Disclaimer: These are unnecessary because you are posting your story on FANfiction. Of course you don't own it. Disclaimers only taunt the author for not owning the characters. Anyways, enjoy!
"Clary! Clary! Wake up! I have our admission letters for Idris!" Simon screamed next to my bed. I bolted up and found myself fully awake. Simon waved an unopened envelope in front of me. I snatched it from his hand and ripped through the paper. He tore through his own envelope and we exchanged glances before reading. My heart was pounding as I slowly unfolded the paper and braced myself for whatever is inside it.
Congratulations, Clary Fray! You have been accepted to attend Idris High School of the Arts. Considering your impressive art portfolio, we are glad to have you join our school. Our school will be very different from your old school so be prepared for a change. May we remind you that our program is strictly centered in the arts and that we will make you work your hardest to bring out your full potential. We look forward to seeing you.
Celine Herondale, IHSA principal
I squealed loudly after I finished reading followed by an equally loud squeal from Simon. I attempted but failed to raise one eyebrow and gave him a funny look. We broke out in laughter and ended up clutching our stomachs gasping for air. We eventually gained control over ourselves and I was able to notice what Simon was wearing.
"Simon, what are you wearing? Please tell me you didn't go out in that," I gestured at his My Little Pony boxers and 'May the force be with you' shirt.
"Oops, I forgot. Can you blame me? These letters are important to both of us," he crossed his arms across his chest. "Not like anyone saw anyways," he grumbled. I rolled my eyes at his excuse.
"Whatever you say. Come on, put something less embarrassing on and then we can go tell Mom and Dad. They'll be so happy for us!" I was practically shining. He nodded and stalked back to his room. I skipped over to the bathroom where I tried to tame my messy bedhead hair. I brushed until it looked decent and brushed away my morning breath. Yeah, I wasn't really a morning person but when something like this happens, of course you'd be happy too. I met Simon and my parents at the kitchen where breakfast was prepared.
"Good morning, Sunshine! How was your morning?" Jocelyn asked. She was sipping a cup of coffee next to Luke who had put aside the morning newspaper.
"Mom, Dad, we have some really good news," I said. I sat at the table across from them and next to Simon.
"Good! We have some quite exciting news for you two, too. Go ahead and tell us yours first," Luke smiled at us and gave us his attention.
"We got accepted into Idris!" we said simultaneously.
"Congratulations, guys! We saw this coming. Who would not accept you into that school? That letter came fairly late though, don't you think?" Luke said. I gave him my acceptance letter and let him go over it.
"Yeah, it did. I almost lost hope when it didn't come. Oh well. Better late than never, right?" Simon said. He piled his plate high with pancakes, bacon, and eggs and devoured the pile hungrily.
"Yep. So, what did you guys want to tell us?" I asked while making some tea and grabbing a bagel. I took some cream cheese and spread generous amounts on the bagel.
"This is kind of a late notice also, but your father and I are going away for a week to Los Angeles for an art show. I'm going to showcase my art there where hundreds of people will be able to see them," my mom mimicked my beamed expression. We looked almost like twins but she was a tall, beautiful and had curves in all the right places. I was short and yet to grow into my skin. I would say I wasn't ugly, but I wasn't gorgeous either. My long curly hair dropped in ringlets just over my chest and light freckles were dusted all over my cheeks. I had emerald green eyes like my mother and my hair was a deep shade of red. Not that usual pumpkin like orange that usual gingers had, so I felt blessed with my hair. We both shared a strong passion for art and her talent has rubbed off on me.
"That's really great! I'm so happy for you. Can I come with you guys, please? I'm dying to come to a big art show like that!" I begged them with puppy dog eyes and pouty lips.
"Sorry, honey. You have to stay here and help Simon watch out for my bookstore down the street. He can't stay here all by himself," Luke said. I grunted and crossed my arms. A scowl was placed conspicuously on my face, but softened as my mind reasoned with me. I couldn't leave behind Simon and the bookstore needed someone to watch it.
"Okay, I'll stay. When are you guys taking off?" I asked.
