Save Me.

Georgia had read all the stories on the notorious Sykes brother. Heard all the rumours too. If she was being completely honest that’s what put her off him in the beginning. She knew his type. Conventionally handsome boys that could get any girls heart that they wanted and could very easily break it in two without even bating an eyelash.

Upon further inspection she realised what a good guy Oliver Sykes actually was. He tried to give back to all the people that had helped him over the years. Was as polite and kind as Mary Poppins herself. Nothing but a misunderstood creature is what Oliver Sykes was.

That was until he walked out on her. Not two minutes after her breaking the news, Oliver had grabbed his jacket and left the flat quicker than Georgia had ever seen him move. Needless to say, she was heartbroken. After sitting staring at the spot Oliver had disappeared from, Georgia put Bear down on the floor and headed into her bedroom. Taking the biggest bag she could find she started pilling her things into it, her faithful dog now sitting beside the bag on the bed staring at her while wondering what she was doing.

It wasn’t until she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror of the wardrobe that she realised that she wasn’t crying. Her hands told her why, they were shaking with rage. Never before had she been so angry she couldn’t cry.

Replacing her Drop Dead t-shirt for Fred Perry one, determined never to turn into a walking advertisement again, Georgia threw one last pair of shoes into her bag. Throwing it over her shoulder and picking Bear up she stormed out of the flat.

Georgia was a fast driver, always had been. And on the journey it was no different. The only thing slowing her down was the constant traffic lights forcing her to stop. Something she didn’t want to do. Each time the car slowed her eyes watered. She was just thankful her destination wasn’t that far from her home as she was beginning to lose concentration on what she was doing.

By the time she had gotten to the old apartment building her body had relaxed a little. Well she had stopped shaking uncontrollably. Bear was wriggling about in her grasp. She tried to calm him down but all her efforts were in vain. She rushed into the building, its close being even colder than the air outside, panting for breath when she eventually arrived on the right floor. God only knows how long the elevator of the building had been out of service.

Her balled fist hurt from being battered against the hard wood of the door, her head swimming. What if he wasn’t in? The only conclusion Georgia came to was that he had to be in. There was no other possible scenario in her head.

She stopped hitting the door when she heard movement from behind the door. Her heart beating faster when the clicking of locks could be heard underneath Bear’s barking. Only when his tired face appeared in the crack of light did she allow herself to cry.

*****

Sam never really thought through the consequences of his actions until it was too late. Usually he was the calmer of the Carter children, Georgia was always hot headed and quick to lash out. Sam just wanted to cruse through life never getting into conflict like most people would. Although jumping into unnecessary situations for loved ones always attracted him more than anything else.

“Is anyone gonna tell meh what’s happnin’?”

Carol Sykes was never one to get angry. Always the peaceful quiet one who would listen to reason, as demure as Sam was. That was until fist fights broke out in her own home.

“Georgia’s fucking pregnant and that fucking wanker just left her!”

No one had ever seen Sam that angry before excluding Georgia and that was only because her high school boyfriend cheated on her.

Matt was holding Sam back as he struggled to get free adamant on getting another good punch to Oliver’s face. Thomas was handing his brother a packet of frozen peas to put on his swollen eye not entirely sure of the situation. The only thing stopping him from hitting Sam back was the fact that he still couldn’t bear to look at Oliver without feeling completely ashamed.

Carol stood in between the two sets of boys trying to act as a barrier, even though if anything really serious did kick off she knew she had no control over stopping it. After what Sam had said had registered, she looked to her eldest. He had always been known for his carefree attitude towards girls, something that she loathed, but she couldn’t believe he could have done any of what he was accused of to Georgia.

“Yeh did what?” Thomas was the one to break the silence in the room. He looked to Oliver who was sitting on the kitchen table looking down at the floor with his bag of peas against his face. “Did yeh tell ‘er ‘bout Italy?”

Silence was his answer.

“What the fuck happened in Italy?” Sam’s voice was low. Menacing even. Something that was difficult for someone of his stature to achieve.

