"I've gotta go to practice, guys. I'll catch you after school." Her friends pouted mockingly but nodded reluctantly, going back to their dull conversations. Clary sighed, grabbed her gym bag and hurried down the bleachers, leaping from row to row. She darted across the field, watching the opposing team's bus come to a stop on the street. She slipped into the girl's locker room and met the cheerful shouts of her fellow cheerleaders. Grinning, she waved.
"Fucking hell." She tugged off her tight shoes and put on her comfortable sneakers, sighing in relief at her aching feet. She took off her dress and put on her uniform. The skirt shorter than what the other girls wore. She glanced to the bathroom mirrors next door and wiped a good amount of gloss on her lips as well as dark mascara, illuminating the green waves of her eyes. She pursed her lips and didn't wait on the rest of her team to finish getting ready. She was the captain after all. She left and headed to the football field.
It was a warm day. She raised her hand to defend her vision from the sun's attack. The football players were warming up, stretching their legs and performing jumping jacks. She watched for awhile but grew bored and began her own techniques. She listened to a few guys on the bleachers whistle at her movements and winked in their direction. They stayed silent after that though she could still feel their gazes on her. She heard the familiar sound of a buzzer from the sound room above the bleachers and knew the game was about to start. The chattering of high pitched voices made her believe that the rest of the cheerleaders were finally ready to begin their dance.
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Jace wiped the sweat off of his forehead and put on his wet helmet. He gulped the gatorade from its bottle and threw it aside, running forward to catch up with Sebastian. He gathered the rest of his teammates, their jerseys dirty with mud and pieces of grass. "Alright. Pink 87. Play pink 87. Got it?"
Jordon laid a hand forward and the young men followed suit, counting to three. "Go titans!" They dispersed just as the referee blew his whistle. His center, Raphael, threw the ball backwards towards him. Breathing heavily, he hoped the linebackers would defend his offense for just a few moments. In the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Eric near the thirty yard line. Backing away a few steps, he noticed the Bears getting closer, the barrier his team had placed was coming down. Cursing, he launched the football into the air, watching it spiral quickly and then he was knocked to the ground hard. He groaned and pushed the player off of him only to hear the sound of a horn and the school fight song.
He grinned and managed to rise to his feet, Sebastian thumping his back with a tight fist. "Shit, that was sick." Jace could do nothing but nod and relish the feeling of being up by twelve points now.
They missed the kick over the field goal but that was okay. There was still breathing room for now and it was still halftime anyway. The team headed to the bench and downed all the water there was, knocking a few plastic gallons to the ground too. Eric gave him a playful tap. "Thanks, man." Jace returned the gesture in exhaustion. He needed to sit. His legs throbbed from the beating they had taken. The Bears were a big team. Heavily physical and difficult to beat. Even if you did win against them, you'd end up with some broken bones if you weren't lucky.
He stared at the filled up bleachers, crowds of students holding tiny flags or banners. He heard a few screaming about wanting the championship. Rolling his eyes good naturedly, Jace tore off his helmet and ran a hand through his hair. He brought the rest of his water bottle and dumped it on his head. The coach was shouting something but he half listened, his orbs sweeping past the student mass towards the cheerleaders. A loud group, they were. A bunch of sluts though, too. He watched the flyer, a short girl, pretty recognizable, leap high into the air and land cleanly on her feet. She brought her hands forward in a way that expected the crowd to clap. And they did. He quirked his eyebrows upwards.
I was scared of dentists and the dark
I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations
"Checking out Fray?" He didn't have to look to know who was talking to him.
Jace didn't answer. "Dude, everyone knows she's hot. She just doesn't date. With the way she dresses.."
Shrugging, Jace stood. He put on his helmet and sucked in a breath before expelling it. Mr. Graymark walked forward and gave him a tap. "Take a break for now, Wayland. I need you last quarter." Frowning but listening to his coach's order, Jace sat back down, feeling utterly useless. Sebastian gave him a sympathetic expression that wasn't returned and left to his position.
