Hi guys! This is a new story I'm writing. I've actually had this typed and ready for about a month now but I've delayed posting it. Now that a lot of high-school-based fanfics are posted, I decided to post mine now so I don't get accused of stealing their plot. There are a lot of high school stories with the same idea (like nicoleherondale's Clarity, which I absolutely love) but I promise I haven't stolen anything from them. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Follow, favorite, and especially, review!
Disclaimers: most ideas belong to nicoleherondale and The Iron Sister
Tessa Gray ran a brush through her hair in a rush. She had over-slept on the first day of school! Her neighbor, and her best friend, had thrown pebbles at her window repeatedly until she had woken up.
Now here she was, hurriedly brushing her teeth and putting on her makeup. Tessa didn't wear much makeup-she wore mascara to bring out her eyes and a faint shade of pink lipstick. She pinned her hair up at the top of her head and put on her favorite jeans. She wore a simple gray tee and some plain black converse. Her mother's necklace rested against her chest, it's ticking sounds comforting. Tessa quickly grabbed her backpack and raced out of the door.
She walked over to where her best friend was waiting for her, leaning against his car and checking his watch with a smirk. "5 minutes. That, I believe, is a record," Will said, opening the car door for her like a gentleman.
Tessa gave him a playful shove in his chest as she got into his black convertible. Will jogged around the car and sat, not bothering to buckle his seat belt. He backed out of his driveway, which was right next to Tessa's, and headed to their school, The Institute, home of the Shadowhunters.
"Where's Cecily," Tessa asked, curious about where Will's sister was.
"She caught a ride with the Lightworm," Will spat out his name as if it were poison.
Tessa sighed. "You can ateast try to be nice to him, for Cecily's sake," she said to Will, who was the most stubborn and arrogant person she knew.
Will threw his hands up in exasperation. "Yes, and ducks are going to be extinct tomorrow. Some things just never happen. Get over it Tess," but he was saying that last part more to himself.
Tessa smiled to herself. She liked it when he called her Tess. It was the nickname he had given her when they were children. She loved the way he said it; the hard T and how he caressed the s's.
Coming to an unexpected stoplight, Will suddenly slammed on the brake. Tessa groaned.
Will only smirked, shooting forwards when the light turned green.
"Will, you know I get car sick," Tessa complained, rubbing her forehead.
Will hid is inner worried feelings by raising his eyebrows sarcastically. "Well then maybe you should ride the bus."
Tessa set her chin. "Maybe I will," she huffed. She crossed her arms and turned away from him. Will's face dropped, his smirk vanishing.
"Tess, I'm sorry. I was only kidding. I'll try to be more careful-" he panicked.
"Will, I am joking. There is no way I would survive 2 minutes on a high school bus. It's just fun to tease you," she said wrinkling her nose at him. Will found it absolutely adorable.
Will glared playfully at her. "Yeah? Well it won't be so fun when you're siting in a smelly hell-hole filled with obnoxious perverted teenage boys," he said, hoping she couldn't hear the protective tone in his voice.
She did. "Aww," she cooed. "Is Will worried about me?" She had no idea.
"Of course," he said, his voice still the same serious and protective tone as before. "Your my best friend."
It was always reassuring to Tessa to hear that from him. When Jem transferred here about a year or so ago, her and Will had drifted a little apart. At the time, Tessa had thought he was replacing her because he was acting different around her. But now looking back on it, it was stupid of her to think that. They've been inseparable since kindergarten.
Will pulled into the school parking lot, the yard filled with high school students. There could not have been more proof of real-life stereotypes than in the schoolyard. There were the nerds, siting under a tree solving calculus problems for fun. Will's social group, the jocks, wearing Letterman jackets and throwing a football around. The burn-outs, getting stoned on the side of the school. Then lastly, Tessa and Will's friends who were siting at a picnic table and talking about their summer.
Will took the keys out of the ignition and Tessa grabbed her backpack. They crossed the schoolyard, Will winking at girls as they passed and Tessa clutching books to her chest, keeping her head down. She was never the social one. She was always shy while Will was the most popular guy in the school. Opposites attract, Tessa thinks to herself.
