Chapter 1

"Clary! Jonathan!" Luke bellowed up the stairs. "Your breakfast is getting cold and the clock is ticking!"

Jonathan groaned at hearing his step-father's voice ring through the house for the second time that morning. He drew in a sharp breath when he heard his sister's door close, knowing that she was finished getting ready; Jonathan hadn't even gotten out of bed. His bedhead was fresh, his teeth unbrushed, the bedspread covering most of him. He knew that if Luke had to call for him again, he'd get an earful, considering he wasn't near being ready.

With a quick glance at the clock on his bedside table, Jonathan rolled out of bed, grabbing a random set of clothing and rushing to the bathroom to prepare himself. Eyeing himself in the mirror, the boy couldn't help but stop to admire his good looks. His hair, although white-blonde, shaped his character and definitely caught people's attention; desirable attention. His startling green eyes, long legs, and wolfish grin was enough to capture any girl's heart without even having to utter a single sound.

"Jonathan Christopher!"

Crap… Jonathan sighed as he closed his eyes, knowing by the tone of Luke's voice that he was not happy. Deciding he should move quickly, the sixteen-year-old simultaneously brushed his teeth while getting dressed, nearly getting toothpaste on his new pants.

After about five minutes, he raced down the stairs, only to find himself face-to-face with his less-than-happy-looking step-father. Smiling sheepishly, Jonathan offered a meek shrug as his apology, hoping he wouldn't get a lecture this early in the morning.

Luke shook his head at the boy, thankfully saying nothing, but merely gestured that he should head to the kitchen, a command the teenager followed immediately. Clary glanced up from her breakfast as her brother walked in, followed by her step-father. She smiled sweetly.

"Running late again, big brother?"

Jonathan sneered at her but didn't respond, as he knew he'd have to choke down his breakfast in order to arrive in time for their first day of school. When he saw Clary get up with her school bag, he stopped her, mouth full of pancakes.

"You can't go to school by yourself."

The tiny red-head rolled her eyes. "I'm not going alone. Simon's waiting for me outside." She stated simply, kissing her parents goodbye and heading out the door, leaving Jonathan to get to school on his own. He scarfed down the last bit of food on his plate before grabbing his own school bag.

"I don't wanna go." He pouted, looking at his mother with big doe eyes. She sighed but was interrupted by her husband.

"I suggest you get moving, unless you would prefer that I drop you off." He suggested, knowing his step-son thought it was humiliating to be dropped off by his parents.

"I'd rather not. In fact, why don't we all save ourselves the trouble. I can just stay home. Drop out of school. It's all good." The boy faltered once he noticed the expressions worn by his parents. "I'm just kidding. I'll get going now. Bye." He murmured, heading out of the kitchen, into the living room, and finally out the door of his home and towards what he considered to be his doom: junior year.

~0~

"Mom, do I have to go to school today?" Alec questioned his mother for the billionth time that morning. Maryse finally turned around to glare at her eldest son, making him take a step back.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood, if you ask me that one more time…" She let her threat hang, praying her son would understand her annoyance by now. However, all he did was pout and try again.

"But Mom, please! I don't wanna go…"

"That's it. I've told you that unless you are sick or there is an emergency, you are not missing school, especially not the first day! Get your bookbag, find your siblings and Go. To. School." She enunciated her final words, hoping she wouldn't have to repeat herself anymore.

"Yes Mom." The boy muttered dejectedly, rushing upstairs in search of Isabelle and Max. Maryse shook her head and grabbed her car keys as her husband came in, wrapping his arms around her.

"Alec driving you crazy about not wanting to go to school?" Robert asked with a knowing smile. His wife sighed, looking back at him.

"Yes. How did you know?"

"He was whining to me about it endlessly last night until I sent him to bed. Then, all he did was pout and refuse to go to sleep so he'd be too tired to get up this morning." He chuckled, brushing a stray hair from his beautiful wife's face. She smiled up at him, finding the situation amusing despite her annoyance.

"I don't know what's gotten into him but he seems vehement on not attending his first day of being a junior. Robert, what if he decides to skip class?" Maryse pondered worriedly. She knew Alec was a good kid; the chances he'd skip school were slim to none. Yet, with all the pestering he'd been doing, she couldn't be sure of what her son would do.

"Don't worry, Maryse; our boy is better than that." He half-glanced back as he noticed Alec coming down the stairs slowly, probably listening to the conversation. "Besides, he knows I'll beat his ass if he pulls something stupid like that." He added, just for Alec's sake. In turn, his son scowled but fell short on his retort as his younger siblings approached.

"I'm ready. Let's go!" Isabelle exclaimed excitedly, rushing to give her parents a goodbye hug. It was strange how the children were acting; it occurred to the Lightwood parents that her son and daughter had seemingly switched personalities in regard to the beginning of the school year. Alec had always been eager to start, whereas Isabelle never wanted summer to end. Max, the youngest, had always been indifferent about it.

