Line Without a Hook: Stardew Valley & Shane story

Chapter 4

As soon as Harvey and I walked in we were greeted by a small man with a very dashing mustache. "Well hello there! I'm Gus. Welcome to the Stardrop Saloon. Have a seat." He motioned to the few barstools. "What might your name be? You must be the new farmer in town." I normally wouldn't sit at the bar, but Harvey pulled out a seat for me and motioned me to sit. I smiled in response and jumped up on the stool. I was quite short so when I say jumped, I literally jumped.  "I'm Emma." 

Harvey stood next to me and slumped his arms on the bar. "Not sitting down?" I questioned, staring at his tall stature. "I'm used to standing all day. I am a doctor after all." He said chuckling. I laughed in response, scratching the back of my head. Since I am...or was... a nurse, I completely understood. I kept that side of me to myself as I wanted to start fresh here. No one needed to know about my past.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink, Emma?" Harvey asked, motioning over Gus. I pondered the question for a moment before nodding my head. Gus arrived with a smile on his face. "Sure, an old fashioned sounds nice." I squeaked out, barely loud enough for anyone to hear. "Coming right up!" Gus said, walking over to the drinks along the wall.

Harvey looked at me with a concerned face. "You really should eat something, Emma. How about I order us some pizza." 

I hadn't eaten much all day and just experienced exhaustion for the first time in my life, so solely an alcoholic drink sounded appropriate in my books. Nevertheless, I agreed to Harvey's request. "Oh I suppose. You know, you don't have to go all doctor on me in a bar." Harvey pushed his glasses up and put one hand on his waist. "Nutrition is important. I always take care of my patients regardless of where the location is." I rolled my eyes and smiled. Such a doctor.

"One old fashioned, delivered to the new farmer. Welcome again." Gus stated setting the glass in front of me. 

I looked around at my surroundings and noticed how many people there were. Most of the town must be here this Friday night. The introvert in me started to come out and I retreated back into my shell. I stared down at my drink and decided that drinking may help me open up a bit. With a heavy sigh, I downed my drink in one swift swig.

It took about 2 drinks for me to really start feeling the effects of the alcohol. Sure, I was a fast drinker but it didn't take much to get me drunk. I had only eaten half a piece of pizza. Harvey had gone off and began mingling with the rest of the town, leaving me with my thoughts and drink. Gus had come to check on me here and there. I decided to finally take in my surroundings and maybe begin to meet some of these people.

I looked up from my drink and noticed a bright blue individual standing in front of me. She wasn't behind the bar earlier, so it stunned me to see her so suddenly. I jumped a little in my seat. "Um, hello there." I slurred slightly. She had a fluorescent smile to match her hair. 

"Hi! My name is Emily. I've heard you're Emma." She said with excitement. She rested her elbows against the bar and placed her chin on her small hands. "I can tell you're going to love it here. I can read it on your face. Or maybe it's the alcohol you've been drinking." She continued to smile. "Thanks Emily."

She noticed my drink was empty and had asked if I wanted another. I agreed and she refilled it. There was a small silence between us as she stared at me. "So... what do you do here in Stardew Valley?" I asked, still staring at her bright hair. She looked down at her hands for a moment before responding. "It's a secret." Emily said, looking up with a wink. "I mainly work here at the Stardrop Saloon. It can get busy on occasion so I help Gus with the orders." As she said this, a figure appeared next to the bar. He set down a beer glass and stood there, expecting someone to acknowledge him."

"Excuse me for a second." Emily sang, walking over to grab the beer glass and fill it up. I looked at the figure and took in his features. He was looking down at his feet so it was hard to make out his facial features. His hair was dark, almost purple in the lighting. He had a small, what I'm assuming was, beer belly. He was wearing a ratty Joja cola sweatshirt with a green undershirt. He was shorter in height. He physically looked rough but had some qualities of a teddy bear. To be honest, I was a little infatuated. 

Building up the courage, I cleared my throat and took another swig at my drink. "Excuse me." I confidently said in the direction of the figure. He jumped slightly, barely looking up from his feet. I studied his face, noticing it was turning red. Emily had returned with a beer, handing it to him. 

"I don't know you. Why are you talking to me?"

Shock ran through my system. I was not expecting such a reply. I was expecting maybe a sheepish reply, but instead I got a spiteful comment. The figure retreated back into the shadows of the fireplace. I turned to Emily with a confused look on my face. Emily shrugged her shoulders and leaned toward me. "That's Shane. He's not very talkative. He comes to the saloon every day and stands in the same spot drinking beer."

I pushed my sleeves up and huffed out a sigh. "Well, Emily, I am determined to make friends with everyone in this town. No matter how hard it is." I jumped down from my stool and walked toward Shane. He looked up from his drink and immediately looked back down. 

"No, I don't have time to talk with you. I'm busy, can't you tell?" Shane spat, noticing my presence. I crossed my arms, not wanting to deal with this shit. Alcohol gave me the confidence I knew I would never have. "I think it is quite rude to introduce yourself that way. I'm Emma, the new farmer in this town." I held out my hand, hoping he would take it and snap out of the trance he was in.

"Why are you bothering me? I want to be alone. Your presence is annoying." He hissed. He drank his beer quickly, slamming it on the counter. He walked past me, bumping into my shoulder, causing me to stumble. Shane had left the saloon going off to who knows where. How incredibly impolite to treat someone. I looked at Emily with disbelief. She came out from behind the bar and stood next to me at the fireplace.

"I'm so sorry Emma. He will warm up to you eventually." Emily said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I looked down at my shoes, tears forming in my eyes. I felt so pathetic for beginning to cry, but, I was drunk. And the tears began to fall. "Thanks Emily. Well, I'm going to head out. That's enough adventure for me in one night." I said, waving behind me as I stumbled out of the saloon. 

As I stumbled my way back to my farm, I thought about Shane. And how incredibly cruel he was. There was a part of me that wanted to get to know the man that hid underneath that cruelty, and there was another part of me that wanted to forget about his entire existence.