Flash of Violet

Tom was clicking buttons on his camera when he heard a knock at Oli's door. Oli poked his head out of the bathroom, still trying to get his shirt tucked completely into his pants. He had his hair slicked back and had asked Tom to purchase a pair of those god awful thick black glasses so he could dress up as a nerd for Halloween. He'd got the idea while Tom was out and phoned him. Tom guessed that Oli had lightened up a bit, because he knew that Tom would be back with alcohol in just a few hours time.

"Can yeh quit toyin' with that camera fer a minute and get the door?" Oli asked, pulling his pants up, attempting to secure the suspenders to his waist band, "It's prolly just Matt."

Tom laughed slightly at his older brother. He stood up, still holding his camera in his hand and made his way towards the front door. He twisted the knob and pulled the door open, revealing Matt, standing there with a bag in his hand and an idiotic grin on his face.

"What're yeh doin' with that?" He grinned, looking at Tom's camera. He stepped in the flat and closed the door behind him, the bag rustling against his pant leg.

Tom shrugged, "I figured since it's 'alloween an' everyone's gonna be dressed up, I might as well get some good photos teh make a new book er somethin'."

Matt chuckled, "That sounds brill." He said sincerely, then shook the bag in his hand, "I got us costumes."

"I ain't dressin' up tonight." Tom said, waving him off.

"The 'ell yeh aren't. Meh mum made 'em."

Tom looked up at Matt, trying to decipher whether or not he was trying to pull a fast one, "'m sure she did."

"'Onest, she did." He grinned lopsidedly, "She was gonna make one fer Ols too, but 'e decided 'e wanted teh dress up like Urkel."

"Piss off!" Oli laughed from the bathroom. A genuine laugh. Something Tom hadn't heard in a long time.

Tom looked up at Matt, who was still grinning, "Well, what are they?"

Matt pulled a ball of brown fabric out of the bag. He dropped the bag on the ground and held up a full body suit, laughing like mad.

"What in God's name is that?" Tom said, now laughing as well.

"'m pretty sure they're supposed to be mice." He laughed, "They might be bears. I dunno. But this one's mine. Yer's is the white one."

Tom set his camera on the table and bent down, picking up the bag. He pulled out the other mouse/bear suit and started laughing, "Right then. 'm glad I've got a 'alloween costume."

Oli walked out into the living room, where Matt had shed down to his boxers and a white t shirt, pulling the suit on over his clothes, "What the 'ell?" He laughed, "What are those?"

Tom shrugged, "Mice."

"What the fuck!" Matt laughed, turning around and seeing Oli, who was wearing a pair of his signature jeans, a flannel buttoned completely up, covering his neck tattoos, tucked into the top of his pants. Complete with his hair slicked against his neck and a pair of thick glasses placed on his nose. He'd even completed the look by letting what facial hair he could grow, scatter across his upper lip.

"Aye, stand next to each other." Tom grinned, dropping his mouse suit to the ground and grabbing his camera off the table, snapping a shot of Matt and Oliver.

"Aye," Oli said once he managed to stop laughing like an idiot, "Where's that bird at? Thought she was comin' with yeh?"

Matt shrugged, "I guess he's pickin' up 'er friend."

"That one that smokes three packs of cigarette while she's 'ere and doesn't talk teh anyone?"

Matt laughed, following Oliver into the kitchen and snapping open a beer, "Yeah, 'er."

"What the 'ell for? She never talks teh anyone."

"Like she could 'old a conversation with anyone, yer all drunk anyways." Tom mumbled, mainly to himself.

"What was that, Tommeh?" Oli snapped. Yep. He was back.

"Aye, never mind."

"No!" Oli yelled, slamming a shot glass down on the counter, "What did yeh say?"

"Nothin', I was just sayin' that it wouldn't really matter if she talked teh anyone, seein' as 'ow yer all drunk anyway."

"'ow the fuck would yeh know? Yeh don't even know who were talkin' 'bout!"

"Aye Ols," Matt said, "Chill out, alright? Don't worry 'bout it."

Oli mumbled something under his breath and glared at Tom past Matt's shoulder. Matt could shield Tom from the verbal insults while he was there, but there was nothing he could do about it when he wasn't at Oli's flat. Just as much as he couldn't do anything about Oli giving Tom nasty glares. Matt couldn't protect Tom from the way Oli made Tom feel, which was shit.

"Don't be creepin' about with yeh're fuckin' camera tonight Tom." Oli spat, only saying it to put Tom down.

Tom acted like he was ignoring Oli. Which he was, but he didn't give a flying fuck. Oli would be too drunk by the time Tom got his camera out to notice if he was taking pictures or not, so it really didn't matter. Besides that, Oliver wasn't Tom's fucking dad. He was his stupid ass drunk brother. If Tom could even call him his brother anymore.

"Anyways," Oli said after Tom had shuffled out of the room to change into his costume, "Why is she bringin' that bird?"

Matt shrugged, "Casey says she wants Violet teh meet someone."

Oli scoffed, "She ain't gonna meet anyone when she can't take those fuckin' cigarettes out of her mouth long enough to start a conversation."

"Maybe she's just shy. I'd bet 'er an' Tom would get along right well."

Oli looked at Matt across the table. Matt was no doubt Oliver's best friend, which was sometimes a good thing, but sometimes down right irritating. Matt was one of those people that said what he wanted, no matter what, but he always found a way of saying it so that it wasn't offensive, just true. Which really pissed Oliver off. Nothing had pissed Oli off more than Matt telling him a girl would be good for Tom. Why should it be okay for Tom to have a relationship when Oli can't have one? Why should Tom have what Oli doesn't? Oliver could think of millions of reasons why, which didn't add to his mood.

So, instead of agreeing with Matt and thinking of a plan to help Tom meet a girl, like he would have done only months before, he took a drink straight from the bottle of Jack and sneered at Matt.

"I don't think anyone could get along with that moron."

"Yeh need teh quit raggin' on 'im." Matt said sternly, "Seriously Ols."

"Yeh need teh quit defendin' 'im. Seriously Matt." Oliver snapped back.

Matt rolled his eyes and looked down at the cheap linoleum that served as Oliver's kitchen floor and that was the end of the conversation. No one ever took much time to argue with Oli. He was always right, no matter what. Especially when he was on the verge of getting a good buzz.