7. Clary (2,2K)

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Sia - Chandelier

Anastacia - Left Outside Alone

Ed Sheehan - I See Fire

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Jace's PoV

It's been two weeks since the Arcade and I have been seeing Clarissa every day but Sundays. Nothing really serious, just the two of us hanging out, but to me it's a start already. Maybe after enough hanging out, things will evolve to the better. Let's just hope I won't get stuck in the friend zone. Everything but the friend zone.

But right now, it's not like anything thrilling is actually happening. Clarissa mostly helps me with my Chemistry problem, and helps me not to be a disaster in that subject. And I won't complain, because she does really help me improve. Which is why I started skipping class. I mean, I'm still doing Chemistry, it's just that I don't do it with the person that school has assigned me to.

The first time I ditched Chemistry, I was so scared to go back home and have Mom yell at me for hours. But she didn't say anything. To be honest, I don't think that the school has called her so far, and I don't plan on stopping as long as I can work it off. I mean, I get better grades, understand Chemistry, and I get to spend time with Clarissa. I'm winning on every plans here. As long as I don't get caught by my mother.

I don't think that Clarissa knows that I'm skipping classes, either. I mean, to me, she just assumes that Herondale is absent more often than usual, since she thinks I'm a goody-to-shoes. She never asked me why I wasn't in class, but I remember that the first time we were on the rooftop, she directly assumed that the teacher was missing, so as long as she doesn't ask, I won't let down her assumptions.

We exchanged our numbers the Monday after the Arcade, and we've been texting quiet reasonably to one another. Of course, I'm the one who initiated the texting, under the pretence to ask her if she could help me more in Chemistry. After that, it all came naturally, and even when she wouldn't show up in school, she would still let me know that she wasn't coming (wether it would be me texting her to know if she was alright, or her letting me know just like that).

People at school started talking about us, but I'm not sure she heard about it. I was actually shocked by the number of rumours she wasn't aware of, concerning herself. It's like she really doesn't care. But I'm not like her, and I have to admit that some of the rumours concerning us do bother me.

Like the one where she gave me a love potion of sort (since she's so good in Chemistry and that her parents are mad scientists). Or the one where people say that she gave me an STD. But maybe I shouldn't complain so much. People know that I exist now. When they will look at their yearbook, it won't be 'Who's that weirdo?', but more 'Oh, that was the guy hanging out with Clarissa Morgenstern.' I guess it is a sort of improvement.

Some people even started talking to me when she's not here. Mostly pretending to talk about class, but really wanting to dig dirt out of me; but I play dumb in those cases. I mean, I finally get to hang out with Clarissa, it's our special time together, so I'm not ready to share it with anybody.

Anyway, right now, the two of us are sitting by the park near our school, Clary teaching me some more about Chemistry. We started a new chapter yesterday, and since I suck so bad in this, I am having troubles catching up. When she starts throwing around yet another formula, I stop her:

"Slow down, Morgenstern!"

I hear her loudly heave, as if annoyed by something, so I lift my head up to look at her and see that she's scowling me. I frown, about to ask what I did wrong, but she cuts me before I can ask:

"Clary."

"What?"

"It's annoying to hear you calling me Morgenstern all the time. My name is Clary," She explains before returning her attention to everything she wrote on the paper so far.

Did I die and go to Heaven? Is this the best day of my life, or what? The thing is, no one ever calls Clarissa with her first name to her face. I don't actually know why. Everyone (including the teachers) call her Morgenstern. So I did not try to override the rule, and called her by her family name every time I talked to her. I do remember that Mr Lewis called her Clary, but now that I have the official go? I couldn't be happier.

But still, maybe this is the opportunity to remind her that I too have a name:

"And my name is Jace, not Pretty Boy."

"But Pretty Boy suits you so much more."

I grimace, because here comes that word again. Seriously, what's wrong with calling me with my normal name like any other guy, and not like I was some kid? Clary (how I love being able to call her that), tilts her head to me and asks: "Don't you think so? Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me it's not true."

For a moment, I remain speechless. I was clearly not expecting this! Does she think I actually look pretty? I never saw it like that, and more as a way for her to mock me and call me a 'Mommy's boy', without really saying it. But if she thinks I'm pretty, it's a whole different way to see. Though ... she could have used another word. I mean, the English language is very diverse. Hot, sexy, handsome, gorgeous man, and so on. She could have picked something more ... manly to describe me. Because honestly, who uses the word sexy to describe a man? But then again, maybe she just sees me as a boy, hence the word boy at the end.

But anyway, I mumble something incomprehensible under my breath, and look back at the paper; and so we go back to her teaching me about Chemistry and me paying attention, though a part of my mind is always in that wonderland where her and I are an item.

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Clary and I are on the rooftop, waiting for lunch to be over. We often come up here to have lunch together. Well, Clary used to do it alone, and I joined her because it is always better than eating alone in the bathroom (yeah, my life was sad like that).

