THE STORY TAKES PLACE AFTER CITY OF GLASS AT CLARY'S HIGH SCHOOL…ONLY CLARY HAS NEVER MET THE LIGHTWOODS. CLARY DID GROW UP KNOWING SHE WAS A SHADOWHUNTER THOUGH. OH, AND VALENTINE NEVER GOT AROUND TO SUMMONING THE ANGEL RAZIEL (CLARY KILLED HIM FIRST) JONATHON MORGENSTERN IS STILL ALIVE *GASP* JOCELYN AND LUKE ARE MARRIED AND HAVE BEEN FOR A WHILE (IT JUST MADE THINGS EASIER FOR ME…) MAIA LIVES WITH THEM. AND SIMON DOESN'T KNOW CLARY IS A SHADOWHUNTER.

OKAY, SO I'VE BEEN READING FANFICTION AND STUFF FOR A WHILE AND I'VE BEEN ITCHING TO WRITE ONE. IT MAY SUCK. SO I'M GOING TO PRE-APOLOGIZE. IT SOUNDED GREAT IN MY HEAD.

DISCLAIMER: AS FAR AS I KNOW I DO NOT "LIVE IN NEW YORK WITH MY FIANCÉ, CATS, AND THESE DAY'S EVEN MORE BOOKS" AND I DID NOT WRITE THE INFERNAL DEVICES, MORTAL INSTRUMENTS, OR A SHORT STORY FOR ZOMBIES V.S. UNICORNS. I'M NOT EVEN ON "TEAM ZOMBIE." SO I MUST NOT BE CASSANDRA CLARE. DANG.

Clary's feet made no sound as she walked down the hallway to her locker. She wore short jean shorts and a white tee with Chinese characters on it, slung over her shoulder was an olive green backpack covered with buttons that her best friend Simon gave her. Clary couldn't deny that she was nervous—even though she had no reason to be. She had gone to the same high school when she was a freshman and sophomore; it made no difference to these people that she killed her father. It made no difference to them that her father was a mass murder who had planed to take over the world. They didn't know, they didn't care. Maia was the only one who knew and she was she couldn't care less even though it "sucks that he was such a jerk" and "he may have been a nice guy if he wasn't so hell-bent on ruling to world." Clary honestly didn't know what she would do without Maia, four years ago she had moved in with them and Clary's life had been a lot more interesting since then.

Clary made it to her locker. A couple of people said hi as she rummaged through the pile of stuff that had accumulated in the past two years. For some reason Clary never got around to cleaning it before school got out for summer. She reached up to yank out her English binder and her art supplies fell out, her pencils spilling everywhere. As she bent down to pick them up she heard a chuckle from above her. Clary looked up to see a guy standing above her, his golden curls looking like a halo in the harsh light of the school hallway.

"It's rude to laugh at people," she said with a glare. He raised an eyebrow. "Well?" She said. "Are you going to apologize? Or just stand there looking like an idiot?" His laughter increased but he bent down by her and began picking up pencils. She thought she was runes on his arms but decided it was just the stupid school lighting playing tricks on her eyes. No shadowhunters went to her high school. None.

"Jace Lightwood." He said with a smile and her face fell. Lightwood. She knew that name all to well. Maryse and Robert Lightwood had been part of the Circle. He was a shadowhunter. He let out a small cough and she realized she had been sitting there starring at him with a strange look on her face for no apparent reason.

"I'm Clary—Clary Fray," she said and she managed a smile.

"Okay then…" he said and his voice trailed off. Clary was spared from trying to figure out a response by a sharp voice yelling out "JACE!"

Jace looked up to see Izzy looking at him with a murderous glare. "Crap," he muttered. He grabbed the mundane—Clary's arm and pulled her up. She gave him a confused glance as he slammed her locker shut and pulled her with him. "Help me blend in," he muttered, "See that girl? No, don't look. That's my adopted sister Izzy. If she finds me she'll probably yell at me for running out on her this morning instead of hanging out with her and listen to her talk."

"Why am I with you?" Clary asked.

"Because you can help me find my class. And you'll help me blend in."

"And you think I'll help you why?" she asked with an annoyed glare in his direction.

"Because if I go down you are going to go down with me."

"Fine," she muttered relenting to Jace's logic, he was actually surprised that she agreed but he didn't show it. "What class do you have?" Instead of answering Jace shoved her behind a pillar, pressing him against her and whispering, "Shh…she almost found us." For a couple of moments they just stood there almost starring at each other. They both seemed to realize at the same time how close they were standing and Jace stepped away. He immediately missed the warmth being next to her provided and so he grabbed her hand. He had no clue what was getting into him but for the time being he couldn't care less. They were united by a common goal and that was all that mattered.

"So what class do you have?" Clary asked as they stepped out from behind the pillar.

"Umm…" Jace said reaching into his pocket and pulling out his schedule, to be honest he hadn't looked at it yet. Clary snatched it out of her hands and quickly read it and then groaned.

"What?" Jace asked.

"I have to spend all day with you?" she said and Jace pretended that her disappointment had hurt his ego.

"You should be honored to be able to stare at this all day," he said with a smirk and Clary punched him in the arm.

"Already making some enemies," came a voice from behind them.

"Hey, Alec. Did Izzy send you after me?" Jace asked turning around.

"Nah," he said with what seemed to be a ghost of a smile, "I came by my own will. I brought lunch." From behind his back Alec brought out a paper sack and Jace snatched it up before Alec could change his mind about giving it away. "So who's the mundane?"

"What did you just call me?" Clary asked appalled, it was one thing to be mistaken for a mundane but to be called one to her face? That was another matter, it took all of her willpower not to grab her stele and bring it to his throat before he could react. The only things holding her back where the crowds of perfectly mundane teenagers and the fact that she wasn't quite ready to let them know she was a shadowhunter.

"I—uh. I have to go…" Alec quickly walked away leaving behind a furious Clary. From beside Clary Jace was cracking up.

"Don't make me slap you," she said.

"Violence is not the answer." Jace said as he still struggled to maintain a straight face. Clary's reply was cut off by the bell ringing signaling that they needed to head to homeroom.

"Why did a bell just ring?" Jace asked. Clary could tell today was going to be a very long day.