"Another beer." I said, as I slid the empty pint glass down the bar.
"Coming right up!" Gus cheered heartily before sliding a pint of the good stuff toward me. It was 7:30pm and the saloon was bustling with people; chatting, gossiping, laughing merrily. Ugh. I, on the other hand, preferred to stay in the corner with my drink, away from the rabble. The beer from the saloon wasn't the cheapest or the strongest, but it was all Pelican Town had, so it was passable, I guess. New Year's had just passed too, so to make way for all the weird festive drinks the beer was pretty cheap for the time being. I stared at down the pale-ish yellow liquid in the glass as my eyes burned from a long day of work. I was tired… I was always so tired. Blowing my pay check on beer at the end of the day was the only thing that kept me going, though that always meant I'd have to go back the next day to do it all again… And again… And again…
Looking around, I saw that the bar had gotten more crowded than usual. Even Harvey, the valley doctor, had shown up to start putting away beers like it was his last night on earth. Hypocrite. Putting my hand in my pocket, I realised that was the last beer I could afford. Damn… That time again. As I raised the glass to my lips, I noticed Mayor Lewis on the other side of the room… The guy who's been sleeping with Aunt Marnie and thinks no one realises. Shudder. The townsfolk around him seemed to get more rowdy and energetic - seemed like he was causing a lot of excitement… Hell knows what he was talking about, and Hell also knows that I didn't give half a damn. I knocked back the last of my beer, put my hands in my pockets, and headed toward the door. On my way out, I heard excited whispers like "I can't wait to meet her!" Huh? Did someone buy a dog or something? Or… Oh god no. I seriously hoped no one new would be moving to town… I could barely tolerate the townsfolk that were already around. With that thought, I shoved the door with my elbow and made my way out into the bitter night air. The taste in my mouth was bitter, too, though that's to be expected when your diet consists of beer and the occasional slice of pizza. I headed back to Aunt Marnie's ranch and threw myself at the bed, face to pillow.
It barely even felt like moments later that my obnoxious alarm clock started beeping loud enough to wake up the whole town. I reached a hand out from under the covers, smacked the button on the top, and grabbed the clock. 7am, Spring 8th, Monday… Monday, huh…? The days all kind of merged into one for me, so it got hard to keep track of time. Not that it mattered, anyway, since I wasted every day of my life packing shelves at Joja Mart regardless of what day of the week it was. I felt the dull queasiness of a hangover brewing in my stomach, just like every other morning, as I pulled on my clothes and Joja Mart uniform jacket. I took a brief look in the mirror, and rubbed the stubble on my chin. What's the point in shaving if all I'm getting up for is this god awful job…
As I headed out the door of Aunt Marnie's house, the harsh morning sun blinded me and exacerbated my headache. Just like every other morning, I squinted away from it, wishing I didn't have to leave my bed. It was around 7:40am when I heard the sound of footsteps running behind me. I didn't turn around, though – what do I care what anyone else is doing at this ungodly hour?
"Heeeeeeey!" A voice in the distance.
"Hey! Hey you!" It called again. I've walked this route to work a few hundred times over, surely, and I know for a fact that I'm the only one who walks this way at this time… Which can only mean…
"You in the blue jacket!"
What a pain. They really are calling out to me. Before I knew it, the person was beside me. Bright and full of energy, her green eyes were gleaming annoyingly in the sunlight, her long brown hair being lifted slightly by the wind. She was wearing blue dungarees – maybe the old abandoned farm was finally being used, I thought, though I didn't bother to ponder on the matter too deeply. She looked young – barely even an adult, if one at all. Great, more rowdy kids in town. Though I guess the adults are just as bad… Maybe it was the fact that it was so early in the morning, but I hadn't noticed previously how uncomfortably close she was standing to me. Her insufferably shrill voice was spouting some nonsense about the Mayor and a farm but I was barely paying attention. I narrowed my eyes and sighed. "I don't even know you. Why are you talking to me?"
"Huh?" She was caught off guard. Her eyes opened up wide like a small child and her facial expression went vacant. Jeez, what are you, a twelve year old…? I started walking again, away from the annoying girl. She clearly noticed me walking away, as she took a deep breath in.
"Oh… Yeah! Okay! See you later!"
Wow, I hope not.
Author's note: So, I'm a little salty that Shane isn't a marriage option in Stardew Valley. But that's what fanfics are for, I guess. ;) Anyway I hope you enjoy this story, reviews are always useful! ~Nyannygiri