, stoic; he'd listen and add a few comments when necessary otherwise he'd eat in silence. Sasuke wasn't exactly naïve for his age; he'd notice his father's eyes flicker to him on occasion, when he thought no one was looking.

Sasuke knew they were worried, he wasn't though. He just didn't care anymore. If he went to school and got a detention for no homework then so be it, he just didn't care. Teachers would of course, they'd probably try to talk to him and sympathise with him. They would only truly care because of his surname, Uchiha. An Uchiha was a golden child in the eyes of teachers; they were all so mature, intelligent beyond their years and good looking. The student body would probably stick their noses to the air, finally smelling some juicy gossip on an Uchiha but it wasn't a big deal. What was the point in homework over the half term anyway? Who was really going to do it? Well, apparently him.

Grunting he sat up, leaning against his headboard. His enigmatic eyes spied his rather large, looming bookcase, a shiver trailed down his spine like lightning. Reading a book, he'd decided, was out of the question. Most of them weren't even his; he didn't even know which were his anymore if he was asked. A minority had been accumulated over the past year, residing with his, and a month ago he got the majority of it. For two weeks they'd been piled in boxes in the corner of his room, untouched. In the end it was his mum and Itachi who'd placed them with the others on the bookshelf, Sasuke hadn't had the heart to.

Hearing a soft knock on his door, he tilted his head and listened. His side table lamp was on, the light filtering through the crease between the floor and his door. Whoever it was would know he was awake. They continued, their knuckles gently knocking before the handle was pulled down and the door crawled open a few inches. Sasuke didn't even blink as he stared at the ceiling. A second later, his mums head poked round the door. Her black hair was down, framing her face as she smiled sweetly. A look of uncertainty was present as she switched her positon behind the door.

"You can come in; you're not exactly a stranger,"

Smiling sheepishly, Mikoto opened the door and closed it, her eyes lingering on something and her hand making a shooing motion. She then closed the door, smiling as if there hadn't been someone else outside his door.

"Why don't you just invite the whole family inside if they're just going to be outside?" he muttered, his eyes meeting hers.

Rubbing her hands together, she changed the topic "It's awfully chilly in here, have you got your radiator on?"

Grunting, he kept his eyes locked on his ceiling. There was a black dot on his ceiling; he hadn't noticed it until now. Where was that from again? Had he done it or someone else, or was it just a mess up when the decorators had been applying it?

Mikoto walked over to his radiator, gasping softly when she realised it wasn't on and pulled his curtains shut, the moon being blocked out. Bending down she adjusted the heat, smiling as she told him "There that should do it; the radiator should heat up soon."

Nodding despite himself, he sat up again his eyes watching his mum. She wouldn't normally venture into his room to check that the radiator was working; it was like a nosey student asking a question about something, they wouldn't ask if they didn't have a motive. It didn't take Sasuke to be a genius to work out what her actual objective was. Sighing, he muttered "Go on, spit it out."

Awkwardly, Mikoto folded her arms as she walked over, sitting on the edge of his bed. Her bright, wide eyes studied him for a second before she opened her mouth, then promptly shut it again. Sighing, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to work out what exactly she wanted to say. The tell a tale signs of her sons annoyance was making itself present, his fingers tapping his knee and the slight inward dip of his eyebrows, his lips curling slightly at the side.

"So, tomorrow's school…" she started, watching him carefully.

His dark eyes flickered over to her, retorting "Today, actually," before staring at the ceiling again.

What was his obsession with that ceiling? Was there something on it or- Shaking her head abruptly she reminded herself she was getting off topic, she had to focus. Her attention was once again diverted by a thud outside; she bit her lip to stop herself from gasping. What were those two morons doing out there? She'd informed them both that she'd go and check on Sasuke, see if he was okay and if there was anything he wanted to talk about. They'd decided to tag along of course, wanting to hear it for themselves. She really couldn't understand how the Uchiha mind worked; they were the ones who were worried, even more so then her. Wait that made her sound bad. Of course she was worried but she made it present, asking him about stuff and talking to him in general. Whereas her husband and eldest son decided to watch from afar, remaining ignorant to the fact that they could just talk to him, to see how he was doing. Bloody Uchiha pride, she huffed.

"It'll be good to see some friends again, won't it? I'm sure the boys have all shot up once again, you have too. Of course the new season for basketball will start up again, you boys will be busy with that. It'll be nice to see them again, that basketball court needs you guys playing on it in the garden. It looks neglected otherwise. We can do a quick tidy up, paint the board again and sweep up any leaves-

"-I'm not joining the basketball team this year."

"Eh?" Mikoto blinked, completely taken off guard. "What-What do you mean? You love basketball, Sasuke."

Irritated, Sasuke shifted as his eyes looked to where a picture of his team stood, the glass covered in dust, on his desk. They'd won the Inter-High last season and were meant to go to nationals. Everyone at school had been ecstatic, so the Uchiha's had held a massive party in their garden. By the end of the night even Sasuke had been enjoying himself, everything was going great. Yet all good things must come to an end at some point… They'd be fine, they didn't need him, they could make use of the first years, get them trained up and going. If they didn't soon then the first years would quit, they would only take so much of mopping the floors and putting away the balls. As he explained this to his mum, he waited to see the crestfallen look he knew oh so well.

Mikoto gave him a look of understanding, smiling as she replied "Well, alright then. Just make sure you play some hoops with them on the weekend, I like them they're good friends for you."

Sasuke gave her a disbelieving look, frowning as he watched her.

"What?" Mikoto asked innocently, tucking her hair behind her ear. Shifting to face him better she asked him again "What? What have I done wrong?"

