Hi! I want to first like to tell you how awesomely amazingly fantastic you all are! Thank you for all of the reviews/follows/faves:) I honestly get so happy when i see one. They make my day. You all are so great! Thanks:)

This chapter isn't my favorite, but let me know what you think about it.

As always, enjoy!

I don't own any characters... :'(

Clary POV

Clary walked into second period Biology II to find Jace's seat empty. That's unual, she thought. He's always here before the rest of the class. The bell rang so she hurried to her seat. The teacher handed back the lab sheets with their grades on them.

"Yes!" Clary exclaimed when she was handed their paper. "C+!"

A few people looked at her funny but she didn't care-she thought they'd completely failed that lab. Too bad Jace isn't here. I'll call him later tonight and tell him-

Wait, she stopped herself. Why do you want to call him to tell him something that you could just tell him tomorrow? Or, better yet, why do you want to talk to him? Getting close to people will just hurt you.

She shifted her thoughts to something else to end the argument she was having internally. The teacher continued to drone on about the next unit they were starting. Clary's thoughts drifted back to Jace.

Why was he so appealing to her? Well, he was attractive, there was no denying that. But other than his looks, why was she drawn to him? Honestly, it scared her. The last person that caught her interest, hurt her bad. But for some reason, she wanted to take a chance on Jace. She wanted to let him in and not put up an act for him. She wanted to be herself and open up. Something about him just made her want to forget her past and take a chance for the future, not worrying about or considering the consequences.

Clary sat by herself at lunch because Jace wasn't there. When she glanced at the table where he usually sat with his friends and siblings, there was only Simon and Jordan. She decided to get up and see if they knew where Jace, Alec, and Izzy were. Siblings didn't usually miss the same day unless something was wrong.

"Hi. It's Clary, right?" Simon asked as she sat down across from the two boys.

She nodded. "I just wanted to ask you guys a question," she said quietly.

"Shoot," Jordan said.

She took a breath. "Well, I was wondering if you knew why Jace, Alec, and Isabelle aren't here today."

Simon shook his head. "We've been wondering the same thing all day. I've been texting all of them but none of them will answer."

"Yeah," Jordan said. "They never miss the same day together. It's so unusual for them."

"Something must have happened," Clary said.

Both boys nodded.

"How about we go to their house after school?" Simon suggested. "Then we could all see what's up."

"Okay," Clary agreed. She stood up to leave.

"Wait," Jordan said, looking up at her. "You can sit here if you want...You know, because you were sitting by yourself..." He blushed a little.

Clary laughed to herself. "Sure."

The three made plans to meet up and go to the Lightwood's after school. They were discussing the final details when the bell rang.

"I'll see you two later," Clary called to the boys as she walked out of the cafeteria. As she was walking to her next class, a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes in a cheerleading uniform stopped her.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, you little bitch, but hands off." She shoved Clary against the lockers.

Stunned by the whole situation, she just stood there for a few moments, dazed. When she looked back at her, the girl was seething and balling her fists. "Um, I'm sorry. What?"

"You need to stay away from him," she spat. "He's mine!" She slapped Clary. Outraged, Clary slapped the girl back and pushed her so forcefully that she ended up against the lockers on the other side of the hall.

"You bitch!"

The girl charged at Clary but was stopped by a boy with black hair and dark eyes. From first glance, she thought he was fairly attractive.

"Now, Kaelie," the boy said to the girl, "Is that any way to treat a new student?"

The girl-Kaelie-glared at him, huffing.

"How about you just run along," he ordered, turning her by the shoulders and directing her down the hall. After she was out of earshot, the boy walked over to Clary. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. Why didn't you leave when you had the chance? Now you're going to have to talk to him...

"Sorry about Kaelie. She's pretty crazy."

"I didn't even know what she was talking about."

"No one ever does," he said, laughing a little. "My name's Sebastian by the way."

She nodded.

He raised an eyebrow. "...And your name is...?"

She didn't answer him, she just turned and started down the hall. He grabbed her wrist, causing pain to shoot up her arm from where he his hand was gripping the cut she'd been covering cleverly with a cardigan.

"My name's Clary," she said shortly. "Now let me go." She yanked her arm away and hurried to her next class.

During her last class of the day, Clary couldn't help but miss Jace. They would sometimes talk or joke around during Trig. but not often. Yet still, she missed that.

Geez, she thought to herself. He's gone for one day and you're freaking out. He's probably just at home playing hookie and you're acting like you'll never see him again. You're going to find out what's up anyways when you go with Simon and Jordan so stop worrying. He's fine...

She wanted to believe that so bad. But she couldn't. She just couldn't.

After the bell rang and Clary gathered all of her stuff, she headed to the courtyard where they'd agreed to meet to go to the Lightwood's. When she got there, the two boys were standing around, looking out of place and awkward. Simon saw her and offered a smile, pushing up the glasses on his nose.

"Hiya, Clary!" he said as she approached them.

She faked a smile and nodded. "Hi."

"Alright," Jordan said. "All accounted for. Let's go."

Clary thought he was a little too chipper. She was actually kind of scared for what they'd find when they arrived. She really hoped that Jace was okay. She hoped that it was just some sort of silly family thing where they had to stay home. She hoped, no, wished that Jace was okay. She didn't know why she felt this way. Of course, they were friends so she was concerned for him, but oddly she felt like there was a reason for her to be concerned. She was scared to find out why she had that feeling.

Looking up from the ground, where she'd been kicking a stone across the cracked pavement with the toe of her shoe, she noticed that they were fairly close to the Lightwood's. Simon and Jordan were bickering about something out if front of her. Her heart started pounding in her chest as Jace's house came into view at the end of the street. Suddenly, she felt the need to run to the house and go into Jace's room and hug him just to know that he was okay. She didn't quite know what to do with these new emotions of concern for him.

Clary started walking faster and pushed past the two arguing boys. They called to her but she couldn't stop herself. His house was four away from her. She was so close. She felt even more scared.

It's nothing. She told herself. He's fine.

Clary crossed the front lawn of the Lightwood's. She ran up to the door and rung the doorbell impatiently. Waiting a few seconds, she rang it again. And again and again and again. She was about to hit it again when the door swung open to reveal Isabelle in a pretty light blue dress, her hair pinned back.

"What do you want?" she asked desperately and obviously annoyed.

"I need to see Jace," she said.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" she asked. Then realization spread across her face,with a little embarrassment. "Oh! I'm so sorry! You're Clary, right? I'm so forgetful."

Clary nodded. "Okay, but can I please see Jace?"

Isabelle stepped aside, letting her and the two boys who had finally caught up into the house. "Good luck," she said. "He locked himself in his room and won't talk to anyone."

Clary's heart sank. She rushed to the stairs, sprinting up them, taking two at a time. Running down the hallway, she got to the last room on the left: Jace's.

"Jace! Jace, open up!" she cried as she turned the knob frantically and pounded on the door. "Jace! Jace, please! It's Clary!" She wiped tears out of her eyes. Why am I crying? She fell to the floor, kneeling and fumbling in her hair for a bobby pin. Pulling it out of her hair, she stuck it in the door knob, beginning to pick the lock.

"Jace," she whispered, "Please be okay."

Hehehe :) I couldn't possibly go on. It was such a good place to stop:)

What happened to Jace? Hmmmmmm good question...

Please review:) I'd love to know what you think!

Thanks for reading!