Disclaimer – I do not own TMI or the characters

Chapter 4

Clary POV
 Getting ready for school with Izzy took three hours. She spent the remainder of the evening after we finished shopping teaching me lessons on how to apply makeup and pick out the perfect outfit every day. My saving grace was that my mom and Luke got home late last night and they had called me to come home.

Weirdly enough, my mother was excited to hear that I had spent all the money she left us in case of an emergency shopping. "You are growing up so fast," she had said. "I was hoping you would eventually get rid of those old clothes." She was way too happy. "It's so important that a young woman see herself as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside," it was like I was getting the talk about puberty all over again.

"Mom I spent four hundred dollars on outfits that Isabell Lightwood picked out," I had told her, "aren't you going to yell at me for being irresponsible?" You know what she did? SHE LAUGHED AT ME, AND… she paid back Johnathon for the money he let me use. What the hell is going on? I asked myself about a hundred times.

"I always knew you would get out of that rut," she had said giving me a hug goodnight.

"You are finally expressing yourself through your appearance and not just artwork," Luke had added. "We're proud of you for trying to hold yourself to new standards, Clary."

I had stopped trying to understand them. Since my father passed, my mom has spent more time trying to focus on Johnathon and I. She knew Johnathon's way of dealing was becoming the school's playboy, just like Jace. It didn't take much because they have been like brothers for so long but it was weird being the little sister of the boy everyone wanted to sleep with. I was only invited to slumber parties so girls could ask me what Jace and Johnathon did when they hung out all the time. Eventually they stopped asking and the only person that paid attention to me was Simon and Izzy again, and Izzy only came around because she "wanted normal female attention" because being treated like a queen around everyone at school got boring for her. Sometimes, she even sat with Simon and I at lunch when her friends were talking about how hot her brothers were.

I knew my mother wanted me to be more like Isabell. "You are just as beautiful," she would tell me, not that I ever believed her. Except for right now, standing next to Izzy, looking into her great big mirror with her after three hours of harsh "preparing" for our grand entrance at school. For the first time in a long time I look like an actual lady, not just a little girl that barely matches her clothes and wears sneakers with everything. I actually feel good about myself right now even though I won't be admitting that to Izzy anytime soon. She smiles at me and fixes the pony tail on top of my head.

She curled my already curly hair, which only took ten minutes surprisingly, and placed the hair on top of my head into a dramatic pony tail on top, leaving the rest down to curl around my shoulders. My cheekbones stick out with the highlights on them and my eyes demand to be looked at. The green in them shining like emeralds under a flashlight. She picked me out a pair of black torn up skinny jeans and a tight blue tank top, she even let me burrow her cream leather jacket which is only buttoned up to my breasts. She found me a pair of lace up combat boots that only reach up to my calf and I have to admit, "wow," I say aloud.

"You look," she says waiving a hand, "amazing."

Maryse, who had taken a couple days off work to make sure Izzy, Alec, and Jace got settled into the school schedule, had just opened the bedroom door. "Clary?" She says clearly as impressed as Isabell was. "You look so much like your mother." I think she almost sheds a tear. Coming from Maryse, that is a compliment she doesn't give me often, as in at all. Maryse and my mother used to be the best of friends before my parents moved to LA, and they are again after we've moved back. No one ever told me why we moved but I suppose it can be a question for a later time.

"Thank you," I said twirling my hair like Isabell taught me too. Izzy looks amazing too but that doesn't come as a surprise to anyone.

"Simon and Johnathon just got here," she said, clearly almost forgetting why she had to come see us. "The boys have been ready for almost an hour, they have breakfast made too."

"Thanks, mom," Izzy says waiving her off, "we're coming." Maryse gives one last smile before closing the door behind her. "I wonder what your brother is wearing today. Seniors are always the hottest." I give her an eye roll and she laughs at me. I'm used to people thinking that my brother is hot, I just don't feel like ever agreeing with them. "Ready?" She asks handing me the backpack she helped me pick out yesterday. It's a cool pink colored with a slight sparkle to it with a drawstring at the top and cover that clips at the center. She has a matching one in black.

