My feet were barely skimming the water below me as I sat at the dock of I lake. I was only wearing a skimpy tank top and pajama shorts, but that was all right. No one ever noticed me anyways.

I had my book in one hand as I watched ripples flood through the water. I'd read the book dozens of times and could recite it without looking at it, but there was always something fascinating about holding the worn paper cover in my hand and flipping the soft, loved pages.

Every now and then, a fish would flip up a couple inches then sink back into the water. It stunned me, nature did, and the way it all worked together, peacefully, but aggressive at the same time as animals fought for survival.

Literature was my cure to life, as well as my music. All music was soothing to me; even what some girls like me would call crap. Every piece of art was unique in its own style and it wasn't my place to judge.

If only other people understood that.

You see, I have three hobbies: reading, painting, and writing. I love writing my own poetry, especially whenever I'm stressed.

My favorite book is The Waves by Virginia Woolf, even though it was written in the 1930's, I will never forget it.

I looked down at the page. There was a star riding through the clouds one night, and I said to the star, "Consume me."

As I finish the line, something hits me in the back of the head and I swirl around, looking out of curiosity, not anger.

A boy was running up to me, around the age of nine or so.

"I'm so sorry," he said, sitting down beside me, snatching up the fallen Frisbee. "I was playing with my brother, Jace, and I threw the Frisbee and the wind blew really heavily, making it go whoosh!" He then hit himself in the head, mimicking the Frisbee.

"Oh it's alright," I said softly, pushing a strand of black hair out of his blue eyes that were framed by glasses. "I understand. It really didn't hurt that badly."

"Max!" I heard a voice yell, and I turned around to see a boy running towards the little boy sitting beside me.

"Is this your brother?" I asked, staring at the boy in the distance, flipping his golden hair as he jogged toward us, kneeling down beside Max.

"Yep! His name is Jace, and he's awesome," Max replied, his eyes wide and innocent.

I looked back up at the blonde boy smiling softly, setting down my book in my lap, and tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"Thank you Max," Jace said, ruffling his black hair. "You are?"

"Clary Fray," I replied, my voice sugar sweet.

"That's one sweet tank top you have on Miss Fray," Jace winked.

My cheeks flared and I looked down at the ground, holding my arms and legs to my chest. Max giggled.

"Look," I said, "You've contaminated the poor boy's soul."

Another figure came up in the distance and I watched it with interest as it grew closer. A girl, judged by the hourglass shape. "Jace, Max, Mom made breakfast," she yelled as she grew closer. "Oh who's this?"

The girl was tall and beautiful with long black hair that was waist length and dark brown eyes that held stony emotions, as if she had a guard up, the same as Jace.

"I'm Clary, pleasure to meet you," I said sweetly, holding out my hand.

The girl looked at with curiosity, but never met my hand. I put it down awkwardly. "You're another one of his sluts aren't you?"

I looked at her with wide eyes. "His what?"

She looked at me with fake sympathy in her eyes. "Oh you didn't think he actually liked you did you?"

I looked at her in shock. I didn't think she was necessarily rude, more as angry as someone that wasn't me. Jace.

I stood up, wiping the dust off my pajama shorts, squinting as I faced the sun.

"Oh definitely as skank," Isabelle scoffed, shoving me.

I squealed, slipping on the wet deck and splashing into the water, fighting to stay above water. "Can't swim!" I cried as I began sinking, gurgling in water.

It was true. My mother and I had just moved here a week ago, and before that we lived in the city and never went to community pools.

The water was cold, despite the warm temperatures around. I felt somewhere in my conscience that I should've not let all my breath out, but it was gone as soon as I let in a large gasp of breath.

I heard a splash above me, sounding like a cannonball. Fingers wrapped around my tiny wrist as I was pulled upwards.

"Grab her Isabelle!" Jace yelled to whom I presumed was the girl.

Isabelle snatched me from his arms and I was pulled up, coughing up water.

"That was the stupidest thing you've ever done!" Jace yelled. "I didn't even know her, much less sleep with her!"

"I'm sorry," Isabelle whispered, her voice cracking.

"You could've drowned her you idiot!"

Another boy was running up with long floppy hair like Max's, but instead of bright eyes like Max, they were calm and collected, as if he were as if a leader.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at Jace to Isabelle to me. "Why are you all wet? Do you need a towel? You look cold."

"I'm all right," I said softly, looking at the new boy then at Isabelle. "I'm all right Isabelle, no one's hurt."

