It was pouring outside. I hovered under the protection of the awning that arched over the entryway of St. Xavier, silently thanking God for the very construction I had cursed for the past week. I bit my lip anxiously. The obvious option – taking a taxi – was out, since the second it starts drizzling all of Manhattan engages in an unamusing game of musical chairs. And I wasn't exactly far from the subway, but I wasn't exactly close either. I glanced down at my t-shirt. White.

I don't think the whole Girls-Gone-Wild look really suits me all that well.

For fuck's sake. I can't just stand here for the next hour. That's what I get for staying in the art studio for so long, I thought sourly. I knew I should have just left after my last class, but there was something undeniably soothing about the simple task of charcoal against paper. I'd rather worry about the effects of chiaroscuro than the fact that my mom had more suitors than she knew how to deal with while I, meanwhile, had zero.

I squared my shoulders resolutely. It was only rain. And a bit of thunder and lightning. My plan was to speed-walk to the next nearest awning when I spotted the open taxi, the warm yellow light on top of the vehicle lit up like my own personal savior. Forgetting any sense of dignity I might have previously possessed, I dived into the car like it was my last hope.

I mean, it was.

My relief, however, was short-lived. Just as I was mentally congratulating myself on my triumph, the door on the other side opened and a tall, lean guy slid smoothly onto the fake leather seat beside me. His damp blond hair gleamed like tarnished brass. Drops of rainwater flew towards my face as he shook his hair out of his eyes. He looked at me, surprised. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Me?" I squawked indignantly, relocating my speech. "I got here first. This is my taxi, if you haven't noticed. Brooklyn, please," I called to the driver in the front.

"No, it's not. It's mine." He turned to the driver. "74th and Madison."

I turned back to look at him. "Are you serious? Why are you even still in here?" My initial appreciation of his…well, his sculpted cheekbones and full lips and gold eyes was dissipating quickly. The eyes in questions were currently full of mocking disbelief. He was probably shocked I hadn't fainted at the sight of him, let alone have the audacity to keep my own taxi.

Arrogant bastard. I took a deep breath, willing myself not to explode. It really was the cherry on top of a fantastically horrible day. "You have an umbrella." I pointed to the bundle of black nylon that laid in a small puddle at his feet. "I don't."

"Your observational skills are astounding. I'm fascinated, please continue," he deadpanned.

"Shut up," I snapped. He raised an eyebrow lazily as he regarded me with mild interest. "My point was that I need this taxi more than you. Besides, what happened to chivalry? Aren't you supposed to gallantly offer me this taxi when you see that I'm ALREADY SITTING IN IT?"

"Chivalry's dead, babe. Sorry." He grinned insolently. Irrational anger pulsed through me.

"Wasn't aware that decent human behavior died along with it," I retorted. Without thinking, I reached over and pushed him towards the door.

It was like trying to push a statue. I huffed in irritation. Stupid, perfectly carved biceps. I hated them.

"If you wanted an excuse to touch me, you should have just asked," he said, unmoved. The taxi driver snapped his fingers. "Hello?" he asked in a strong Russian accent. "Where are we going?"

"Brooklyn," I said immediately at the same time the boy said "The Upper East."

"BROOKLYN."

"THE UPPER EAST!"

"You stupid idiot –"

"Me?! You're the one who–"

"That's it. Get out," the driver announced. We looked up, temporarily distracted. "What?" we snapped at the same time. "Out, out, out! I don't have time for this!" the driver ordered irritably, flapping his hands in a shooing gesture.

"But –"

We stared as the taxi raced off. "Now look what you've done!" I shouted, fighting back the urge to actually stomp my foot. All I want to do is jump in the shower and stand under the hot water for a good twenty minutes.

"That was at least as much your fault as it was mine," he shot back as he opened his umbrella with a single fluid motion. He craned his neck to scan the street for approaching taxis.

"There aren't any more," I snapped as we ducked back under the awning after a few minutes of fruitless searching. "That was the only one."

He shot me a withering look. His black tee was clinging to his V-shaped torso. A single drop of water slid down his cheek. He pulled out his phone and quickly tapped out a text. "Hugo's on his way," he informed me, sliding the device back into the pocket of his jeans.

"Hugo?"

"My driver," he answered absently.

Unbelievable. "Why didn't you just use Hugo in the first place?!"

He shrugged. I wanted to throttle him. "There's something seriously wrong with you."

"I know. Normal people just don't look this good," he said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes. "Ever heard of modesty?"

"It's overrated." A sleek black Lincoln town car rounded the corner and idled at the curb. He hitched his backpack over his shoulder and took off down the steps without so much as a parting word. Stopping just before the door, he turned back towards me. "You coming or not?"

He was so annoyingly confident. I was tempted to refuse, but the call of the warm interior of the car was too strong. He grinned crookedly and opened the door as I reached the car. "After you, milady," he said, gesturing towards the leather interior. "How's that for chivalry?"

I avoided looking him in the eye and scrambled awkwardly inside, knowing he had a full view of my denim-clad derriere. "Enjoy the view?" I asked dryly as he settled in beside me for the second time. He peeked at me from underneath long dark blond lashes, not bothering to fully turn his head to face me. His eyes sparkled mischievously. "Very much so."

I squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. "To Brooklyn, Hugo," I announced. Hugo raised an eyebrow in the rearview mirror as if wondering who the hell the tiny redhead barking instructions was. "Jace?" he asked.

Jace. That must be his name, I mused. "We're giving –" He turned to me. "What's your name again?"

"Clary. Clary Fray."

"Clary," he repeated. I liked the way my name sounded on his lips. "We're giving my friend Clary here a ride home."

"We're not friends."

"Ouch," he said lightly, leaning back against the seat as the car began to move. "Is that really the way to treat your savior?"

"My savior? You're hardly my knight in shining armor," I pointed out, steadfastly ignoring the fluttering in my stomach at his proximity.

He smelled really good. Like soap and sunlight and -

"I'm giving you a ride home, aren't I?" said Jace, interrupting my thoughts.

"After you stole my taxi and got us kicked out," I reminded him.

"Oh right," he said conversationally. "Oops." We lapsed into a brief silence. Rain pattered against the windows. "So why were you still at school?" I asked.

"Detention. What's your excuse?" I shrugged. Jace raised an eyebrow. "Wait, don't tell me – you've seen me around the hallways and you waited for me to come out just to glimpse my god-like physique."

"Hardly," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I haven't even seen you before. I would have remembered," I added without thinking. His grin widened, revealing straight white teeth with a slight chip in his upper incisor. "I mean, what with the injuries I would have sustained under the weight of your massively overinflated ego."

Jace laughed. "It's not overinflated. It's well-deserved."

"I'm sure," I said sarcastically. The car bumped as we hit a pothole, and I was thrown into Jace's side. His muscles were lean and hard under the thin fabric of his tee, and he automatically put a hand on my knee. "Sorry," I said quickly, straightening up as he withdrew his hand. My thigh burned where his hand had been. My cheeks flamed. I always hated how easily I blushed. My face was like a mood ring. It was humiliating. "Take a right here," I said loudly to Hugo. The car slowly pulled up to the curb. I reached for the door. It had finally stopped raining, I noticed. "Um…thanks for the ride," I said awkwardly. He merely nodded. It was impossible to read his expression.

"See you around, Fray."

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