"We're leaving Friday, which is tomorrow. Can we trust you guys to survive without us? We'll leave you enough money for the week which is strictly for food. Okay, maybe you can spend some of it, but spend it wisely. There are leftovers in the fridge and call us every night to check if everything is going alright." Jocelyn rumbled on.
"Yeah, yeah, we know how what to do. If we run out of supplies, we'll just have to hunt for food outside, right Clary?" Simon joked.
I chuckled and said, "Sure. But I doubt you'll be able to catch anything. Those squirrels are way too fast for you," I teased.
"Haha, okay. We're going to go pack now. Finish your breakfast and don't forget to clean up. We're leaving early tomorrow," Luke said. He and Jocelyn put their dishes away and went back to their room.
"For the bookstore, I'll do three days and you do the other three days. The last day, we'll split in half," I declared. Simon and I have looked over the shop before when our parents were gone.
"Sounds fair. By the way, Isabelle and I are going to hang out here tomorrow so you're going to have to take over. Can you handle it?"
"Of course! If anything bad happens, the pepper spray and bat are under the counter," I washed the dishes while Simon dried them.
"Good. Let's play some Call of Duty. I want to celebrate." I followed him into his room and helped him set up. We played online for hours. I won almost every game. Ever since Simon came home with a Playstation and a bunch of video games, we always played competitively.
When I was four years old, my mom and dad told me that they were going to pick up my new brother from the foster home. At first, I didn't like him because I thought he was going to steal all the attention from my parents, but we liked a lot of the same stuff and became best friends. We started school and did everything together. He watched my back while I watched his. It was usually me watching his cause I was always able to handle myself against the bigger kids.
"Ha-HA! That's my tenth winning streak. Damn, these guys are too easy," I grinned triumphantly at the screen. Simon pretend smashed his controller on the ground.
"Jeez, it's like you were born to shoot people's heads. Good thing it's just video games or else I would've been killed multiple times." I grin devilishly at the thought.
"This is what video games do to kids, to teach them various ways to kill with a gun. I better go to bed now. We have to drop off Mom and Dad at the airport and then I have to go back to the bookstore," I turned off the game consul, "Anyways, you said that Isabelle was coming over, right?" I smirked at him and he immediately turned red.
"Uh, er, yes," he muttered. His hand rubbed the back of his head while he shyly stared at the ground.
"Oooh, what are you guys going to do?" I asked nonchalantly while absentmindedly checked my nails.
"None of your business, thank you very much. We're just gonna eat lunch, walk outside in the park and maybe watch a small movie."
"How romantic! Are you going to buy her roses and chocolates? Cuddle on the sofa while you 'watch' the movie?" I said with air quotes. A teasingly angelic smile placed on my face.
"Whatever! Go back to your room. We need to wake up nice and early tomorrow morning. Good night, dear sister!" And with that I exited the room with the door shut tightly behind me. I chuckled to myself at the thought of Simon and Isabelle. Simon was a bit nerdy and shy and Isabelle was pretty much the exact opposite of that. She was as tall as Simon, which was about 5'10'', had long straight hair that was almost jet black, and piercing blue eyes. She was confident, stylish, and nice if she liked you. But, if you got on the wrong side of her, she can be extremely bitchy and get her way. She was a junior like me and Simon and attended Idris. Overall, I liked her. She and Simon apparently met in the bookstore and clicked like magnets.
I looked at my clock that read twelve thirty. I yawned and instantly fell asleep when my face hit the pillow.
I don't usually get dreams when I sleep, but when I do, they are usually meaningless and feel like a drunken night. Blurry and out of control. I remember it happened, but the details were never there. This one was definitely different.
It was exceptionally sunny outside and I was walking in the park. I was relishing the feeling of the grass between my toes. I closed my eyes as a small breeze blew at my hair, making me feel heavenly. Scratch that, more like cliché. I opened my eyes in annoyance but they fell onto a figure a few yards in front of me.
At first, I thought it was a huge bird with gigantic white wings. That's odd. It was until it rolled over that I noticed it was actually an angel. It lay there with as much gracefulness as a fallen angel could have. My face contorted into one of confusion and pity as I looked at it once over. He was wearing ripped black jeans with large gashes spanning across his thighs and calves. He didn't wear a shirt so I was able to get a good view of the collection of scars all over his toned chest and stomach. He had bruises and scratches on his arms and face but they didn't look half as bad as his wings. I just noticed they there were red splotches in several different places and they were very limp.
