Hazbin Hotel Season 3

Chapter 4: The Bad Boy

A/N: We decided that the update schedule will be every Wednesday and Saturday at 4:30 pm est, starting this Saturday!

Alecto fished through his pocket, looking for his keys. His skateboard was tucked under his arm, and he was facing the door of his apartment. Well, it's more like it's 1/3 my apartment. He found his keys and jammed them into the keyhole, pushing the door open with a creaking sound.

He kicked off his sneakers and headed for the stairs, lugging his skateboard with him. He pulled on his headphones, then remembered he didn't have a phone to connect them to.

"Hey, Alec!" A voice behind him said. Shit, he thought, pulling off his headphones and turning around with a sigh. Raven.

Raven, Alecto's twenty-something roommate was standing at the bottom of the stairs with his signature sneer. His shoulder-length hair was tied back, and he wore a white muscle shirt. With him on the ground and Alecto three steps up, they were almost the same height. "I told you not to call me that," Alecto told him, rolling his eyes.

"You said that Alec's what your friends call you." Raven countered, taking a step up towards him.

Mirroring him, Alecto took a step backwards. "Yeah, my friends. Not you." Before he could decide whether to leave or see what Raven wanted, something shoved Alecto from behind. He went flying forward, stumbling on the steps. Raven jumped back at the last minute, leaving Alecto sprawled on the floor. Pain burst through him as his head hit the ground.

Pushing himself up, he groaned inwardly as he tasted blood in his mouth. Shit. He turned around and saw his other roommate, Vixen, grinning from where Alecto was just standing. "What do you mean we're not your friends? C'mon, be nice." Vixen eyed his skateboard with annoyance. "You know, Alec, I really don't understand how you can pay for a skateboard, but when we ask you to chip in a bit more for rent, you say you don't have money?" His tone was light, but his eyes narrowed.

"I pay my share!" Alecto said defensively. He noticed Vixen shift to block the way up the stairs.

Raven went to stand next to Vixen. "Yeah, but you're the only one who has a job. That means you should pay more."

"I don't have a job." Alecto lied on instinct. His heart pounded in his chest. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his skin felt unbearingly hot, overheated.

"Really?" Vixen smirked. "Then what are these?" He pulled out a stack of twenty dollar bills. Those are all of my savings.

"Those are mine," Alecto hissed, his fists balling up at his sides. He could feel himself getting hotter as the flame in his hair burned brighter. A warning sign. Keep it together, he reminded himself. "Give it back, assfuck."

Raven shrugged, putting on a nonchalant expression. "Sorry, Alec. We need it for the rent." He and Vixen walked down the stairs, and for a second Alecto thought they would hit him. Instead they walked past him, Vixen making sure to bump his shoulder. "Go cry about it to your therapist."

That was the last straw. Alecto sprinted to his room, leaving his skateboard behind. He felt himself growing hotter...hotter...just a bit further...He reached his room and slammed the door shut, then screamed aloud as fire burst from his hair, from his hands, from all of him. He panted, trying to calm down, but the smoke made it difficult to breathe.

Hot

It's so hot.

I feel the fire.

It's too much.

I'm too much.

He felt tears start to build, but he didn't let them fall. How can I be too much and feel like nothing at the same time?