Killer's POV

My hand that held the phone quivered nervously. Oh God, should I pick up?! Now, I hoped it was just a booty call. I swore my shift started at 6:00 PM! If that wasn't the case, then I'm at most an hour late... not like that matters. If I'm one minute late he'll hit me. Gah! Whatever, I'll just answer. I swiped my thumb right and held the phone up to my earhole.

Killer: H-Hello?

Nightmare: WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN MY OFFICE AT 5:30 PM!

Killer: God- calm down, alright? I thought you said 6 PM? I wasn't... uh... aware of this 'time change.'

Nightmare: I emailed you, Killer! You must check your Gmail!

I scrunched my face in disgust. I haven't checked my email in like- a year? I'm pretty sure I have more than 5,000 emails in my inbox by now.

Killer: Alright Grandpa- I got some news for you. Ain't nobody usin' the Gmail!

Nightmare: ... I told you that I would reach you through there at the beginning of this year, do you even listen?

Killer: What was I doing at the time? Ya see, if I was doing something important, then I probably didn't listen to ya.

Nightmare: ...Our tutoring lesson.

Killer: AHAH! I was doing math!

Nightmare: YOU MISPLACED YOUR HOMEWORK THAT DAY AND SMASHED YOUR CALCULATOR BY SITTING ON IT WITH YOUR FAT ASS! YOU WERE ALSO INTOXICATED! 0.12 ON YOUR BREATHALYZER, I REPEAT 0.12!!!

Killer: Ah fuck- but then I was too drunk to listen to you!

Nightmare: THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM- YOU SHOULD'VE ASKED ME AGAIN!

-click-

Oops! Hopefully, he doesn't take this out of my pay. Hard to believe we're a couple, huh? We're not really 'together', you know. If I want a fuck, I ask him. If he wants a fuck, he asks me. I would say friends with benefits, but we're not even friends. So... coworkers with benefits?

I sighed, rubbing the nonexistent wrinkles on my forehead. It's not like I can run away from Nightmare, I already know what'll happen if I do that. Spoiler alert: it ends with a living stick up my anus, and me ordering 5 sheets of Tylenol after. I'll just take a beating.

BUS #13 HAS ARRIVED AT STOP #49. PLEASE WAIT FOR EXITING PASSENGERS BEFORE ENTERING, the intercom crackled. The bus was relatively empty, so I sighed in relief and took out my card to insert it. "You a student, boy?" the bus driver asked, staring at me suspiciously. 

"Yeah, I am. Sorry, but I don't have a backpack that I bring around with me every second to prove it," I snapped snarkily, taking my card back and sitting down at a corner seat.

Hmmm...KRRRRR

The bus jumpstarted, a literal earthquake shaking me. I sighed, pressing my cheek against my palm. As the bus drove, I thought about my life. What am I doing with it?

☽ DAYDREAM ☾

3 years ago...

"What do YOU want to be when you grow up, Killer?" Color whispered, looking at me. I rolled my eyes. "Well, I don't know! I want to be an astronaut, I guess. Like Outer, that hottie popular guy. I'll name a star after my dog," I responded, grinning. However, it faltered as my common sense kicked in. "Oops, I'll need more than a D+ average to get a scholarship though." Color snickered, adding, "Yeah, much more."

...

"Killer, you're a pretty boy. Prettier than anyone else I have seen. How about you consider my proposal?" Nightmare requested.

"Um... I don't want to be a porn star, sorry," I refused, quickly turning the other way for a quick escape. This guy is a super sketch. I felt a slimy hand seize my arm. Crapppp I forgot the self-defense I learned from class! "UWAHAHAHAH WAAAA!" I squealed, feeling the cold slime run down my arm. He quickly clasped his hand over my mouth hole.

"What are you, a monkey? I'm not asking you to be a porn star, I'm asking you if you want a job because you're poor and need one," he hissed, turning me around to face him.

"Oh, sure!" I chirped.

"You're not gonna ask what it is?"

"Nope. Please pay me."

☽ ♡ ☾

Bang!

I hit my skull against the soiled glass. Hopefully, I didn't contract a horrible disease. 

BUS #13 HAS ARRIVED AT STOP #59. PLEASE WAIT FOR EXITING PASSENGERS BEFORE ENTERING...