He was a fallen angel, and I was there to save him. I walked forward to his unmoving body but just as I was about to reach him, he disappeared into thin air. The scene around me started to disappear, too. Soon enough, I was encased in black cold nothingness.
You show the lights that stop me turn to stone
You shine it when I'm alone
And so I tell myself that I'll be strong
And dreaming when they're gone
The radio blasts music into my ears. Six thirty. I turn it off and lazily get out of bed. I head over for a quick shower. I didn't bother to dry my hair cause it looked like it was about to pour outside. I pulled on a thick hoodie sweater over my tank top and a pair of dark wash jeans. After slipping into a pair of ankle boots, I grabbed a quick coffee from the kitchen, my tote bag, and went to the car with my parents who had just finished stuffing the luggage in the trunk. Simon lazily sauntered over to the seat next to me and went back to dozing off. I just stared out the window and watched the rain clouds forming in the sky.
I thought about the dream I had last night. It felt so real and detailed. My fingers itched to draw him, but not right now cause I just feel like going back to sleep. If I go back to sleep, I might be able to see him again and really look at his face. I remember a halo of golden blonde hair that curled messily at the edge of his ear and at the end of his neck. Even though it was tousled and uncombed, it made him look even more attractive. I'll make sure to keep that noted when I draw him.
I closed my eyes for the remainder of the ride until Jocelyn woke me and Simon up.
"Okay, kiddos. We're leaving now. Remember to take care of the bookstore, spend the money wisely, and stay out of trouble. Call every night and whenever something comes up." Luke said as he took out their luggage.
"Yes, yes, we remember. We'll be fine. Have fun in L.A. Have a safe flight!" I said. We all hugged and kissed goodbye and parted ways. Simon and I waved one more time before driving out of the drop off station.
We held a light conversation on our way to the bookstore. By now, it was around eight o'clock and as I predicted, rain was pouring buckets outside.
"'Kay, bye Sis. See you later. Stay safe," Simon said. I pecked him on the cheek before saying goodbye. I sprinted into the shop to avoid getting soaked. It didn't work. The whole top of my jacket was drenched but I managed to keep my hair from getting wet.
I dropped my bag behind the checkout counter and then went to turn the heater up. My jacket was pretty much useless considering it was soaked with water so I decided to hang it up. There were a few boxes next to the counter that were filled with fresh new books. I put my headphones around my neck and turned my ipod on shuffle. I swayed to the music as I organized and restocked the shelves with new books. I could imagine why no one was coming in since it was still raining rather harshly outside. Thank God for inventing indoor heaters.
After about two hours, I finished going through all the new arrivals. I walked around the tiny shop to check that everything was good and in its place. Then, I went back around to micro check everything so that all the books were perfectly straight and that the dust was swept away from the shelves. After I was satisfied with my cleaning, I sat on the stool behind the counter and took out my sketchpad to draw the fallen angel from the dream. He kneeled on the grass in a fetal position. His back leaned forward with the support of his elbows and his hair covered his face. One beaten up wing sprouted from his back and hung limply by his side. It was a rather depressing picture overall.
I yawned and checked the time on my phone. It was around noon so I awarded myself with a lunch break. Well, I actually texted Simon and told him to bring me some of Taki's coconut pancakes. He arrived twenty minutes later with a takeout box and Isabelle. I smiled at them, removed my headphones from my neck and started to dig into the pancakes. An audible moan escaped my pancake filled mouth.
"Nice to see you again, Clare." Simon said with a grimace. I swallowed down the food and smiled.
"Thank you! Hi Isabelle," I said taking slower and smaller bites.
She giggled and said, "Hey! How's it going with the bookstore? Everything's alright, I hope." She dug into her own pile of pancakes while sitting on the counter beside Simon who held a breakfast burrito.
"It's been pretty decent. I got to do some cleaning and organizing around the place. No one came by today at all. Probably because of the shitty weather," I said.
