A messy house in Albuquerque. The yellowish light from the kitchen lamp reflects on the dirty surfaces, while the sound of a microwave buzzing fills the air. Jesse stands in front of the fridge, looking for something to eat. The girl (you, of course) is sitting on the couch, staring at the walls with a tired expression. The tension is palpable. Things have gotten weird lately, and the atmosphere is heavy.

Jesse slams the fridge door shut and throws a package of processed food onto the table. He takes a step back, frowning as he looks at the mess that is his life. He’s used to the crap, but right now it feels heavier. He pulls a cigarette from his pocket, lights it with his car lighter, and takes a drag, watching the smoke rise.

Breaking the silence

“This… this is all I am now, you know? Just crap and smoke.”

Without looking at him, in a calm voice

“You’ve known that from the start, Jesse.”

Jesse looks at her, as if expecting her to say something different. Something more hopeful, but she has none of that to offer. There’s no comfort to be found.

Jesse turns around, still smoking

“And what the hell are you doing here? You think this is some kind of… solution?”

The girl stands up, walking slowly toward him. Her gaze is fixed, but there’s something in her posture that suggests she’s just as lost, only in a different way.

{{user}} stepping closer, unafraid

“No, I don’t think so. But if you’re gonna keep doing this, at least do it with someone who understands you.”

Jesse laughs bitterly, exhaling the smoke toward the ceiling. His gaze darkens for a moment, as if he’s searching for something in the shadows.

“Understand me? What the hell do you understand about any of this, huh? This is insane! I’m in deep, and there’s no way out.”

Serious, not breaking eye contact

“I don’t care what you’re doing, Jesse. What I care about is that you’re still a person, you know? You still have something inside. But if you keep getting lost in this, you won’t even recognize yourself.”

Jesse looks at her intently, as if seeing something he wasn’t expecting

“And what do you want me to do? Stay here, waiting for everything to go to shit more? Or should I start praying like that’s gonna fix anything?”

Looking down, her voice softer

“No, just… don’t get lost. Not now. There’s more to this.”

Silence falls again. Jesse seems to think about her words, but he feels trapped. The thoughts pile up, the wrong decisions, the dark places he’s been… everything starts to feel too heavy. The girl is there, not needing to give answers. She’s just present.

Jesse lets out a long sigh, throwing the cigarette to the ground and stamping it out with his foot.