"Do you think she will pass?" a very familiar voice startled me , making me almost drop my book in a proces. Turning away to face him I put the book back in my beg and grind.
"Of course she will! She is brilliant and they are morons If they don't see that!" I told him , my voice dropping with pride for my darling fraternal twin. Clary really was brilliant , better than mom If you asked me. I had no doubts she will pass.
Simon's face lit up at and and there was no need to turn toward the door to know that a certain redhead was coming. Then his face fall and my head snapped in Clary's direction my brown eyes full of worry. The moment I saw her though I knew she was acting so I did my best not to tip Simon of hiding my smile behind the curtain of my long , light brown hair.
"Give me the professors' names and I will end them." We gave him a look "You know, with with a scathing e-mail to the dean." my smile grow even bigger on his words and I couldn't help but looked up to see Clary's very impresive poker face.
"Don't bother." she said,still playing. She put her letter on the table and he took it only to see big red congratulation! written on it.
"What? Really?" he smiled and they did that fist bump thing I hate "Well played, well played." he added as I hug my sister , whispering I knew you will get in.
"Oh really is that why you wake me up in 2 am telling me you know I will be fine and that I didn't need to worry because you will love me anyway?" she raised her eyebrow at me making me regret ever being nice to her.
"I was just trying to show you I care. See If I bother again." I huffed and she laughs at my annoyance , turning her attention back on Simon.
"You know , it's weird. They kind of liked my assigned work , but they flipped out over the drawings for our graphic novel." She said , the biggest smile still on her face , pointing toward her folder.
"You are welcome." he answered her , taking his coffee from the waitress.
"This day will go down in history as the greatest 18th birthday we ever had." Clary threw her hands around me pulling me into a tight hug.
"Well ... there is only one so not really a lot of competition." both her and Simon ignored my comment and continued as if I said nothing. They did that a lot actually. Maybe it was because he was in love with her there for always putting her first or maybe because Clary and I had this whole siblings thing and loved to disagree but I was used to it.
"Which is why we are celebrating tonight." Simon reminded us.
"Ah yes , with Maureen , after our show." Oh Maureen... Fun.
"Absolutely." Clary then got more serious "So what's the deal with you and Maureen?"
"What deal? No deal. We sing together." Cute.
"You seriously don't know she's been crushing on you this whole time?" she stammered as she said it.
"You are the one to talk." I mattered but all I got was a look from my sister and glare from Simon.
"What? No. No. No. " he was too defensive but big sister didn't catch on it.
"Simon , how can someone as smart and perceptive as you not realize that the person sitting right there is in love with you?" She asked him softly. It was a nice speech and I would have found it sweet but it was far to ironic for me not to appreciate it.
"I guarantee you I'm not the only smart, perceptive person to make that mistake." Not taking his eyes from here.
"Yeah...I am so not doing this. See ya later." I told them even though I knew they weren't listening.
So, strictly speaking , I wasn't supposed to be out. I used fire escape to sneak back in Clary's room hoping I could get to mine, without mum noticing but once I actually got there I found mum standing there with her arms crossed and eyebrow raised in similar manire Clary did earlier. "Hey...mom...I was just...Catching up with...the sun."
"What part of "you are grounded" escape your understanding?" she asked tilting her head down at me.
"The part where I am 18?" I was playing with fire,which I knew but it just...came out.
"So you thought just because you are 18 now..."she started and I did something really stupid that I knew will end up with me being grounded again but well...what's done is done.
"If you turn this into the whole "as long as you leave under my roof you will follow my rules" I am so moving in with Dot."
She narrowed her eyes at me and usually I would step back and apologise but this was different. She looked at me not just angry. She was...afraid. Why would she afraid of me? "You are too much like your father,Silena." she said which would be the first time ever she even mentioned the man. "You are grounded and I maintain the right to ground you till you stop doing things like sneaking in on the crime scene."
"It's not my fault Vargas is to trusting to close her office doors when there are innocent,curious ears around to hear." I said trying to lighten up the mood after the father bomb.
"Innocent. You weren't even innocent when you were young. " She sighted nostalgically, putting her hands around my shoulders leading me to the living room "you hit her over the had with your doll when you were two because she wasn't paying attention to you."
"That explains so much." I exclaimed ignoring mums "Silena!" and went to the fridge.
"Lena." she called for my attention" Happy birthday." she gave me a kiss and got this odd expression on her face. Like she was torn between sadness and joy.
