Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. Here's the next chapter! (Also, I wasn't quiet sure what I really wanted from this story, but now I do, I know how I want to write it. So I apologize for change of summary.) I hope you enjoy it!


Chapter 2:

Starting Over

Alec Lightwood stared out the window of the SUV with a look of longing and many thoughts weighing heavily on his mind. As they passed the ocean Alec rolled down the window and inhaled deeply. The smell of the sand the sea salt pulsed through his body like a second heartbeat and for a blissful moment, he imagined being in those waters letting the waves wash him away. Just as soon as it came, the view was gone and he watched as the familiar surroundings of his home town become alien and unknown.

He hated the thought of leaving the very place he grew up in; his neighborhood, his old school and his friends. It's extremely difficult to make new friends in senior year. Everyone would have already formed their groups and they would not be lenient in welcoming new students. This change was something that would not comfort the drastic incident that befell on the family. Alec had protest on leaving but his father, Robert Lightwood, would not hear it.

He glanced behind him where Isabelle Lightwood sat at the far back of the car. She had her back to the window, her legs stretched out along the seat. She too seemed lost in thought and her emotion blocked. Her phone was held tightly in her hand and he wondered if she was texting her friends, telling them good-bye. She suddenly turned her head and Alec reached behind and took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"Hey, it's going to okay. We'll make new friends." Jace, the boy sitting beside Alec, said when he noticed the despair looks on their faces. "Besides, this Idris Academy seems legit." There was sarcasm in his voice, but Alec could tell he was trying to be hopeful.

"Jace Wayland, ever the optimist." Isabelle cracked a smile.

"If anything, at least we have each other." Alec said taking on the roll as the eldest brother.

"But if I find a girlfriend, I'm breaking that contract." Jace added and Isabelle laughed as Alec rolled his eyes.

"What's going on back there?" Robert asked, glancing in the rear view mirror.

"Nothing dad" Alec said coldly.

"Alec" His father said in a warning tone. "Don't-"

"Don't what?" He challenged and Jace and Isabelle looked at him with a surprised and confused expression.

"Robert, stop, just let it go." Maryse said touching her husband's arm as if to hold him back. Robert clutched the steering wheel with white knuckles but he kept his mouth shut. He cut Alec a warning look in the rearview mirror but Alec wasn't looking anymore, refusing to meet his gaze. Alec knew there was another reason why they were being sent away but he promised his mother he wouldn't say anything to Jace or Isabelle because they would be distraught. It would be too much for them and he couldn't bare hurting them more than they already did.

Robert Lightwood parked the SUV in the visitor's parking lot and the three jumped out of the car with a sigh of relief and stretched their limbs. Maryse walked around to the back of the trunk with a map in her hand.

"Okay, so the girl's dormitory is on the east wing. I'll go with Isabelle to help her get settled in." She said.

"Thanks mom." Isabelle said grabbing one of the two suitcases she had.

"Did you really need two luggage's Isabelle?" Alec heard Maryse ask, who had the second bag, as they made their way down the pavement.

"Alec, we need to talk." His father started grabbing for Alec's bag from the trunk but his son ripped the bag from his hand.

"There's nothing to talk about." He said not looking at his father.

"Alec-" Robert started when Jace suddenly cleared his throat and he turned to look at the boy.

"I'm going on ahead, to look at my dorm." He said pointing towards rows of small apartments on the west side of academy.

"Jace, wait-" Robert called reaching for Jace but he was already gone and with a sigh, he let his hand fall to his side. When he turned to look at Alec, he had his arms crossed over his chest, his face stern.

Jace stopped at the front of the second building closest to the Academy. The building itself was wide and it was three stories tall. The outside of the building was well crafted with black iron balconies on the second and third floor that had lines forming oddly shaped symbols with sharp arrows at the end. Each building was a different color, though the paint was washed out as if years had worn out the shine, to symbolize the different grade level. Red for freshman, purple for sophomore, teal for junior and blue for seniors.

Though he would see nothing, he looked over his shoulder where the parking lot was and wondered what Alec and his father were talking about. He hated running off like that but he didn't want to stay either. Whatever was going on, he didn't feel welcome but Alec would tell him, in time. Shaking his head, his blond hair grazing over his golden eyes, he took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The interior was just as antique then the outside with its polished wooden walls. There were two rooms on the left and right side. One was a closed room with a small window that had shades draping over the window. On the door had a small plaque that read mail room. On the other side was a door that had a receptionist plaque on it. He knocked a few times before stepping in. The room was fairly wide and there were tin cabinets along the left wall. There was a man sitting in a small desk and behind him was a wooden board with rows and columns of keys hanging from hooks that had numbers labeled at the bottom.

"Hi, my name is Jace Wayland, and I'm checking in." He said closing the door behind him. The man looked up and he was fairly old with grey streaks in his washed out black hair. He had a gruffy beard and there were tired lines around his eyes.

"Ah, you must be the new student. I'm Hodge Starkweather." He said rising to his feet and held out a hand. Jace took it and shook firmly before letting go.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Starkweather." He smiled.

