breaking bad one shots

subway surprises

It was a nice summer day in Boston. Jesse stared out the window from his bed and saw that there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, creating a large blue painting over the city. He hated days like this; they made him envy the people who had it easy.

Quickly wiping the negative thoughts from his head, he stretched his arms and legs across his matress, rumpling the worn sheets underneath his body. Get up you loser.

Jesse sat up and finally got himself moving. It was always hard for him to start his day. After escaping the compound, he was lucky enough to receive welfare as he stayed unemployed to recover, but it only lasted long enough for him to land a simple office job in Boston. It was simple enough for him. He needed simple.

After the trauma Jesse had endured, he wasn't ready to get on the path leading toward a career, let alone attend a college. Too much social interaction put him on edge. Secluding himself in a white box with a phone and a computer was easier. It was possible. The only thing he really needed to do was put on a suit and show up.

Moving from Albuquerque to Boston was a big change, but Jesse blended right in with everybody which was just what he needed. He felt that the flood of people surrounding him masked who he was and the secrets he was hiding. Slipping into his suit and tie, he took off out his door and towards the stairs.

Although he lived on the seventeenth floor of his building, he refused to take the elevator. It was too small, and small spaces reminded him of being locked in the compound, causing him great anxiety. So, everyday, Jesse walked seventeen floors down in the morning, and seventeen floors up at night. He didn't mind. He needed the exercise, as the rest of his time was spent wallowing in bed.

Jesse stepped through the lobby doors and out into the chilled morning air, the hustle and bustle of the city circling around him. The occasional toot of a horn or the laughing of a passerby would startle him, causing him to flinch. Feeling embarrassed by such things scaring him, he'd poke his tongue through his lips slightly, hanging his head down in shame as he marched quickly along the sidewalk.

As he walked, Jesse instinctually looked down at his watch. Fuck. I'm gonna be late. Realizing he slept later than intended, he sprung one foot in front of the other in wide strides as if he could somehow get himself there any faster that way.

Looking down at his watch again as he marched along, Jesse saw that there was no way he would be there on time. He would end up being extremely late. This instilled the fear of being fired which was something Jesse couldn't afford. He needed money. And even more, he needed a simple routine to keep his mind on track. He was so lucky to have landed this job, with no extra schooling or updated resume and his slight criminal record (it was mostly wiped due to his circumstances and Heisenberg's death) there was no way he could find another job as perfect as this one.

Just the thought of spending his days alone in his flat, the shades drawn, doing nothing all day and not getting paid, sent his heart into a frenzy. Jesse stopped walking and began pacing back and forth in a panic. What do I do, what do I do, whatdoIdo.

"Goddamnit!" Jesse bellowed as he slapped the brick wall nearest to him. "Fuck," he countered in pain, immediately regretting his decision and shaking his hand around to attempt at fixing it.

Looking up across the street, he saw on the other side of the road was his ticket to fix his problem. "Oh, no," Jesse muttered, his mouth hanging open. "No way man," he whispered in denial as he started at the subway station just feet away. There was no way he was getting on that thing. Too many people in close vicinity, just like the elevators he refused to ride. But he had to. What choice did he have? It was either face his fears or lose his job. With that in his mind, Jesse glided over the crosswalk and down the stairs into the station.

As he approached the train doors, his legs turned to jellow. There were't any seats open, so Jesse held onto one of the poles going from the floor to the ceiling. His palm was sweaty and slid along the metal, threatening him to lose his balance and fall to the floor, as his head was growing dizzier by the second. Using his free hand, Jesse dragged it across his face, attempting to calm down his racing heart. His mouth hung open as he tried to intake more air into his lungs, but it was no use. His chest was growing tighter and he lowered himself to the ground, putting his hands over his face in shame. Was this panic attack really worth his job?

"Mom? Is that guy okay?" Jesse heard a young voice ringing through his ears. Looking up, he saw a boy, about fourteen years old. He was dressed very proper as were his parents. They looked like the wealthy bunch.

Jesse shoved his face back into his hands and let out a quiet groan. He just wanted to get off this bus.

The boy asked his question again but this time directly at Jesse, tapping him on the shoulder, "Hey, sir, are you okay?"

Jesse slowly moved his hands away from his eyes and jumped backwards when he saw how close the boy was to him, squatting down at his eye level.

Everyone on the subway became background noise as Jesse took in the features of the boy leaning into his personal space. His fire-red hair and constellations of freckles sent alarms off in his head. "It's him," Jesse spoke in his head with awe while on the outside, his mouth was hanging open like a fish.

The boy, obviously, did not recognize Jesse in return. Yet he sat there in a staring contest with him, waiting for him to speak. Jesse wanted to hug him, to ask him how his life is going, to tell him he is the one who saved him and the reason he has wealthy parents.

Before Jesse could even take a breath, the subway doors opened, pushing a gust of wind through his hair and lungs. The boy's parents began stepping out onto the platform and his mother grabbed his arm, "Come on, hun. It's our stop."

Jesse watched with detachment as the boy immediately disregarded him and left with his parents. It was only until the doors began shutting that Jesse woke up from his trance and realized he didn't get a single word in.

Shooting up off the floor, he bolted to the doors. He didn't make it. Only managed to get his fingers slightly stuck and pull them out, cursing under his breath.

He began smacking his hand against the window, "Hey! This is my stop! Let me off!"

The engine hummed as the bus slowly began to move on. Jesse continued crying out to be let off, but was ignored. His face grew red as his eyes brimmed with tears.

Gripping onto the ceiling bar, he felt eyes on him and turned around. Everyone was staring. "What are you looking at, huh?" Jesse yelled, trying to compose himself.

He turned around in embarrassment and stared out the window. He could still catch a glimpse of the boy in the distance so he whispered against the glass the same words he said ten years ago, "Have a good life, kid."