"As ready as I will ever be," I say smiling confidently. "Today, I will be myself, one hundred percent." Izzy takes a picture of us to send to my mom, she made us promise that we would send one before we left for school.

"That's right," she says leading me to the door. "And I will have your back the entire day." Well that makes me feel better.

The walk to the kitchen in anticipation of the cutest guys in school, well except for Simon, to approve my new look was terribly long. Simon would tell me I looked good wearing a toga. The second Izzy walked in before me, wide-eyed and excited, she led the introduction. "I present to you-."

I forced my feet around the corner and did a twirl as I came up next to Izzy. All four of them dropped their food and stared with their mouths open. "Good morning," I say giving a wink.

"Holy," Alec says first, "I might be gay but I know a beautiful face when I see one." Alec has always been kind to me. I give him a curtsey and he gives me a very sarcastic blown kiss. Izzy and I laugh.

"No," Johnathon says, his eyes wider than I've ever seen them. I thought I would be the first to respond but someone actually beat me to it.

"No?" Maryse says closing the refrigerator door, she almost dropped her yogurt.

"I am not letting you walk into school looking like that," he says, I think I even see a blush in his cheeks. Johnathon, Jace, and Alec are all wearing blue jeans and the typical tee shirt that looks too tight. Typical. "You'll… people will… Clary! You know what I mean."

"You mean she'll get complimented?" Izzy says carelessly. My eyes lock with Jace's, he looks impressed. Well maybe not impressed, I don't think I have ever seen a look like that on his face. His eyebrows raised, lips pursed, shoulders laid back, he sometimes looks like that when he's in public and has decided to go flirt with some underdressed chick across the room. But that look isn't for me so it probably means something else right now. "She might even get a date to Homecoming this year!" Simon gives Izzy a smile and know that it's his way of almost flirting with a girl. I can tell Izzy knows this too because she gives him an approving look back. "So, if anyone gives her a hard time, we tell them that we have all always been close and she changed her look because I talked her into it. Okay?"

There was a series of nods agreeing with Izzy. Even Jace seemed to agree too. Alec is the first one to take his attention to the time, noticing that it was time to leave for school. Johnathon and Alec both grabbed their keys, because obviously we were all taking two cars. Johnathon and Jace always rode together but this time, Simon wasn't taking himself and Clary. They had been told Alec was driving from now on because he had a really cool car. We didn't object.

The boys were the first ones to leave as Jace and Johnathon like to get to school a few minutes early to get through the swarms of female attention. Alec led the rest of us outside after sending Magnus a quick text message to meet him at school.

The car ride to school was spent with loud music and Izzy and Simon singing to every song. I spent the ride thinking about the look on Jace's face when I walked into the room. I hope he feels guilty about everything. I want him to want me so bad it drives him crazy. Based on the look I saw this morning, I might be able to pull it off. I won't need my brother to protect me because I will have a reputation of my own: treat me like that, and get dropped like a hot potato. He won't even see it coming because he thinks I am some fragile little girl that needs to protected. They will all see who I can really be.

The school is full of people already and classes don't start for another thirty minutes. Usually when Izzy and Alec get to school, they meet up with Jace and Johnathon in whatever circle of people are surrounding them. I give Izzy and uncertain look and she gives me a short wink. Here we go. Immediately after getting out of the car, Izzy stands between Simon and I and people start staring. Everyone knows Alec is gay but somehow still gets plenty of girls' attention right from the start. Izzy gets looked at everyday no matter what but this time is different.

Simon knows it's the two of from the start, although he nods his head in the direction of a group of sophomore girls staring at Alec and they still giggle about it, this could be fun. Izzy told me not to look at anyone in the eye and walk up to people with a purpose. I do exactly as she says, as we come up to the group of girls surrounding our brothers, an opening becomes instantly available. Alec makes his way to the front doors where Magnus is reading a magazine on a new kind of glitter being released and looks fairly fascinated by the "try-it patch" provided on one of the pages. I've always admired Magnus and his ability to be himself with no remorse or care in the world of what people think. It's obvious that other people think the same way too because he has always been widely respected around school. That's what I want, I think to myself. To be accepted without question, to know my place in the world so easily like it was naturally given to me, I want people to look at me and say "that's a girl that knows what she is and what she wants, and isn't afraid of anyone to get it". It can't be that hard, people look at Izzy like that, and Kaelie, and even Jordan like that.

