"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

Dr. Seuss

Heroes For Just One Day: part one of three

Clarissa just wanted to play. It was a friendly game to say the least. A little cruel. A little careless. No rules. No guidelines. Free reign. She trudged to the park. It was past midnight. Stars glimmered in the night sky. She listened to the chirps of crickets as they began their familiar dance. He wasn't there yet but he would come. It was his ritual after all. She brought out her phone, old and already cracked, and clicked on her playlist. It was a section full of sadistic and dark songs. Melodies that were usually played in the rarest of occasions. She licked her lips when she heard footsteps behind her. Now, she began to jog slowly on the tracks. No one was present except for the two of them. Well, he didn't know about her yet.

Taking a breath and pinching her cheeks to bring on some color, Clarissa stopped when she noticed his presence. Acting confused, she turned slowly as if surprised. There he was. Her target. He had a troubled expression on his face. His light eyes illuminated the dark outside. "You scared me." Clarissa began, placing a pale hand on her chest. He stared at her longer then tugged off his headphones, his breathing more than rapid.

"Sorry. Usually no one's here." He glanced around the playground like he was checking if there were more people who might be hiding away from his gaze.

She smiled. "It's okay. I just came out here for a run actually."

His lips parted. "A run? At this time?"

She thought of an answer. An answer that would perplex him. Make him interested in her. Cause him to be on the edge of his seat. "Well, it might sound weird but the night makes me feel better. I think it's a whole lot better than the day."

He glanced at the pavement below them. "That's not weird." He looked uncomfortable. "I mean, the night reminds me of running away."

She laughed a little, a seductive giggle that made him peer at her. In wonder and something else. Clarissa brought her earbuds to her eyes. Pressed on a random song. And whirled to face him. "Are you coming?" She watched him run a hand through his hair. He nodded. And they sprinted together, the moon keeping them company.

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It took a lot of time but Clarissa was determined. Soon, every night, they were running together. He was usually quiet though but she was aware that he held a hard demeanor. He had let her in. Sure, right now it was small. Right now, he only allowed her to sprint with him. That was progress though. It would be one a.m. and they would be moving on the track, their sneakers smacking against the ground. An hour would pass and then they walked, their bodies tired and worn. They would drink something, courtesy of her, and then head over to their parked cars. He would nod his head at her after she raised her hand and gave him a smile. But she could see the way his body tilted as he sauntered to his car. The light way his shoulders moved. He was opening up to her. In tiny ways barely noticeable.

They never talked when they ran. And she was completely fine with it. A week after their meeting, she decided to stir up something. Casually. Subtly. They were sitting on a wooden bench, taking large gulps of air to soothe their pumping chests. She faked a cough. Then started to hack, a series of ugly noises. She felt the immediate warmth of his hand on her back. He handed her his water bottle. She didn't bring her own at the time. She drank the cold liquid right from where his own lips were moments before. "Are you alright?"

Clarissa shook her head, wiping her mouth, feigning a painful expression. "It's okay. I've just got asthma." She could feel his eyes on her. The quick way his hands tapped against his lap when she spoke to him.

He nodded. "Alright."

She rose to her feet, placed her hair back away from her forehead. Took her phone from where it lay next to him. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled at him. And walked off. She was aware that he was looking after her. She didn't turn though.

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She already knew his name. Jace Herondale. Twenty one years of age. The only child bearing the inheritance of his parents' wealth. He didn't know her name, of course. He rarely spoke to her to begin with. He was an oddity, perhaps. Clarissa found herself studying him. His actions. She had to know him well enough to press his buttons. During December, snow began to fall. The beginning of the month. A fresh start. Ice surrounded the grounds. At night, the world looked particularly quiet and reserved. He still came after midnight. Wearing a thick jacket and warm gloves. She met him there too. They didn't run. They walked. It was too dangerous to run in such weather.

Their breaths of air made white puffs fly from their lips. She shivered. She didn't have a coat good enough for the cold. She gritted her teeth, told herself to stop being such a wimp. "Here." She glanced in surprise and saw him holding out a cotton hat. It was black. He had pulled it out of his pocket. She stared.

"Thanks." After a moment, she slipped the piece atop her head, her red ears instantly thanking her. They stayed silent after that. He didn't talk. When an hour passed and they had to depart, he didn't even ask for the hat back. She headed into her car, her mind buzzing with opportunities.

[]

"Just shut up about right and wrong mom!" She lifted her hands to her ears to stop the sounds coming out of the older woman's mouth.

Her mother sat, her eyes wide and glistening in a way that made it look like she was going to cry. She wore a ratty shirt and pants that she had owned for years now.

"I'm not gonna be like dad." Tears slipped past her cheeks but she didn't care. She was tired of the effort she was putting into her family. How food wasn't easy to come by. They never ate dinner the other day, their stomachs growling for something to swallow down. Anything. She heard the distinct sound of her brother's door open. He walked towards them, his stride weakening when he caught their emotions.

"What's going on?"

