Time Traveler Blues - Nevershoutnever

Rose could feel cold tile underneath her as her eyes fluttered open. She almost had a heart attack when she saw two gold eyes staring at her from above.

A boy, his eyes wide and curious. He raises an eyebrow. "Good. You're awake."

Unfreezing quickly, Rose realizes she probably needed to do something. So she does the first thing she can think to, bringing up her knee and kneeing the unfamiliar boy somewhere that most boys didn't like to be kneed.

The boy doubles over, groaning and clutching himself. "What the hell?" He half yells, his voice strained. He grips the wall for some support as he slides slowly to the ground, eyes closed in pain.

Rose takes the chance to scoot a few inches back and jump up, looking around for an exit.

He opens his eyes after a few more moments and looks at her. He stands, glaring at her. "I don't think I deserved that, no matter how wrong you think I am."

"You tossed me in a trunk and brought me here or something. You deserve that and much more," she glares back.

He stares at her, his lips parted. "What? I haven't kidnapped you. You came here of your own accord trying to convince me to let you come with us to Idris." His expression was one full of confusion.

At first Rose is gonna snap at him some more, but then she catches the key word in the sentence the boy just said. "I-Idris?" She stutters a little. "What the hell is this? Some joke?"

He almost laughs. "If only. I've only spent the last half hour arguing with you."

"So who put you up to it?" She looks him up and down, deciding one of her friends must be messing with her. "You're supposed to be Jace I suppose?"

Now he just raises an eyebrow. "Yes. That's my name. And you're Clary," he says in a slightly condescending, mocking tone.

"Right," Rose says laughing and finally relaxing. He was a good actor. "Well, this is real funny guys," she yells to the otherwise empty room. "But jokes over, come on out."

'Jace' looks around the room and then back at her. "It's just you and me here. Everyone else is out. Except for Maryse but she's in the library and I don't think she really counts," he says in a light tone without smiling.

Rose just shakes her head, smiling. "You're good. But seriously? Who hired you? And knocked me out apparently.. I dont even remember coming in here.."

"The Clave? I have no idea what you're talking about but if it's for anyone, it's them." The actor shrugs.

Rose's smile fades. Okay, while funny at first, it was becoming annoying quite fast. "Right," she nods. "Well. When whoever it is wants to fess up, I'll be at the skatepark." She reaches in her pocket, wanting her cell phone and headphones. When she can't find them, she turns a glare on 'Jace.' "Okay, not funny. Where's my phone?"

He sighs and steps forward, close enough that they were almost touching. Rose could feel the heat coming off his skin. He reaches into the bag that was slung over her shoulder, pulling a flip phone out. "Here."

But Rose 'wasn't paying attention, before to distracted by the fact she couldn't find her phone. She was in a completely different outfit then what she put on this morning. An outfit she didn't even own. She looks at him, incredulous. "Okay. So now you've knocked me out, changed me, stole my phone. What the hell are they paying you?"

The boy sighs, seeming aggravated and takes a few steps back. "No one's paying me anything, okay? First you yell at me to take you to the Glass City and now you're accusing me of kidnapping you?" He shakes his head, turning away.

"I'm so done with this," Rose turns towards the door, ready to leave. "You better hope to holy hell who ever paid you is one of my friends, cause I swear to God I will be pissed if I don't get my phone and Black veil brides tshirt back."

"That is your phone," he yells behind her. "And for the record, I thought we were friends." Rose hears him stalk away.

She slams the door of the 'Institute' on her way out. And stops dead in her tracks. Where the hell was she? No where in Georgia looked like this, not even Atlanta, and she lived six hours away from there anyway. It looked just like New York did.. But.. This was a joke.

How did whoever this was manage to get the whole town in on it?

She stands there on the steps completely lost on what to do next besides wait for someone to jump out and scream gotcha.

A different boy stood on the sidewalk, leaning against a yellow van, texting someone on his phone. He had on a tshirt and jeans, messy brown hair falling in his face. He looks up and sees her. He smiles and waves her over. The smile fades after a moment.

