AN: This chapter will be one of my shorter ones just to know if I should continue the story.

Alec's POV

I sigh as I stare into the full mirror in my bathroom. My chest, arms, and legs are littered with scars. Some are faded, but many are still pink or even just beginning to scab over. I run a hand through my wet hair and pull on some clothes. When I make it to the kitchen, Jace is already there along with Izzy and Max. Max is happily chowing down on cereal, but Izzy and Jace look like they are in a serious conversation. They stop talking when they notice me and I blanch. Were they talking about me?

Jace smiles, but I can see through it. Something is really bothering them. "What's wrong?" I ask, causing Maxon to look up. Isabelle tries to look innocent but I glare at her. "You two are acting suspicious."

"Who? Us?" Jace gasps in fake shock, "We'd never!" After glaring at him for a few seconds I just roll my eyes and pour myself a cup of coffee.

After everyone finishes with their breakfast, I clean the dishes quickly before ordering Max into my car. "You two need a ride?" I ask just before I leave. Jace and Izzy both shake their heads so I grab my keys and drive Max to his elementary school.

While we're in the car he doesn't stop grinning. When I ask what's up, he just shakes his head, "It's a secret." Is all he'll tell me. I frown a little; he has never felt the need to keep anything from me before, but I keep quiet because he doesn't need me to snoop around like our parents do.

When he gets out, I give him a quick hug and assure him that I'll be back to pick him up later then drive to school. The moment I see the god-forsaken place, my stomach clenches. Maybe I should just skip…

But I can't do that, not if I want to go to any sort of decent college. I need all the help I can get from whatever scholarships I can get my hands on and since sports are out of the question, I'm relying on my grades.

Magnus POV

I groan as my alarm goes off at the unholy hour of six in the morning. Not for the first time I wish school began at noon. It would be a lot easier to concentrate on all of the boring lectures and whatnot if I was fully conscious. But, alas, this isn't the case, so I am forced to wake up and function long before I ever should.

I traipse into the kitchen to find scrambled eggs being dumped onto a plate. "For me?" I grin. My beautiful mother nods and kisses my cheek, having to stand on her tip-toes to do so and still barely reaching.

"Of course, Magnus." She chuckles. "When you get home late would you mind going to the store to get a few groceries? I think I am going to have to stay late today since Ragnor is ill." I only nod and dig into my food. Once that is over, I make my way back upstairs to my room and get dressed. I wear a tight black shirt under a neon pink fishnet vest and purple leather pants. Honestly it seems a little boring but as I'm particularly tired this morning, I don't really care. After applying some sparkly purple eyeshadow and plain black eyeliner, I gel my hair up into spikes with glitter gel.

Once I'm satisfied, I walk outside and get in the minivan that mom bought me last year. When I first got it I didn't really like it. I mean, who wants to drive around in a minivan? Especially if you are a good-looking single man like myself. But I've done a wonderful sparkly paintjob on it and it really isn't half bad now. It only takes ten minutes before I see my school. I sigh mournfully. Though I generally keep up my happy façade anywhere I go, it is particularly hard here. If I'm honest, this is one of the places that made me need a façade to seem happy. But whining won't change anything, so I hope out of my van and sashay into the wretched building.