"There you are."

Simon Lewis, probably my best friend in the whole world, was waiting for me by leaning against my car and trying miserably to sound irritated. Only Simon could make leaning against a car look like a chore.

"I've been waiting out here in the sun. You could atleast give me the key fob so I could have some shade. Maybe some music." Simon made a fainting motion, "What if I'd gotten sun stroke? Honestly Clary I don't know why I bother to wait for you sometimes."

He was smiling.

"Stuff it Lewis," I unlocked the doors, "You know you'd wait another two hours if it meant you didn't have to walk home."

"Whatever you say Clary," Simon folded himself into the passenger seat, tossing his bag in the back next to mine, "You would be bored without my stunning and entertaining personality."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. Simon had this way of making me laugh no matter what was going on. I started the car and pointed it towards Simon's house. Simon chatted about his day as he fiddled with the radio station trying to find a song that suited him.

"Did you get Sherman's lecture in History class today?"

While Simon and I weren't in the same history class, we shared the teacher.

"Do you mean the one about those who don't learn from and appreciate the rich history in the world around us, are doomed to ultimately repeat it until their lives are nothing but drivel and regret?" I asked trying to remember the teacher's words.

"That'd be the one." Simon put his head back on the headrest, "Is that his way of warning us that if we disappoint him on the midterm that we're screwed in the class?"

I shrugged my shoulders in uncertainty.

"Probably."

I hesitated on asking the next question because I knew how the conversation was going to go. I knew that it wasn't his favorite place in the world but then again any place that didn't involve Dungeons and Dragons didn't catch Simon's interest. I knew that he usually only went with me so that I didn't go alone and I was grateful for that but tonight I just really wanted to get out of the house – and away from my mother.

"Are we still on to go to Pandemonium tonight?"

I heard Simon groan.

"Speaking of repeating history…" He muttered.

"Please Simon." I kept my eyes on the road, "I just need to let loose tonight. Exams this week were hell."

The car was silent except for Rob Thomas' Streetcorner Symphony coming from the radio.

"I would have thought it would be to get out of the house, ya know keep away from your mom." Simon was being a shit and he knew it, "I mean you've been avoiding her like it's an Olympic sport for the last two weeks."

I shook my head in acknowledgement.

"Ok maybe it's not all about the exams this week." I sighed, "Come on Simon, it'll be fun. We'll dance, we'll drink our virgin drinks, and we'll make fun of our classmates who think that strategically draped scraps of fabric on their bodies qualifies them as being dressed."

"No Clary that last one will be you." Simon laughed with a devilish smile, "I, however, be enjoying that particular view."

I smiled back, shaking my head and turned into his driveway. Putting the car into park and shutting off the engine, I turned to face Simon.

"So that means we're going?"

Simon shook his head and put his hands up in defeat.

"Yes Clarissa Fray," Simon said, still shaking his head, "we will be gracing Pandemonium with our presence tonight."

Once we were inside, Simon grabbed us some snacks and we headed to his room. I plopped down in one of his bean bag chairs while he took the other. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, thankful that the week was over.

"So are you ever going to tell me why you're trying to avoid your mom?" Simon asked, "Or is it just going to be this big elephant in the room that we're not talking about?"

I grimaced. I knew this topic was bound to come up sooner or later, especially after Simon had pointed out his keen observations in the car. It didn't help I had basically camped out at Simon's lately, finding reasons to hang out instead.

"Oh, um." I hesitated, "She's just acting weird."

Yup. That was my big explanation – she was acting weird – and that being said, Simon being Simon, burst out laughing.

"Your mother, the artist, who will hole up in a room for days on end forgetting that there is a world outside the door, is acting weird." Simon had a hard time getting all the words out with all the laughing and gasping for air.

I watched the pillow I had just chucked at his head miss him and hit the wall next to him.

"Yes wise ass," I said as I leafed through one of his comic books, "she's acting weird. I can't really explain it more than that. It's like she wants to be glued to me lately. Suddenly it's all about family and doing things together. Where did the woman go who used to barely remember to leave sandwiches for me to eat when she would get on a painting streak? It's just unnerving; she's never acted this way before."

Simon just stared at me with a blank expression on his face.

"What? Why are you staring at me?"

"What time did you want to leave tonight?" Simon ducked my question, "I have to tell my mom."