Chapter 9:

The alarm clock began blaring and Clary groaned before rolling over and turning it off. She lay in bed for five more minutes, not wanting to leave the comfort and warmth her blanket provides. She yawned and rubbed her eyes then sat up, letting her blanket pool around her legs. Another day of this torturous thing they call school.

Clary barely spent six minutes picking out her outfit, just throwing on skinny jeans, a t-shirt, stuffing her feet into toms, and throwing her curly hair into a ponytail. For breakfast she bit into an apple, and was out the door in seconds, not bothering to say goodbye to her mother.

Clary made it to her chemistry class early again, just like the other day. She was doodling in her notebook when Jace came in. She knew Jace entered the room because wherever he goes, there is always a hush around the room, then chatter louder than ever; people calling out to him, asking him to sit with them, to talk to them. It was really quite annoying, in Clary's opinion. However, unlike yesterday, Jace did not stop by her desk on the way to the back of the room, in fact, he ignored her completely, not even sparing her a glance. And, unlike yesterday, there was a girl hanging on his arm, and that girl was Aline.

Clary wasn't even surprised, she knew he was a player, he knew he was a player, everyone knew. It wasn't like a big secret. Clary averted her eyes from the scene and continued doodling in her notebook. Trying not to think about how he couldn't be anything but an asshole if he tries to kiss her one day, yet is going out with a girl the next. Isabelle told her he was a good guy, she tried to think he was a good guy, but it just didn't add up.

Jace ignored her for most of the day, and Clary was okay with it. It wasn't like she was in love with him…she had made that clear the other day. It was nearing the end of the school day, and Jace hadn't even glanced at her once. Clary tried to keep her head down to avoid looking at him as well. She had a feeling that it would just be awkward if they made eye contact.

For these very reasons, it was unsurprising that Clary bumped into someone in the hallway. Clary closed her eyes, trying to brace herself for the feeling of someone grabbing onto her arms to steady her, but no one did. She was grateful to whatever God there was that the person didn't grab her, and thought maybe luck was no her side today. Clary only stumbled back a few steps before she righted herself. She looked up to see the person who ran into her and was shocked to see Jace. Clary was even more baffled at the fact that he remembered not to grab her arms after what happened the last time they ran into each other.

Their eyes met and she couldn't seem to break the contact. She felt enraptured by his golden eyes, and the way they shine whenever he sees her. She snapped her eyes away from his when someone cleared their throat. Clary turned her head to see Aline glaring at her. Clary shrugged slightly and looked away.

"Thank you," Clary said it softly, but turned her eyes back to his to show the gratitude in her eyes. He nodded, and she moved past him, down the hallway.

There was this thing called gratitude. Clary's never felt grateful for anyone or anything in her entire life because she's had a crappy life filled with crappy people. But, at that moment, Clary felt true and utter gratitude that Jace knew some small tiny part of her life.

During lunch, she went to the art room. There was no one in there because the art teacher was at lunch, and no one in her school gave a shit about art. So Clary was alone.

There's a peace and calamity found in insolation. Clary has never been one for friends and socialism; she has always liked being alone. So when Isabelle immediately took her in, it was an uncomfortable, new experience, meeting all of her friends. Clary found herself subconsciously putting up walls and excluding herself from the group even when they all sat together; it was just the way Clary liked it, though she immediately hit it off with Simon.

So, she was in the art room, touching up her drawing of Jace, munching on an apple, and enjoying the sound of her pencil scratching on the paper. She could draw for hours, just throw herself into her work in complete focus. She was brought out of her reverie when the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. Her drawing of Jace was almost perfect, she just needed to fix the eyes; it wasn't that they were drawn incorrectly; it was just that something was off…missing.

She packed up her things and made her way to her next class. When Isabelle found her in the middle of the hallway, and asked her where she was at lunch, Clary just shrugged noncommittally.

Days flew by, and Jace stuck to his word and left her alone, save for the few brief glances, he was almost always smothered by Aline.

Surprisingly, as well, Clary found herself warming up to Simon. He was a funny kid that wasn't afraid to say things to you straight. He was nerdy but interesting. And, although Clary doesn't have friends, she found herself entrapped in the web of friendship, and reeling her in, was Simon.

"Hey, Clary," Simon called, lifting up a hand and forgetting the books he was carrying. Clary laughed as all the books tumbled from his arms and spilled across the floor. Other students shot him dirty looks as if he purposely placed books at their feet because he enjoyed it.

"Hi Simon," Clary greeted warmly, kneeling down to help him gather his things. She picked up a book and turned it over, reading the title aloud, "A Tale of Two Cities, nice choice." Clary grinned at him and handed the book over.

"Yeah, I'm only in the middle but Charles Dickens is ingenious," Simon pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I want to read all of his books before my time comes."

"Your time comes?" Clary mocked sarcastically.

"Yes, dying comes spontaneously. One day you're walking on the street, then bam, you're dead," Simon explained, standing up with his books reorganized in his hands.

"And that's why you have ten books by Charles Dickens?" Clary asked incredulously.

"I've got to read these as fast as I can plus the others that I don't have yet. My time may be approaching," Simon replied.

Clary laughed as they walked down the hallway, and thought that it was nice to have a friend.