Mother released a tired breath. She didn't answer so Clarissa did, her voice fierce. "I'm doing it, Jon. We have nothing left to lose."

His eyes grew wide and she saw his fingers shaking just slightly but he nodded firmly. "I'll get everything you need." Then he bent to his knees. To face his mom. He cupped his large hands over her wet face. She was a strong woman but not everyone could hold as much as she had. A maid. A janitor. A cashier. Anything to help her kids survive without a helping hand from her husband who had disappeared after son's birth. "I don't give a shit anymore." His hair trembled. "Clary is gonna do it. We're gonna get back what they took. What they did to you-I'll never forgive them. Just stay with us, mom. You're all we have."

[]

She found a rather good paying job at walmart as a cashier. Managed to scrape a few bucks to pay for frozen food and anything they could afford. Jonathon was dealing in drugs now, the only solution to get big cash quick. He called her during her shift and she picked up after loading a few grocery bags with products, "What's up?"

"Come home. I've got stuff to show you."

She didn't ask why. She already knew. Shouting for somebody to cover her position, Clarissa grabbed at her purse and ran towards the house that held her worst memories and her fondest ones too.

His room was a mess. Bags filled with clothing covered his bed. He pecked her forehead in greeting. "What is all this, Jon?" He took her hand. His was much larger and tanner. Hers small and pale. He brought it to his face, kissed the back of it. She stared at him, a frown set on her lips.

"I bought all this with the money I earned. You've got to have a disguise, Clare. I already told you, remember?" She nodded, her eyes scanning over the brand names. Never had she worn clothes that didn't come from a thrift store. Now, sparkling dresses and elegant skirts clouded her vision.

"How much did all this cost?" She mumbled.

He shook his head, avoiding the question and there was something dangerous in the way he was silent but she didn't ask anything else. "Just do you have to do. God knows we need it."

[]

They came up with a plan later on. A plan that took many notes and lots of input from Clarissa. She stood in front of the mirror and examined the way she looked. At school, when she was younger, her little body was filled with envy. She stared at the way other girls dressed. How they complained for the smallest of reasons. And then she would peer at the mirror, at her own reflection. She wore dirty clothes, sometimes ripped. She could see the way her classmates made fun quietly. How they waited until she was gone before they cackled and spoke in whispered words.

I don't mean to do it. I have to. If it wasn't for you, dad, I wouldn't be living like this. Mom might be happy. Jon wouldn't have to kill himself every day for money. She brushed away liquid from the outlines of her eyes and let out a shuddering breath. She didn't look anything like herself. She looked like them. The rich individuals who appeared more superior than anyone else. The skirt she wore was up to her knees, velvet and soft. It matched the small sweater against her chest. She had to be alluring. Had to be glamourous. Had to be anything the real Clarissa wasn't.

[]

She sat beside him. She was wearing his hat, the one he gave her. They had been running together for a month now. Time seemed to zoom by and Clarissa wasn't sure how to introduce herself to him. She swung her feet in the air; her boots didn't touch the cement like his did. He was drinking water and staring at the sky in the oddest way. She wondered what he was thinking. What he thought of her.

Like she always did, she stood. Brushed away bits of snow from her clothes. And began to walk off. Forgetting an important detail, she whirled to him. "I'll see you tomorrow." And see each other the next day they did.

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At one point, Jace arrived late to the tracks. It was past two when he came and saw her body as she tried to walk on the extended curb, her arms outstretched so she could keep her balance. He watched the way her hair unfurled, refusing to stay in its stubborn state of braids. Without saying anything, he ambled towards her. At the sudden sound of his abrupt company, she fell. He heard the smack of ice as it collided with her. She gasped, a shy noise that made him catch her eye.

"My bad." He said, bringing his hand out hesitantly for her to take. She regarded him from her lying position. Her green orbs were brilliantly lit and the freckles on her cheeks made her look like the starry night itself. After a few moments of utter quiet, she grabbed his hand tightly and warmth shot up through his body like a drug he hadn't taken in a long time. She lifted herself up, skinny and nimble.

"You scared me. Is something wrong?" He had never spoken to her other than the few words they shared at earlier times. Words that didn't really matter. Presently, she was striking a conversation and he pursed his lips, noticing the snowflakes that were starting to sprinkle her auburn hair.

He shook his head. She smiled a little like she wasn't bothered at all that he didn't answer properly. "Come on. Let's go." She wandered the cement track ahead of them and he observed the way her feet crossed sometimes. How she bit her fingernails when she walked. When she noticed he wasn't near her, she turned, raising both her eyebrows. "Are you coming?" He followed. And again the moon seemed to howl at their actions.

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a/n: This is a three-shot I've been thinking about for a long time. Please review so I may continue.

Also, if it's not a bother, can all my readers pm me about which stories they would like updated first? I'm making a writing schedule and need the stories that possess the most popularity to be updated first so the rest can wait. Thanks so much. I hope I'm not asking for too much.

I love you guys! Please review. :)