Alas, I Cannot Swim.

That my friends think I'm crazy.

Oliver’s flat had been turned upside down in order for Thomas to do another photo shoot for the new range of Drop Dead clothing that was due to hit the internet in a couple of weeks. Wires and lights littered the floors and walls of the kitchen where the majority of the shoot would be taking place.

Thomas was sitting on the marble like counter, his back resting against the pale yellow walls, eating an apple, watching Oliver as he sat at the island writing down new song lyrics, occasionally biting the end of the black biro when he lost his train of thought. Corey sat to the left of Oliver going through one of Thomas’s cameras chuckling softly when he came across pictures if previous tours that Bring Me the Horizon, Oliver’s band, had done.

A knock at the front door caused all three males to stop what they had been doing. Thomas and Corey both looking to Oliver, silently asking wither it was the long awaited new models they had been looking forward to meeting for a week. Oliver chuckled at the two younger boys, rising from his seat and disappearing into the hall. Thomas looked to Corey, his eyes still on the doorway that Oliver had disappeared through.

Excitement flowed through Thomas’s body when the angelic laughter of a female rang throughout the flat. He had been waiting patiently for a while to see who Oliver had found to be the new models for the company. All he was hoping for was that he could get along with them.

The room was filled with loud coughing when Oliver and the new model entered. Thomas tried to focus on the pair stood in the doorway through watering eyes, his airways being cut off with a mouthful of apple, his chest heaving as he tried desperately to breathe again. When he eventually swallowed the blockage he took deep breaths trying to lose the feeling of light headedness that had washed over him, his eyes still a little blurry as he tried to look at Oliver who was hunched forward, buckled over with hysterical laughter. Corey had already made his way over to the new model, shaking her hand, attempting to start a conversation as she stared worriedly at Thomas, wondering if he was alright.

Thomas shifted his unbelieving gaze between Oliver and the new model who just happened to be the girl he had been staring at in Starbucks a week ago. Thomas wasn’t sure if he was just picturing his perfect scenario in his head or if this was actually real.

“And that’s Tom seeing as he’s a little busy in his own world right now” Corey’s deep voice caused Thomas to focus again, his eyes darting straight to the petit blonde in between the two boys. She was even prettier than he remembered.

Thomas almost chocked, again, on the breath that caught in his throat as the small girl made her way towards him, stopping right in front of him leaving almost no room between them, sticking her hand out towards him, a dazzling smile plastered on her face.

“I’m Ava and I guess you’re my new boss” she spoke with a voice that reminded him of a song bird, before removing her small hand from his larger one and wandering into the living room with Oliver, leaving Thomas sitting on the kitchen counter at a complete loss of words.

*****

Ava had proven to be even more beautiful through the camera lens. Thomas had been able to see every tiny detail on her face, light freckles dotted across her nose that would remain unnoticed by anyone who hadn’t been looking for them, her eyes the warmest shade a honey brown he had ever seen. Looking at her made his head spin; she truly was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on.

Oliver had been the one to take Ava home as she had just came straight to the flat from the small coffee shop in town she worked at. She had complained about having to wear the small black dress as a uniform. Thomas had quiet liked it, it was short but not to revealing, her short legs had looked more toned than he could have ever pictured them outside of her tight jeans she was wearing the first time he’d seen her.

“Well, that was smooth” Corey chuckled sitting down on the couch beside Thomas causing him to groan in frustration. He had made a complete fool of himself all afternoon. Oliver had given him countless chances to strike up conversation with Ava, each time he had just mumbled something making her giggle, although he had quiet enjoyed that. He wanted to make a good impression on her; instead he had done absolutely nothing except take photos.

“What’s wrong with me?” Thomas cried aggravated, rubbing his face with his hands. He had always been the shyer of the two brothers. He had no trouble making friends with anyone but as soon as there was some form of attraction formed to a female he would go blank, losing everything and becoming more of a mannequin than a real person.

“You’re just a little shy is all” Corey smiled, patting his friend on the back. He had always found watching Thomas with girls as pleasant as watching a train crash. He was just hopeless.

Oliver yelled something obnoxious when he returned to the flat finding Thomas and Corey still sat on the couch, Corey reading through some novel he was studying for his literature degree, Thomas hunched over, face held in his hands, elbows digging into his thighs.

“She thinks you’re cute” Oliver smiled at his brother, trying to cheer him up a little. Thomas had always had a problem with girls he liked. Not with them, they had always seemed to like him back; apparently shy boys were ‘adorable’, Oliver could never understand why, although he was his brother. The problem was that Thomas could just never speak to them, he would just sort of freeze, standing there with his mouth open like a fish. Oliver was sure that was not adorable.

Thomas groaned, standing up and removing himself from the room, deciding instead to edit his roll of film from the afternoon. At least there no one could mock him.