Tessa and Will had fallen asleep around seven-thirty at night, yet they woke up late. You'd be surprised at how hard it is to wake up when you're comfortable.
Tessa blushed when she got up, the golden sun streaming through the attic window after a long night of rain. Will was rubbing his eyes, slight disoriented when he woke, but he had enough sense to look out the window. "It's around noon, Tess," Will said.
"How do you know?" Tessa asked, going on her tip-toes to see out the window if there was some magical clock outside.
"You see the shadows? There's barely any shade, meaning the angle of the sun is probably around its highest," Will said, as easy as if he were talking about the weather. Which he was, actually.
"How do you know all this?" Tessa had to ask.
"Survival skills? Natural instinct?" Will shrugged. "All part of being a Shadowhunter."
Tessa raised an eyebrow. "So you have to be good at fighting, have some insane natural instincts and super smart to be in the Shadowhunters?"
"You think I'm super smart?" Will winked. It was all he got from Tessa's question. Tessa sighed. "You don't have to be super smart, Tess. I mean, look at Gabriel." Will chuckled at his own joke.
"Well," Tessa finally sighed. "We should go bang on the door and…"
Will raised a suggestive eyebrow. "No! Stop!" Tessa immediately shouted. "What are you thinking?!"
"What am I thinking?" Will asked. "What are you thinking?!"
"You know what. Whatever. Okay let's just knock and shout for the janitors on the closet door," Tessa said. She got down from the attic first, followed by Will, who shut the entrance to the attic behind him.
They began calling for the janitors, banging their fists on the door and making as much noise as they could – though it didn't really seem to help. "You know, Tess," Will said, sliding down the closet door and pulling his knees to his chest, " Before, I was going to get you. By pranks, expulsion, whatever I could do."
Tessa didn't really know what to feel. "And you're telling me this… why?" Tessa said.
"Well, I just want you to know I feel different now," Will said simply. "And I hate the dark. I can't see in the dark at all. I have night blindness and I hate not seeing you."
The little audience in Tessa's head went: Aw. But Tessa herself was feeling a bit strange. Will … but what about Jem? After all, Jem was the one who was kinder, smarter – the one who comforted Tessa. Jem would always be good for Tessa and to Tessa.
But then there was Will, who was fiery, unpredictable, untameable and wild. It was Will who made her feel exhilarated, made her feel things that Jem could never. Spending a night in a dingy attic with books and a boy was definitely not Tessa. The Tessa everyone knew would never have done that, but Will brought out a different side in Tessa. More confident. Bolder.
But then… Jem. Like a band aid, or a crutch, he would always be there. It's unfair to Jem that Tessa took him for granted, but Jem was a loyal, unwavering person.
And Tessa was downright confused. Thinking about it a little more, she decided.
Definitely Jem. It would always be Jem. He made her feel safe, warm and welcome. Safe…
Suddenly, the closet door opened and out tumbled Will and Tessa, staring at Argus, the janitor in front of them. Thanking the shocked janitor profusely, Will and Tessa ran out of the Institute, taking the stairs two at a time as they descended, going back home to face their parents.
…
Tessa stopped Will in the Institute parking lot. "What's wrong?" Will asked her. Tessa looked nervous, and extremely worried.
"What if my parents called the police in my absence?" Tessa said, biting her lip.
"You mean the bobbies?"
"What the heck are the bobbies?"
Will chuckled before continue to walk. "Hey! Where are you going?" Tessa exclaimed, following Will. Will smirked inwardly as Tessa trailed him, reaching up and tapping on his shoulder.
"To my car. To my driver. To borrow his phone," Will stated. Tessa nodded and followed Will. He walked to a sleek black Town car, where a driver slept inside. Will knocked on the window with his knuckles smartly. The driver immediately woke, rubbing his eyes and once he caught sight of Will, stepped out of the car and bowed slightly.
"Pass me your phone," Will ordered. Tessa dug her elbow into his side. Will eyed Tessa sharply, who gave him a glare in return. Scowling, Will returned his gaze to the driver, who looked slightly nervous. "May I please borrow your phone?" Will amended. He turned to Tessa, to see that there was a smile on her face – which immediately made up for everything.
The driver handed Will his phone. "You can go back in now. I'll be in in a second," Will said. The driver slid back into the Town car and Will handed the phone to Tessa. She dialed a number quickly and before she could press the phone to her ear, Will snatched it out of her hand.
Tessa's eyes widened as Will listened for her parents. The phone finally picked up.
"Hello?" the other line said. It was distinctly female.
"Hi," Will replied. "Is this Tessa's mother?" he asked.
"Are you with my daughter?" Tessa's mother replied, voice filled with suspicion and wary.
"Yes. I'll drop her off back home. Sorry, but Tessa actually met me for a date and we had got locked in a closet together," Will smirked. Tessa's eyes widened, hands reaching for the phone again. Will knew how that sounded and was already prepared for shouting and screaming. Tessa lunged for the phone, but was too short to get it and crashed into Will. Before Tessa could move back, Will wrapped his left arm around her, bowing his head to rest his chin on her shoulder. Tessa stiffened.
On the other end of the phone, Will could hear Tessa's mother screaming. "Ah hem," Tessa's mother said, composing herself. "Well, call me Elizabeth!"
Will was shocked. "And I'm William Herondale, but call me Will," he said smoothly, smiling into the phone.
"Of course, Will," Elizabeth said cheerily. "Take all the time you need with my Tessie. Tell her that I'll see her later. You kids have fun now! Bye!"
The phone clicked off. Astonished, Will hung up as well, releasing Tessa and looking her into the eyes. "Your mom said that I should take all the time I need with you and that she'll see you later," Will said.