"I know right. New York just decided to rain during the summer. Did you know it's been raining non-stop since I dropped you off? How much water do those clouds hold anyway?" Simon complained.
"I hope the weather clears up. It's messing up my makeup and hair. By the way, Clary, do you want to go out shopping with me when the clouds decide they don't feel like raining?" Isabelle looked at me expectantly. I haven't gone shopping in a while and Mom did leave the money for us. It probably won't hurt to spend some of it.
"Sure! I'd love to. But Simon won't be able to come since one of us has to stay and watch the shop." I said as I finished my lunch.
"That's fine. I've been meaning to spend some girl time. It's hard to live life surrounded by boys," she sipped her coffee gathered the trash from our takeout, "I have three other brothers back at home. Two of them go to Idris, too and we have a little one that's younger than all of us. It's amazing how I even remember that I'm a girl sometimes."
"Those are a lot of boys. I don't understand how you can live with three when I can barely live with one," I teased. Simon elbowed me lightly and I pretended to feel hurt. In reality, he can barely hurt a fly without hurting himself first.
"Well, we gotta run. You sure you can handle for the rest of the day?" Simon asked. He took our garbage in a plastic bag and tied the loops at the end.
"Yes. No one's probably going to come in anyways. I'll just have a bunch of free time here," I said.
"Clary, can you get dropped off at our apartment maybe Monday? It's better to shop when there's less people there and we still have a week of summer break," Isabelle gave me a hopeful smile.
"Sure. I'll be there," I returned the smile, "See you guys later." They both said their good byes and exited the shop.
I felt full and satisfied now that my stomach wasn't constantly growling at me. I decided to color the drawing I had been working on earlier. I put on my headphones so that they cupped my ears and blocked out the sound of rain pounding on the window with the Beatles singing soft tunes. I leaned back so that my back hit the wall and continue coloring.
I'm so tired, I don't know what to do
I'm so tired, my mind is set on you
I wonder, should I call you? But I know what you would do.
My eye lids grew droopy from the soothing and slow tune. Damn, this song is powerful. Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a while. And just like that, unconsciousness takes over me.
I appeared in a similar grassy place where I first encountered him. I immediately recognized the place and got really excited. Maybe I'll see him again. And just like I wished, I turned my head and there he was, standing a distance away just enough to let me see his whole body. His marks and scars were all gone, leaving a radiant healthy man standing before me. I noticed how defined his muscles were on his chest, stomach and arms. Oh how I wanted to run my hands across them. I know what you're thinking, and I don't care. He's a figment of my imagination so I can think whatever the hell I want to. He's an angel so what can I say? Any trace of the fallen angel I had seen just last night had disappeared. I finally glanced up at his face.
The first things I notice are those eyes. They were a special shade of gold and reminded me of sweet honey. He had an angular jaw, high cheek bones, and just plain out perfectly proportionate features. An artist's dream, literally. I caught his steady stare and for a moment, I could have sworn I saw one side of his lips turn up. He was smirking. Just before I could react I was nudged out of my fantasy land.
"Excuse me, Miss? Hello? Wake up please," I bolted up from my leaning position earlier and came crashing forward onto the counter, making my headphones fall off my head. I gasped in surprise and I tried to catch myself before I flip over again, but a pair of hands beat me to it. I look up with shock written all over my face to meet a pair of golden, honey like eyes just mere inches from my own. The angel…
"Good, you're awake. I was hoping you'd help me find my book. If you'd show me the music section… Hello?" He snapped his fingers right in front of my face which brought me back to reality. I swatted his hand away and put on a fierce scowl.
"Excuse me, but it's quite rude to snap at people's faces." I sneer. He smirks. Of course.
"Actually, it's quite rude to ignore your customers. I have my reasons." I want to slap that grin off his face, but resist at the last moment. After all, he is a customer. Wait. A customer? I looked outside. The sun was just about to set and the skies were clear except for a few clouds.
"What are you doing here?" This made him chuckle. God, I hate it when people laugh at me.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to buy a book. Like I said earlier, I'm pretty sure it's in the music section," he says matter-of-factly, "Would you like to show me?" He says suddenly getting all seductive and gives my body a once over. I immediately become aware of my outfit and become heated in the face area. I cross my arms across my chest warily.
