"A journey is more than just moving from one place to place. It is also a transformation."

It was the first day of school and I was absolutely dreading it. My family had up rooted from our home in Chicago, Illinois to the small town of Findlay, Ohio over the summer due to my being expelled from school. I was caught drug dealing and my family wanted to start over and get me back on the right track before high school.

"Come on Jace, you're going to be late!" mom yelled from downstairs.

"Coming…." I mumbled off not caring that she couldn't hear me. I grabbed my bag and headed down, thinking about how horrible this was going to be.

~*~

I arrived at school and walked into the office. "Hello. You must be…?"

"Jace Thatcher."

"Right. Here is your schedule and locker number. Report to homeroom after you're settled and you can meet your classmates."

I walked out and started down the hallway while looking down at my schedule. I wasn't paying much attention to anything, and before I knew it, I bumped into some one and heard the thunk of books hitting the floor.

"Oh…um sorry." I said as I bent down to pick up the persons books.

"That's ok, I should've been paying more attention." She responded. I looked up to the smiling face of a petite, but strong looking girl. She was looking at me with bright eyes and dazzling smile that reached her eyes.

"Hi…you must be new here, right? My name is Clary." She held out her free hand. I shook it not able to look away. She was about 5'3 with long jet black hair and the greenest eyes I had ever seen. "Oh…um yeah. My name's Jace Thatcher."

"Cool…nice to meet you. See ya around…" and with that she bounced off to join her friends. I couldn't explain what I was feeling. I had never felt this way with a girl before, even though I dated some back in Chicago, they eventually drifted off because of my record. Maybe moving and starting over was the best thing.

~*~

I walked into my homeroom and went up to the teacher's desk. "Hi…um I think this is where I'm supposed to be?"

"Jace Thatcher right?" I nodded. "Clary! Could you please show Mr. Thatcher to his desk?"

She flounced over to her desk to come and get me and took me to the back corner, then sat down right beside me. I must have looked at her questioningly because after a second she said "I sit here too." with a smile. I nodded and looked down. I had to ask her out. I hardly knew the girl and she had me captured with her intrigue.

~*~

Two months at my new school passed and I was kept busy. I hadn't asked out Clary, but I had become great friends with her. After that first week of getting to know her, I hadn't done drugs. Not once. And she had made that change for me. She helped me; if I lost her because she found out I was doing drugs, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. She was my only friend really. No one else really took that much interest, but she did. She seemed to like me for who I was. I liked her a lot. I knew I couldn't live with out her. When ever she was absent, I felt horrible. When she got hurt doing all the things she did, I felt her pain. I dreamt about her at night; I lived and breathed for her happiness. I needed her. I decided to ask her out. I went to lunch that day, sitting where we always did. She had her girlfriends, but she said they didn't mind her sitting with me everyday. They said she was doing the right thing.

She walked in, in that graceful way she does, and sat down across the table from me. "Can I ask you something?" I started out.

"Sure. Ask away." she responded, taking out her sandwich.

"If…a guy asked you out…what would you say?" She looked at me quizzically.

"Well..." she said "it depends who he is. If he's not arrogant or obnoxious I think I would." she answered, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"What would you say if I asked you out?" I said quickly, before I could talk myself out of it. This caught her off guard. She looked up at me, her green eyes wide.

"I think I would say yes." she whispered.

"So will you? I've thought about it…and…you've changed me. I need you."

"Yes, of course I will Jace. You're my best friend. I like you for who you are today…I don't care about your past."

"You know about that?"

She looked down and blushed. "I have known for awhile…but I didn't care…I figure everyone deserves a second chance."