Deciding it was best just to relax and come up with his next strategy, he pulled off his pads and sighed when some of the weight of his equipment fell away from his body. He tapped his fingers on his lap, observing the small actions his team was performing. They weren't scoring but their defense was holding strong for what it was worth. "Go Jace! Go Jace! Push them back to first base!" In an act of annoyance, he turned to face the girls behind him who were standing on the bleachers, hands waving in the air frantically. He noticed one of them immediately. Isabelle Lightwood. He scoffed when she blew him a kiss. Their cheer rhymed but it wasn't baseball for god's sake. He positioned himself away from them and took a short walk, pacing the space between the grass and the track waiting for his turn to play.
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Oh, all my friends are turning green
You're the magician's assistant in my dreams
"I'm gonna take a break." She called over her shoulder to Lily and Maia who nodded wearily while trying to get the student body to scream some line of their chant. Clary hurried past the track to the parking lot where there was a lot less sound and more peace. She panted, planting her small hands on her knees.
After a minute or two, she sat on her car. It was a brilliant vehicle. A vivid red ford mustang. One that drove well when she was angry and slow when she needed some time. Its surface was hot but she didn't care. She just needed a break from the usual chaos of football season and jumping up and down.
She tugged out her phone from her pocket and smiled a little when she read the text.
where you goin'?
Shaking her head resolutely, she didn't respond. She pulled her hair out of its ponytail, letting the waves fall down her shoulders like fiery tides. Singing softly under her breath, she smelled the distinct smell of cigarettes and knew the junkies were somewhere around the school, smoking their pot and shit.
With much effort, Clary hopped down from her car and walked back to the direction she had come from.
[]
Oh, and they come unstuck
Lady, running down to the riptide
They won the game. Didn't even need to score an extra touchdown. Their defense was enough. It wasn't a small deal nonetheless. They had lost Raphael to injury and Eric had left the game early with something undisclosed. The rest of them headed to the showers after Mr. Graymark congratulated them, telling them to get the hell out of the field before they collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Laughing softly, Jace exited the stalls, a towel wiping at the wet strands of his hair. He said goodbye to the few who were still in the locker room and left, evening already arriving.
He dialed Sebastian's number and waited. He listened to his friend's voicemail and kicked a rock out angrily from his path. He'd have to walk home then and that was another story in itself. His motorcycle was still at the shop. He wondered when the mechanic would have it done. He hated waiting on Sebastian to give him a ride and dealing with his mocking face as he sat in the passenger's seat. Pushing his bag back up to his shoulders, he stood near the traffic lights and paused till the walking light flashed on.
A screech of a car made him stop and whirl back in amazement. His lips quirked upwards slowly. "What are you doing here, cherry?"
Taken away to the dark side
I wanna be your left hand man
She revved up the engine of her car in response. She was a beauty. He threw his bag over the car door and slipped inside afterwards. Without talking, Clary drove speedily down the highway, unaware or maybe ignoring the beeps of vehicles and people behind her. The wind was loud with excitement and Jace, used to the girl's behavior, didn't tighten his hands on the armrests.
She took a few sharp turns and finally stopped at a lone house, small and cozy from the outside appearance. With a click, the doors unlocked. Jace took his belongings and reached to the backseat in an act of getting something. When he turned back again, unaccompanied by a warning, he pulled her face harshly to his. She didn't do the whole I'm-surprised-and-pull-away crap. She traced her hands down his face. Her lips were teasing and wet. She bit on his bottom lip and jerked a little, hearing him moan. He took a hold of her waist, his fingers outlining her curves and reaching up to her breasts. She made a tiny noise in response that made him go nuts but before he could act on his passion, she pushed him with enough force that he stumbled out with a crazy grin that she was wearing too.
I love you when you're singing that song and
I got a lump in my throat because
Clary drove away before he could say anything. He lifted his fingers to his mouth where the sting of hers was implanted. "Such a..." He faltered, not able to come up with a word to describe her. He reached his porch and murmured something about stupid girls before opening the door to his house and shutting it behind him.
You're gonna sing the words wrong
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