Jace

"Wayland! Head in the game!" Coach Lightwood thundered. I ducked and a second later, the ball nearly scraped my head while spiraling by. Yikes.

"What's wrong with you these days?" He asked, coming to conk me in the head.

Motherfu…I hissed. "Watch it, Coach! I have a head injury."

"Oh? From what?"

"I fell down the stairs," I lied smoothly. Well, like the old saying goes, practice makes perfect, doesn't it?

Coach laughed. "Sorry bout that, buddy, but not slack this time. Championship's on Friday, and we're up against Coldwater. They're the toughest from past experience." His voice dropped a bit. Funny how when teachers lower their voices, they think they're speaking to you in private, when in reality, their voice is as loud as the boom created by an AK 47. "You're getting into Brown on your brawn, not your brain."

Gee, thanks Coach.

"I'll make you proud," I said.

He smiled. And blew the whistle, straight into my ear. If I wanted to be deaf, I would have asked, thank you very much. "Team! 200 pushups. Ready…down, up, down…"

No slacking indeed.

…

Clary was beneath me, her eyes glowing with desire as she hooked a finger under my shirt, her knuckles brushing my skin underneath, sending a shudder through me, from head to toe. Her hair, all red and sexy, sprayed out across my pillow. Reach up, she thrust her fingers into my hair and pulled me down, teasing, tasting, biting.

I couldn't contain the animal growl that rose inside of me. Taking in a shuddering breath, I slowly started to unbutton her cardigan with shaky fingers, afraid she'd pull back. She let me, her eyes closing and her lips parting as I fumbled with the buttons until the cardigan fell away. Revealing her soft, glowing skin.

Hell, it was so tempting to just throw her against the wall and just kiss and fuck her without abandon. She drove every last hair of me crazy with lust and desire.

But another part of me also wanted to take it slow, to revel in this slow, pleasing ride. I'd never wanted anyone as much as I wanted her.

Somehow, my shirt had gotten off, and we were facing each other. Then she did something I'd never imagined in a million years: her hand slid down.

I gasped as she closed her hand around me, and swore, holding on to the sides of the bed as my knees threatened to buckle. Nothing had ever felt so good. Nothing.

I blindly thrust my hands into her hair, panting heavily, and claimed her mouth in a rough, scorching kiss. She broke away, only to sink to her knees, staring up at me through lowered lashes, asking permission.

Holy shit, I could have died. Right then and there.

She leaned in, her sexy red curls wrapping around my ankles in wispy, silky strands. And everything dissolved.

Literally.

I opened my eyes to a world of darkness. The Real World, dammit. Swearing a blue streak, I swung out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom to take care of a problem my dream had goddamn left behind.

…

Clary

So Mom had completely freaked me out, Jace had almost died, and his dad had freaked me out even worse than my mom did. Hmmm, what else could surprise me?

I take it as a compliment when people tell me I look like my mom, but not to the extent where we become twins. I mean, did I seriously look that old? With, heaven forbid, that many wrinkles?

God, I sure hope not.

Yeah, Valentine was really screwed up. Not surprisingly, considering the alcohol. But still, how'd he know my mom? She never mentioned him. Not a single bit.

I was pondering over this when Jace walked into Room 24. He gave me a barely there smile, the corner of his mouth tipping up. It wasn't his normal greeting (where he gives me a kiss, I should add) and my insides took a steep dive. Was he mad at me for a couple of nights before?

"Hi, Jace." I came out a little sharper than I'd meant it to be.

His mouth twisted. "Aren't we a little cold today."

"You're the one to talk," I shot back.

His eyebrows shot up and he raised his hands defensively. "I was going to thank you for helping me. You don't know how much it meant to me that you came. I owe you my life, Clary."

My mouth dropped a little. I didn't see that coming at all. "I forgive you," I said a little breathlessly.

"Forgive?" Jace smirked. "I didn't apologize. A bit awestruck by our star quarterback, I see."

"Oh, pshhhh," I said lamely. Then flinched inwardly at how much lamer it sounded once it came out. Why did everything sound better in your head?

"So you okay now?" I asked.

"Not too bad," he replied.

"But you're okay with your dad too?"
Jace nodded. "Valentine's like that. He'd hella bipolar. I think the alcohol is giving him memory loss. And besides, he's at the nearest whore house every weekend."

"Funny how you call him Valentine."

"Dropped Father ever since he stopped being one." Jace sighed. "So long ago I can't even remember.

The air had taken on this sad, dreary feeling, and I didn't like it one bit. I wanted every moment with Jace to be happy. Not that it had been before but still.

"Sleep well?" I asked, trying for something else.

Jace choked. He suddenly turned very red, even his neck.

"Yeah, he muttered, sounding strained. He wouldn't look me in the eye.

Okay…maybe not the best question to ask.

He cleared his throat a couple of times and then finally met my eyes. Oh, how I loved them. Golden. They were pure, liquid gold.

"Hey, Clary. So. Homecoming game is on Friday, and it's supposed to be the most anticipated game in years. Coldwater verses Idris. You think you could come?"

Jace, in his football jersey, with his helmet, throwing the ball in a high arc through the air. Jace, dodging the opponents, running through the defense for a touchdown. Jace, sweating and victorious, tossing aside his helmet and running into the bleachers, straight for me, out of the billions of people there, kissing me in front of everyone…the fantasies could go on and on.

Oh hell, yes. I wanted to go.

"I'll be there," I smiled.

Ahaha, Jace and his dreams…:P

REVIEW! Duddde, I can't believe that in 5 or 6 more chapters, this is gonna be over! :( so fast, man.