Jeffery walked down the steps of the train station, not even wanting to look up. What was the use? He was just going to be an outcast anywa-
"Excuse me! Hey, Hey! You there!" Someone shouted to him, cutting off his thoughts.
Jeffery looked up, only to see a brown blur rushing at him in the distance. Jeffery squinted to get a closer look, but when his vision set in, the blur wasn't stopping.
"Whoa, WHOA! I can't stop! Look out!"
Before Jeffery could act, what appeared to be a large raccoon smashed into him and sent him flying. Jeffery hit the ground hard.
"Bah, stupid, fat body...Excuse me sir!" The raccoon rushed over to Jeffery, who was spraweld in the dirt, and helped him up. "Would your name happen to be Jeffery?"
Dazed, Jeffery nodded slowly, brushing the dirt off of himself.
"Good, Good! Adam! Cue!"
TWEEEEEEEET! A birthday buzzer went off next to Jeremy's ear, startling him. He turned to see a light-blue squirrel blowing it. The squirell didn't seem very happy about his job, his eyes were half-shut as if he was bored.
The raccoon laughed. "Thank you, Adam. Oh, Jeffery, this fine young man is going to be your neighbor. Go on, intoduce yourself." The raccoon scooted the squirrel in front of Jeffery. Jeffery looked at them strangely and warily stuck out his hand. The squirrel just sat there, eyes glazed.
"Adam. Shake his hand," the raccoon urged, showing a hint of annoyance.
Adam wobbled.
"No, no! Shake hands!"
Adam sighed and stuck out his hand, and Jeffery shook it.
The raccoon faked a laugh. "I suppose you'd like to see where you're living now, hm?" he asked. "Well, follow me, this way."
The raccoon led the two down an acre, and into a lot with 4 pitiful looking houses in it, all facing the center towards an old bulletin board.
Jeffery leaned toward Adam and asked him quietly, "Who is this guy?"
The squirrell just looked ahead, and without changing his expression, and said "Dude...I'm just Adam...Okay?"
Jeffery looked forward, offended, and his question unanswered. "Whatever..."
"Now," the raccoon started. "My name is Tom. Er, Tom Nook. I uh, run the shop here in Darsinae. I believe my associate Rover told me that you needed a house?"
"Yes," Jeffery said. "I need a place to stay."
Nook laughed. "Wonderful! Well, I can heartily recommend any of these houses! Take your pick!" Nook waved his hands toward the houses.
Jeffery looked at the sad shacks sitting around him. He grimaced, but this was as good as it was going to get, and he wasn't complaining. He went to the top left hand corner house first, and looked inside. He frowned in discomfort.
The walls were shantily covered in what looked like tin roofing, the floors were squeaky and moldy, there was a beaten old box with a book on top of it in one corner, and a broken down, dusty tape deck in the other. Jeffery hated it, but he still needed a place to stay. So, with all the courage he could muster, he went back outside to Tom Nook and Adam (and fresh air) and said, "I'll take it!"
Nook laughed, and took no time in preparing the paperwork and legal issues for Jeffery to sign. Adam sat back and watched, with that little glazed look in his half shut eyes. Jeffery must've signed 20 sheets of paper before Nook approved.
"Alrighty then, Jeffery, my fine fellow, this house now belongs to you! Adam, will you do the honors?"
Adam sighed and pulled out a piece of paper and blankly read:
"Thank you dear customer for purchasing this fine home! We at Nook's Cranny are pleased to announce this event, and in celebration, we'd like to throw in the furniture for FREE!" Adam didn't try to emphasize the words. "There are responsibilities with this new home, though, and monthly rent will come to 1,250 Bells. We hope you'll visit our corporation again, and-" Adam stopped, looked at the rest of the letter, and quickly said, "Blah blah blah enjoy your new home. Can I go now, Nook?"
Tom Nook sighed and shooed Adam away.
"Okay, Jeffery, to make a long story short, the house comes to...19,800 Bells!"
Jeffery pulled out his sack of money and gave it to the raccoon. Nook looked through the contents of the bag. "Yes..that would be...NOT NEARLY ENOUGH!" he exclaimed in shock. "You can't buy a house with this kind of money! That's insane! Ludicrous!"
Jeffery was shocked. "What?!" Jeffery SWORE his mom had packed him more money! He must've lost it somehow...unless...
"Rover!" Jeffery cursed under his breath. That must've been why Rover scooted him off the train so fast. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nook...I'll just go now.." Jeffery picked up his luggage and began to walk off.
Nook sadly looked down at the sack of money in his hands, and back to Jeffery. Nook sighed.
"Don't trot off now..." Nook called. "You can stay in the house. BUT, you must pay it off within a timely manner! If you do not, I will have you evicted."
Jeffery turned around. "What..? Really?"
"Uh...yes?"
Jeffery jumped in joy. "WOO HOO!" He stopped his celebrating when he realized something. "But how am I going to pay it off?" Jeffery stated. "I don't have a job!"
Nook thought for a moment. After a bit he clapped his hands together and smiled. "You can work for me, part time at my shop. Yes, that will work!" Nook smiled again. "That way you can have a place to stay, and you can work off your mortgage!" Nook laughed. "You should get some sleep though, it's awfully late for work now," Nook finished. Jeffery looked up at the sky to see the sun disappearing behind the horizon. He hadn't realized how dark it had gotten so fast.
"So will I be be able to count on you to be at my shop by 9 a.m.?" Nook said, raising an eyebrow.
Jeffery nodded. "Yes, sir!"
Nook smiled and patted his head. "Off I go. See you tomorrow, dear employee!" He chuckled at his joke as he walked off.
Jeffery stood outside for a moment, and then turned to look at his "home." He sighed and went inside.
No bed, no covers, no dignity. Jeffery laid down on the cold, gross floor and tried to get comfortable. He looked up at the ceiling, and thought about the day. His train ride, his first friend, who turned out to be a con, meeting these weird animals, and now his ugly new home.
"How could it get any worse..." he muttered.
He closed his eyes, and a few seconds later a piece of the ceiling fell on his face.
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