“Thank you, thanks you… whoa, you guys are an awesome crowd tonight!”

Jade snorted into her coke and bourbon. The female lead singer of that night’s band probably didn’t get that the only reason most people were moshing was because she was attractive enough for most guys to try and get her attention through random acts of stupidity.

There was a little whine of feedback from the amp as the guitarist put his les Paul on a stand and walked over to a keyboard. A couple of tinny notes later, he smiled and nodded to the bassist who had picked up a violin.

Jade lifted her head from the bar and blinked. Keyboard? Violin?

Luckily, the drummer and the other guitarist had decided to keep their instruments.

“This isn’t a fucking chamber music house, morons,” Jade thought, sneering. “These guys want metal. Give it to them…”

The lead singer brushed a little bit of red hair out of her eyes and smiled warmly.

“We’re going to slow things down a little. Here’s our cover of Sage4’s song Graves. Not many people will know this but hey, you learn something new everyday!”

Jade again turned her attention back to the black fizzy liquid in her glass. Every band tried to fucking do that, educate the masses. None succeeded.

“Out of place like the moon in the daytime sky. Wonder how, wonder why you were in my life….”

Jade stopped and stared. Not that song! She knew that song, though not whom it was by…

They couldn’t play that. They couldn’t!

How dare they…

“Seemed so right at the time, seemed so right at the time. But now I know, out of sight. Now I know, out of mind…”

The little black hairred girl turned and smiled at her blonde companion, before winking and diving into the river…

The girl with blonde hair ran to the edge and peered in, eyes wide and looking for Kay. She might have drowned. She might have died! Then where would she be?

Alone?

“Kay!”

A small pale hand shot out of the water and pulled the Blonde girl in. The blonde girl surfaced spluttering and blinking in surprise.

Kay laughed, treading water with a smile.

“I got you, Jade! I got you good!”

Jade shut her eyes and tried to block out both the memories and music. But it was impossible…

“As I lay you down to rest. I realize it’s for the best. These choices are all up to me. So in my mind you’ll rest in peace. I decide you’ll rest in peace…”

Her lip trembled as they lowered the casket into the ground…

“No…” Jade was unaware she had spoken, although the bartender looked at her in confusion. He also noticed the slight tears forming in her eyes.

“Out of time to repay for all of your sinsOne chapter will end as the next one begins. Into the light you pass on, into the light you pass on. But now I know, from my world…”

Jade looked at Kay in an appraising fashion.

“I like the blue tips. It suits the black hair. But the eyebrow stud?”

Kay twirled once, smirking, her long black jacket flicking around at the corners.

“I like it. It’s just the right amount of craziness without the addition of fucked-upedness… Plus, don’t think I didn’t notice the orange hair you had last month!”

Jade shrugged, before once more looking at Kay.

“You look good,” she said, her throat feeling strangely dry with that compliment.

Kay noticed the strange light in her fifteen-year-old friend’s brown eyes and inwardly smiled, not saying a thing. There was something there that she hadn’t really accounted for but didn’t want to interfere with.

“Thanks. As do you. So we going to this party or not…”

“Now I know, you are gone…”

Jade slammed her hand on the bar, her long blonde hair falling like a curtain around her face.

“Another,” she said to the bartender, her voice hoarse.

He complied, concerned but knowing it wasn’t drunkenness that was driving her to tears.

“As I lay you down to rest. I realize it’s for the best. These choices are all up to me. So in my mind you’ll rest in peace. I decide you’ll rest in peace…”

“I’m sorry,” the Doctor said. “We weren’t quick enough…”

“No!” her blonde hair was flyaway as she leapt out of her chair. “You’re a fucking DOCTOR! Get the hell back in there and fix her! That’s your job!”

He bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, she had bled too much. There was nothing we could do…”

She snarled and lunged at him, only to find herself being held back by the strong arms of a male nurse.

“No! How DARE YOU. Don’t you say that to me! Don’t you FUCKING say that to me!”

He bowed his head and rubbed his tired eyes as she slumped in the nurse’s arms, either spent or silently sobbing.

“I’m going to have to inform her family. Who was her next of kin?”

Jade looked up and fixed him in now-hollow brown eyes, filled with hate.

“Me. I was the only one she had. She was the only one who belonged to me…”

The bartender gave her the drink.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Jade looked up and saw hazel eyes, the same colour as hers. Anger arced up.

“What are you, a fucking psychologist?”

He lifted his hands and opened his mouth to retort but she sighed sadly.

“I’m fine. Just do your job. Sorry…”

She sipped the drink and shut her eyes…

“Ghosts in the graveyard have followed me. Haunt my thoughts subconsciously. Held me back so subtly. I never knew it wasn’t me, it wasn’t me…”

“Hey… I got in.”

Jade looked up from her view of the balcony to meet Kay’s twinkling hazel eyes.

“I’m going to JMC. Seems like they want me to be a sound tech.”

Jade smiled and gave her a hug.

“That’s awesome! I’m going to Monash. Arts.”

“Jack of all trades, master of none?”

Jade scoffed and play-punched Kay’s shoulder.

“Don’t be like that! I’m going to major in Media. I’ll be working TV while you’re stuck working for some two-bit wannabe metal band.”

Kay shrugged, smirking.

“And who will be happier?”

Jade laughed before sighing.

“So both in Melbourne huh? We going to still live together?”

Kay put her arm around Jade.

“Yeah! For sure! You need me to make sure you don’t go too circumspect.”

