baby, let's party
by spiralesque

001: screams in the night / (prologue)

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The silver gun shined in the light. Sasuke's heart seemed stuck in his throat, he could talk, he couldn't yell. His heart was beating, faster, faster, as he stared at his surroundings. There was something red, seeping around him. The iron smell was stuck in his nose, his mind rejecting it. Just like it was rejecting the bodies, right across from him. His mother. His father.

More urgent though, was the other face in the room. The one holding the gun. Itachi. His eyes looked around, until they were focused on Sasuke.

He woke up screaming, sweat covering his sheets, his heart beating at an insane speed.

Damn those sleeping pills. Never working right. He turned the light on and popped another pill. The box was getting low. He'd have to ask for a refill tomorrow. If Dr. Haruno would let him after what she saw tonight. Or was it yesterday? It was impossible to tell. Sasuke assured himself it was yesterday, as the sleeping pills worked their magic.

Hours later, Sasuke finally woke up again at noon. He was pretty sure that he had an appointment today at two, but then again, he wasn't really all that sure what exactly today was. He shrugged and assured himself it was better to show up and get kicked out rather than not show up at all.

At the very least, it would show that pink haired menace that he wasn't too drugged up. Besides, he hadn't actually done any drugs last night anyway. Just lots of alcohol. It was way to much for most people's standards, but not really that much for his. Maybe therapy was helping after all. He ignored the fact he would have definitely drank more and perhaps even done something heavier with Karin. Maybe. But she had shown up.

Like some kind of angel.

Sasuke brushed that thought from his head. There was no way that nuisance was an angel. Or a help. He hated her. Of course.

It was two fifteen by the time he arrived. The one secretary, a young lady named Shizune, who always looked frazzled and already had worry lines. The moment she saw him, she smiled. At least she was friendly, right?

"Sasuke! You're on time for once! Good job, little one! Sakura-er-Dr. Haruno is waiting for you in her office, please go in."

Sasuke entered the door to the right of the desk Shizune was sitting at. He knew where to go. After all, he had been here countless times.

He walked through the beige hallway, passing by offices of other distinguished psychiatrists, young and old. He passed their doors with his eyes closed, his ears telling him where to go.

A loud female, yelling at someone to take charge of their lives. Slightly drunk. Tsunade, who was dubbed the best in the business. He turned left.

A muffled female voice, accompanied by low barks. Telling someone not to be afraid. Inuzaka Hana, pet psychiatrist, though she did occasionally work with humans. He turned right.

A soft male voice, rambling about destiny and fate. The sound of wind chimes. Hyuuga Neji, renowned family therapist, one of the youngest in the business. He turned right again.

And then came the faint smell of cherry blossoms and the sweet, tinkly female voice he had come to know. And despise. He knocked on the door once. He heard Dr. Haruno say, "Call you back later, my patients here. Maybe we'll get coffee tomorrow? 'Kay Ino, see you then."

"Come in, Sasuke."

He walked in, and took his usual place in the comfy, lime-colored armchair across from the rosette's desk.

"Good morning." She said, studying his face.

Sasuke almost cringed. He hated it when she focused on him like that. It was as if she was trying to read his soul. Frankly, it creeped him out. She was the one person who could probably read through his poker face. "Morning."

She sighed. "Sasuke, I don't understand you. At the bar yesterday, or club, or whatever that was, I was so disappointed. I heard from one of my sources that you were there, and I didn't believe it. Why are you always running in place?"

Sasuke didn't say anything. He stared at the wall and tried to block out what she was saying.

"Is this because of Itachi being found dead?"

Sasuke snapped to attention, poison dripping from his voice. "I was supposed to kill that bastard. Me. Not some goddamn disease."

Sakura looked at him thoughtfully. "You know Sasuke, your brother dying is a chance for you to say goodbye to this chapter of your life. Sometimes goodbye is a second chance."

"Sometimes it's the ruining of a perfectly good chance."

"But was it the right chance? The right chance for you? The right chance for your future?"

Sasuke went back to staring at the wall and ignoring her. He didn't want to think about this.

Sakura stared at him again, with that damned pity in her eyes.

"Sasuke, I don't think this environment is right for you."

"So you're letting me out of this hellhole?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "As if. Actually, I think we should spend time to get to know each other. The main problem with me trying to help you is that you don't trust me enough to accept aid of any kind."

"What if I don't want to get to know you?"

Sakura turned no-nonsense, her mind already made up. "Sasuke, you will meet me at the coffee shop down the street in a half hour. You will do this because you need me to tell the executive council that you have complied with the therapy. And frankly, so far, you haven't. So Uchiha, if you want to keep that family name of yours in such high regard, I highly suggest that you cooperate with all of this."

"Fine."

He got out of the chair and walked out of the door, slamming it will all the force he could. He hoped she would pay a good amount of money to get it fixed.

Sakura smirked.

It was an unbreakable door.

A half hour later, Sasuke was actually at the coffee shop. Sakura was quite pleasantly surprised. She was actually prepared to wait two hours for him to show up. And she was even happier that he had brought a book. After all, you should never trust someone who had not brought a book with them. Maybe this whole "friendship" thing would work out.

Maybe.

"Looks like Dr. Bitch, woops, Haruno, is here."

Maybe not.

Sakura sighed, sat down, and ignored his language.

It was going to be a long day.