Jordan is another friend of Johnathon and Jace's from football. While Jordan stands with the boys, all the girls know he's been taken for years. He won Maia's heart and trust when we were just fifteen years old. No one has ever questioned the couple or ever tried breaking them up. They were perfect, it was a fact that was as true as the sun raising in the east.

I walk right up to Johnathon and pat him on the shoulder as naturally as either one of could manage a straight face for. "It's nice to see you not hiding in the shadows anymore, Clary." I wear the smile from his compliment on my face as proudly as I can manage. To be honest, it feels weird being the center of attention, unnatural even. As long as no one tries to say anything stupid, this might actually work out.

"It feels good not to hide anymore," I say just loud enough for Jace to hear. I know he could hear me but he is trying his hardest to ignore me right now. All of his attention is on some blonde I haven't seen before.

Right until Kaelie walks up to me. She eyes me up and down and gives me a devious smile. Just great, I think putting on my daring face. "Looking good, Clary," she says tapping one of the boys standing next to her on the shoulder. I really need to start learning names of these people. The boy and the group standing next to him eye me appreciatively up and down. It's so strange to be looked at like something of a poster model but the attention isn't that bad. "Oh, and I just love the hair," she whispers with a flick of her fingers. Jace looked at the two of us at that expecting some kind of cat fight.

"And you're being nice to me because…" I say returning her smile.

"Well," she said clasping her hands in front of her. "Just between us, you look great, and I can always use another ally. Why don't we just call this our truce, you don't meddle in my affairs," she says sending a wink at Jace, "and I will stay out of yours."

"You want Jace?" I laugh sarcastically stepping out of her way. I said it again because I know he can hear our conversation right now. I gesture towards Jace. "Kaelie, I think that if are trying to bargain with me to not meddle with your relationship with Jace then you're not feeling as secure in your own relationship as you think." She gives me a daring glare but I ignore it one-hundred percent. "I think we can make that arrangement work but, Kaelie," I say louder this time, "Jace will leave you in pieces and it won't be because of me." I steal a look at Jace and he looks hurt now. I shouldn't feel guilty he's already left dozens of girls behind simply because he doesn't like commitment. "It will be because that's just who he is." I make it clear to Jace that I was talking from personal experience and he notices because he had excused himself from the circle. Not so great now, is it?

"Glad we can come to an understanding," Kaelie says walking away from me. Courtney stands right behind her. The second Kaelie starts her chase for Jace, who is already half way to the front doors by now, Courtney is damn near on top of Johnathon. I roll my eyes and duck from the crowd with Izzy. Her and Simon have already grown bored of the attention and started their own conversation away from them.

"Did Kaelie really just do that?" Izzy laughs uncontrollable. Simon stands wide-eyed in confusion and pinches himself to make sure he was awake. I nod and laugh with Izzy who is clearly as surprised as the rest of us are.

Jace POV

"Jace," Kaelie yells from behind me. It seems she has realized I left and has already caught up to me.

"Kaelie," I say. My words come out cold even though I didn't intend them to be but I won't apologize. She looks at me funny and go on to explain. "You don't need to be rude to Clary because you think we have a "thing". The words hit her like a slap to the face. "We never agreed to be exclusive so you shouldn't be going around acting like we are."

"But Jace," Kaelie pouts. Damn this girl is annoying. Her clothes never fully cover anything. I used to think it was hot but after the first time we had sex she got desperate for my attention all the time. Desperation in not an attractive feature on any girl. Clary never seemed desperate for my attention; and Clary never got possessive or jealous.