“And you need me to make sure you don’t go too wild.”

Kay’s eyes softened.

“No. I just need you. You’re the only one I have left.”

Jade frowned at the sad look on Kay’s face.

“Hey… They don’t deserve you. Your father needs to get himself back in order and your mum needs to see that you aren’t a layabout.”

“But, Jade… They never loved me. You were there. You heard them. ‘Get out. We never wanted you. We don’t want to see you again…’. Maybe that’s why I almost failed. I’m not worth anything.”

Kay rubbed the top of her arm and winced. Jade suddenly gasped, locks clicking into place.

“Have you been…”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. It makes me feel better.”

Jade bit a lip that was trembling traitorously.

“You know that hurts me as or more than it hurts you…”

“But it’s my life, Jade. It’s my life. I…”

Kay sighed suddenly.

“I’m so grateful that you’ve been there for me. I really am.”

Jade swallowed.

“Kay, I lo…”

Kay’s phone rang. She cursed and picked it up.

“What? Oh… really? No shit… You’re KIDDING ME! That jack arse!”

She hung up and smiled sheepishly.

“Matt. Dad’s been at his house looking for me. Bashed him up pretty bad. I’d better go patch that guy up.”

She turned to leave. Jade grabbed her arm.

“Don’t go. Please. You can’t get involved with Matt again. He was your dealer!”

Kay gave a smirking half-smile.

“Yeah, but with you, the angel on my shoulder, around, I won’t touch that shit with a ten foot barge pole. Catch ya later, I shouldn’t be gone too long…”

She left, picking up her keys and humming a song. Jade called off the balcony.

“What’s that song? You’ve been humming it for ages!”

Kay laughed as she got into her car and called out the window.

“It’s called Graves!”

She started the car and turned the volume up, playing the same song as she was humming.

Jade watched her taillights fade as she left and sighed. She was a millimetre away from betraying everything. From giving it all away…

But Kay…

She seemed to know…

Jade swallowed more of the drink, biting the inside of her cheek. FuckingGraves. That song was so in line with Kay. Even the Singer of Sage4 sounded like her…

They even played it at her funeral…

“As I lay you down to rest I realize it’s for the best These choices are all up to me So in my mind you’ll rest in peace. I decide you’ll rest in peace…”

“Kay?” Jade said, knocking on the bathroom door. “You there? I’m sorry. You’re family is fucked…”

There was no answer, just the sound of the shower. Jade sighed.

“I’m coming in, Kay. If you’re naked, it’s your own fault!”

She kicked the door open, busting the latch…

And suddenly froze in horror…

“Kay…”

The shower was running, water swirling down the drain. A small woman with black hair with blue highlights was curled in the bottom of the cubicle…

Her skin was so pale, her eyes shut…

And blood came from both wrists, splashed on the walls, and following the trail down the drain…

“Kay!” Jade suddenly moved, shutting the water off. She cradled Kay’s head in her lap, hand shaking.

“Come on, Kay, you… how could you…”

The cuts were vertical, red roads running up pale arms…

Jade took a deep shuddering breath and shook Kay.

“Wake up! Come on!”

Kay gave a little murmur…

“Jade…”

She opened her hazel eyes and looked for one moment as beautiful and as vulnerable as she ever had. Jade felt tears fall down her face.

“Why?”

Kay swallowed once.

“Tell me… please. I just need to hear it once…”

Jade’s jaw dropped. Kay shut her eyes and sighed, her body shuddering.

“Kay…”

She didn’t stir.

“ I love you…”

A slight smile flickered on Kay’s face, before her body shuddered again, breath expelling.

Jade suddenly reacted, leaping up and dashing out the door to the phone.

She dialled 000.

“Help! My friend just… she’s bleeding…”

The music died away, to great applause. Jade opened her eyes and wasn’t surprised to find she was crying, tears falling into the bar.

“Hey, girl… I know it’s not my place or anything…” the Bartender sighed. “Wanna talk about it? Seems like you’ve had a rough time.”

Jade looked at him and again, saw the Hazel eyes.

“It was a long time ago. 4 years in fact. This song just…”

She suddenly grinned.

“There was a girl called Kay. You might remember her. She used to come here a lot… Hazel eyes, black hair with blue tips…”

“Yeah. I was just starting here. She was the one that used to have fruit tingles, right?”

Jade smiled inwardly. Trust Kay to chose the cocktail that was a bright purple and tasted of candy.

“Yeah. Well… she died. Suicide. All this shit about her family and all.”

“Oh,” the Bartender suddenly shifted awkwardly. “And lemme guess. You were that blonde girl she used to go on about when she was drunk. She really liked you. Called you her ‘angel-’

“‘On her shoulder’, I know. And I think I was…”

Jade sighed.

“You’re a complete stranger, so I don’t know why I’m telling you this but… I loved her. And she loved that song.”

The Bartender smiled.

“Yeah. I reckon she felt the same. Wouldn’t shut up about you after a few. But… you know. I kind of reckon that song had it right. Rest in peace and all…”

He awkwardly patted her shoulder.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, right? You seem like a nice enough girl.”

Jade blinked. Rest in Peace…

“I suppose… you might be right.”

She raised her glass, downed it and winked.

“Can you get me a fruit tingle? Time to start living…”

The Bartender laughed and got a fresh glass out.

“Sure. Keep on breathing, eh?”

Jade nodded as he went off to serve her cocktail.

Maybe he was right. Rest in peace. But…

Nothing was that easy.

And who ever said it was?