#stardew valley haley

Reposting once more. This one was based off the prompt: “A character’s guilty pleasure or favorite way to unwind or relax.”

Title:Nothing Ever Happened

Word Count:1,061

Summary: Haley enjoys the evening alone… until she realizes just how much her neighbors can see and hear.

Haley grinned excitedly to herself after her sister left for work.

As much fun as it was to go out and take photographs of nature and talk with Alex as she had earlier that day, secretly she greatly enjoyed the time alone at home. Today was one of those rare days where Haley actually enjoyed the healthy dinner Emily prepared earlier that day, so after she ate, she carried her radio to the kitchen, turned up the music, and made a small melon cake, just the right size for her and her alone.

Now the typical playlist she would use when she went out in public consisted of the usual modern boy bands and strong independent women, the stuff people barely tolerated and would think “ah, typical Haley” when they heard it. Like they expected someone with her personality to enjoy the style of music. While enjoyable regardless of their opinion, this playlist, however, was filled exclusively with the stuff she wouldn’t be caught dead enjoying in public, from cheesy 80s power ballads to Disney songs.

She placed her pink cake in the oven and set the timer. She paced into her bedroom, carrying her radio with her, and began to dance. Now keep in mind this isn’t her usual inspired-by-a-cheerleading-routine style of dancing. No; this was her freestyling just like any other stereotypical white girl. She even lip synced as she danced. Yoba forbid her sister knows that she dances like this.

But it wasn’t Emily that caught her tonight. This was so much worse.

Haley opened her eyes, and found her neighbor Sam staring back at her from his room next door. She shrieked and tripped on her way to her window. Without giving him a second look, she forced the curtains shut and turned off her radio.

Idiot! She thought. Why didn’t you make sure your window was shut first? Haley felt as if she would die of shame. She almost didn’t catch that the oven timer beeped. Thankfully she went to the kitchen and saved the cake before it was too late.

As it cooled on the table, Haley pondered if she could bribe Sam to keep silent about the incident. But as far as she knew, the punk knew no shame. He led the town in community hours, not by accident. It seemed that he weighed the punishment of getting caught against doing what he wanted to do, and decided that the price was worth paying. What could she possibly offer to persuade him not expose her silly song choices?

Then as her thoughts quieted just a little, she heard a guitar playing faintly. It took a bit for her to recognize the tune: the very song she was dancing to when she made eye contact with Sam.

Oh Yoba. Sam’s playing her guilty pleasure song for the whole town to hear. Haley wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear. She saved up enough money to go live in the city now, right?

She glanced at the cake at the table, and knew it was her best chance. She transferred it onto an expendable paper plate, then followed the sound of guitar back to her window.

Slowly, she partially opened the curtain, and saw Sam sitting in his open window as he played the cursed melody. Haley could never listen to it again. Not while Sam knew she enjoyed it. Then she pulled the curtain open. The punk next door seemed surprised to see her again.

Haley gestured for him to walk over, and Sam set down his guitar before closing the gap between them and reaching her window. Regretfully, she passed the pink cake to him.

“Is this for my amazing arrangement of the song? Very well, I accept!”

“No, you idiot! I’m bribing you.”

“Bribing me?”

“You saw and heard nothing from me tonight!” She hissed. “Play anything else but that song. Please! You must have any other song you can practice.”

Sam shrugged. “Okay.”

He walked back to his house, cake in tow, and climbed through the window into his room. Then he started playing another song.

But it was another song from her shameful playlist.

NO!!

He would never let her live it down, would he?

As Haley despaired, she watched as another person walked into his room. It was his mom, Jodi. She smiled brightly as she entered his bedroom.

“I didn’t know you knew how to play this song!” Haley could hear her exclaim. Then she began to dance along, even more clumsily and cringey than Haley had.

“Mom!” Sam stopped strumming his guitar and tried to hush his mother. His cheeks flushed into a prominent shade of red. He was so obviously embarrassed. Haley thought this was too good to be true. Sam continued to hush her and tell her he was going to bed now, even while Jodi was performing the sprinkler without any music.

Finally, she gave up the dancing and bade her son good night as she left the room. Sam leaned his back against his shut bedroom door and combed a hand through his hair in relief. Then he remembered her. The mischievous grin and smiling eyes he wore not too long ago vanished, and a frown matched with the dread in his wide eyes took its place.

Haley tried to keep her face as neutral, void of emotion, as possible as she waited to see what Sam would do next.

He reached for his cell phone, and typed into it. A second later, Haley’s phone beeped. She checked its messages. There was one new one.

Nothing ever happened.  – Sam

Haley smiled cheekily as she replied: That cake on your desk says otherwise.

With a frown on his face, Sam picked up the pink cake, carefully climbed out his window, and placed it on her windowsill.

“Nothing ever happened.” She repeated.

Sam nodded in agreement and returned to his room empty handed. Both shut their windows: blinds, curtains, and all.

Haley received one more message that night, from a different cell phone number: Could you teach me how to make that pink cake before Vincent’s birthday next week?  – Jodi

Haley sighed deeply. It was a price she was more willing to pay for their silence. She took a bite of her own delicious cake, rightfully returned to her, and texted back: Sure thing.