Save Me.

Georgia couldn’t help but laugh of the state that Sam and Ali looked in bright red puffy body suits. Canada was freezing but there was no need for a crime that bad against fashion. Sam stood and posed a million different ways for the camera that Dan had in his hands while Ali tried to hide behind the poor excuse of a curtain on the changing room.

Architects had played their show last night with Misery Signals in Vancouver’s Gus’ Pub and were now enjoying a bit of shopping before they were to head to Edmonton later that night for Georgia to attend the Arts Ink Festival the following morning.

Tom looked lost when Georgia broke away from the group to answer her ringing phone. Tim watched as his friend walked around the small shop aimlessly. Picking up pieces of clothing at random, Tom reminded him of a lost puppy not quite sure what to do with its self without his faithful owner at his side.

Waiting for Ali, Sam and Dan to disappear back into the changing room, Tim wondered how to ask Tom the questions that were buzzing through his mind. Always the referee between arguments within the group Tim was never quiet sure how to deal with a problem head on, he was more used to breaking such head on collisions up rather than creating them himself.

“You know mate, Manda’s got some really nice friends at home that are just your type” Tim’s master plan that had been brewing in his head for the last couple of minutes was to use his own girlfriends friends to pawn Tom off to. It was a bad plan. And he hated waiting for Tom to make a move on a girl himself. He was even more useless in that that department than Sam was.

Holding his breath when Tom stopped mucking around with a stack of jumpers, Tim waited patiently for an answer.

“Not looking for a girl. Thanks though”

And with that Tom went back to rifling through the stack of jumpers. Tim rolled his eyes, frustrated at his friend, not pushing the matter further when Ali, Sam and Dan emerged from the changing rooms and headed out of the store.

Georgia rolled her eyes when her gabbling flock ventured outside. She had finished her conversation with Oliver via her phone five minutes ago but decided to relish in the beauty of Canada’s snow. Even if she was in one of the busy high streets and freezing slightly.

Sam watched as Ali picked up a huge chunk of snow from the street carefully holding it between his glove covered hands as he made his way slowly towards Georgia. Before Ali had even the chance to move five feet in front of the group Sam had grabbed a hold of the back of Ali’s jacket effectively making him lose the grip on the snow and it falling to the floor.

“Don’t even think about it Dean”

No one said anything, just watched Sam walk ahead and wrap an arm around Georgia’s shoulders. Tom watched the siblings walk ahead, his mind racing. Sam had always been a little overprotective of Georgia but never had he done something so out of character. And Tom was determined to get to the bottom of it.

*****

“I can’t believe how happy she looks” Sam smiled as he watched his sister.

The Arts Inks festival had just finished and Georgia was packing her stuff away at her booth she had been working in for nine hours. Michael had flown out from Sheffield to work with her. It had been if she was still working at the shop and had not taken a break from tattooing for almost three years. She was fucked if she was leaving her profession ever again.

Sam wasn’t so sure Georgia was going to attend the festival that morning. When he had seen her first thing she looked terrible. Her body seemed to be shrinking and in her condition Sam was certain that that was not a good thing.

“Who’d thought a tiny needle in a gun and coloured inks could make someone so happy?” Tom’s smiled matched Sam’s. He wasn’t quiet sure how he had managed to keep his leering at bay so Sam wouldn’t see.

They were the only two left of the group. The other three had returned back to the hotel to make sure everything was packed and ready to be thrown on their flight home that was due to take off in two hours. There was no way Sam and Tom where giving up the opportunity to see Georgia this happy again.

Georgia made her way over to the boys, a one hundred watt smile plastered to her face, Michaels arm wrapped around her shoulder. It meant a lot to her that the boys had hung around all day just to watch her sit in a seat. There was only one person missing for it to be considered a great day.

“Ready to go home?” Tom asked as he took Georgia’s handbag and sketch books from her. She had looked exhausted from the moment she had got up that morning and he knew for certain she was never going to sleep on the plane no matter how tired she was.

After saying goodbye to Michael, one half of team Architects made their way out into the fresh Canadian snow and over to their rented car heading for the airport. Both males feeling a slight wash of relief flow through their bodies when the petit blonde slept in the car.

*****

The last night in Italy was supposed to be a chill out night. A couple of beers in their hotel bar then a couple of hour’s worth of sleep before the group’s early flight in the morning. Of course nothing ever goes to plan when Thomas was the one supposed to be being responsible.

“Oli yer such a dick! Just come for a couple of pints, yeah?” Thomas yelled through the door of his brother’s hotel room door. Oliver was the only one not up for seeing the night life of Italy one last time. But a half cut Thomas would have chopped off his left arm before he even thought of leaving Oliver behind.

Oliver sat on the edge of his hard bed, head in hands and elbows digging into his knees. He wasn’t in the partying mood but Thomas seemed adamant on the idea of the group going out. No one else had taken much persuasion but Oliver had a horrible feeling that something wasn’t right.

Finally fed up with Thomas’ constant hammering on the door Oliver sighed before joining his sibling in the hall ignoring the feeling of having left something behind.

Thomas talked the whole way from the hotel to the small night club that their friends had gathered in. Oliver’s headache only increased in the short amount of time. As soon as they had entered the clammy building beer was thrust upon them. never one to pass up free alcohol Oliver drank his, a polite nod of appreciation being directed to Matt K who was propped up against the bar drinking what would presumably, judging by the look upon his face, be his last drink of the night.

Oliver ignored the growth of his worry knowing that at least Matt K would be suffering from the brunt of the night. He knew he couldn’t feel any worse than he would in the morning.

*****

“Mattie! Look!” Thomas’ yelling could be heard clearly over the music in the club. He thrust his hand out in front of Mattie’s face waving it about so that the flashing screen on his phone smudge into a floating blue line.

“I can’t see with you wavin’ it about!” Mattie yelled back taking Thomas’ hand to make it still and screwing up his eyes in order to see whose name was on the screen. Noticing Georgia’s name Mattie pressed the accept button yelling unknown words down the phone before leaving the table and making his way outside, Thomas following behind him screaming Georgia’s name over and over.

Once outside his bare arms where attacked with the cold evening wind. It was nowhere near as cold as Sheffield, but it was winter.

“What’s up Gee?” Mattie tried to sound as sober as his body would allow. He was nowhere near the drunkest of his group but still felt the need to sound sort of responsible to Georgia. She was as close to a little sister as he was ever going to get and had always felt some sort of responsibility towards her well being.

“Hi Mattie. Em…is Oliver with you?” Georgia’s voice was never quiet. What stunned people when they met her was how loud she was for such a little person. Barely five foot two and louder than all of the Architect and Bring Me boys put together.

“I don’t know where hi is pet” Mattie looked around to the entrance of the bar. Thomas was sat on the floor, his back against the wall as he struggled to light his cigarette. “Where’s your brother Sykes?” Mattie asked rolling his eyes at the state of the youngest Sykes brother. All he got in return was a shrug of the shoulders.

When he thought about it Mattie hadn’t seen Oliver since he had first got to the club. Oliver’s reluctance to come out in the first place was evident but as soon as he got his hands of alcohol he was everyone’s best friend never bothering to actually return to residence of the night. Mattie was sure he had just got fed up and wandered back to the hotel. He hoped that was the case at least.

“We don’t know where he is pet. Have you tried his phone?” Mattie knew how much of a stupid question it was but he still felt the need to ask it.

“He won’t answer. Just tell him to phone me when you see him. I need to tell him something” And with that the line went dead. All Mattie knew was that he was definitely sober now. He was going to find Oliver if it killed him.