"Now, I have your file here…" He trailed off and ran a hand through his hair, looking through the pile of paper scattered around his desk. He looked up for second looking slightly embarrassed. "As you can see, I am not a receptionist. I don't know where anything is. No, the receptionist will be here in a few days but for now, the Clave- oh, that's the staff," He clarified when he saw the blank expression on Jace's face. "They assigned me here until he returned. I will however, be your history professor. Ah! Found it." He scanned through the paper and then went behind the desk and picked off a set of keys. "Here is your room key," He said holding the key with an orange boarder. "You will be staying on the second floor in room number 214. It says her that you requested a single room, which is smart if I might add. And this is your mail key." He said holding the key with a green boarder before handing the keys to Jace. "Now, what you want to do is go straight down, past the common room and on the right should be the elevator."

"Thank you so much." He said to Hodge before picking up his luggage and headed out the room. Along the hallway were extraordinary copies of paintings of different angles some Jace recognize and others he didn't. The school had a thing for its history he noted.

At the end of the hallway was a wide open space with two wooden pillars at the center of the room that supported a balcony from the second floor. On the left side was the kitchen. There was a sliding door that was open and Jace saw that it was a dining room with two by two long narrow marble tables with twelve sets of chairs. On the right side was the common room with four lounge chairs that faced a fire mantel. Between the two grand windows was a flat screen TV that was currently on CNN and a few people sitting more lounge chairs, though there was a coffee table placed in the center. In the back of the room was a pool table that was covered by a brown leather sheet. Jace made his way under the balcony as he was instructed and on the right was the elevators. He hit the up button and waited a few seconds before there came a ding and one of the doors opened. He rode up to the second floor and found the floor to be quiet active with students settling in. He pushed through other boys until he found his room number.

"I can't believe we're juniors! This year is going to be so exciting!" A voice spoke from the room across the hall. Jace turned out of curiously, wondering what a female voice was doing in the boy's dormitory. The door to the room was open and he saw a boy with dark brown hair wearing a shirt that said Brooklyn, torn jeans and a jacket. He wore glasses that sat awkwardly on his nose and he was talking to a petite girl sitting beside him with one leg crossed and the other thrown over the bed. She was wearing a yellow summer dress with a denim jacket and converse. She had beautiful red hair, parted in the middle that tumbled down her shoulders and emerald green eyes. A soft flutter set in Jace's stomach and he quickly unlocked his room, threw his bag in and then strode across the mini hall. He knocked once and poked his head inside.

"Hi, I'm Jace, I live right across from you guys and I'm new here." He said. The two people on the bed stopped talking and looked up. Then Jace saw another boy sitting at his desk on a rolling chair, leaning back his hands around his head.

"Hey, I'm Jordan." The boy on the chair said, rising to his feet and shook Jace's hand. The boy and the girl moved from the bed to greet Jace.

"I'm Simon and this is my friend Clary." The boy with the glasses said offering his hand. Jace shook it and then took the girl- Clary's hand. It was surprisingly rough and he looked down and noticed black smudges along her fingers, as if she'd worked with charcoal or led, likes hands of an artist. He held her gaze for a moment longer before roses colored her cheeks and she looked away shyly.

"I- I should probably get back," She said quietly to Simon and he seemed a little startled at her suddenly leave.

"Yeah, sure, I'll walk you out." He said and Jace moved aside to let them pass.

"Nice to meet you Jace." She smiled before making her way down the hall, Simon on her heel.

"Those two are always together." Jordan said. He was now stretched out on his bed, tossing a football in the air and then catching it.

"Really, are they a…" He trailed off but the other boy laughed and shook his friend.

"No, just close friends." Jace nodded his head and gave a little shrug to show that he didn't care, but in actuality, he was more than thrilled.

"Well, see ya." He said and went back to his room.

Magnus strode down the dormitories, Woolsey at his side taking the place of Catarina who had gone to the girl's dormitory.

"You are so lucky you get your own room. I can't believe, of all the people, I'm sharing a room with William Herondale. That boy's a menace." He growled. Magnus laughed recalling all their little quarrels during school. It didn't take much to set either of the two off and once they started, it was difficult to settle their dispute. Maybe dorming together might bring them together, or do the exact opposite. It was fifty-fifty. "Interesting," Woolsey mused pulling Magnus out of his revere. He looked at his friend and saw he was staring at something, or rather someone. Magnus followed his gaze and saw two figures having a heated argument with each other. One was a fairly tall boy with ink black hair and the other was an older man, the boy's father Magnus guessed. The man was talking loudly to the boy, his broad shoulders stiff, hands clenched at his side and there a stern look on his face. The boy seemed a little less composed for he kept looking at the ground as if he were trying to ignore- or couldn't believe what his father was telling him. "Looks like their having a hard time saying goodbye." He mocked and Magnus gave him a look but didn't say anything. A little sympathy went towards the boy, and he dragged Woolsey into the senior's dormitory building before he could say anything else.


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