I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me; love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person, love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of, love is feeling comfortable with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you.
Or scowl. Either way, I still love her, always have and always will, even if she is too blinded by hate to see what is standing right in front of her.
xxxx
Today is Monday, the twenty-third day of the month. Yesterday was our last day of freedom, for us girls to be girls. Today our school will be infested with the stench of male hormones and the threat of taunting trickery. They will overrun our school and assert their dominance, all the while puffing out their chests as a sign of strength to prove which beast is mightier than the other. Don't get me wrong, I have no real aversion to the opposite sex, just the ones who are about to storm into my life, turn our school upside down and ruin everything we have worked so hard to build.
As the only all-female school in Idris we worked hard to gain the respect of the other schools, which just happen to be mostly male-dominated. And finally we were on level par with the most elite school in Idris. Morgenstern Academy.
Unfortunately for Morgenstern Academy their entire school was burned down to the ground, for reasons unknown. Unfortunately for us, we have inherited its students, all one hundred and sixty-five of them and all testerone-infused males.
Why are we the lucky ones? We were fortunate to have a wealthy benefactor and when they built our school they spared no expense and over compensated on everything. We have twice as many class rooms that we need, three swimming pools, twenty-two training rooms, a weapons room that would rival the entire American Army and two hundred or so empty dorm rooms, all of which have never been used. According to the Morgenstern Academy School Board our school was perfect. Was, being the operative word.
All I have to hold onto is the fact that once Morgenstern Academy has been rebuilt – which I heard should only take six months - they will be out of our school and out of lives forever. Never to return. Wishful thinking I know, but like I said, it's all I have to hold onto.
There are two other major drawbacks. One comes in the form of an egotistical, self-absorbed, arrogant, cocky Head Boy. Morgenstern Academy's namesake. Jace Morgenstern. His father Valentine Morgenstern founded the school and from what I have learned of Jace is that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. The other I don't really want to get into right now.
I seriously considered stepping down from my position as Head Girl and handing the crown to my best friend Isabelle Lightwood but both her brothers, Alec and Max, would be students here too so she declined the offer preferring to stick needles in her eyes. I can't say that I blame her.
Frightening squeals, like nails on a chalkboard, from the dorm next to mine signalled the arrival of the intruders. Needless to say not everyone shared my lack of enthusiasm.
Walking through the halls I could sense the excitement and nervousness that emanated from my girls. Most were at that age now where boys would play a large role in their lives. How large of a role? I leave that to your imagination.
'This is going to be a long six months,' I said to no one in particular. But someone was listening.
'Miss Fray?' I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder and whirled around, stumbling back when I saw who it was. He reached out and grabbed my arm to stop me from falling.
'Mr Morgenstern,' I said with a little too much vigour.
'My apologies Clarissa, I didn't mean to startle you.'
'You didn't,' I lied, 'it's the floors, they've just been polished. They're very slippery; you should watch your footing.' I was rambling. He made me nervous.
'Thank you for the warning Clarissa, I will keep that in mind.'
Yeah, he so didn't believe me.
'Is there something I can help you with?' I asked in the most polite tone I could muster.
'Yes, actually there is.' He leaned in to whisper in my ear. Having him this close made me very uncomfortable. 'I am embarrassed to say that I am a little lost. The size of your school is rather overwhelming and I am finding it difficult to remember where to go.'
I pulled away just enough to keep his breath, which sent shivers down my spine, off my neck, but not enough for him to notice the disdain I felt for him. It wouldn't be very smart of me to make an enemy of Valentine Morgenstern on the first day.
'Where exactly do you want to go?'
'I am looking for the office of Mr Bane. He's the only teacher here I haven't met yet.'
'Oh, um, sure, turn right at the end of the hall and it's the second door on your left.'
'Down that way?' he pointed to the t-section behind me.'
'Yep. You can't miss it, it's the door covered with glitter and feathers.'
'Glitter and feathers?'
'Aha.'
'Interesting.' He pondered on that thought for a moment. 'Thank you Clarissa. I really do hope the next six months aren't too long for you.' And with that he walked away and turned left at the end of the hall before appearing only seconds later laughing and shaking his head.
'Such a confusing school,' he yelled over the top of the students walking by.
Not really, I thought to myself. It's left or right, it's not rocket science.
'He freaks me out,' Isabelle said behind me. Unlike Valentine, she didn't startle me. I could smell her perfume from a mile away.
'Yeah me too.'
'So?'
'So, what?'
'Have you seen him yet?'
'See who?'
'Don't play vague with me girl, you know who I am talking about.'
I sighed, 'No, I haven't and the longer I don't see him the better.'
'You know, you may be able to fool others into thinking you are encrusted with a hard shell, but you can't fool me Clary, I know you want to see him.'
I turned to face her. She was wearing makeup. She never wore makeup at school.
'What possible reason would there be for me to want to see him?'
'Um, how about the fact that you fell in love with him. If I remember correctly the two of you did spend the entire summer together and I had never seen you so happy.'
'Okay, you must be living under a delusional cloud that has been raining hallucinations on you. I was never in love with him Isabelle.'
'Clary, you cried every night for three weeks after he left. I know I didn't dream that.'
'You know what? You need to stop bringing this up. What we had is over okay, he made that very clear to me the night he left and I don't really want to relive those feelings. So please Isabelle, drop it.'
'Um, Clary?'
'Please Isabelle, let it go.'
'Clary, whatever you do, do not turn around.'
Ignoring every instinct in my body that told me not to I spun around and came to face to face with the two people, up until now, I had successfully managed to avoid.
Jace Morgenstern, my male counterpart, and his brother Jonathan Morgenstern, the object of last summer's affections.
Oh Crap.