I can see her now, and it frustrates me. It used to be our thing, since no one used to give her much attention, I would always make sure she knew she had people looking out for her. Even Johnathon made sure everyone knew she was important. But there she is, over by some nobody's locker making googly eyes at some band photo that no one knows the name too.

"That's so cool." I can hear her. She moves her hair out from behind her so she can twist the end of a bright red curl. He puts a hand up to her hair to fix the lonely stand on top and she laughs some more.

"Excuse me?" Kaelie says snapping her fingers at me.

"All I want from you is a friends-with-benefits," I say quietly. I really don't want to embarrass her but I want her to understand. "I let you follow me around, and tell people were a "thing" but that's because I didn't want to hurt you." She lets a noise of disbelief leave her lips. "Don't make this a scene because I was hoping we can still be friends."

"I'm done being friends, Jace," she says coldly, "if you want that red head so bad why don't you just go have her?" I think she's being sarcastic but I don't care anymore. I don't know what I want but that's not for Kaelie to decide for me in front of a bunch of people. "It won't hurt my street cred any to leave you." She looks so proud of herself, even though we both know she'll probably still come if I ever call her again.

What I love about being me is I can walk away from a girl that looks like Kaelie and not lose sleep over it.

Clary POV
 "Jace just walked away from Kaelie," Izzy starts, "oh, she looks pissed." I don't turn my head to look because I would say I told you so. "Incoming." I don't have time to ask what's going on before someone taps on my shoulder.

"I didn't break the deal already, did I," I ask putting out my bottom lip. She looks so angry it doesn't even look like she's breathing. "It's not my fault Kaelie, he'll back when he needs a good lay." Oops. Wrong thing to say.

"He didn't just want me because of the sex," she says sternly. Her arms are crossed in front of her breasts that are barely covered by her shirt.

"Is there another reason?" Izzy asks this time. She basically just read my mind. Go Izzy.

"I have more self-respect than that," Kaelie says. To my surprise, I actually manage to keep my breakfast down.

"I see," Izzy says gesturing to her boobs hanging out of her shirt. "And I have tickets to see Michael Jackson." We both laugh this time. Kaelie looks miserable. She might even cry.

She takes the both of by our wrists and pushes into the closest bathroom. After a screaming fit, everyone else has exited. I was correct, Kaelie is crying in front of Izzy and I acting like we actually care.

"You don't understand," Kaelie says finally. Her makeup is smudged in multiple places but she doesn't seem to care.

"I don't understand you or the last two dozen girls that have been in your position," Izzy says. That was way better than what I was thinking for a response.

"Jace doesn't care about you," I say finally. It comes out soft but I think I was reminding myself more than Kaelie.

"And who exactly does he care about," she says harshly. "You?"

"Yes me," Izzy says factually. "I'm his sister, and this here, Clary," Izzy says pointing at ourselves. "This is his best friend's little sister."

"That's not what I meant," Kaelie says through gritted teeth. She sees herself in the mirror and whimpers at her running makeup. "I saw the way you looked at him, Clary," she begins again. It's a good thing I told Izzy what had happened already or this would be really awkward. "He sees you too, you're just never looking. You know, I found his computer one time." By the way she says it I'm guessing it's supposed to mean something. Izzy goes in to make another snarky remark but Kaelie keeps going. "I found his video diary, Clary. You are in EVERY single one of them in some way or another." If she expected a response out of me I'm not giving her one. I looked at myself in the mirror instead pretending to fix my hair. "Oh, she's my best friend's sister. I can't look at her without Johnathon making jokes at me. Her hair looks perfect in the summer sunlight," Kaelie mocks Jace's voice and for a while I thought she was kidding.

"That's low Kaelie," Izzy says furious, "Jace doesn't have a video diary."

"He does," Kaelie says rubbing off her eyes. She looks wrecked right now, does that mean she's telling the truth? "What makes it worse," she says weakly, "they go back as far as three years ago." Izzy gives a gasp and looks at Kaelie with a furious frown. "Ask him yourself."

Updated twice today. I got to spend a little bit today editing for you guys for two chapters! Let me know what you're thinking and any ideas you have it's much appreciated! Thanks everyone! Xoxo