Disclaimer: I took the quiz on the fandom and I got a warlock. I guess that means that I'm not Cassie since I have no idea what she would be. Although, I do like the idea of shooting blue light out of my fingertips.

Hey guys! Sorry for the cliffy, you know how I do. It's been a while since I've done one. Anyways, thanks for reviewing, adding this story on story alert or any of that other good stuff that makes me want to find each one of you and give you a big hug/smile. Not in a creepy way or anything.

Anyways, on with the show.

Chapter Ten: Sticky Fingered Lies

"Now little girl," he said, bending down to be the same height as me. "Follow everything I saw okay?" I nodded my head. "Good girl."

Angered, I wanted to snap at him to not call me 'little girl'. Just because I was short doesn't mean I was younger. "Now, give me all your money."

Taking my wallet from my pocket, I cursed remembering that I had left my messenger bag in the car. I had pepper spray in there. Just my bloody luck.

I gave it to him without taking my eyes off the gleaming silver that was perched at my neck. The man grabbed it from me, not unlike an animal, and opened it.

I gulped, knowing that all I had in there was a few dollars and loose change. "This is all you have little girl?" he snarled at me, the metal digging deeper into my skin, just enough to draw a trickle of blood.

"Well, a little girl wouldn't have much money, now would they?" I retorted, raising my eyebrows at him. I was surprised by my bravery, that I would say such a thing that would get someone killed.

But if I was going down, I was going down with a fight.

The knife dug a bit deeper into my skin, the stream becoming a bit heavier with the blood. It slid down from my neck to across my collarbone before finally stopping. Suddenly, the knife was taken away from my neck.

Not a second later, I was slapped across the face, hard. Unwillingly, I put a hand to my cheek, which was turning from being on fire to numb.

I would bet all my drawings that I would have a handprint there or in the very least, become swollen.

Eyeing the knife that was now by his side, I wondered if I could make a break for it. A smile twisted upon his lips, looking cruel and mauled, as if he knew what I was thinking.

Before I could think things through, I sprung on instant. I swiftly stole the knife from him as I kneed him in the groin, resulting in him doubling over in pain.

Hesitating, I stomped on his foot as hard as I could, and pushed him hard before sprinting away, not daring to look back.

Even back on the street, I still ran for my life, as if hell was running after me. I fished in my pocket for my car keys, fingers just barely touching them when I was yanked back and shoved against the wall, hard enough to leave scraped from when the bricks jutted out.

Damn my short legs, I thought as his fingers clamped down on my shoulders, tight and meaty. The man's face was warped in a cunning smile, almost as if this was a game to him.

It most likely was.

"Did you think," he whispered, letting the cool metal of the knife bite my skin as he traced it across my collarbone, "that it would be that easy?"

I didn't answer; I just gritted my teeth in attempt to not smack him. That would make things so much worse than they already are. "I like it," he whispered, his face coming close to my ear, enough that I could see faint lines marring his face, "when my prey gives me a chase."

I shuddered, before realizing that I still held the knife in my hand. I tried to move my arm in a way that my body would conceal it from his eyes but his eyes caught the movement. "My knife," he smiled, clamping harder down on my shoulder, enough to make me want to cry out.

With a shaking arm, I brought it up, almost as if dropping it in his palm when I jabbed it in the space behind it, where the skin just connected his arm to his shoulder. I drove it in as deep as I could, leaving him howling in pain.

I tried to escape, but even in pain he blocked my path. Shoving against him did no good – he wouldn't budge an inch. Trying repeatedly would only bruise me some more – if I were to live long enough for that. I was too petite to do that much damage.

Feeling the frustration and helplessness getting to me, I kicked out at random, getting him in the shin. He howled even more, sounding like a wounded animal. Still, he did not move.

Suddenly, he was out of my sight, yanked back by some unknown force. I spotted a flash of gold and gawked as he brought the man up against the wall, holding him by his jacket, the look on his face that could only be described as fierce.

"And what," Jace spat out, "do you think you're doing?"