Ah, that's not my stop, but I'll take a little walk to burn off nonexistent calories. Stretching, my neckbone cracked. Agh, I must've rested in the wrong position. Then, I got up and went out the back door.

pitter-patter...

The rain settled down to a soft drizzle. I coughed nervously. It's dead quiet.

Nightmare's castle was in a foggy forest consisting of tall, sturdy pines and lots of prey (in favor of Horror, of course.). One time, I saw a big-ass deer that was chasing after me because she thought I was looking at her kids weirdly. Thank god it fell off a steep cliff. Then I murdered her kids. What? I was hungry.

The stop I dropped off at was in the middle of a bad neighborhood: Hecate's Grove. If I waited until stop #63, then I would've been hidden in the forest. I never walked alone in Hecate's Grove, unless I was stopping for a visit to the convenience store. I usually bought my lunch, vapes, and gum there. 

I sipped my coffee nervously. I didn't have any money at the moment for spending, so the only choice I had was to walk quickly into the forest. You should never run unless you already have someone who is after you. Otherwise, running will just attract unwanted attention. Unless you are Horror, who can duel-wield two axes and a machine gun around his waist. The most I can hold is like... 30 light knives.

I started heading towards the castle, spotting its pointy roof over the spiky pines. 

Step... step...

"Rrrrr...rworf!" Rosco barked cautiously, using his legs to hug around my right leg. Eh? He stared up at me with those shiny, black, and beady eyes. "Rooooof...bark!" Rosco sneezed.

"What's buggin' ya Roscs-"

"Hey, Killer!" a scratchy voice yelled. Oh god, it's probably Horror or something. I whipped around, carefully pulling Rosco off my leg. 

Oh, it's just Dust the edgy creep.

"Oh, it's just you," I snorted. "I gotta go to my shift. Buy me chips, will ya?" Rosco ruffed happily, pleased that he in some way might've saved my life. Dust glared at me.

"I knew you were gonna get off at this stop. I'm supposed to bring you safely to Nightmare," Dust growled, adding, "He said it was an important mission. I didn't know it was that important to fetch a bitch-boy." My eyes widened in surprise. That's very interesting.

"Oh really? Why would he do that? I don't need your help," I replied, raising a bone-brow. I was secretly relieved that Dust would travel with me, but I would never admit that to this little brat. If I did, he'd never let me live it down.

Dust and I don't really have a good relationship. Ever since the start, he's always been on my case, calling me a stupid whore. I mean, I'm sorry I'm so freaking cool! ...Okay, maybe I'm not that cool. Well, even if our relationship is rocky, he's my "best friend", so I forgive him. And if I don't then all our work shifts will be awkward as shit.

"Do you really not know? You're his little... belonging. He obviously wants you safe in his office. I'm surprised he doesn't let you sleep there," he replied, rolling his eye lights. Wow, is that how everyone thinks of us? I didn't know we were so obvious.

"Goddamn, I'll go with ya, alright? Stop throwing yer turds at me," I snapped angrily. It's like every time we talk, he's had the worst day. What even ticks him off? All I see him do is go on a mission, eat salads, and sleep. To me, that's the dream life. I would love to not be addicted to good coffee and go to a cafe five years away. He nodded and gestured at me to follow him.

"Then let's go to your boyfriend now. I wouldn't want him waiting."

~~~~~

EXACTLY 1.5k words! Throw the champagne! Wait, I'm not at the legal age to drink and I don't have the slightest urge to? Aww, man. Anyways, this chapter was pretty much a little filler about Killer's past, Nightmare's relationship with him, and a stupid skeleton called Dust. I'll go more in-depth eventually (probably one chapter of flashbacks), but right now I just want y'all to know a little bit and not be confused as hell.

P.S. I know I said only about one chapter per MONTH, but with being home because of coronavirus and my offer-less high school application letter, I'm feeling depression sink in! At least I can make more stories. This was a great vent chapter for me.

Argh, I gotta write more poems too.

See ya!

[written: March 21, 2020]

[edited: October 6, 2020]

added: Dust being less annoying- to adjust to the new chapter. Got rid of the "Previously On Troublemaker" because new readers will not just read one chapter, unless they really hate it.