Walking arm and arm the two friends headed into the high school, one fearless and the other not so much but willing to fake it. Clary released Jace's arm as she got to her locker, putting in the combination. She starting transferring things from her backpack to her locker and vice versa. Just as she was about to close it Jace stood by the the locker door looking stiff and awkward.

"So Clare what about a movie tonight? We could watch a chick flick or something." He said awkwardly

"You hate chick flicks Jace," she laughed going to shut her locker, but Jace grabbed it with a death grip "Yeah, you're right." He chuckled "But what about Captain America? You love yourself some Captain America."

Clary looked at him like he was insane "Jace what the frick is wrong with you?" she asked trying again to close her locker but failing. Shrugging she gripped her backpack throwing it over her shoulder and tried moving around Jace assuming he would shut her locker for her. "Nope," he said hastily moving in her path.

"Seriously Jace you're really starting to piss me off," she said pushing him out of the way before stopping short at the scene in front of her. Raphael and Aline Penhallow were passionately making out against a locker a few down from Clary's. She swallowed hard turning back to Jace, bile rising in her throat and anger bubbling in her veins.

"I'm sorry Clary," Jace said softly, closing her locker and turning to stand in front of her "I tried-"

"No," Clary interrupted "You don't have to apologize; you're not the one who led me on just to go and play tonsil hockey with the school slut."

"I would never do that, Red." He said touching her arm softly "She's too easy for me anyways, I like the chase."

She smiled knowing that Jace was just trying to lift her spirits all while tears where burning the back of her eyes. "What do you say we go to English? We might even run into our friend Raphael." She spat his name out as if it were a bad word.

"I'll meet you there," he said looking above and behind her at the Raphael and Aline "Save me a spot!" Clary nodded and sauntered off to class in front of the kissing couple; not knowing exactly what Jace was planning but knowing that it was nothing good.

Jace stood by Clary's locker for a minute anger boiling in his body. "How dare he be so terrible and disrespectful to my Clary?" He thought his hands in fists beside him. He watched Aline give Raphael one more kiss and whisper something in his ear before walking away and Jace knew it was his chance. The tall, stalky Hispanic boy was walking towards their English class when Jace called "Hey Raphael, wait up."

He turned waiting for Jace "What's up Jace?" he asked. He was almost as tall as Jace and the two had equal muscling, if it came down to a fight Jace didn't know who would end up winning.

"Clary just told me you texted her," Jace said. Raphael's eyes widened minutely "and then out of the blue told her you have a girlfriend. What's that all about?" Jace asked really trying to keep him cool

"Just seeing what is out there. Look at it as trying all the flavors before buying the ice cream." Raphael winked and laughed "I don't know maybe the grass was greener in Clary Fray's yard. But I mean you would already know that ,wouldn't you?" Raphael raised his eyebrow challengingly and that was enough to set Jace off.

Jace shoved Raphael into the locker behind him and pinned his against it with his arm. "You ever speak so disrespectfully of Clary again I swear to god-"

"What are you going to do Golden Boy?" Raphael challenged "You go through girls like Kleenex, why is Clary so different? Did a one night stand turn into something more?" That hit a sensitive nerve in Jace and the other boy knew it. Rumors had been flying through the school that Jace and Clary had slept together but the two automatically denied them. Clary even went as far as to say their relationship was purely platonic, which was true in her eyes but a little hard to swallow for Jace.

"Or is it more like if you can't have her no one can?" Raphael continued. An animalistic growl broke from Jace. He pulled his arm back, prepared to break Raphael's nose when he felt a hand holding it back. He looked over and saw his second best friend and adoptive brother, Alec, standing next to him. "Jace not here, he's not worth it." was all he said but it was true. Was it worth beating a dumbass with a big mouth and then get most like suspended from school, because this wasn't exactly his first fight and then be grounded at home which meant not being able to see Clary?

Jace took a deep breath, stepping back from Raphael. He turned not saying another word and walked towards English class. Rage running wild in his head.

