Chapter Twelve
One Saturday in November, Jesse climbed into his car, destination unknown. Maybe he would go see if Badger had found any good weed, or maybe he would try and get into the bar – they were usually pretty good about not carding.
He was surprised to find himself slowing down in front of a stop for the city bus as he caught a glimpse of Deanna, Maya, and Pacey standing there. He honked his horn.
"Hey!" he called out his window. "Maybe I could give you girls a lift." In his head, it had sounded suave. Outwardly, it sounded something like, "Want a ride, little girl?"
Pacey opened her mouth, looking reluctant, but Deanna piped up, "Sure!" She reached over and opened the passenger side door.
"Uh, Deanna…" Pacey began, "My mother…"
"Oh, come on, Pacey," Maya urged her, opening the back door and sliding over into a seat. "Live a little. She doesn't even have to know! She doesn't even know you're going to this movie in the first place. You definitely don't need to tell her you caught a ride with Jesse Pinkman."
With a sigh and a look around, Pacey climbed in and sat beside Maya.
"Oh?" Jesse asked as he put the car back into Drive. "What's so bad about me?"
"Pacey's mom thinks you're a juvenile delinquent," Maya piped up. "No offense."
"Then again," Deanna chimed in, "She's not even okay with her going to see Harry Potter."
"That's what you guys are doing?" Jesse asked. It seemed pretty innocent compared to what he and Badger and the rest usually got up to, but maybe that was kind of cool. If they wanted him along, that was – he shouldn't assume that anyone would really want him along anywhere – it might be neat to take a step back for the day and just do something normal and a little bit corny.
"Yeah. It's playing at the Multiplex. I heard Draco's going to be super sexy," Deanna gushed.
"Oh, forget Draco," Maya shot back, "I'm interested in Snape!"
"Snape's such a jerk though," Deanna replied. "Jesse, have you read it, or…?"
Jesse shook his head.
"No, I mean… But don't worry about spoiling me! I mean… Hey, why don't I come see the movie with you guys? I mean… If that's cool with you, I mean." Jesse rubbed at his nose as he drove down the road, towards the general direction of the movie theater, which was about a mile past the local mall.
"Sure!" Deanna said. Her eyes actually seemed to light up in the rearview mirror, which gave Jesse pause. Did Deanna Escobar, of all people, have some kind of crush on him? It wasn't like it would be a bad thing, but he and Deanna had been friends… they'd been off and on friends for such a long time that if that was true, wouldn't Jesse have noticed before now?
He brushed it off. It didn't matter. He was into Christy, anyway – that was something he still needed to work on. He would have to show her his true personality, show her that he could be… be what, exactly? Right now, he just felt like a stoner and a loser.
Well, Deanna liked him, at least. Jesse figured that ought to account for something.
"Sure," Maya and Pacey both agreed, though they sounded considerably less enthused. It was about ten minutes later when Jesse pulled into the parking lot of the theater.
"I'll buy us all huge butter popcorns," Jesse offered.
"Whoo hoo!" Pacey cheered. "Extra butter. Can we get extra butter?"
Jesse grinned. Maybe he was winning over Pacey, as well.
"So if you went to Hogwarts, what House would you be in?" Deanna inquired as they walked out of the theater, half-eaten popcorn box still being passed between them. "I'd be a Ravenclaw for sure."
"Gryffindor!" Maya chimed. "I refuse to even think of settling for less. Pacey?"
"Eh… Hufflepuff, probably."
"No offense," Maya said, "But I can see that. You're such a Hufflepuff."
"What about you, Jesse?" Deanna asked, shoving a handful of popcorn in her mouth and wiping her hand on her jacket. "I can see you as a Gryffindor."
"I don't know," Jesse admitted, climbing into the driver's side. Once everyone climbed into the car, he started off in the direction of home.
At least, so he thought.
"Hey, Jesse," Deanna spoke up about ten minutes later. "I think we're going in the wrong direction."
"No," he argued, "This is definitely the right direction… I drive up here all the time. I mean, you do a right on Main and then…"
A half-an-hour later, a helpful sign informed them that they were no longer in Albuquerque.
"How did you manage to get us so lost?" Maya inquired. "I mean, it's only a twenty minute drive!"
"I was sure that I made the right turn," Jesse replied. "Anyone have a map?"
"That doesn't sound promising," Deanna chimed in. "We need to find somewhere to ask for directions."
"I don't think we need to ask for directions," Jesse argued, "I mean… I'll find our way. I think we just need to…"
"Typical man," Pacey said with a sigh, "Never wants to ask for directions."
"Pull in here," said Maya, pointing to a sign. "It's a hospital. Someone should be around that we can ask for directions. Pacey, didn't you tell your mom you were only coming to the bakery with us?"
"Yeah. I think I'm grounded for sure. I need to come up with a version that doesn't have Harry Potter or Jesse in it."
"Your parents are way too overprotective," Maya replied, as Jesse took her advice and pulled into the hospital parking lot. He pulled up to a building with a large sign announcing that it was the Eating Disorders building.
"Uh," Deanna spoke up. "I think we're at a mental hospital."
"Who wants to get out and ask for directions? I nominate Jesse!" Maya chimed.
"Really?" Jesse argued. "Oh man… All right." He sighed and popped his door open, stepping out and walking up to the front door. He tested it, but it seemed to be locked. On the other side of the front window, a young African-American woman with long braids and a blue dress was sitting and painting a picture.
Jesse rapped on the window, and the girl stood up, walking away presumably to get somebody as Jesse stood there, feeling extremely awkward.
A few moments later, a nurse appeared at the door. She opened it and stepped outside.
"How can I help you?"
"Um… We were trying to find our way back to Margo Street, in Albuquerque," Jesse explained, "I think we took a wrong turn somewhere and now we're lost."
The nurse blinked at him.
"You're pretty far away from Margo Street," she replied. "Get on Central and keep going West. You'll hit it. Just pay attention to the exits."
"Oh, okay!" Jesse replied with a smile. "Thank you! Oh… and where are we right now?"
She looked at him.
"You're at a psychiatric hospital," she told him.
"I… Yeah, I figured that," Jesse stammered, "I meant what … uh, road or town."
"You're in Rio Rancho," the woman replied. "You kids are a pretty far away from home." She pointed out again. "That way. I better get back to, you know… my job."
She turned and walked back into the glass room, leaving Jesse there feeling more than a little silly.
"Quick," Pacey stated, "If we stay too long they'll probably realize we belong here."
"So," Maya commented as Jesse pulled up in front of her apartment. "A twenty-minute drive somehow became three hours long, and we had to ask for directions at a mental hospital. But you know what… I had a good time."
Jesse laughed and looked at her.
"Glad… to hear it? And Pacey… hope you won't get in too much trouble…"
Pacey shrugged.
"I'll just tell my mom I met Maya at the bakery and we decided to go over her house. Or that we took a really long time at the bakery."
"Sounds… I don't know. Sounds legit," Jesse replied. "See you guys in Mr. White's class tomorrow, I guess?"
"If you show," Deanna said dryly. "Or stay awake."
Ignoring her, Pacey looked at Jesse.
"You know, Jesse Pinkman… you're actually a pretty cool guy. Maybe you should be yourself a little more often."
