The Waters - A Beta Squad Story (bxb)

18. Tired

He grabbed a bowl and started pouring himself some cereal, trying to listen in on their whispers as he did so. He struggled to do so as they were talking in a low hush. Aj felt a sharp pain in his chest as he listened, wishing he could be a part of their conversation instead of just a spectator.

Chunkz sat on the kitchen island with his back to the living room. He pulled Aj down to the seat next to him so as not to get distracted by the scene in the living room.

"So, what's going on?" Aj asked, trying to keep his voice low. Chunkz sighed heavily. "Look, Aj, I don't know how to say this, but..."

Aj's eyes widened as he turned to face Chunkz. "But what?"

Chunkz looked at him solemnly. "Look, I don't know if you've figured it out yet, but..." He hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "I think Niko really likes this girl. A lot. And from what I could gather, she feels the same way about him."

Aj felt a coldness spread through his chest. He didn't want to believe it, but it was hard to ignore the evidence in front of him. "So, what? He's just going to forget about me now?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Chunkz put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I don't think it's like that, man. I mean, you've been best friends for a long time, and he'll always care about you. Look, he has only just met the girl; there's a chance it may not even work out."

Aj felt a little bit better but still wasn't convinced. He didn't want to be the third wheel in their relationship, but he also didn't want to lose Niko.

Chunkz and Aj took part in mindless chatter as they ate. Suddenly, they heard approaching footsteps behind them. Aj froze, not wanting to face the pair that had entered the kitchen.

"Hey, guys," Niko said, his voice nervous. He walked through the kitchen to open the fridge, looking for ideas on what to have.

"Hey man. How's it going?" Asked Chunkz awkwardly. Aj could sense the high tension in the air.

Niko shrugged. "Yeah, you know. Listen, I just wanted to introduce you to Brooke." He says, gesturing to the girl who had made her way to the other side of the island.

Aj looked up at her, taking in her features. She was attractive; he'd give her that. Her hair was a light brown, falling in gentle waves around her shoulders. She had big, expressive eyes and a gorgeous smile. But it was the way she looked at Niko that made Aj feel uncomfortable. There was a certain intensity in her gaze, like she was hanging onto every word he said.

Chunkz cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Uh, nice to meet you, Brooke. I'm Amin," He offered his hand for her to shake, which she accepted with a friendly smile. Once he saw Aj was making no effort to introduce himself, he took it upon himself to do so. "Oh, and this is Ayaanle."

Aj mumbled something unintelligible, not wanting to make eye contact with either of them. Chunkz placed a hand on Aj's shoulder. "Don't mind him; he's just slept a straight twenty-odd hours. I don't think he's in the present moment yet." At this news, Niko's head turned to look at Aj in concern.

"Twenty hours?" He questioned. He was slightly worried about the amount of sleep Aj had been getting recently. Chunkz made a face at Niko to warn him to leave it be, so he shut up.

"Nice to meet you both. Would have loved to meet you at the event yesterday, but I was so busy meeting people." She laughed.

Aj glanced at her, then back down at his bowl. He wasn't sure what to say. Suddenly, he was no longer hungry as he pushed his food away. Niko had bought over two sandwiches for him and Brooke, sitting down opposite the other two. Niko pushed Aj's bowl back towards him with a stern look.

Aj sighed and laid his head on his arms. He didn't have any energy anymore.

"So, how'd you guys meet? I'm guessing at the party." Chunkz asked Brooke.

"Well, it was a bit of a weird one, actually," she said, taking a bite of her sandwich. "I was there with a group of friends, and Niko was alone getting ready for his presenting section. He was just standing there, looking a bit nervous, so I went over and started talking to him. I mean, he's so charismatic on camera, but in person, he's just so... normal, you know? It was really nice to see that side of him." She glanced at Niko, who was staring at the mess of Aj's curls. "Anyway, we just got to talking, and somehow the conversation just flowed. It was like we'd known each other for years."

Aj didn't react to this story, but Chunkz seemed to find it interesting. He listened intently, nodding along at certain points. He could tell that Aj was still feeling uncomfortable about the situation, but he was hoping that maybe with time, they could all adjust. After all, Niko was his best friend, and he hoped no girl would come in between them.

Niko cleared his throat, trying to draw everyone's attention back to something else. "So, what do you guys want to do today? Anything special planned?" He asked, glancing at both Chunkz and Aj.

Chunkz shrugged. "Not really; I was going to chill out and maybe catch up on the cousin."

Aj shook his head, still not looking up. "I... uh, I think I'm just going to rest some more."

Niko frowned, concerned. "Are you sure? You don't want to come with us; maybe get out of the house for a bit."

Aj shook his head again. "I'm just... tired. I'll be fine. You guys go ahead." He didn't meet either of their eyes as he spoke.

Niko exchanged a worried glance with Chunkz before turning his attention back to Aj. "Aje. How are you still tired?"

"I don't know, man. I'm just... tired," Aj mumbled, not meeting Niko's eyes. "Give me a break, huh? I'm not contagious." He tried to force a laugh, but it came out sounding more like a croak.

Chunkz glanced between the two of them, feeling uncomfortable. He didn't want to push Aj too hard, but he also didn't want Niko to think that he was ignoring his friend's concerns. "Hey, Niko, let's give him some space. Maybe he just needs a day to himself. We can always hang out later, right, Aj?"

Niko pursed his lips, still looking concerned, but he nodded. "Yeah, of course. We can always hang out later. Just... if you need anything, or if you want to talk, you know where to find me."

Aj just hummed and stood up. Everyone cringed at the screech of the stool. He walked over to the bin, throwing away his cereal; rinsed the bowl in the sink; and walked out of the room without saying a word.

Niko sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wish he'd just open up to me." He muttered.

Chunkz glanced at Niko, sensing his frustration. "Niko, I think you need to do some deep thinking." There was a stretch of silence. "Anyways, I'll catch you two later. I'm going to go catch up with Darkest."

The apartment was still, save for the gentle hum of the air conditioner. Niko stayed sitting in the kitchen, staring at the spot where Aj had disappeared. Brooke leaned over and gave Niko a hug, tipping him over the edge as he sobbed into her neck.

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Anyone else been watching Kenny's streams?
Just putting it out there, he's said my name like three times in them *kicks feet, twirls hair*
Anyways how we feeling?
Hope you enjoy.
- B🎧