Us | A Stardew Valley FanFiction

Chapter 2 - Spring 1

It wasn't the time for what ifs, and I knew that.

A part of my soul, however, couldn't help but wonder what would be different if I'd gotten here five years ago.

Robin, the carpenter, preached that potential was still hidden beneath the fallen branches and overgrown green. That if you dig deep enough, you'll find soil—soil that once fostered the most beloved farm in the Valley. That dirt has more tenacity than us all.

Stagnant anxiety urged me to get going—to get down on my hands and knees and clean this place up—but I couldn't help but feel paralyzed by the idea of Grandpa seeing the farm so lifeless.

If this is what the outside looked like, I was scared to see the inside. I knew, within the next twenty four hours, that I would probably have to face some kind of bug—after all, the shack was untouched and dark and secluded. If I were a bug, I would've made myself right at home, I decided. At least someone got to live here.

I took a deep breath and reached for the door, an old man popping out and scaring me more than any spider would've. I stumbled backwards, only Robin's hand on my back saving me from falling; She chuckled as he introduced himself as the mayor.

"You know, it's not everyday that someone new moves in. It's quite a big deal!"

I swallowed thick saliva and nodded, a fake smile plastered on my face. "I'm honored," I choked out unconvincingly. Lewis seemed not to notice.

"Well, sweetheart, we will see you around!" Lewis hummed as he walked towards the defined dirt exit, his twenty minute welcome monologue finally complete. "Don't be a stranger!"

The next four days were consumed by me being a stranger; between farm maintenance, horrible sleep habits, and eating scraps of snacks that I brought from the city, I was doing the exact opposite of Lewis's sole request. If I didn't leave this shack soon, I would probably be exiled. Or die from starvation.

While, to me, it was pretty impressive to survive for five days on trail mix and granola bars alone, it meant that I had no choice but to pay a visit to the Saloon on a Friday—which would either result in the best or the worst first impression of all time. I never liked a gamble.

From the outside of the Saloon, I could hear blaring music and the muffled laughter of the townspeople—melodies that were both inviting and isolating all at once. As my heart began to race, I decided there was no use in thinking about it.

So I went in.

Despite the music continuing, it felt as though all of the talking stopped; I scanned the room and was met with a million eyes. If Josh were here, he would have greeted everyone before both of his feet were in the door, and be thirty people's new best friend. Me, on the other hand—I was silent. And so were they.

I walked up to the counter, the gazes following my stride.

"Well, hello there!" A voice boomed from behind the register. "You must be the new farmer!"

"That's me," I said, nervous laughter spilling from my throat. "I'm Sadie. Sadie Simmons."

The man's facial expression softened. "Simmons," he said quietly. "I haven't heard that name in a while. I'm Gus, I'm the owner here at the Saloon."

I smiled weakly. "It's great to meet you," I said, turning to look behind me. The room was once again bursting with life.

"Have you gotten a chance to meet any of these folk yet?" He asked. I looked down. "I'll take that as a no."

"I've wanted to," I said, which wasn't entirely untrue. "I've just been scared. I'll admit it's been a while since I've been out of my comfort zone."

He nodded, and without another word, he walked over to the jukebox in the corner, signaling for me to follow. If I thought that the quiet was deafening when I first walked in, I couldn't even begin to comprehend the weight of the silence that consumed us now.

Once again, all of the heads in the room turned to look in our direction, causing an involuntary grimace to creep onto my features.

"Everyone!" Gus's voice filled the room. "Let's give a warm, Pelican Town welcome to the newest member of our community, Sadie Simmons!"

Hoots and hollers arose from the crowd, and I could feel myself start to breathe again.

He flashed a smile my way, and with a wink, turned back to the microphone. "It's Friday night, and I think this calls for a celebration...Drinks on the house!" Cheers once again roared through the Saloon as Gus and I headed back towards the counter.

A blue haired woman with a nice smile leaned over the counter as I sat down, a full shot glass in hand.

"Welcome to Pelican Town, Sadie!" she beamed. "I'm Emily—I bartend here in the evenings. Are you hungry?" she asked, sliding the glass to me.

I opened my mouth to answer, but an unfamiliar voice beat me to it. "I think you forgot a shot for me, Em. And get the lady some food! All that farm work is bound to make anyone hungry."

Tall and blonde, the boy slid Emily ten gold and plopped into the stool beside me. "This is Sam," Emily chuckled, taking the money and motioning towards him. "The usual?" she asked. He responded with a smile, and she grabbed another shot glass as she headed towards the liquor cabinet.

A slender hand stretched towards me. "It's good to meet you, Sadie. You'll fit right in."

Emily returned, glass full, and handed it to him. With a huge smile, he raised it towards the ceiling. "To new beginnings."

"I can drink to that," I laughed, following suit. Our glasses clinked between us, and we drank.

Sam grabbed my arm after the liquor's bite faded, dragging me through the crowd and introducing me to almost everyone. He took the heat off of approaching each clique, but gave me space to converse when I felt comfortable. He was doing Josh's job, but better.

After meeting the older crowd, hearing memories about my grandfather, and getting toasts raised to my arrival, I was tipsy, happy, and ready to meet people my age.

The room next to the dining room had a pool table, various arcade games, and was full of just that—mostly, though, they seemed to be couples. On the couch sat one of the pairs, who were so hyper fixated on one another that they didn't notice Sam and I had even entered the area. Closer to us, scattered around the pool table, were the other two, the girl aiming her stick towards a striped red ball, the boy running his hand through messy brown hair as he watched.

"On the couch, there, that's Sebastian and Abigail—they're who I usually hang out with. At the pool table, that's Haley and Alex. Alex can be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but once he warms up to you, he's a big softie. And Haley...Well, she's my next door neighbor. I'll let you form your own opinion on that one."

Haley was the first to notice me. Placing her pool stick on the table and moving to elbow Alex, they abandoned their game and walked towards us.

Alex, tall and toned, barely looked my way—instead, he dapped Sam up and pulled him into an insufferable jock hug. Haley gave Sam the side eye, then focused her attention back on me.

"You must be that new farmer girl, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," I said, my voice caught in my throat,

"Huh?"

"I said yeah."

"Oh. I'm Haley."

"Sadie, it's good to meet you."

The atmosphere was stagnant as she glanced at my body, her blue eyes taking their time before finally meeting mine.

"Hmm...you too. You know, if it weren't for those horrendous clothes, you might actually be pretty."

I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Haley, once again, broke the silence.

"Actually, nevermind." she sneered, a smirk creeping onto her face. Alex snickered, earning him a slap on the arm from Sam.

"God, Haley, can you just be nice for once?"

"It's fine," I said, exchanging a defeated glance with Sam. "I'd rather wear horrendous clothes than be a bitch."