Whatever I decide to do next will determine just how bad my day is going to get. If I turn and run I expose myself as weak and childish, both of which I am sure Jace would take great pleasure in exploiting. If I stay and stand my ground I run the risk of looking into Jonathan's eyes and falling for him all over again. Something that definitely cannot happen. I repeat, cannot happen. It's kind of a lose-lose situation.

'You could have warned me,' I said over my shoulder to Isabelle.

'I did warn you. I told you not to turn around. It's not my fault you're a stubborn ass.'

True. One of the many traits I inherited from my mother.

After quick internal deliberation, and Isabelle with her hands on my back inching me forward, I decided to stay and play the cool, calm and collected Head Girl that I am. After all this is my school and I will not be intimidated by cute boys with gorgeous smiles. The enemy, I had to keep reminding myself.

Deep breaths Clary. Deep, bottom of the ocean breaths.

'Fray,' Jace said with all the tone of an Army Major, all the while eyeing me up and down.

Jace Morgenstern, the object of many a young girls affections and the reason for a thousand tears shed after him. And boy does he know it. In fact I think he relishes in it.

'Clary,' Jonathan followed, my name catching in his throat, his eyes focused on everything but me. For that, I am thankful for.

Jonathan Morgenstern, not just a name but a state of mind I never want to revisit, although I do keep him in the back of my mind to remind myself of what happens when you let someone into your sacred space and then leave you broken.

'Gentleman,' I replied, the fewer words I said the better. I can't trust myself around these two.

'Some school you have here,' Jace said, his eyes following Gemma Mackenzie as she walked past.

'I'm glad you like it.'

'I never said I liked it,' his attention now back with me, 'it's too stark and impersonal, it's too….new.'

'Of course you don't, it doesn't have the same mould infested dankness that your school provides, does it? Oh wait, sorry, I mean 'provided'. My mistake.'

Isabelle unsuccessfully tried to stifle her laugh and it came out as sort of a snorty chuckle.

'You think you're funny?'

I shook my head, 'No, I never claimed to be anything of the sort.'

In a flash Jace was right in front of me, and then we were eye to eye, give or take the six inches he had on me. A few students stopped and stared.

'My school was an institution,' he spat, 'the best of the best, unlike this place you have the nerve to call a Shadowhunter Academy.'

'What scares you more Jace? The fact that we have proved ourselves to be just as good as everyone else or the fact that we are all girls?'

He withdrew back from me and laughed incredulously. 'Scared? This place is nothing more than a finishing school for little girls. There is nothing to be scared of.'

'Oh, wow. Was that supposed to hurt? Do you feel hurt Isabelle?'

'Not in the slightest.'

'Money can buy flashy schools Fray, but it can't buy talent.'

'Is that so?'

Jace nodded.

'Care to put your money where your mouth is?' Stop it Clary, do not bait him.

Jace looked over my head as if contemplating my request. He pondered for a moment, placing his thumb and finger on his chin. 'What do you have in mind?'

'A challenge. Morgenstern's best Shadowhunter against our best Shadowhunter. Then we'll see who the best of the best is.'

'You're on,' Jace said without giving it any thought. 'So, just who is your best Shadowhunter?'

'Clary is,' Isabelle blurted out.

'Really?'

'Yes,' I said arrogantly. 'So, I guess it's me against you.'

'Ah, I'm flattered that you think I am the best of my school, really I am. But sadly, I am not.'

'Okay, so who is?'

'That would be my brother.'

Through our whole conversation Jonathan's expression had not changed. Although, now I did have his attention. I could see him in the corner of my eye looking at me.

I heard Isabelle suck in her breath and I didn't find it very comforting. I told you not to bait him. Now you're in it.

'Clary, I don't think this is such a good idea,' Isabelle said. Of course it's not a good idea.

'I'm not backing down,' my stubbornness rearing its ugly head.

'Good, then it's settled. You against Jonathan. This is going to be fun,' Jace said grinning like the Grinch and rubbing his hands together. 'We'll leave you to sort out the details then?'

'Leave it with me,' I said.

'Ladies, it's always a pleasure,' Jace said bowing down before turning and leaving. Jonathan gave me a weak smile before following his brother.

Remember when I said 'I can't trust myself around these two'? What just happened is a fine example of me proving it. So much for keeping my mouth shut.

'Do you have any idea what you just agreed to?' Isabelle asked.

'Yes,' and at that moment I realised the extremity of my situation. I got the feeling I just played right into Jace's hands.

'He could kill you.'

'Don't be ridiculous Isabelle; he's not going to kill me.' I hope.

'Okay bad choice of words, but he's not going to go easy on you, even with your history. He has the pride of his school to defend. As much as I love you Clary and have every faith in your abilities as a Shadowhunter, I think you're going to get thrashed.'

'You're confidence in me fills me with hope Isabelle. You should really be a motivational speaker.'

'Really?'

'No.' Isabelle looked a little disappointed. 'You're far too talented for that.'

'I think so too,' her smile returned.

