Hey! Soooo I posted this like a year ago, but some really bad family stuff came up. I am so sorry to have left everyone who read this before hanging! But I'm starting this story from scratch, and believe me, I'll be updating! I'm sorry, but unfortunately family stuff was so bad last year, I never got past one chapter. :/ This time, I'll be here to stay!
I am not Cassie Clare!
If Olivia Fray were a normal girl, she'd have gone to the police. But Olivia wasn't a normal girl, and she went to a ratty old diner for help instead.
The bell chimed lightly as the door of Taki's opened. She strutted in, long red hair swinging behind her, already distracted by the scene before her.
Jacob Lightwood and Olivia's twin brother Ben were in the midst of a total staredown, with only an old diner table, heaped with nachos and chocolate milkshakes, to keep them from ripping each other's throats out.
Olivia rushed toward them, her old combat boots click-clacking against Taki's tile flooring. The boys looked up at her at the same time.
"Olivia!" Jacob exclaimed, jumping a little and shaking the table and the food on it. He was a sight to behold, a mess of contrasts- a shock of black hair against pale, half-vampire skin, thick black glasses against bright blue eyes, and a shirt that exclaimed, "World Chess Hall of Fame Youth Champion" against a seraph blade tucked in a sheath attached to his rugged jeans.
"Sister," Ben spat, pushing his messy blond hair back with one hand and shooting daggers at Jacob with his blue eyes.
"What the hell are you two doing?" she whispered intensely, hoping not to make a scene, angry at their incessant fighting nonetheless.
"Nothing," Jacob and Ben answered in unison, and slunk back against their seats.
Olivia gave them a look that told them both she wasn't finished with either of them, and then, punching Jacob lightly on the arm, slid in next to him on the booth.
"Hey, I gotta go, okay?" Ben said, standing up.
"Wow, good to see you, too," Olivia deadpanned.
Ben ignored her and jogged away.
"So," Jacob said, shaking his head of Benjamin Fray and smiling at Olivia. "What brings you two to town?"
...
Laughter rang out from the corner of Taki's when Isabelle entered.
She didn't think much of it, and continued talking to Jace over the phone.
"No, I wantmushrooms and olives, not marshmallows! Jace, it's not that hard. Mushrooms. They make the dish a hundred times better!"
"Izzy, I'm really not in the mood to do your grocery shopping," Jace grumbled.
Isabelle sighed, and realization hit her like a speeding bus. "It's the fifteenth, isn't it?"
Static roared on the other line, but Jace Lightwood was silent.
"Jace… It's been sixteen years. I know it's hard, and I get it, but… You need to let this go. You need to be happy again."
"I'll talk to you later, Isabelle," Jace said gruffly. There was a beep, and the screen of her phone told her in bold lettering that the call had ended.
More laughter filled the diner, and Isabelle glanced around, looking for the lucky people who were actually having a good day.
And to her surprise, it was her son.
Jacob's face was alight with a grin, Lightwood-blue eyes twinkling. "Really? Seven languages?" More laughter. "You are a freak of nature, Fray. A freak of nature."
Isabelle felt her heart stop, her body tense up. Fray. Fray? Had she heard correctly? Fray?
"Says the half-vampire, half-Shadowhunter," someone said in response to Jacob, playful sarcasm emanating from her voice. "Yep. I'mthe freak of nature."
Isabelle's glance jumped back to the booth. A girl sat beside Jacob.
The girl wore a tight leather jacket over a paint-splattered black tank top, in addition to dark leggings tucked into battered black combat boots. Her red hair fell down her back in gentle cascades. Her eyes were big and golden. And she couldn't be more than five foot three.
Red hair. Short. Artistic.
Fray?
It was as if her body had gone into autopilot. Isabelle found herself walking briskly toward the corner booth, high ponytail swinging like a pendulum behind her.
Jacob saw her first, his smile fading slightly. "Mom? What are you doing here?"
"Jacob?" Izzy said, feigning surprise. "I didn't know you were here!" She looked over at the girl, trying to conceal her curiosity, but to no avail.
"And who's this? Jacob, do you have a girlfriend?"
"No! Mom!" Jacob answered just a little too quickly.
"We're just friends," the girl smiled, "I'm Olivia. Olivia Fray."
The long, stagnant silence was broken only by the distant clattering of dishes.
Izzy finally said, "I-I see. I'm Jacob's mother, Isabelle."
"It's nice to meet you," Olivia answered politely.
"So, why haven't I met you before? Usually I know all of Jacob's friends."
Jacob was obviously frustrated, but Olivia ignored him. "My brother and I are just visiting New York for the week. I met Jacob a few visits back, and we figured we'd meet up again."
"Y-your brother?" Isabelle found herself saying, letting her surprise spill out in her tone of voice.
"My twin, Ben."
As if on cue, Benjamin Fray entered Taki's, shaking his head. He ignored Isabelle and slid back into the booth next to Wyatt.
"Your friends are messed up, Olivia. I worked my charms on that waitress girl you're friends with, and she didn't even bat an eye!"
"What can I say?" Olivia responded, "I have good taste in friends."
Jacob agreed, "Sheis friends with me."
Isabelle interjected, "Hello, I'm Jacob's mother, Isabelle. Are you one of his friends?"
Jacob smirked. Ben put on his best, most charming smile, and said, "Well, I don't know if I'd say that. Ma'am, I hate to break it to you- though I'm sure you already know- but your son is an asshole."
Olivia's mouth flew open and she slugged her brother's shoulder over the table, carefully avoiding the food still piled on the table.
Isabelle's stomach burned with protective maternal rage at the boy's comment, but, at the same time, she couldn't help but notice how similar Ben looked- and acted, she had to admit- like Jace. They shared the same golden hair, the same perfect jawline. The only thing that was really different was Ben's eyes, which were a deep and beautiful baby blue.
"I'm so sorry for my brother, Mrs. Lewis," Olivia said.
Isabelle smiled warmly at Olivia. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. And please, call me Isabelle. As for you," she said through gritted teeth, turning to Ben, "If you ever say anything about Jacob again, your pretty face may not be so pretty anymore."
"Mom!" Jacob objected, but she ignored him.
Ben wasn't scared, though, or if he was, he didn't show it. An easy grin spread across his face. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good."
The table sank into uncomfortable silence.
"So, Fray," Jacob said, nodding towards Olivia. "You never answered my question. What exactly brings you to New York?"
Olivia's rosy cheeks became shockingly pale in a matter of seconds. Any playfulness departed from her face, leaving anxiety and sorrow to mingle in her emerald eyes. "Well, that's what I was going to get to. You see, Jacob…" She trailed off, unsure of whether she could finish the sentence without choking up.
"Our mom's missing," Ben said, giving Olivia a reassuring nod. "It's been three days."
"We were hoping you'd help us out. Maybe set us up with the Institute here? She used to live there, and we were thinking maybe they'd know something."
Isabelle interjected, pushing her spat with Ben back into the depths of her mind, "My brothers and I run the Institute. What's your mom's name? I think we can help."
Olivia and Ben looked at each other one last time before finally sighing and saying in unison, "Her name is Clarissa Fray."
So, what did you think? Share your thoughts!
And I know Ben is a total jerk. I meant him to be that way. And not that it excuses his behavior or anything, but he didn't have any male role models or anything... *hint hint*
