The Waters - A Beta Squad Story (bxb)

33. Show Respect

The rest of the day was tense, with Kenny's father constantly watching them and making comments about how they should act more respectfully. It was clear that he didn't trust them, and he was constantly suspicious of their every move. Kenny felt like he was walking on eggshells around the man.

Sharky, on the other hand, tried his best to be polite and understanding. He knew that this situation was difficult for Kenny, and he didn't want to make it worse. He made sure to keep his distance from Umar, not wanting to give him any reason to make more unnecessary comments.

Around midday, Kenny decides to ask his dad if he wants any food. As he climbs the stairs, he notices a waft of smoke coming from Sharky's room. His heart drops as he realises his dad must be in there. He knocks gently on the door, opening it a crack to peer inside. Sure enough, his father is sitting on Sharky's bed, smoking a cigarette. Kenny hesitates, unsure of how to approach the situation.

"Dad," he says softly, trying to keep his voice steady. "You shouldn't be smoking in here. It's not your room." His father looks at him with a mixture of irritation and amusement.

"And why shouldn't I smoke wherever I please, hmm? I'm the guest, you know. Or have you forgotten that little detail?" He takes another drag from the cigarette, exhaling a long stream of smoke towards the ceiling. Kenny feels a stab of anger but forces himself to remain calm.

"I'm just trying to protect Sharky's stuff, that's all. It's not like you're paying him for the room or anything." His father laughs bitterly, tossing the half-finished cigarette into a nearby bin.

"I see. So, now you're playing the role of the responsible one, huh? It's funny how things change." He stands up, towering over Kenny. "I still remember the times where you would never argue back to me like this."

Kenny felt his cheeks flush with anger. "That was different, Dad. I didn't have someone else's feelings to consider back then."

His father snorted derisively. "Oh, do not tell me you're dating him. I didn't spend all that time teaching you your lesson as a child for you to completely ignore it."

Kenny's face flushed even hotter. "No, Dad. It's not like that. We're just...friends." He tried to make his voice sound firm, but it came out as more of a whisper.

Umar laughed derisively. "If I ever find out that you're lying to me, then-" Umar was interrupted just as he was inches from Kenny's face, backing him up into a wall.

"We're home!" They heard the door slam shut and the sound of the three men returning. Kenny sighed in relief at the interruption and wormed his way out of the room, running down the stairs towards his four other house members.

Chunkz rubbed his wet top all over Sharky, complaining about how he was pushed into the water and didn't bring spare clothes. Niko opened up the fridge, grabbing two bottles of water, opening both, and handing one to Aj, who was sitting on the counter, legs hanging down.

Sharky was asking the three about their trip to the beach until he saw his boyfriend come and stand stiffly next to him. "How was it?"

"Fine," Kenny said shortly, unable to meet Sharky's eyes. "He's not hungry." Sharky gave his boyfriend a short kiss, offering what comfort he could in front of their housemates.

"Woah!" Niko exclaimed, holding up a hand. "What's going on between you two? Since when did this happen?"

Kenny felt heat rising in his cheeks. He glanced over at Sharky, who gave him a reassuring smile. "Shut up, you shmuck." Kenny laughed at Niko's reaction.

Niko looked around, seeing that no one else was shocked. "You both knew? Why am I always last to know these things?" he whined.

There was a thud coming from upstairs. Chunkz took off, heading to the stairs to investigate, but was held back by Kenny's arm and worried voice.

"Wait, I need to tell you guys something, and you have to promise you won't be too mad." The pleading in Kenny's eyes stopped Chunkz completely. They all stood around the kitchen counter. Sharky and Kenny sat on the stools facing the stairs, just in case Umar decided to come down.

"What is it, Kenny?" asked Chunkz, leaning forward.

Kenny took a deep breath before continuing. "My dad showed up this morning and asked if he could stay with us for a few days." They all looked at each other, surprised. "He's upstairs, in Sharky's room."

"Wait, what?" Niko exclaimed. "Your dad showed up, and you didn't tell us?"

"I'm telling you now," Kenny responded. "Plus, he just sort of showed up at the door." Kenny wanted to tell the three what his father was like without telling them about his whole childhood. He looked at Sharky for help, who happily obliged.

"He's not the nicest of people," Sharky explained. "And he was even worse to Kenny when he was a kid, so we want to warn you to be careful what you say and do around him." The other four nodded, understanding what Sharky was getting at.

"Well, how long is he staying?" Niko asked, his brow furrowing.

Kenny shrugged. "He didn't say. I tried to ask, but he just told me it wasn't my business."

The silence that fell over the room was deafening. Chunkz broke it: "Well, we should probably go upstairs and meet him, right? I mean, the guy's your dad."

Kenny shot out of his chair. "Wait, I'll bring him down." He dashed up the stairs, leaving the other four behind. Kenny was worried that the smell of cigarettes would still be present. He knocked on the door to Sharky's room and then slowly opened it. His father was sitting on Sharky's bed, his back turned to the door.

"Dad?" There was no response. "Dad, I want you to meet some friends of mine," he said, walking further into the room. His father still didn't react. "Come on, it's their house too; please just meet them."

Finally, his father turned around, his eyes cold and unyielding. "Fine," he growled, standing up and following Kenny down the stairs. As they entered the kitchen, they all exchanged nervous glances upon seeing the man. Sharky had pre-warned them about not exposing their relationship and how to address Kenny's father.

"This is my father, Umar," Kenny introduced hesitantly. "Dad, this is Amin, Nikolas, and Ayaanle. My other housemates." His father took a look at each man as he nodded curtly.

"Get down from there, boy." Aj's eyes widened as he slid off the counter to stand on his feet. He hadn't meant to be disrespectful, but something about Umar's tone made him feel small, reliving some old memories. He hated the feeling. He clenched his jaw and gripped his thigh hard to ease the embarrassment. Niko reaches his hand behind him to grab Aj's hand in his own. He made sure their hands weren't visible to Umar.

Umar took a seat at the kitchen counter. "Are you all friends of my son then?"

Chunkz nodded. "Yeah, we've been friends for a while now." He glanced at Aj, who still seemed a bit shaken from earlier.

"Well," Umar drawled, "I hope you boys know how to take care of my son. He's had a rough go of it." The last statement was more of a threat than anything else. "I'm here for a few days, and I expect him to return the favour to me."

Niko glanced at Chunkz, who shrugged. They didn't know what kind of favour Umar was expecting from them. "Of course," Niko said carefully. "We'll make sure you're comfortable while you're here."

Umar studied each of them in turn, like a predator searching for the weakest prey to hunt. He seemed to focus on Aj the most, and there was a glint in his eye that made Aj feel even more uncomfortable.

"I'll be heading upstairs for the rest of the evening. Ayaanle, would you bring up my food when it's ready? I don't think it would be wise for my injured son to do that." Umar stood up, his tone icy. He nodded at Aj before walking away, leaving the four friends exchanging confused glances.

"What did I do to him?" Aj whispered, his voice shaking.

Niko squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I don't think it's about anything we did. It's just his way of... being."

Kenny rushed over to Aj, feeling guilty for his father's words. "Aje, I'm so sorry. He used to only be like that with me. I'll talk to him and keep him out of your way." He held Aj's shoulders and gave him a sympathetic look.

"It's okay, Kenny," Aj said, forcing a smile. "I can handle it." He didn't want to make things worse for his friend.

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I may have grammar checked this during my business lesson.
I don't know how I feel about this storyline but too late now. We needed some more drama for the happy couple.

- B🎧