Alec rolled his eyes but headed to his parents and said goodbye without another word of protest. The two teens waited as their younger brother said goodbye, and then they all headed out the door.

"I can't wait to get to school!"

"I hope I didn't get Mr. Morgenstern as my teacher this year. It'd suck to have my parents be friends with my teacher."

Alec vaguely listened to his siblings' rambling as they walked down the street, turning corners, crossing roads; he couldn't bring himself to care about much that morning. The only thing on his mind was that he really didn't want to go to school yet.

~0~

As the Lightwoods approached their high school, Alec halted, lingering on the sidewalk before the school. Isabelle turned back to look at him curiously. The first bell was going to ring soon; they were lucky they hadn't gotten there late, considering they'd had to drop off Max first. The tall girl walked back over to her brother and nudged him with her shoulder. She waited for him to look at her.

"What are you doing?" When Alec didn't answer, she pressed further. "What's wrong? Why don't you wanna go in?"

Alec drew a deep breath and sighed. "I just don't."

Isabelle furrowed her eyebrows, deep in thought. "Is this about being a junior or is this about not wanting to see Jace? Because you've still got this year and next year at school, and you've been seeing Jace all summer. What difference does any of it make?"

Alec eyed his sister, not responding to anything she said. To be honest, he himself wasn't sure why he didn't want to go to school that day -he simply knew that he wasn't in the mood to deal with teachers and people he didn't like. He forced a smile and put his arm around Isabelle's shoulders, walking to the building with her.

"You're right, Iz. I have no reason to be dreading this day. Let's just go inside before the bell rings, yeah? Wouldn't wanna get in trouble on our first day back."

Unfortunately, as soon as those words had escaped Alec's mouth, the bell did ring, damning all who came too late. Many students who had been lingering outside all rushed in at once, making it nearly impossible for the Lightwood siblings to get in without being trampled. Of course, if they'd wanted to, they could have intimidated, in the very least, the freshmen, although they knew that could do more because of their great heights. Just as they managed to get inside the building, Alec was shoved so roughly, he nearly fell over.

"What the -?!"

He stopped short when he noticed that the one who shoved him was none other than Jace Herondale, his best friend -and the guy he was in love with.

"Good to see you too, stud. We better get moving unless we want Ms. Belcourt to give us detention. I don't think our parents would be too happy with that, especially not on the first day." Jace grinned widely, roughly clasping Alec on the shoulder and maneuvering him over to the stairwell. All Alec could do was gaze longingly at his best friend, not even bothering to wonder where his sister had disappeared to so quickly.

~0~

"Maia Roberts?"

"Here."

"Jordan Kyle?"

"Here."

"Mark Blackthorn?"

"Here."

"Jonathan Morgenstern?"

Silence.

Hodge Starkweather tried again. "Jonathan Morgenstern?" Once again, the professor was met with silence. "One final time. Is Jonathan Morgenstern here?"

"I'm here!" Jonathan yelled as he rounded the corner and skidded into the classroom. The class chuckled collectively but the teacher was unamused.

"Why are you late to my class, boy?" He questioned, an eyebrow raised, his arms folded across his chest." Jonathan fidgeted slightly.

"Well, you see… I, uh… Got lost?" He knew it was the lamest excuse in the book, considering he was already a junior; but he had to try.

"Hm, I see. Well, make sure you don't get lost on your way to detention this afternoon."

Jonathan immediately sobered up. "No, no, no. Mr. Starkweather, please, you can't give me detention, not on the first day! That's criminal!" He pleaded, knowing he'd be dead when he got home if he really received a detention.

Starkweather seemed to contemplate it for a moment. Finally, he decided. "Give me a valid reason on why you were late and why I shouldn't give you detention, and then we'll see."

Jonathan racked his brain, trying to come up with a good excuse. His first nature was to snap at his teacher in frustration, but knowing that would get him nowhere, his secondary instincts kicked in before he could stop himself.

"I was late because I didn't want to come to school and lingered outside for too long; you shouldn't give me detention because my parents will murder me, smear my blood, and dance of my grave." Once again, this brought laughter to erupt from his classmates. Jonathan even thought he almost saw his teacher smirk.

"Sit down, Morgenstern." The old man commanded, deciding to let the boy's tardiness slip this once. After all, it was the first day of class.

Grateful, the boy took a seat in the back of the classroom, as he always did. As Starkweather droned on about the first history lesson of the year, the eldest Morgenstern could not bring himself to pay much attention. Instead, he let his mind drift, imagining everything he could be doing instead of sitting in a boring classroom for seven hours once again. Little did he know that he wasn't the only one doing so; nearly all of the juniors were reacting the same to being back in school. Either the teachers didn't notice, or didn't seem to care, not once pausing in their lessons, making the morning nearly as miserable as Jonathan had dreaded.