MCYT oneshots

Teach me to be alright - Tommy

T/W Injury, Minor Character Death

Tommy's P.O.V

So, I couldn't ride a bike. Anymore, that is. When I was 5, I learnt how to ride a bike and I actually got pretty into it. Every Sunday, my father and I would take out our bikes and go for a ride through one of the forest trails near our house. But when I was 8, my dad passed away and I no longer ride my bike. It sat in our garage, slowly gaining rust over the years, with no one there to fix it up. Cycling had been a big part of my life as a kid I guess but now I hated to think about it. Not because it brought back bad memories but because they were good memories, of a person I would never get to see again. I didn't need to ride my bike, I didn't. It had only been for fun. I was perfectly fine to walk around or catch a bus or train. I didn't need to pick up my bike again, so I didn't. It would save me the grief of trying. 8 years passed and I had no clue how to ride a bike all over again. Well, I got how it would be done (theoretically) I just knew my balance would be awful, as it was when I started learning for the first time. I never thought the fact I couldn't ride a bike would be a problem. Okay, maybe not a problem but... I didn't think it would gain the interest of people. Like, when I met up in London with Wilbur, George and the one and only KSI, they found out that I couldn't ride a bike and insisted on teaching me. We rented four bikes, along with 4 helmets (safety precautions (as always)) and headed up to the park to start learning.

George hadn't ridden in a while either so we were both sort of in it together. We got to the huge stretch of grass, a small park to the left and roads all around and got ourselves ready to ride. I was nervous. I hadn't touched a bike since... he passed and I wasn't sure if I wanted to. Still, I trusted Wilbur and George, I couldn't really say the same for JJ as I had only just met him in person. If I was going to learn a bike again, I wanted to do it with Wilbur. He was my older brother, on-screen and off. Well, not biologically but it felt like it and kind of looked like it. Wilbur's bandmates had thought that we actually were related when they first met me and I had felt an unexplainable rush of happiness at that. Either way, I was happy that Wilbur would be with me. 

"First step is to put on your helmet," KSI instructed, demonstrating the obvious. George, Wilbur and I followed, Wilbur moving over to me and adjusting the strap beneath my chin as it was too loose. 

"Next," Wilbur continued, "Is to get on the bike." 

Again, we copied as he did, swinging one leg over the bike and sitting on the seat with one foot on the ground. The familiar position made me want to cry. The last time I had been sat like this, on a bike, was almost 8 and a half years ago, smiling over at my father as he took off, leading the way down the first path. I blinked away the tears that had started to gloss over my eyes, shaking my head slightly as I focused back in on what was happening. Wilbur demonstrated how to push off and start cycling, before immediately stopping and gesturing for George and me to try it. I did as was shown, pushing down on the raised pedal (my right) then once I had moved a little, pulling back my brakes and quickly stopping again. We moved our bikes so that we were at the edge of the grass and agreed to try and ride in a straight line to the other side. Wilbur and JJ offered to stay off their bikes and walk beside George and me if it would make us more comfortable but I quickly declined and George looked embarrassed at the offer so that was also taken as a no. The four of us sat on our bikes, ready to start moving. Wilbur turned to us from where he was positioned at the end of the line. "Right, on three. One, two, three!" We all pushed off in sync and I instantly slipped back into old motions. It was so easy. In that moment I couldn't understand why I had ever been worried about riding my bike again.

The four of us peddled across the grass and I heard Wilbur cheer, "Hey! Tommy's a natural!" 

"Damn! Are you sure you didn't know how to ride?" JJ laughed, speeding up so that he could catch up to me. I looked over my shoulder to see George wobbling along slowly, Wilbur slowing down slightly so he could cycle in time with him. I slowed my pace a little too, not wanting to get too far ahead. We reached the other side of the grass patch before stopping. Wilbur and JJ congratulated us both before telling George a few tricks that might help him. We turned our bikes around, setting them down and getting back on ready to start riding back to the other side.