The morning bell reverberated throughout the halls signalling the start of classes, and truthfully, I had never been so happy to hear it. Isabelle linked her arm in mine as we walked to our first class.

'If, you know, the worst happens and you do die, can I have your navy suede stilettos?'

'You mean the one's you borrowed three months ago and I haven't seen since?'

'That would be them, yes.'

'Hmmm, I suppose so. It's not like I'm going to need them in the afterworld.'

'My thoughts exactly. Now, about those diamond earrings of yours.'

'Don't push your luck.'

When our school board and Morgenstern's school board met to determine the conditions under which the two schools would follow, being under one roof and all, stupid decisions were made and passed. The first being the ridiculous notion that by combining classes with students from both schools, we could all learn a lot from each other. Judging by the two locked in a passionate embrace in the corner of the classroom, I sincerely doubt it's the kind of learning from each other they had in mind. That's what happens when you put hormone ravaged members of the opposite sex in the same room. They only have themselves to blame.

'She didn't waste any time,' Isabelle noted.

I scanned the room for an empty seat. My usual seat was rudely already taken. He didn't know, I told myself to calm me down. By the time my eyes stopped only two seats remained. One in the front row and the other beside my future opponent. Isabelle hurriedly took the front seat, mouthing 'sorry' as she sat down. Yeah right. Just suck it up and sit down.

I sensed his body stiffen as I sat down but I couldn't tell if he was just as uncomfortable with our seating arrangement as I was. Hopefully this wasn't a permanent arrangement and it would be a first in first served situation.

Mr Montana - the History of Idris teacher – entered the room, his face obscured by the stack of books he held in his arms. He dropped them down on his desk with a loud thud, the chatter in the room ceased immediately and all our attention was now focused on him.

'Right,' he said pushing his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose, 'first things first, for those of you who don't know me my name is Mr Montana and I will be your History of Idris teacher for the rest of the semester. For those of you who do, please refrain from the mournful sighing. Miss Lightwood, I'm talking to you.'

It was no secret that Mr Montana was one of the most boring teachers we had here. His idea of an exciting lesson was to re-read chapters of the text book we had already read five times. Or it could just be the fact that none of us wanted to be couped up in a classroom when we could be outside training for what we were actually born to do.

'Secondly, because there are so many new faces and names that I need to learn, where you are seated now is where you will be seated for the remainder of the semester.'

A chorus of disapproval echoed in the room, bouncing off the walls. I slumped in my chair. Kill me, kill me now. Jonathan smiled beside me as if he had read my mind.

The rest of the lesson passed, albeit very slowly, without incident. As the bell rang we all stood up and headed for our next class. I followed Isabelle out the door but a tight grip on my arm pulled me back. Isabelle didn't notice and left without me, still chatting to the person who was no longer following.

I didn't have to turn around to know whose hand it was.

'What do you want?'

'I would like you to turn around and face me. As beautiful as it is I don't want to have to talk to the back of your head.'

I sighed and turned around. Oh god he was gorgeous. Mustn't let his hotness cloud my judgement. 'What do you want?'I repeated.

'We need to talk.'

'I have nothing to say to you.'

'Clary, please? I need to explain.'

'No. You don't. You made everything quite clear the last time we spoke. There is no need for more hurtful words.'

His shoulders dropped, 'I never meant to hurt you.'

'We never mean to do a lot of things, but we can't help the fact that they happen.'

I stared into his eyes; those same eyes that swore to me on the Angel would only ever be for me. I got lost in those eyes more times than I care to admit.

'Ahem,' Mr Montana cleared his throat, 'don't you two have classes to get to?'

'Leaving right now,' I smiled back at him.

I looked back at Jonathan, 'We're done.'

'Clary?'

'No, Jonathan, we're done.'

As I walked away I felt his hand in mine and I stopped, silent in the empty hall. The feel of his hand in mine brought back memories of last summer when it seemed they were stuck together with Krazy Glue. An instant bond that broke just as quickly.

'Do you remember that night when I first kissed you in the hallway? You were so worried Luke was going to catch us, so you took me into your bedroom and we kissed until the sun came up.'

How could I forget? After all that had happened between the two of us, I still consider it the best night of my life.

'Jonathan, what are you trying to do?'

'I just want you to know that, above everything, I am still that same person you fell in love with.'

'There is no point Jonathan; I can't forgive you for what you did.'

'I had no choice but to do what I did. It was never my intention to end things with you that way.'

'You ended things with me on the side of a mundane road in the middle of nowhere. I had to walk in the middle of the night back to the hotel only to find all your stuff gone. Do you have any idea how scared I was? Being alone in a world I wasn't ready to face on my own yet.'

He lowered his head as if in shame, and so he should. 'I would never have left if I didn't know you weren't going to be safe.'

'But you did leave. And that's the part I can't forgive.' I slipped my hand out of his and walked away.

'I still love you,' he called after me. But I didn't turn around. The tears were starting to flow and I had to put as much distance between us before they started to flood the halls.