"Don't egg her on!" Jace cried. "She'll drown another girl, next time on purpose!"

I looked at him. "You should forgive her Jace. She didn't kill me. I'm all right. There's no point to anger. It's a pointless emotion. You be loving and kind, not anything else. Take a deep breath and let it out."

He looked at me with furrowed eyebrows. "Alec, go get her a towel, please."

I smiled sweetly at Alec who looked at me with respect in his eyes. He nodded, before walking off, biting his thumbnail.

"I'm sorry Clary," Isabelle said. "It's just that, he gets around with girls so much and it drives me insane. It's been like that ever since – never mind. But it's just not healthy, you know? And every time I see one I get so angry.

"And then I saw you, you with all your gracefulness and bright eyes and I was thinking that he just sabotaged a completely innocent girl. And I couldn't stand it as you stood up like no situation would ever change you and I was thinking you were such a fraud. And look at me I'm rambling."

I giggled, wrapping my sopping wet body around her. "It's all right Isabelle. I have a feeling we will be fantastic friends."

It was a true statement. After three months, Isabelle and I became the closest friends and she was my second friend I'd ever had.

Jace still occasionally brought girls home for the next month, but Isabelle had insisted it was getting better. Then it got to the point where he just stopped.

I was lying on Isabelle's bed, my body spread over her purple comforter and she was sitting on her pillow curled up in a ball. "I don't know Clary, I think he likes you," she teased. "Because I'd confronted him dozens of times about him not treating girls like trash and then you came along and he just never did it again."

I rolled my eyes. This wasn't the first time we talked about this and I never argued with her because there really was just no point.

I sighed, letting out a gust of breath. "I don't know why I come over here anymore. All you do is talk about Jace."

"Do you not like him? Because I've never seen you not like anyone. I'd let Jace know he was the first to ever break Clarissa Fray's sweet girl image."

"Isabelle," I sighed. I really did like Jace, more than a friend, but I was afraid to think what she might do if we did actually get together. "You do know how I feel about him."

"Feel about who?" I heard a masculine voice ask from the doorway. I swirled around to see the one and only Jace standing there, with a puzzled look on his face.

I licked my lips, urging my cheeks not to turn into miniature fire trucks.

"No one!" Isabelle chirped, covering for me.

"Right," Jace grumbled. "Mom wanted me to tell you that pizza's here." His gaze flitted over to me, observing my lime green sports bra and grey running shorts with zebra stripes on the side with lime green surrounding them. He cleared his throat as he looked away. "Please, by dear God, put a shirt on Clary."

My cheeks lit up like a candle. "Sorry."

He walked out quite awkwardly and Isabelle burst out into laughter as he limped into the hallway.

"Did something happen to his leg?" I asked curiously. "He was limping."

Isabelle snorted. "No, my innocent one."

"Are you alright Izzy?" I asked, looking at her.

"Put a shirt on, you slut," she laughed, smacking me with the black t-shirt I'd worn over here. "And don't expect Jace at dinner. He's going to have to take a cold shower."

My jaw dropped in shock as she sashayed out of the room, smirking.

It was true, Jace wasn't there when we first started dinner, but was there with his hair dripping water after about ten minutes.

Isabelle, of course, snorted into laughter, spitting out pepperoni.

I looked at my cheese pizza with a blush as he sat next to me. "Can I speak to you after dinner?"

I never even replied, but ate quickly until he stood up abruptly and said loudly, "I'll be in the music room."

After around five minutes, I followed him out and sat next to him on the awaited bench. "You saw that didn't you?" he asked quietly. "The effect you have on me."

I blushed in response as he continued. "And we both know that it wasn't 'no one' that you were talking about."

I looked down, biting my lip. "Don't do that Clarissa," he reprimanded me. "That's very naughty of you."

I stopped immediately. "That's my bottom lip to be biting anyways." I looked up at him in shock as he captured his lips mine, pressing hardly.

I gasped as he laid me down on the piano bench and the door flew open and a gasp.

"Ew!" Isabelle squealed. "Oh my gosh! Yay!"

My cheeks were once again fire trucks as Jace got off me quickly.

"Well," Jace grumbled. "You have the worst timing ever."

So that's that! I'm really sorry for not updating any of my old stories, but I'm having a horrible case of writer's block and projects at school. So I'm making up for it with one shots. You're welcome.

WELL, I'M GONNA GO DO THE DISHES!

~Bethanie

Disclaimer: All rights to Cassandra Clare