Intoxicated (Stardew Valley)

Chapter Two

A FEW DAYS later I realized I needed to buy some seeds. My parsnips had grown and so I had saved a few in storage and put the rest in the bin.

But now I stood in front of Pierre's, the general store, staring back at the CLOSED sign hung against the wall.

I scratched my head in confusion. Seriously? Since when was it closed on Wednesday's? And the one time I needed to go, it just had to be closed!

I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there, peaking inside the dimmed store. That is, until I heard sets of footsteps trailing behind me. I turned and saw Shane approaching, wearing his unusually familiar blue jacket.

That's right, he usually goes to work around this time, I thought to myself.

He slouched as he walked, as if dreading to head to work, and had the usual scowl plastered on his face. His work must be really bad if he was always this grouchy. I wondered where he was headed.

Soon, he was only an arm's length from me. I spoke out and said, "Hey—" but Shane was already breezing past and didn't bother to glance in my direction. I slumped my shoulders in defeat and watched his figure walk away.

Go follow him! my sub-conscious was practically yelling at me, trying to tug me toward his direction. But as much as I tried, my feet remained cemented on the ground.

I didn't know why I bothered trying to befriend Shane. He was rude, obnoxious, and didn't care about letting me in. He was just a drunk.

That's all he was...right?

My thoughts were surfaced back to reality once I saw a familiar face opposite of me. I snapped out of my daze and was staring back at Jodi, one of the townspeople, and her son, Sam, standing behind her.

"Hello, Mae! Why are you standing here?" Jodi asked. Sam, who had his hands stuffed in his pockets, also peered at me with curiosity.

I glanced back to the closed store and gestured towards it. "I was supposed to buy some seeds from Pierre, but I wasn't aware it was closed on Wednesday's."

Jodi grinned. "Oh, honey! That's because the local JojaMart provides what Pierre's can't! And the prices are affordable, enough for my family." She pointed toward her son. "Sam has a shift there today. We're heading there right now!"

I processed what she had just said. My eyes widened. "Wait, did you say Joj—"

Before I was able to finish my sentence, Jodi took my arm and began to guide me, and surprisingly, my feet obliged, heading in the same direction where Shane was. We soon crossed a bridge.

And that was when I saw it.

The familiar blue building came across my vision, standing smugly on the soil of Pelican Town with its slogan, Join us. Thrive.

JojaMart was in bolded letters, its neon blue sign flickering every few minutes. And the words below it said, Life's better with Joja. I gritted my teeth. It was not. Life was horrible with Joja.

At this point, my head was spinning and I stopped completely in my tracks. Jodi didn't seem to notice and had trailed inside the store, as if drawn to its cheap prices and luring words. On the other hand, Sam realized I wasn't walking, and glanced back at me with a worried look.

I couldn't believe it.

I came to Pelican Town to escape my old life. To escape the wicked company of Joja Corporation. Turns out, their industry had plotted their roots into this town, planning to corrupt the citizens with their evil doings.

Soon, I was breathing heavily, and memories of the past started to dwell within me. My boss. My work. What they had done to me. What I had to do—

My legs buckled and I couldn't keep my standing. I knew I had fallen, but I was surprised I didn't feel the impact of the ground, but instead I felt...strong arms?

I looked up to see blue eyes staring back at me. Sam steadied me on the ground before running a head through his long, blonde hair. "You okay?"

Seeing his worried face sent me back to reality. I looked at the blue building before me, and back at Sam. I plastered on a smile, but there was nothing worth smiling for here. "I'm okay. Sorry. It was just... nothing."

How was I supposed to explain to someone that I despised their beloved JojaMart? Much less to someone who worked there?

Sam seemed to understand the look on my face. "I get it. I don't like working there, but it helps Mom and I pay for the bills." He nudged me and started to walk. "Come on, it isn't so bad. Just pick up the seeds you need and leave."

His comforting words somehow helped, and so I followed him inside.

As soon as we stepped in, a man dressed in a black suit with rimmed glasses approached us. "Ah, Sam! You brought in a new customer! Go and start your shift. I'll handle this one here."

I looked at Sam, horrified, as he left down the aisles with a comforting smiler, mouthing, "You got this."

The manager of the place beamed at me with a wicked smile. I wanted to leave immediately, but I desperately needed the seeds.

"Hello, I'm Morris!" He started to break off into a chant he's probably said to many others before, his voice encouraging and fake. "Membership is now available! With a Joja Membership, you'll be able to make improvements in the community with the help of our dedicated personnel... with a fee of course!"

I wanted to roll my eyes. Of course they'd charge people for their memberships. That's all they wanted. Money.

He continued, "Mayor Lewis promised that if anyone else joined, he'd let us turn that old community centre into a Joja Warehouse. Isn't that wonderful?"

I nearly gagged. A few days prior, Mr. Lewis had given me a key to the old community centre, and after exploring its rustic state, I planned on restoring it to its former glory. There was no way I was going to allow Joja to take over the centre, much less Pelican Town.

Morris grinned at me with that diabolical grin. "So what do you say? Would you like a Joja Membership for 5000 gold?"

"No," I spat out before turning away and heading to the nearest aisle. I felt pride with my voice and I had a relaxing sensation with finally sticking up for myself.

I knew Morris's eyes were on me, but I ignored it, and I made a silent vow to never be lured to their tricks ever again.

Once I found the seeds I needed—they were much more expensive than what Pierre would sell them for—I was drawn to one aisle in particular. It was stocked with beverages, such as Joja Cola and alcohol. For some reason, it reminded me of Shane, so I found my feet heading there.

I was about to pick up a can of beer for him, but I stopped. If he was an alcoholic, he should stop with his habits. And so I took a Joja Cola instead. Maybe he would appreciate the effort.

As I left the aisle, a familiar voice called out to me, "Mae?" I turned and saw Shane, eyes widened in surprised and brows furrowed in confusion.

That's when I knew and suddenly everything made sense.

The familiar blue clothing he wore... that was his Joja uniform.

"You work here?" I barely managed to get out. My head started to spin again.

This time, I fell, and there were no arms to catch me.

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(Update) I am reading this chapter now in 2020 and I am totally cringing. I mean... DID SHE REALLY JUST FALL FROM SEEING THAT? I'm sorry for this CRINGE BUT I ASSURE YOU IT GETS BETTER.

But anyways... if you did like this chapter, feel free to comment or vote!!