The Fall of the Fainthearts

Chapter Twenty-Eight: You Win, Faintheart

Dahlia: Jade's funeral was beautiful.

Bentley: She deserved the best, and that's exactly what she got.

Kian Cash: They all chipped in. We didn't need it, but it still meant a lot. It was more of a statement that they cared, than anything.

Vince: The service was at a really lovely church. Everywhere you looked were bursts of colour, pink and white and purple and blue, these lovely big bunches of flowers from guests far and wide paying their respects. She had so many people that cared about her. She was gone far too soon. She was loved by so many.

Axel: It was pouring of rain all day, until it was time to bury her. The sun came out, our umbrellas went down. We all stood huddled together in the warm sun and said our last goodbye to our friend.

I'll never forget her, you know. She'll always have a special place in my heart. We were so different but we were so similar at the same time. Our upbringings couldn't have been more similar yet we were dealt such opposite cards. And I was standing there, watching her lowering into the ground, thanking God that I'm still here.

I'd escaped death twice. The first time I was given a second chance after a dumb mistake. The second time - someone took my place. Jade was dead and it was because of me. She was never supposed to die. I was.

Florence: Axel was really cut up at Jade's funeral. I don't know what was going through his head but he just... glazed over. I could practically hear his mind racing. All I could do was squeeze his hand and help him through it the best I could.

Axel: Figgy didn't show up at the funeral. Of course she didn't. She lead me into a false sense of security. She turned up at the wake, instead.

Figgy: I feel dreadful about it to this very day. I should've been at that funeral. It wasn't right of me to stay away, I put my own selfish feelings before Jade's and she didn't even have the luxury of being upset at me anymore. The more I thought about seeing it, for real, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt sick.

Eventually the guilt got to me and I knew I had to do something. I couldn't just ignore her on her special day. So, I dressed up in my funeral clothes and went to the place that reminded me of her the most. The studio.

I was only going to pay my respects, alone. I didn't know that the wake was being held there, honest. I wasn't told - which upset me, really. After the relationship that we had... That's a different story for a different day, anyway.

Axel: She knew exactly what she was doing. She was head to toe in black; black veil over her face and black nails and black lipstick. She looked like death herself come to take me away for the third and final time. I had an awful feeling that my third time wouldn't be so lucky.

Figgy: Axel was scared of me. I was expecting him to scream and holler, repeat to me how he never wanted to see my face again. But he didn't. He just sat there on the little brown studio sofa, staring at me with fear in his eyes and his nails gripped into the leather.

I felt... powerful. I'm not ashamed to admit it. After he'd wronged me so many times I felt like I'd finally gotten some little morsel of revenge. My presence bothered him, it made him uncomfortable. For the first time in my life, that was a good thing. I wanted that.

Florence: Figgy was only there for five minutes, and Axel turned to me and said that we need to leave. I understood, but these ideas about Figgy being a murderer seemed really irrational when she was three feet away from us sobbing into Kian's shoulder over Jade's death.

I said to him, "Axel, you're being dramatic now. She isn't going to kill you. We can't just leave Jade's wake." He looked at me, big-eyed, put his hand on my cheek and told me, "I'm really scared."

Something about him speaking those words so honestly really hit home. He was scared. I was scared, too. The tour was cancelled. The press thought he was a killer and a junkie. His family were refusing to speak to him, again. And he was convinced that someone in that room wanted him dead. I had no idea what was in store for us, but nothing sounded promising.

I wanted to just run away and start all over again. But we couldn't - Axel would look too guilty.

Axel: I told her I was going to take a quick smoke break, then we'd go home.

Florence: She followed him outside. I didn't see her. I don't know how I didn't see her. I should've kept an eye on her, in hindsight. She slipped out so seemlessly, like she'd never been in the room in the first place.

Figgy: I did not follow him, I took a moment for some fresh air because I was so distraught. There's only so much crying you can do in a stuffy little studio full of everyone who knew Jade before you need to come up for air. And besides, this is all here-say. I don't even remember seeing Axel outside, to tell the truth. I was too distracted by my own thoughts.

Axel: She waited no more than thirty seconds, then made her way out to me. The moment I saw her walk out of them doors, my heart plummeted to my feet. I felt like my stomach had turned inside out and twisted round and round into a knot. I still remember how I could feel the blood drain from my face and the cold sweat that ran down my back. I'll never be able to forget that feeling.

Figgy: This is ridiculous, it never happened. I was alone out there. I took a breather, then went back inside.

Axel: She smiled at me. Smiled. Her makeup had run and stained her cheeks and it looked like the darkness was spilling out of her. Her eyes were bloodshot and crazy, her lip was twitching as she held the grin. She said, "You win, Faintheart. You fucking win."

My body rushed with adrenaline and all I could think about was moving my frozen feet and getting the fuck out of there but it felt like a stand off. I felt like if I moved too quickly, I'd lose control of the situation. I played dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Figgy: This is all some stupid made-up theory from the people who don't believe my story. You know what people are like. This isn't real. I'm not talking about this. Move on.

Axel: Every inch of my body was cold. She took a step forward and said, "You'll always get away. No matter how much I love you, you'll always escape from me."

And then I saw it. I saw the knife in her hand.

Figgy: This is bullshit! This is fucking bullshit! What kind of documentary is this? What do you think you're doing asking me these questions? I demand you give me answers! Answer me, now!