The best friends walk up to the table where their friends were siting. Sophie sat with Cecily who sat next to Gabriel, who sat next to Gideon, who sat next to Jem.
Will went up to Jem and they did that manly thing guys do where they grab hands and do this chest-bump thing, slapping each other on their backs. Tessa sat down across from Sophie and Cecily.
"Sophie! Cecily! How are you both?" Tessa smiled.
Cecily grinned. "You talk as if I hadn't seen you at all in the past three months. You and Will spent almost everyday of summer together. Not to forget, I'm his sister."
"Unfortunately, I never can," said Gabriel next to Cecily.
"And you, Sophie?" Tessa asked.
Sophie smiled. "It was wonderful! My family and I visited my grandma at her house in the country side. It was so beautiful out there!"
"I'm glad to hear that," Tessa said politely.
Then out of nowhere, strong arms where encircling her waist. "Guess who," a deep male voice said, which Tessa could identify almost immediately.
"Danny!" She said, hoping off of the bench to hug her boyfriend. "I missed you so much!"
"I missed you more," Daniel said, pulling back to kiss her.
Tessa smiled against his lips, missing the way he kissed her. Tessa broke the kiss when she heard someone clear their throat.
Will. "We should probably get to class, the bell is about to ring," he said to Tessa, his voice full with some unreadable emotion. That's weird, Tessa thought. Since when has Will been worried about getting to class on time.
"Herondale," Daniel spat, his arms around Tessa's waist. Will looked to Tessa, Daniel, Daniel's arms, and back again. Tessa shivered at his hard gaze. If looks could kill, Daniel would be dead, his arms detached from his body.
"Brooker," Will replied with the same amount of venom in his voice.
"I can walk Tessa to her class when she wants to be," Daniel said, his tone dangerously low.
"That's very generous of you," Will said sarcastically. "But I already promised her I would," Will's voice was also low, daring Daniel to challenge his.
"That's very generous of you," Daniel mocked. "But I am her boyfriend, not you."
Will's eyes were blazing, shining with pure hate. He stepped up to Daniel and pushed him in the chest. "You listen here-" he started.
Daniel starts to push him back. "STOP," Tessa screamed at them. "Stop, right now, both of you!" She pushed her way between them. Holding them apart at her arm's length. "You are not going to fight on the first day of school. I won't let it happen."
They had started to form a crowd, everyone circling around the scene. Tessa released the fronts of their shirts and walked over to a tensed and protective Will. She grabbed his taunt wrist, his hands in fists. "Come on, lets go to class," she said turning around to wave to her friends. Daniel stood still, glaring at Will as they walked away from the crowd.
"What the hell, Will!" Tessa yelled at him when they were away from the other students.
"Look, Tessa, I'm sorry," he said. "Let me explain." The hallways were too crowded. Tessa sighed looking around.
"Fine, but not here," she said, pulling him into the Janitor's Closet under the stairs. She pulled the chain in the middle of the quaint room, turning on the light. Tessa and Will had found this place when she was a freshman. This was their secret room.
It was close quarters in here. Tessa was pushed slightly against Will, making Will's heart flutter. He was aware of her; the way she bit her lip in frustration, her small but strong hand on his wrist. Will gulped.
"Ok," Tessa said. "Talk."
"I don't like your boyfriend," Will said, getting straight to the point.
"Well no shit Sherlock. But why? Why do you hate him so much and why do you have to fight him every time you see him?" Tessa demanded.
"Because he has you," Will said softly.
Tessa was shocked. She put her hands on his chest. "You also have me. Don't you dare think that Daniel will take me away from you. We've been friends too long for that."
Will's breath hitched in his throat at the feel of her hands on his chest. How he ached to kiss her. But she said friends. The word Will now hated most.
Will was silent. He took her hands in his and held them between them, looking down at their entwined fingers.
"Will," Tessa breathed. "Say something."
Will shook his head. "I can't," he said. "I can't do this anymore."
Tessa sighed with relief. "Then don't. You don't have to fight with Daniel. Don't"
Will shook his head more, dropping her hands. He looked her strait in the eyes. "That's not what I meant." He then opened the closet door and left, slamming the door shut behind him.
Tessa stood, shocked. What did he mean by that? After all of these years, Tessa thought she might understand Will. How wrong she was.