Disclaimer: I do not own Animal Crossing or any of the animal characters. A few characters of my creation shall appear as the story goes on, but only Julie takes part in this chapter.

A/N – Well, here's something I started way back in May and just got around to continuing. It's really started to pick up steam, so expect many more chapters. Here's the first chapter of "Lucky Day".

Lucky Day

Chapter 1 – The Unlucky One

A mummified dog moaned as he walked out of Nook's Cranny. He was disappointed that he'd missed the chance to get a shirt he'd wanted.

"It was there. Right in front of me. Why didn't I buy it..?"

He mumbled and groaned on his way back home, which was further away than he would've liked.

It had been like this since he was born. Always being the unlucky one. Missing out on celebrations, being left behind, losing items that were one of a kind, and moving into acres that were always so far away from everyone, that it felt like he had to walk a hundred miles before he'd see anyone.

Poor Lucky.

He'd lived in four different towns by then, and was already thinking of moving again. Each time he moved, he was unable to pick the acre he'd live in because all the others were full. That's what the Mayor had always told him, anyway.

He had reached one of the hills that led down to the southern portion of Dewitt, and could barely make out his house along the coast line.

"Lucky!"

Hearing his name, Lucky's head spun around, spotting a familiar face. "Julie!" he called, beginning to wave. But as he turned to face her, he caught his foot on a loose stone, or something of the like. In a split second after feeling his foot got stuck, he knew what was going to happen.

He fell forward, flat on his bandaged face. "Oww.." he whimpered. He sat up, and was startled by the sight of Julie right in front of him.

'She's fast,' he thought, rubbing his head.

"Are you okay! I'm so sorry! I made you trip, didn't I? Sorry!" she rambled, apologizing so fast it sounded like gibberish to her animal friend. She bowed her head, not wanting to look at him in fear that he was mad at her. He wasn't, of course, but that was the way she was. Always blaming things on herself.

"Julie. Juuulie.. Julie!" He had to say her name several times before she quieted and looked up at him. "Julie.. It's okay, really. This happens all the time," he laughed. She offered him a hand, but he signaled that he could do it on his own. He stood up and brushed himself off a bit.

"So.. What'd ya call me for?" Lucky asked, as if he hadn't fallen at all.

"Oh!" Her ears perked up. "Yesterday, you said you saw a shirt you wanted. But you wanted to wait on it for a bit. Then it was my fault that you didn't get to Nook's before closing because I was bothering you with my silly garden.. So I went and ordered it from him, since it was in my catalog. And it came in the mail this morning!"

She held out a folded shirt before him. He stared at her.

"You.. You got me the shirt? I-I.."

"Take it!" she beamed, pushing it into his hands. "I got it for you, silly! Now put it on. I want to see what you look like in it!"

But Lucky just stared at her as she bounced on her heels, smiling as wide as her gentle face would allow her to. Only a handful of animals had been so nice to him, mainly because he was so unlucky. But she didn't care. And she was a human, no less.

"Julie.." he sighed, not braking his gaze at her.

"Put it on! I wanna see!" she giggled, poking him in his stomach playfully. He blinked, then shook his head.

"Oh! Right," he laughed. Spinning around, he changed quickly into the shirt. The new whirly shirt fit perfectly, and looked even better than it had when he'd tried it on at Nook's.

"Thanks, Julie. I mean it. Thanks a lot!" Lucky beamed, proud of his new shirt, and happy with the way he looked in it.

"You're welcome. This'll be my early birthday present for you, okay?" she smiled, walking around him to pick up a peach she spotted laying on the ground. "But don't worry. I'll get you a better gift on your actual birthday," she continued from behind him.

"Birthday present..?"

"Yeah. Your birthday's this Friday. The thirteenth, right?"

Lucky was shocked. He'd forgotten all about his birthday. And even worse news, it was on a Friday. He was born on a Friday. And it had come back to haunt him so many times before.

"Want me to through you a party?" Julie asked, returning to his side, peach in hand.

"No.. Parties are a bad idea," he warned, remembering one of his past birthday 'bashes'. "My parties never end well."

"Aw, come on. It'll be fun!" she smiled, taking a bite out of the peach.

"I really don't think it'd be a good idea, though.."

"You're just shy! And I think Portia has her eye on you," Julie giggled, eating some more off the fruit in her hand.

The very mention of Portia's name sent a nervous shiver down his spine. He'd had a crush on her since he moved in. And she came by his place every once in a while to check on him. She was so kind. 'Like Julie,' he thought. An invisible smile covered his face beneath the bandages.

"Alright.. Maybe a party wouldn't be that bad," he laughed.

"I'll bet you're turning all shades of pink!" Julie teased. "Now come on. We're going back to my place to plan!" She shoved the rest of her peach in her mouth, then took a moment to chew. Grabbing his paw, she pulled him behind her towards her home to plan for his party.