"Hoops? You called them hoops, mum?"

Slightly offended, Mikoto slapped him lightly on the leg as she retorted "Oh please, I've watched enough of your games to know the lingo."

If possible, Sasuke's eyes widened further. Hearing his mum say hoops was one thing, to actually think she knew other lingo was worrying. Besides what lingo had she exactly heard? Sasuke didn't use any that he was aware of, Neji didn't, okay, Kiba did but that was more for a joke… His attention turned to his mum, his mind suddenly wishing he hadn't when he had.

Spreading her hand out flat she made a jerking motion with her hand, saying in a deep voice "I got swag, blad."

Stunned, he opened his mouth trying to form some sort of structured sentence but fell to promptly clamping his mouth shut, or else he'd look and sound like a seal. His mum didn't just say that. She didn't.

Seeing his facial expression Mikoto burst into laughter, placing her hand on his leg and giving it a playful shove. Clutching her stomach she wiped away a tear, saying "Oh gosh, your face! You should see it!"

From outside there was another thud before an exclaimed exasperation of "She did not just say that!"

Giggling, Mikoto shouted to the door "Get to bed, boys! Its past midnight and you both have work and school in the morning!"

Realising her voice had been loud enough for the whole neighbourhood to hear her cheeks tinged a rosy pink, grinning sheepishly before turning to Sasuke and winking, whispering "How about we tip toe downstairs and grab a cocoa?"

Startled, Sasuke nodded uncertainly. His mum hadn't made cocoa for him in ages, let alone during the night. Okay, sure the last time had been around a month ago but his mum's cocoa was something to be compared to a grandma's cooking, it was something which couldn't be compared to anything in the world and you never really had it a lot. Getting up, slightly more eager than he should be he tiptoed along the hallway and to the staircase, following his mum.

Reaching the kitchen, the heated flooring warming his bare feet, he sat on the centre islands stool. As his mum set about making the cocoa, he drummed his fingers on the cool counter. The kitchen was tranquil; the rhythmic dap of water coming from the tap breaking it. The fridge hummed, standing tall as the moon illuminated the kitchen. Outside were creatures lurking in the dark, a distant jingle of a bell and then a deep, growl resounded through the garden. Briefly, Mikoto spied through the window and sighed, seeing the neighbours cats having their annual meet up.

Sasuke paid no attention; he could hear them on his roof when he was in bed. They always decided to have their arguments when he was about to go to sleep. He'd tried numerous ways to get them to shut up, playing dog barks, throwing sticks at them and no matter what type of tuna he threw out; they just didn't get the hint, the fussy bastards.

Sure his fitness level may drop a little without basketball but he had no desire to play, if anything it was a constant reminder of the party. Shaking his head, he sighed as he rested his chin on his propped up palm. School was going to feel odd more than anything. He could handle everything else, like the stares, whispers, sympathetic looks, but English was going to be interesting…

"Here you go," Mikoto placed the metallic grey mug down, a hefty large amount of squirted cream on top with chocolate dusting. Wrapping his hands around the mug he brought it to his lips, resting them there. Mikoto smiled, leaning against the kitchen counter as she reminisced "This reminds me of when you were younger,"

Sasuke looked up, watching as a fond smile graced his mum's face as her eyes stared into space. Her gentle hands slowly caressed her mug, as she quietly went on "You would always have bad dreams when you were younger, something I'm sure you don't really want to be reminded of…" she giggled, seeing the ever so tiny trace of a blush tinging his cheeks.

"So, anyway, you always flicked on your light when you had them and it was always at a particular time. So I'd know exactly when to go to your room, sneaking in a cup of cocoa. We'd spend an hour sitting in your bed, whispering to one another about silly things. I remember the time when we heard snoring coming from Itachi's room, bless him. He never sleeps on his back now…"

Sasuke felt himself smiling at the memory; he was around eight or nine then. He'd usually flick on the light when he'd have those types of dreams or if he was in a pestering mood he'd crawl into his brother's bed. Although he'd quickly learnt that waking his brother up was a lot more effort, when he could've stayed in bed with his mum and had cocoa.

"It's funny,"

Sasuke sipped his cocoa, sighing as the hot liquid drained down his throat and pooled into his stomach. Licking his lips he placed his mug down, turning his attention to his mum once again.

"What is?" he questioned.

Smiling softly, she grabbed her dishcloth, telling him "Wipe that 'tache mister."

Feeling heat rising to his cheeks, he snatched the offered dishcloth and wiped away all remnants of the creamy moustache. He shouldn't really feel that embarrassed, it was only his mum but he put it down to his supposed Uchiha pride.

"I was just thinking how funny it is," Mikoto continued, taking the dishcloth from him and putting it by the sink.

"It's been a funny year…well, not literally…but I really thought everything was going your way for once, grades were brilliant, you were going to nationals, you had great friends and-

Stiffening, Sasuke drank his cocoa. He knew where this was going and, frankly, he didn't want to talk about it. He probably had school in the morning, he was going to be tired enough as it was and talking about this horrid year so far wasn't going to resolve that. Finishing his drink, placing it by the sink and briefly saying goodnight and thanking her for the cocoa Sasuke tiptoed back up the stairs, dived into his bed and attempted to block out the next few hours.

A/N It's a new story, I will admit. However, it's just a new idea I thought I'd try out. I understand that previous readers may want to know whether I'll be updating Tainted or Happiness, if so please drop me a PM and I can explain fully there. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and expect another one soon. If you guys want to keep up with how I'm doing then you can follow me on Instagram, I'm called manga_anime_otakus

Thanks again,

Honey-Emily98