The man sputtered, and tried clawing at him but to no avail. Even from the distance I was at, I could see the muscles rippling beneath the fitted red shirt. Some of the words were carried down to me by the wind. "Don't bring….girl…answer to me." A few more words were exchanged before, with a finally tug, he let him go, sprawling on the ground in a helpless heap on the floor.

"Clary?" Jace asked, coming up to me, his worried face filling my line of vision. "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head, feeling sick. His eyes scanned me head to toe, lingering on my neck and cheek. He pursed his lips, an angry look flittering across his face. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Although you did seem to handle yourself pretty well."

He allowed a small smile to creep up on his lips. I nodded again, unable to speak. "Clary?" he asked, studying me.

With a final look – most likely thinking that I was still in shock or numb, which I kind of was – he threw his arms around me, crushing me against his bigger size. His fingers ran through my hair comfortingly while the other arm was around my waist. "I'm so sorry Clary, I'm so sorry," he whispered into my hair.

I didn't pull back but questions crossed my mind. "Why are you sorry? You just saved me" I asked, voicing my thoughts.

He just shook his head and pulled back. "C'mon, let's go put some ice and bandages on that," he said, walking towards my car.

"Wait," I said, stopping him a few feet away from my car. "I thought you were suppose to be with Izzy today?" I asked, sounding stupid even to my own ears.

"I am…I was. Look, that's not the matter right now. I should get you home first and then we can talk."

"No," I replied, crossing my arms and planting my feet on the ground.

"So stubborn," he muttered under his breath. "Fine, what do you want to know?"

"What did you say to him?" I asked, jerking my thumb in the general direction behind me.

"Some things," he answered vaguely, a strange look coming across his face.

"Fine," I said frustrated at his refusal to answer. "What were you doing here?"

He didn't answer, just gazed at me with those gold eyes. "Look, let me take you home and we can talk there," he offered again.

I just look at him, refusing to say anything, which caused him to sigh. We walked up to me and dragged me towards my car. "C'mon," he said.

"No," I repeated again, refusing to get in. His grip on my arm tightened, and I winced. That was going to leave a bruise, I was sure.

"Get in the car Clary," he said in a flat, no nonsense voice.

"Jace. Jace! Ow, you're hurting me." His grip had tightened even more, trying to force me to get into the car. At the sound of my voice, or my pleading, he loosened his grip on me.

"What the hell Jace?" I asked, yanking my arm back, resisting the urge to give him a good smack in the face. What had come over him?

He just stood there, blank and empty. "I want to know what's going on," I said, gazing at him. When he stood there motionlessly, I went to the other side and unlocked the car and climbed in.

Today was too weird. Jace, the person who just saved me, just hurt me. And now he's like a freaking statue.

My eyes flickered to his through the window, which were still emotionless, before headed back home. I tried turning on the radio to drown the bound to be flood of thoughts that were going to invade my mind but it didn't work.

Questions like why he was there, and who was that man bounced around my mind, persistent . Sighing, I hit the button, turning off the radio. Placing my hands firmly on the wheel and looking where I was going, I decided to let myself wonder why Jace was there.

I recalled that he said he was going shopping with Izzy yesterday and that's why he was unable to come. It didn't come even close to adding up why he was there. One, he wasn't shopping. And two, and frankly more importantly, he wasn't even with Izzy.

If he had been with Iz, it would have made somewhat more sense. But she wasn't. Therefore, that meant that Jace had lied to me.

It wasn't the fact that he had lied to me that bothered me – well, that much anyways – but the fact that he couldn't say he what he was doing here when I had asked him. Jace was stalling, buying time to search for an answer to give to me.

There was a deep sinking feeling that there was more to the picture that met the eye.

When I got home, the anger was still rooted around my heart but it was clouded by suspicion. There had to be a reason why he was lying. No one just went around lying for no goddamned reason.

I was surprised by how much I actually cared about that. I mean, I had only known him for so long. And yes, I might be – okay I totally am – developing a crush on him, but to deeply affect me like that?

Frowning at that thought, I got out of the car, and walked into my house. When I plopped down on my bed, I figured out why I cared so much. It was because after so traumatizing – I mean, I was mugged and who knows what else could have happened – that I was so emotional.