"Is this the part where I get the gift!" I gave her a hug before adding "Thanks." mom just laugh at me.
"When Clary comes. I want to give you to present in the same time." Well she better not take her time. Because I really like presents.
I was in my room when I heard my darling sister yell "Mom!" which was followed by "You did it! Yay" and laughter. Which was followed with laughter something about Simon , twitter and be keeping a secret being mean apparently. Then there was "Happy birthday!" and "You can come out now Silena."
"Am I not grounded anymore?" I asked her leaning against the doorframe. Clary's eyes widen in realisation but mom just laugh it off. "Come on. Time for presents."she said giving us each a box.
"It's...a pen? A very odd pen? Does it turn into a sword?" because that would be so cool.
"It's called a stele." she offered not commenting on my sword reference which was suspicious. I didn't even get an eyeroll.
"What is it, like, a paperweight?" Clary asked. I hope not because that would be boring. Although I could use it as a bookmark I suppose.
"No, it's much more than that."It's very ancient. I want you to have it." she is giving me something ancient? That's a bad idea if I ever saw one. I am gonna lose it after five minutes. "It's a family heirloom."
"Yes. Definitely staying locked up in a safe or something like that." I said but the truth is I didn't want to leave it behind. I felt like I should keep it around.
"We Frays have heirlooms?" Clary asked jokingly but mom stayed serious when she answered.
"A few."
"You know, it's weird." she said as she tries her fingers over one of the symbols on the stele "I doodled something that looked like this this morning. I must have seen this around the house somewhere." she told mom whose face then turned to worry.
"Honey, I need to..."mom started but Clary's phone chimed.
"Simon." she told us "He's on his way over."
"But we need to talk." Mom insisted. It seemed really important,from her face at least.
"We can't right now. We gotta change. We're going to see Champagne Enema tonight." he is so changing the name.
"What?" Mom hates it to apparently.
"Yeah, I know. It's the new band name. But Simon and Maureen are taking us out after." I told her with a smile on my face.
"But it's It's your 18th birthday, and, uh" she inhaled deeply before continuing "everything's gonna change for you now."
"Mom, we've had the talk. We're good." Oh is that what she wanted to talk about. God I am so out of here.
"We need to have a much different and more important talk." oh thank God!
"And we will. But can it be over breakfast, all right? I love you. Thank you for the heirloom. I love you." Clary said.
"I am gonna go too. Love ya mommy!"I gave her a kiss,she shook her head for a moment forget it her worries in favor of annoyance.
"What is with you guys? We're turning 18, it's not like we're headed off on some epic journey." I heard as I entered the living room.
"You should know better then to say that Clary. Life is an epic journey and you probably just jinxed it." I told her waiting for Luke to make the first move. I wasn't sure if he was still mad about crime scene thing. Probable.
"Happy birthday."he said,hugging me. I hugged him back triled I was out of the dog house. He was really mad at me. Then he gave me a present,which was a book,one I wanted to read in ages but never got around buying it,which is way I hugged him once more.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I practically signed and he laughs saying something about still being mad but I knew he wasn't.
Then Simon came and mom was back on the whole we need to talk thing. She even made chicken cacciatore hoping to distract our favorite guy but we did manage to get out anyway although not before promising to have breakfast with her tomorrow and talk.
"Mom is so overprotective lately." Clary complain later,as she sat on the van,between the two band mates,I was laying behind them looking up for the stars,which I didn't like-at least not the female part of the duo,but she never listens to me anyway.
"So, do you remember in Aliens, when the alien queen was defending her eggs from Ripley?"
"In this scenario, is my mom Ripley or the alien queen?" she asked.
"Both." Simon and I answered in the same time.
"What? A mother defending her young. Defending me from what? I spend all day in an art studio. And Lena...She...does something I know nothing about" and you call yourself my sister although to be honest I didn't really know what I was doing half of the time "My life couldn't be more mundane. Besides, I really don't know much about when she was young."
"Oh, just do what I do and get all the dirt from your relatives." Maureen asked. I didn't understand why she was here anyway. I don't like her and she isn't Clary's fan because of the whole Simon thing.
Clary,always being sensitive one, explained "Well , I would if I could, but she doesn't have any. And our dad died before we was born."
"And she never talks about him either." Unless she is telling you you are just like him with a odd look in her eyes. Made me wonder about him even more except now the image of perfect man somehow fell through.