"You're kidding me right?" Tessa said, taken aback. The look on her face was hilarious, but Will refrained from laughing.
"Nope," he said, popping the p.
Tessa's jaw dropped. "Don't worry. I'll take you home," Will said.
"No, I can walk. I don't live far from the Institute. I walk everyday," Tessa said absentmindedly. Her face was surprised, but in Tessa's gray eyes, Will could see slight anger. Before she could walk away though, Will grabbed hold of her arm.
"What does this mean for us?" Will had to ask. Will never asked that question. It was always the girls that asked him that. But Will was so unsure with Tessa. It was cliché and overused, but Tessa wasn't like the other girls he had dated. Usually girls came to him, not the other way around.
Tessa bit her lip, slightly shocked over his question. Will's heart began to sink, lower and lower in his chest. "Well…" Tessa said hesitantly.
That was all Will needed to hear. "Baby steps, right?" he said, forcing a smile on his face. "It's alright. Friends?" Will asked.
"Friends," Tessa said, a relieved grin graced onto her lips. Then Tessa left, leaving Will to stare at her retreating figure. He didn't let her see the sadness in his eyes, nor the pain in his posture. No, Will was good at masks. He had been wearing one for the last several years and he could keep it on.
"Friends," Will said quietly. Then he realized.
"Oh Angel," he said. "I've been friendzoned."
…
"Did you hear that, Jem?" Gabriel laughed, slapping his knee for good measure. "Will's been friendzoned!" Will sighed. They were in his house – some people called it a mansion, but Will called it the ninth circle of hell.
His house was beautiful, furnished, wonderfully decorated – the décor wasn't a problem. He liked his room, filled with bookshelves, a nice wooden desk, the chandelier, large closets, king-sized bed – but it never felt like home.
The people that lived with Will were rarely there, only maids existed. His parents were usually always away, leaving Will to eat alone at the large dining table, surrounded by the maids who followed his every command. It got boring, really.
Every Christmas, every Easter, and even summer break – Will would usually spend it alone or with the Shadowhunters. And Will was grateful for his friends.
"Shut up, Gabriel," Will sighed, his voice lacking the sharp tone and anger. It was more like a wistful sigh. "I thought I was doing so well. I mean, we were together the whole night and…"
"Wait, you were together through the night," Jem interrupted.
"Got locked in a closet," Will explained before flopping onto his king-sized waterbed.
"You were in a closet?" Gideon said, taken aback.
"No we weren't snogging! Stop thinking of those things," Will demanded sharply. "I showed her to one of my secret hideouts in the Institute, which so happened to be in one of the supply closets and she shut the closet door. The door was always jammed from the inside so it had to be opened from the out and – why am I even explaining to you guys!?" Will asked himself.
"I don't know, but I love this story," Gabriel said eagerly. "William Herondale got friendzoned!" Gabriel hollered to Will's high ceiling. Will scowled, chucking a pillow at Gabriel's face. Bullseye.
It was Will's turn to smirk and Gabriel's turn to scowl. Will looked at Jem, who had a frown on his face. "Why so glum, chum?" Will asked Jem playfully.
"Nothing," Jem replied absentmindedly. It was definitely not nothing.
Will decided to leave it for later, when it was just Will and Jem – not Will, Jem, Gideon and Gideon's annoying twin brother, who was still laughing at Will's situation.
"Where do you guys want to go for Christmas break?" Gideon asked. It was only October, but it was good to plan ahead. The Shadowhunters' Christmas vacation – well any of their vacations – involved touring the world. And they had been to many places already.
"Paris?" Gabriel asked.
"Eww, no," Will shuddered. "I'm not stepping anywhere near the City of Love with you. Only if we bring girls, and my situation is pretty bad right now." Gabriel barked out a laugh, silencing with another pillow to the face.
"Hawaii?" Gabriel suggested.
"In the winter?" Will scoffed.
"It's always hot in Hawaii, William," Jem grinned. "Winter is around twenty-five degrees Celsius." Will scowled at being wrong but composed himself. "Hawaii it is. I'm bringing my sister. Well, Gabriel is bringing her. And if you dare even try to make a move on her," Will said threateningly, "I will beat you to a pulp. I swear on the Angel, Gabriel."
Gabriel nodded. The serious look on his face immediately told Will that his sister was no joke for him. Perhaps… they truly were together. And it wasn't another joke.
"Anyone else bringing someone?" Gideon asked.
"Yes," Will and Jem chorused.
"Who're you guys bringing?" Gideon asked, pen poised over paper. In his neat scrawl, Gideon already wrote Will, Jem, Gideon, Gabe, and Cecy.
"Tessa," Will said immediately. "I have a feeling she's never been to overly hot places, and she would like the beach," Will said thoughtfully. His mind flashed an image of Tessa reading, while tanning on the beach.
"Jem?" Gideon asked.
"Oh, if we're going to bring Tessa, we should bring Sophie too."
"Sophie Collins," Gideon said, interest peaked.
"You like her, brother?" Gabriel asked. Gideon shrugged, a slight smile on his face.
"You better treat her right, Gideon," Jem said, with the same protective tone Will had used only moments before.
"Jeez, does every girl we like have an older brother?" Gabriel scoffed.
"I think so," Will said. "Cecily's got me, Sophie's got James – though I think they're just friends right?" Will looked to Jem for affirmation and he nodded. "And Tessa's got her brother. But he's in New York so I'm not worried." Will had found out from overhearing it in a conversation.
"Alright. Guest list is set," Gideon said. "In one month and a bit, we're going to Hawaii."