The Waters - A Beta Squad Story (bxb)

1. Aggressive Aggravation

The Beta Squad, a YouTube group of five best friends based in London, was anything but ordinary. Sharky, Chunkz, Aj, Kenny, and Niko were as different as the colours of a rainbow, each bringing their own unique flavour to the table. From Sharky's flirtatious nature to Chunkz's soulful singing and Aj's side-splitting humour, their chemistry was undeniable. Even though they lived together in a house, they never ran out of things to talk about. Their fans were just as important to them as their own family.

Being together in one house, there are bound to be times when certain members of the group have disputes with each other, although they rarely last longer than a few days. The boys appreciated each other so much that they could never avoid the eventual love that took over their anger. Although uncommon, it did happen, and recently, two members had been arguing all week.

The kickoff started with a completely random course of events. While filming a prank video for their channel, Aj and Niko got into a heated argument. It was nothing out of the ordinary; they had been known to butt heads before, being two of the biggest voices in the house. It started with an argument over Aj leaving his dishes piled up by the sink. Aj stated that he had been too tired to wash and was going to return after a nap. As the arguing got more heated, he then started refusing to wash them due to Niko picking a fight that he thought was silly. Aj was known to be quite stubborn at times.

However, this was a short-lived altercation as Chunkz approached the rowdy men, and in a successful attempt to settle the two, he washed the dishes himself, claiming some were his own dirty dishes. That was a lie.

In truth, Chunkz felt bad for the shorter man, noticing he had been sleeping more than usual and acting groggy compared to his usual energetic self. Chunks assumed it was due to the group reaching the end of a month of busy scheduling. Or that it was a change in his ADHD medication; he didn't want to worry the younger, so he didn't ask questions. He knew Aj would be thankful.

The second time it happened was when they were put together in a challenge for the video they were filming. It was a timed cooking challenge. The stress levels increased as they got further into the video. Niko had gone round to see his best friend the night before, where he and George spent the night out. Niko didn't get back home until five in the morning. Therefore, he was tired and irritable, and Aj's loud voice wasn't helping his headache. Aj, although having had ten hours of sleep, still seemed tired. This caused a clash between the two, and they refused to finish the video with each other. They were removed entirely from the final edit and received a warning from the producing crew.

This continued to happen more frequently throughout the week; each argument was worse than the last.
But this time, something felt different. The tension between them was palpable. Their body language screamed of disdain and irritation as they stood across the room, hands balled into fists and jaws clenched tight. It wasn't just any argument; it was the kind that had been brewing beneath the surface for weeks, built up from petty misunderstandings and unspoken feelings. Neither one of them was willing to admit the true meaning behind their irritation, not while they were part of a big YouTube group. The cameras were always rolling, and the last thing they needed was for their fans to find out before they had fully come to terms with it.

So they fought, they bickered, and they tried to outsmart each other with sarcastic remarks and passive-aggressive comments. They did everything they could to hide the truth. But in that moment, as they stood there glaring at each other, their hearts racing and their tempers flaring, they couldn't help but wonder if it was all worth it. Though too afraid to take it all back, they continued to bite at each other's heads.

The argument was not entirely unexpected. It was as if the air in the kitchen had been waiting for just the right moment to crackle with tension. The shared house of five had been a veritable powder keg of unspoken emotions and unacknowledged feelings. The two male best friends, who were trying to figure out their own minds, had been the wick, and the fuse had finally been lit.

As they stood there, facing each other across the small kitchen island, their eyes locked and their chests heaved with the weight of unspoken words. They had never been this close before, at least not in the same way, and it was as if the air between them had become charged with an electricity that was both thrilling and terrifying.

As they continued to struggle, both physically and emotionally, the rest of the house began to stir from the noise. They could hear footsteps padding down the hallway and muffled voices calling out in confusion. They knew that the rest of the members would soon be there, and they couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt at the thought of how this argument would reflect on all of them.

The three onlookers, Sharky, Kenny, and Chunkz, had gathered around the entrance to the kitchen after hearing the commotion, their faces a mixture of fascination and fear. They had seen this coming for a while now, but they hadn't dared to hope that it would actually happen. The thought of losing either of these two boys as housemates or, even worse, as friends was almost too much to bear.

"Well, if you weren't so immature, then I wouldn't have to talk to you like this, would I?!" Shouted Niko.

Aj took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and replied, "I'm not the one who's immature, Niko. You're the one who's been avoiding this for this long."

The three onlookers exchanged glances, feeling the tension in the room growing more intense by the second. Chunkz bit his lip, wondering if there was anything he could say or do to help. Kenny shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, wishing he could just make the whole thing disappear. Sharky placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, giving him strength.

"Oh, you really do chat some shit, don't you, man?" muttered Niko. Everyone's eyes were slightly widening from the cursing.

Aj's face flushed red with anger, and he felt a surge of adrenaline course through his veins. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before responding. "Listen, yeah? I'm far from perfect. But I'm not the one who's been acting like we can't talk about whatever this is. You've been avoiding me for weeks now."

The three friends watched as the two continued to face off across the kitchen island. Sharky couldn't help but feel a stab of sadness in his chest. He had always thought they were so close, but now he realises how little he really knows about their relationship. Kenny was starting to feel a little nauseous, his heart racing as he waited for something, anything, to happen. Chunkz just wished they could all go back to the way things were before.

Niko crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw clenched tight. "Look, Aj, I don't know what you want me to say. I just... I can't do this right now."

Aj felt a pang of pain deep in his chest. He manoeuvred around the kitchen, so he stood only a few feet in front of the other male. "I just want you to talk to me, man. I don't understand why you can't just fucking cooperate."

As the words left his mouth, he realised they had come out sharper than intended. Niko's eyes widened, and his shoulders slumped slightly. "I am talking to you, Aj! You're not letting me finish!"

Sharky felt slightly sympathetic for Niko. He knew his friend was just as stressed and frustrated as Aj. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel that Aj had a point. Niko had been avoiding this confrontation for far too long.

"Ughhh, I'm actually so sick of you! Why do you always do this shit?!" As soon as those words left Aj's mouth, he knew he may have taken them too far. He knew it wasn't entirely Niko's fault and that he was also slightly to blame for the rift. He truly regretted it, but seeing Niko's expression, he knew he didn't have time to take it back.

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Hi everyone! Thank you for reading the first part. Let me know what you think :)
-B🎧