Clary is sitting against the wall, her eyes closed and her face tilted to the sun. She's not smoking, but I noticed that over the past couple of weeks we spent together, she stopped smoking around me. She still smokes, sometimes when we meet after school I see her throwing her cigarette butt away; but she makes the effort not to smoke around me, and though I don't say anything about it, I still deeply appreciate it.

So Clary and I are on the rooftop, speaking about mundane things (yes, Clary does speak about something else than Chemistry) and out of nowhere she asks me:

"What are you planning for Halloween?"

I turn my head to look at her, startled by the question. She still has her eyes closed, enjoying the last rays of sun that the end of October offers us. The thing is, I don't have any plans for Halloween. Mostly because ... well, she's my only friend, and Halloween is something you celebrate with friends. I mean, I have some people from class that started talking to me, but we're not close enough to be called friends, and for them to invite me to parties.

"I'm not sure, yet," I tell her, though I perfectly know that I'll probably stay home alone, like every year. Alec will be out celebrating with his friends, and Mom celebrating with her own friends. Geez, even my Mom has more friends than me. How depressing.

"Fancy coming with me to a party?"

Is this really happening? Is Clarissa Morgenstern really inviting me to a party? I stop breathing all at once, just staring at her, and not sure of what to do or say. So for two long minutes, none of us say a single word, until Clary slightly frowns and opens her eyes to look at me:

"Don't feel obligated to come. I'm just proposing you to tag along with me. If you don't want to, it's okay, I won't be mad because you don't want to come with me."

"No! No! I'd love to come with you. Just ... what should we wear?" Okay, that was the lamest response ever in the history of responses! But I didn't know what else to say, that was so unexpected.

Clary shrugs, closing back her eyes as she mindlessly tells me: "Well, the whole idea behind Halloween is to disguise yourself, so don't come dressed all fancy."

"I mean … don't you want to have matching costumes?"

If she says yes, this will definitely count as a date. Wether she likes it or not, it will be a date to me. I can see her frowning a little, as if she didn't think of this. Maybe she doesn't like this idea of us having matching costumes, and she'll take back her invitation. Maybe I was in over my head with this whole thing. But then, she shrugs again, with her eyes still closed, and she says:

"I don't care. I just thought you'd like coming to the party. I didn't think of that whole dressing up part. I never actually do."

I don't say anything for a couple of minutes, trying to understand what just happened. I don't like how it sounds. It sounds way too much as if she invited a friend. And I don't want to be stuck in the stupid friend zone. Not with her.

"I think I'll go as Gomez Addams form the Addams Family," I let her know, hoping that I will pick some of her interest, but she just answers with a simple:

"Sure." Which sounds a lot like a 'whatever' to me.

I keep on staring at her, wishing so hard that she's not categorising me into the friend zone, when an idea suddenly pops up in my brain. And I immediately act on it, because I know that if I try to think about it, I'll never do anything. So I lean, and kiss her tender lips. Even though she is wearing lipstick. Even though I clearly don't have her consent, and we're not together. I still kiss her.

I can feel her surprise beneath my lips, but she doesn't shove me away. She actually leans into the kiss, which gives me the boldness to raise my hand to her face so I can cup it, and kiss her better, tilting a bit my head to the side. For a moment, we just share that simple kiss, my heart hammering so fast and loud that I am sure that the whole school heard it; and just like that, we break apart, not saying a word.

She doesn't say anything, and neither do I. And when the magic of the moment is gone, she gets up, saying that we should go to class, if we don't want to be late.

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As I am sipping on my tea, Clary explains me which element from the periodic table are the most important to remember, and why. This is a whole new world opening to me, as I am starting to see everything as numbers and two letters, even my tea. Though I admit, as usual, a part of my mind is on Clary and how beautiful she looks today.

Though it is starting to get colder, she is wearing black shorts with an Heath Ledger's Joker shirt and knee high black and white socks. Her makeup is rather soft compared to other times, she only has eyeliner on her eyes, and is not wearing any makeup, and her hair is all loose, and straight. I prefer when she has it curly, but I never told her that. I actually never told her how beautiful I think she is. I don't want her to shoo me off.

At some point, she downs her coffee, and says that she needs the bathroom, leaving me alone in the booth we occupy. It's a booth we used quite a lot over the past two weeks, and little by little, Clary stopped sitting in front of me and started sitting next to me, like any other couple would do. Maybe today I could work some courage and actually kiss her in that booth like any other couple; but all my dreams of Clary and I, and kissing are crushed as my brother sits right in front of me, an evil grin on his face as he exclaims:

"Busted!"

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💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚

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~ Please do tell me what you think of this fanfic, because your reviews will help me with the challenge of NaNoWriMo. Help me reach my goal. I'll update soon.

1. So, Jace and Clary kissed on Jace's initiative ... Do you think it meant something to Clary?

2. What do you think will happen during Halloween?

3. And what do you think will happen next with Alec?

Anyway, Cassandra Clare owns the names of the characters from the Mortal Instruments franchise, everything else is mine.

Love, Mina 💚💚💚