"You're lucky, I was here Santiago," Alec said grabbing his boyfriend's hand who had been behind him watching the scene unfold "or you would be in the hospital." With Magnus in tow Alec walked the opposite way of his brother and left the final boy standing alone in the hallway with his hands slightly shaking.

Jace walked into English as if nothing had happened. Sitting next to the seat Clary had saved for him, he prepared himself for a question and answer session.

"What were you doing?" she asked urgently

Jace smirked "Just taking care of some things." he said

"Like what?" she asked questioningly. But her question was answered when Raphael walked into the class, looking shaken. He and Jace made fleeting eye contact but Raphael quickly adverted his eyes. "Jace Wayland what did you do to him?"

"Nothing Clare," he said innocently "Just showed him not to mess with you."

"I'm a big girl Jace! I don't need you protection."

A knot filled Jace's stomach and he was going to say something else but their teacher walked in quieting the class.

The rest of Jace and Clary's classes went uneventfully until lunch. Clary's mood had gone downhill since English when Jace said that "he had taken care of it". She was a perfectly capable girl that didn't need a man to do her dirty work. She was fully planning on telling Raphael off at some point during the day, or at least that was what she kept telling herself. She was sitting at the lunch table picking at her salad as Jace explained the events of the day to the rest of their friends.

"I'm so sorry Clary" Isabelle said touching Clary's arm "If I knew was kind of jack wagon he was going to be then I would never have given him your number." Clary shrugged continuing to pick at her salad "Look Clare," Simon said "There are plenty of other fish in the sea and you're going to find the one, I promise!" Clary scoffed still not looking up.

"What?" asked Simon innocently.

"Can we all just face that I'm never going to find the one," Clary said putting air quotes around "the one". "No one thinks that I am pretty and no one would even like me like that so what is the point?"

Jace felt like his insides had been ripped out "Clary, you're beautiful!" he said reaching across the table to hold her hand

Clary rolled her eyes "You're just saying that, Jace. You know for a fact that I am not half as beautiful as most of the girls that you go out with." She knew she was being petty but she just needed to release all of the feelings that she had been having for the last couple of weeks.

"Your right," Jace thought to himself "You are 100 times more beautiful than they are and smart and funny." Out loud he said "Don't be that way, There are tons of guys that stare at you when you walk down the hall and think you are stunning. Not to mention all of the guys that would love to take you out on a date." He was playing into Clary now ,knowing that this was exactly what he needed to say to make her not so upset. In reality he did know guys liked her, god how could they not, but men didn't usually talk about that stuff, unless it was in the locker room and Jace tried to avoid those conversations like the plague.

Clary smiled slightly but said "Whatever Goldey Locks." She pulled her hand away from his and put it in her lap. Her hand instantly felt colder and more lonely but she brushed the feeling away. "I bet you $20 that in one week you can't find me a boyfriend in this school." She said challenging him with her eyes.

"It would be easy," Jace said smoothly. A big knot grew in his stomach again for the second time that day.

Clary rolled her eyes as Isabelle and Simon exchanged glances with raised eyebrows. "But," Clary continued "there are some rules."

"Let me have them." He said

"Rule one; he has to be somewhat attractive. Rule two; he has to be able to hold a literate conversation. I don't want some dumbass jock you pulled off of the football field. And finally rule three; he has to actually like me. You can't just pay him to say he has feelings for me."

"and if I can't find you one?"

"You owe me a day of pampering." She smirked

"You're on." Jace said extending his hand. Clary clasped it before shaking it once sealing a twenty dollar bet that could change her high school experience forever.

Finally! I thought I never would get to the main plot of the story. Thanks for sticking with me. So lately I have been thinking about writing a fanfic that I have never seen anywhere else. I rodeo and do FFA, which if you don't know what that is go look it up or ask me. Anyways so I wanted to write something about Jace being a bull rider and Clary living on a big ranch. It would just kinda be like the world that they live in and how they get along in the toughest sport on dirt. Would any of you read that if I wrote it? Leave your answers in the comments.

Thank you so much for reading this! I love reading the comments you all leave, its like Christmas morning, no joke! So don't forget to review and fave and follow if you haven't already!

You all are amazing and remember to be kind to one another- Blue Jacket Lover