This chapter was (very, very loosely) inspired from when I was in second grade. There was always this boy who was bugging to be my friend, and I tried as politely as I could to turn him down... But when he started to sing "It's getting hot in here" to me on the courts, I knocked his ass over and beat the crap out of him. [shrugs] That's what you get.
I guess you can say that it kind of progressed when I went into second grade.
Sasuke had ignored me for the rest of the damn kindergarten year, avoiding me at all times possible, and other times seeming impossible or even rigged so that I'd never get a chance to talk to him. Eventually, the teacher thought I was intentionally trying to bother him, so she separated us and made sure that there were never any times that I would try to be near him—which meant the corner for most of the year.
We'd been put in different classes for first grade, and I never saw him at recess, lunch, or anywhere else. I did, however, spot him at the grocery market once on a trip with my mom, but when I waved at him and called his name, I don't think he heard me. Maybe it was because I pronounced it, "Sash-kay!" in my child's tongue, or maybe because I just wasn't loud enough. The latter seemed impossible, though. If anything, I was too loud, and my mother scolded me a little for it, telling me how that wasn't a voice I used in the supermarket.
In second grade, though, we were in the same class. I was a bit surprised that I'd made it into the honors class, and truth be told, my parents were a bit surprised, too. They were still proud of me though, and I was proud of myself. The moment I saw Sasuke, I recognized him, and I was sure that he recognized me, too—the way he turned around quickly proved that. Still, I strode over to him and said, "Hey, Sasuke!"
Of course, he ignored me, even told me to leave him alone, but I never let that stop me or get me down. Numerous times I tried to get him to warm up to me, many times I tried to get him to talk to me. I wouldn't stand for having someone dislike me, and I would do almost anything to get him to be my friend. He wouldn't have it, though.
One day toward the end of the year, our class was split into two teams to start a basketball tournament with the other classes. We didn't get to choose the teams because the teacher didn't want it to be unfair and she wanted it to be even. Naturally, I got put on the team against Sasuke's. Shikamaru was their elected team captain, and Neji was our elected team captain. Even though we were only in the second grade, everyone knew that the tournament was going to be intense.
About halfway into the game, I had a little control over the ball, and I was taking it across the court. The people that were on court for the other team practically bombarded me, but I slithered past them with ease. But just as I was about to make a shot, one of the other players was shoved into me, forcing us both to the ground. The court was outside, making it on the blacktop, and therefore hotter than hell in the Summer heat. My ass was planted firmly on the ground and burning hotter than the sun itself. I attempted to jump up off of it, but struggled when I realized that the other player was still on top of me. I looked up to see just who it was so I could decide on how to go about this. If it were Hinata, I would have to ask her nicely to get off. If it were Kiba, I would have to yell at him. If it were Sakura, I would have to take the heat because it was worth being near her.
But it was Sasuke. I was shocked speechless, left staring up at him. He pushed himself up and looked down at who he was pushed into, but it took him a moment or two to realize that it was me. He shook his head and looked away, then back.
And the two of us screamed at each other, pushing back frantically. I rolled, toppling him over, but he just landed right back on top of me, and when I rolled, I was on top of him. I had no idea what to do, so he shoved me off, got up, and ran.
"Watch what you're doing, Uzumaki," he spat.
"I was, until you were all over me," I said back to him, and in a moment of pure spite and embarrassment, added, "asshole."
It was the first time I'd cursed, and my dad wasn't happy about going to the school to talk to my principal about where I'd picked up that vocabulary.