The Waters - A Beta Squad Story (bxb)

2. Deep Regret

Niko looked shocked and hurt, his eyes wide with disbelief. For a moment, Sharky thought Niko might even cry. The room fell silent, the weight of their argument pressing down on them like a heavy blanket.

Kenny's heart raced as he watched the scene unfold. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. These two had been best friends for years, and now they were at each other's throats.

Sharky felt a surge of anger well up inside him. He'd had enough. "Hey, you two!" he shouted, attempting to step between them. "Cut it out!" His voice was firm, but not unkind. "We're all friends here, remember?"

But it was too late. Niko lunged at Aj, shoving him back against the kitchen counter. Hard.

"Aje..." Niko held his breath.

Aj let out a yell and whimper as Kenny grabbed hold of Niko, forcing him away from Aj. Sharky stared at Niko in disbelief. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" he demanded, his voice trembling with anger. "You can't just do that!"

Aj gasped for breath, clutching his back, which was doubled over in pain as he tried to catch himself on the counter, failing to do so and falling to his knees. Chunkz crouched down beside him, his face a mask of concern. "Aj, are you okay?"

Aj nods.

Niko stood there frozen in place, his heart racing as he realised what he had just done. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he felt a lump form in his throat. He couldn't believe he had just pushed Aj like that. They had been friends for so long, and now it was all ruined. He looked around, hoping that someone would tell him this was all just a bad dream, but the expressions on their faces told him the truth.

Kenny let go of Niko, stepping back as if he were somehow tainted by the violence that had just occurred. "What the hell is wrong with you, man?" he asked, his voice shaking with anger and disbelief. "You know Aj wouldn't hurt you like that."

Sharky couldn't believe what had just happened. He looked at Niko, his face flushed with guilt and shame, and felt a pang of sympathy for his friend. But at the same time, he couldn't help but be angry with him. "You're the one who pushed him, Niko," he said, his voice firm. "You need to take responsibility for your actions."

Chunkz helped Aj to his feet, supporting him as he leaned on his shoulder. The smaller boy's eyes were red and puffy, and his breath came in ragged gasps, either from the slight pain or the shock of the situation. "I'm... I'm sorry, Aj." Niko managed to choke out. "I didn't mean... I didn't want to hurt you."

Niko felt like the room was spinning. He couldn't believe what he had just done. He had never been violent before and had never hurt anyone he cared about. And now he has done this to his best friend. The weight of his guilt was crushing, and he couldn't bring himself to look at Aj.

Aj, on the other hand, felt a strange mix of emotions. He was hurt and angry, but he also loved Niko. It was a complicated feeling, one that made it hard for him to stay mad at his friend. He knew that Niko was sorry, and he knew that Niko wouldn't have meant to hurt him. If he was thinking of the positives, then he was actually glad that the volume and anger levels had gone down.

"Look," Aj said, his voice shaking a bit but steady enough. "I forgive you, Niko. I know you didn't mean it. It's just... we need to talk about this, okay? We need to figure out what's going on."

Kenny and Sharky exchanged glances. They knew that Aj was trying to be understanding, but they also knew that there was still tension in the air. Chunkz placed a comforting hand on Aj's shoulder as they all turned to face Niko.

Niko felt a lump form in his throat as he looked at Aj. "I don't know what happened," he stammered. "It's just... everything's been so crazy lately, with our schedules and stuff. I'm sorry, Aj. I really am."