"My sweater was drenched earlier so it would have been stupid to wear it around," he chuckled and mumbled something along the lines of 'Whatever you say'. "Anyway, here's all the music related books in the store. Try not to get lost," I say with my very own smirk. He just grinned and looked through stacks and shelves. I went back to the counter and grabbed my sketchpad to keep me occupied while he looked through.
I couldn't help but watch as he walked around the section of the store letting me look at him at all angles. At times, he would have this determined look on his face as he searched. His eyebrows would come together slightly and his lips formed a small pout. He caught me looking and smirked, again. Goddamn, how many times a day does he do that? Instead of blushing and looking away, I gave him a lop-sided grin and returned my attention back to my sketchpad.
"Hey, these are good paintings," he interrupted my 'zone' while admiring the works of art hung on the walls. Jocelyn thought of decorating the place with her paintings and Luke was more than happy to oblige. "Who made them?" the guy asked.
"Me and my mom. Some are hers, some are mine and this one," I pointed at the largest painting hung beside the wall I sat next to, "was done by both of us."
I smiled at the memory. She drew the outline of four people; a man, a woman, a girl, and a boy. They were in front of a shop called Luke's bookstore. We colored it together with a bunch of pastels, paints, and colored pencils. A lot of mixed media put into one magnificent painting. It was the first we had done together and we finished it just under a year ago.
"Wow, that's amazing. You're a really great artist. Where's your mother?" he asked. He had a sympathetic expression on his face. It made me want to come over and give him a hug just to make him feel better.
I giggled a little to try to ease the mood, "She and my dad went to California for a week so my brother and I are taking over the shop until they come back," I said with a smile. His expression visibly softened and was masked with a playful smile.
"Well, aren't you two lonely then. Here are my books," I took his items and scanned them. Let's see, my sneaky mind said. He bought a song book for piano and voice. So, he's a musician? His choices were pretty impressive.
"Your total is fifteen dollars," I smiled and handed him the bag. In exchange, he gave me twenty dollars. I was slightly taken back by his sudden generosity.
"Keep the change," he said with a wink, "I never got your name, by the way." he said.
"Uh, um, thanks. Clary. Clary Fray. You?" I stuttered. Damnit.
He just smiled back and said, "Jace. Jace Wayland. See you around, Clary." I nodded and he walked out. Jace. That was a unique name. Yet, it fit him perfectly.
I checked my phone and sure enough it was already five o' clock. I figured this would be enough for the day considering this place was deserted. I slid back into my sweater, gathered my stuff and took a taxi back to the apartment, thinking about the wonder boy that appeared from my dreams.
When I got home, I immediately went to my sketchpad and ipod. I just could not get that guy out of my head. What was his name? Right, Jace. He looked around my age. I wonder what school he went to since I've never seen him before today.
My sketchbook ended up having dozens of pictures of Jace's face. Each tiny sketch showed different emotions. Sympathy, concentration, happiness, and arrogance, if that was an emotion. But aside all the looks and personality, what did it mean? Was there a purpose to my dream? Why did this happen to me? Whatever it was, I couldn't simply ignore it. I have to figure out why this is bugging me so much.
I don't really understand the second dream, but the first one was clear as crystal. He was a fallen angel and I was the only one there to save him. That was what I didn't understand. Whatever, there was a small chance that I was even going to see him again. But what if I do?
Just to get some things straight:
-If I ever describe an outfit, you will usually see it in my profile.
-lyrics are italicized and I do not own any of them. I usually just write a few lines, not the whole song. Sometimes the songs don't have a meaning and I was just listening to it while I was writing. I listen to Pandora radio because it has great songs and I don't know much good songs.
-even though I might not put disclaimers, know that I still do mean them. I put one on the top of this chapter just for assurance.
-I cannot promise an update schedule because I don't usually stick to it. And I hate giving false hope. I will try to update as much as I can though.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Reviews are deeply appreciated.
Songs:
Lights by Ellie Gouldin
I'm So Tired by The Beatles – (When I was writing this part and listening to this song it was really late at night. I had trouble staying awake but it was worth it.)