"'Simon' I guess," she says sighing, sitting down on the steps. "Look.. this was hilarious and all but I really would just like my stuff back and to go home."

Rose watches as 'Simon' walks towards her, a look of confusion crossing over his face. "Huh? I have no idea what you were talking about. You said your stuff was stolen? I thought you looked upset because I'm guessing the talk with Jace didn't go over well." He stuffs his hands in his pockets, looking at her apologetically. There was a cool breeze, signaling the change of weather, ruffling his clothes and hair.

Okay. That's it. She gets up without a word and starts walking down the sidewalk. She'd walk till she was out of this damn town if she had to and figure out where exactly she was.

Suddenly someone catches at her arm. She looks back to meet brown eyes. "Hey, you okay?" 'Simon' asks gently.

She just looks at him a moment before saying,"I'd appreciate it if you let go of me." She frowns. How long could this joke go on? She was guessing a while with the amount of trouble they obviously went through for it. But now something was nagging in the back of her head. What if this wasn't a joke? What if it was real and some how she was now Clary in the Mortal Instruments world? No. That's crazy, she thinks, quickly shutting down her overactive imagination.

He lets go of her arm quickly. "Sorry," he mutters. "Did you not want a ride anymore? I assumed that's why you texted me to come to the institute," he says in an apologetic tone.

"That's just the thing," she says through gritted teeth. spinning and looking at him. "I didn't text anyone anything. I'm not 'Clary'. And you know this,"She shakes her head. "So either you tell me what's going on or I'll walk my ass out of town."

'Simon' just shrugs, which adds to her agitation. Couldn't he see she was done with this game? "You were at the hospital with Luke when you were approached by some lady that said she could wake your mom up. Then you texted me to tell me to meet you at the institute while you went and talked to Jace about it. At least that's what you texted me," his voice and eyes seemed sincere, but she knew that one of her friends had just found some really good actors.

Rose shakes her head, "Fine. I guess we're doing it my way." As she starts to walk away, she suddenly catches her reflection in the window of a car. Well not her reflection exactly. "Who the hell is that?" She points at the window, jumping back.

The boy comes to stand behind her. She hears him laugh softly. "That's you. Clary. My best friend." She feels his stare piercing into the back of her head.

It did kind of look like her, she decides. Before she'd dyed her hair a darker shade of red and grew an inch or two. "That's.. that's not me. And stop calling me Clary."

He takes a step back, looking slightly hurt. "Then what would you like me to call you? Clarissa? Clare-bear, like I did when we were kids?" He seemed confused.

"Rose. That's my name. Look.. Simon or whatever. I have no idea what's going on.. but.. I'm not Clary.." They were gonna lock her up in psych ward if this was legit.

'Simon' or.. Simon it seemed, still looked confused and hurt. "If you say so," is all he says though and he turns to go to the drivers side.

"Wait," she calls. If he left, she was completely screwed. "Please.. I'm freaking out.. what kind of joke is this?"*

Simon stops with his hand on the door handle. He sighs. "I don't know what joke you're talking about but what I'm saying is the absolute truth. Or the truth as I know it." *

Then.. though every part of her told her not to fall for this.. what ever it was, maybe this wasn't a joke. "Okay," she says calmly, walking towards him. "Simon," she tries. "Uh.. would you mind taking me home?" If this was real, then this was the end of City of Ashes. Simon mentioned earlier that she had met a lady at the hospital who said she could fix Jocelyn. Catarina.

Simon nods, smiling slightly and opens his door, climbing into the driver's seat. "Get in!" He calls.

Rose hoist herself into the van, though it felt awkward as this wasnt her body and she was misjudging distance a little. "Thanks." She guessed she'd be dropped off at Luke's.

Simon nods, smiling. "Anytime." He puts the van into gear and takes off down the road towards Luke's house.

...oOo...

Jace was watching from an upstairs window, confused and a little jealous but he pushes it aside as it was not allowed. He sighs shaking his head, thinking over the conversation with Clary and walks away to his room.