Carol looked over to Sam meeting his eyes with hers, a sympathetic look upon her face. She knew what Georgia meant to Sam. How much he adored her. Oliver’s news would break his heart.

Nothing was said except for Sam repeating his unanswered question over and over. Matt was struggling to keep hold of Sam squirming body, the only reason he was still holding on now was to hear what Oliver had to say for himself. He’d grown up with Oliver; always know him as the shy character that could smooth talk and charm his was out of any awful situation. There was no way of Oliver ever being able to talk his way out of this one. It was strange to see him in a completely different light.

After telling Sam to be quiet and let Oliver speak, Carol lay a hand on her sons shoulder, squeezing it gently for encouragement. She knew about the unwritten law that no matter what your children did you were supposed to love them unconditionally. Never had that law been put to such tremendous length in her life.

“’ow could I tell ‘er now?” Oliver mumbled. His heart was broken. His head wouldn’t thing straight with his brain pounding away with unwanted enthusiasm. His whole body felt like jelly, well apart from his face which was on fire thanks to Sam.

He couldn’t take it any longer. He wanted everything to be okay again like it was before all the tours of the year. He couldn’t deal with Curtis or travelling or Thomas or his company or his mother and father or partying all the time or any of his friends or Georgia. Especially Georgia.

“What did you do to my sister?” Sam was sick of his questions going unanswered. Sick of Georgia not being able to cope. Sick of watching her ache over Oliver time and time again. “Whatever you’ve done you’ve broken her this time Sykes. All I’ve had all morning is phone calls saying she’s had some sort of breakdown and that she might hurt herself. You told me you loved her and now look at her”

The tension was thick in the room. Sam had stopped moving in Matt’s grasp as he delivered his speech. Thomas had taken the space beside him in order to watch his brother’s reaction. Matt stood still not wanting to interfere on a situation that he was part of, had just stumbled upon by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Carol still had her place beside her son. No matter what he had done she would still be there for him.

“I slept with someone else” saying it made it all the more real. Oliver knew what he had done. Knew it was wrong but still told himself that it wasn’t true, he dreamt the whole thing because he simple couldn’t believe he could do that to Georgia. It wasn’t until that point he had realised that.

The whole room was waiting for Sam to explode. To fly across the room and attack Oliver. He never did. Just stood there. Balled fists at his side shaking as he stared at Oliver.

“Don’t come near her again”

*****

Tom didn’t know what to do with himself. He knew what he wanted to do; find Oliver Sykes and punch him in his arrogant face. But Georgia needed him.

Tom had been staring at the same spot on the wall for the last half hour while Georgia lay bundled up in his arms crying. At first he had been terrified. It’s not everyday an attractive young woman turns up at your doorstep in floods of tears. But that feeling had soon been replaced with anger. Then nothing.

Georgia’s body had stopped shaking as violently, her sobs silenced. Tom said nothing in fear of upsetting her again, instead just sat there stroking her hair in a comforting gesture. He could quite wrap his head around what was happening. He was praying for Oliver to slip up so he would have a chance with Georgia but that was only for his selfishness, never did he want Georgia hurt. And now he had no idea what to do.

He had phoned Sam. That was the first thing he had done. But that was hours ago and he was still no where to be seen. Ali had shown up. He almost cried with Georgia when she told them what had happened. But since then he had tried to make everything better by telling funny stories and making endless amounts of cups of tea. But nothing had really worked.

“I think she’s asleep mate” Ali sighed. Tom took his eyes from the wall and scanned over his best friend’s tired face. He looked like the Ali that had arrived halfway through their American tour; done in. Everything about his character was off again.

The two males managed to manoeuvre themselves about quietly in order to get Georgia into Tom’s bed and remove her jacket, Bear hearing the quiet commotion attaching himself to Georgia’s side once Tom had placed her on the mattress.

“What do you thinks going to happen?” Tom took his eyes off Georgia’s sleeping frame for a couple of seconds to look at Ali. He too was staring longingly the sleeping princess, his face a sullen mix of anger and sadness.

“Just have to wait and see mate”