"So, you have no one? No uncles, no aunts, no third cousins, twice removed? No, just me and my mom." Why don't you rub it in some more? And then you could go kill some unicorns.
"It's why the Lewis clan has added three chairs to every seder - since pre-school." Simon , being his usual kind self try to cheer you up. I wanted to cry and hug him but there is no way I am doing that in front oh Maureen "One for Clary, one for Jocelyn, and one for Elijah."
"Of course." Clary said
"Obviously." He added
"Yes, obviously." I repeated his words.
"You guys don't think that's a little bit suspicious? You not knowing anything about your family? Your mom could be hiding some deep, dark secret." Right. Because having a miserable life and not wanting to talk about it automatically means big bad secret...Well,I suppose yes , technically...
"Maureen , it's not possible." Clary said without missing a bit.
"No, no, think about it." She seemed really...tensed lately and she did insist on that talk.
"No, seriously. Our mother is incapable of concealing anything from us." I wanted to share her certainty in this but all I could think about is that we had to get the talent for laying from someone.
Band gig was a bit...awkward. They sang "Forever young" and it was good,the problem is tha while singing Maureen kept making moony eyes on Simon, who, on the other hand, stared at Clary, who didn't even notice. I really need new friends,preferably some with less drama in their love lives .
They were giving me a headache even when I wasn't paying any attention to what they were saying.
"I'm feeling inspired."Clary said,taking out her new paint,which she apparently got from Luke and started drawing on Simons van. Rock Solid Panda. Sound a lot better then the last one but that isn't really saying much.
"What's that tag?" Simon asked,drawing my attention.
"Weird, I didn't even mean to draw that. Second time today." she said as she point to the simbol she drow. It was the same one she pointed out to mum earlier this evening. I look at it more carefully,studying it for a moment when my head started hurting and I got this flashis of a man. Tall man dressed in very flamboyant outfit. Dark hair,brown cat eyes,or maybe they were yellow. There was a name...someone was saying it...I could hear it but...i couldn't quite...
"Hey, can you watch where you're going?" My sisters voice brought me back. I felt horrible. Tired. My head hurts like never before and I honestly felt like passing out.
"You can see me?" said another voice. One I did not recognised. I looked up and saw a tall blond hottie standing in front my sister,staring at her,like the rest of us weren't even there.
"Yeah, that's kind of the point, but you obviously didn't see me." Clary answered.
"You have the Sight." He said like the idea was ridiculous to him. What was he talking about? I looked around and saw Simon and Maureen were...not in my line of sight and leaned against the van for support.
"Wait, the what? " You can see through the mist Clary...So jealous...I would yell but my body was trembling and I so am not in mood for that.
"How can I not know who you are?" He asked,his voice a lot softer than the last time he spoke.
"Has that line seriously ever worked for you?" my sister kissed.
I couldn't help it I called out "Even once?" he turned toward me
"You too?" poor boy,he seems confused,I would have felt sorry for him but I just couldn't bring myself to care.
"Jace!" Someone called and the blonde run of but not before looking at Clary one last time.
"Can you guys believe that blonde dude?"she said,joinimg Maureen and Simon. I took a deep breath.
"You mean the imaginary dude you were talking to?" Simon said with a seriou face on. But he was there. I saw him.
"No, the guy right there, running into the club."she pointed toward the Pandemonium.
"Clary, there's nobody there." Are they teasing us or something.
"Its not funny." I said" There was a guy..."
"...covered in tats, like..." Clary countiniued but couldnt discrabe it. Now that I think about it I couldnt remember what they looked like either. The tatoos.
"What guy are you talking about?"
"You guys seriously don't see him?" Clary pressed the ishue again.
"No." they both said.
"Okay, could you stop making me feel insane?" She looked at me but I didnt know what to do.
"Could you stop acting that way?" Oh Maureen... Have some tacked.
"He was there. Talking to her. Leather jacket,black jeans,tall,masculian...kinda hot.." I said hoping it would at least calm Clary.
"Guys, what was in your latte?" Maureen asked looking at us weirdly. I really wanted to hit her.
"Where you going?" Samon asked as Clary took of her jacket and started walking toward the club.
"To get some answers." she was a woman on mision. Not even asking us to go or looking back.
"Remember, your fake ID sucks." Simon called out. Thats when I decided. I stood up and took of my jacket too"What are you doing?"
"If she gets arested before I do I will never forgive myself" I told him and folloewd after Clary knowing he will soon after too.