Willing to believe that, I took out my homework, knowing that I better do it now rather than later. Before I had even gotten my all my papers out, my phone vibrated. Deciding to ignore it, I had finally gotten everything I needed out when it vibrated again. And again.

Irked, I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Clary, I need to talk to you," he breathed, sounding like he just had run a marathon.

Immediately, all my annoyance washed away, hearing my best friend so excited. I wonder what had made him like that – certain it wasn't a new video game, I mean he just taught me how to play one!

"Yes?" I drawled, putting the phone between my shoulder and ear as I got up, rummaging around my desk for a regular number two pencil.

"Okay, so after you left –"

"Ohmygod, Si, please do not tell me that you kissed Maia. You know how Kyle –"

"It's not that," Simon interrupted, sounding impatient. "After you and Maia left, Izzy came over."

"You invited her?" I asked, unable to hid the shocked that filled my voice. "And she played video games with you?"

Izzy was a lot of things, but tomboyish was not one of them. She was tall, and beautiful. She could get any guy she probably ever wanted.

But Isabelle Lightwood did not play video games.

That was too much of a shock to bear. "No! Let me finish Clare," Simon said, exasperation laced in his words. "She came over, and I didn't invite her."

I couldn't help it, I had to ask. "Why?"

"I didn't know. She just walked right in and we talked for a bit. And then," Simon said, his voice dropping lower, talking in a hushed voice even though his mother was so chill that she would ever eavesdrop on him. "She kissed me."

Shocked filled me first, before I realized that was probably one of Simon's pranks. "Yeah right Simon. I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

"I'm being serious!"

"That's what you said last time when you pranked called my house phone saying you were some stalker dude who adored me for years."

"Admit it, that was funny and you totally fell for it."

I rolled my eyes, despite the fact that he couldn't see. "That's beside the point. I know you're trying to prank me again."

Simon exhaled on the other line, and I smiled. I knew he was lying. Who knew that Izzy would go for the nerdy boys rather than getting any of the hottest guys in our school.

Except for Jace, I amended in my head. I knew why I was happy about the particular fact – so that I could hopefully have him myself. Deep down, I knew that he would never like me.

He was a flirt, and that was that.

Sure, he may date, but after a week or when he grew bored of them, he would toss them aside, recycling them.

And I didn't want to be with someone like that.

"You're right. She didn't. But one day she will. I'm telling you."

"Yeah," I laughed, "keep telling that to yourself."

"You're not nice, Fray," Simon muttered.

"When did I ever say I was?" I asked, a smile curling on my lips.

He was silent for a moment, before he responded. "Touché."

"So you have a thing for Izzy huh?" I inquired, already knowing the answer. I felt a smile already fixed on my face but it dropped when I realized what Izzy could do to Simon.

"No," he said too quickly. I wanted to smile and frown at the same time – it was almost like laughing and crying at the same time as well.

On one hand, it was adorable that Simon liked Izzy and vice versa.

But Izzy, in her stilettos, will break his heart with her pointed heels.

Struggling to keep her tone light, she teased, "Uh-huh. Tell it to the judge."

Apparently Simon could not tell that anything was off since he teased me back. "And who's the judge?"

I bit back a smile. "Clary, really, don't worry about me. I know you think I'm a ladies' man," he said, pausing since I was laughing too hard, "but I will be fine."

"Whatever you say," I giggled.

"Good. Now I have to go, bye Clare."

I barely got out a bye when I heard the phone click. I shook my head, hoping that Si's heart wouldn't get broken any time soon.

Not to mention how awkward that would make everything between all our friends. Choosing between us would not be good or fun. Praying that it never came to that, I started my homework again.

Not a minute later, my phone buzzed again. Sighing, I glanced down at the screen, to see if it was even worth picking up; at this rate, I wasn't going to finish in five years.

To my surprise, there was a unknown number flashing across my screen. Curiosity getting the better of me, I picked up. "Hello?"

For a second there was no answer. Then a tumble of words poured through the speaker of the plastic device. "Clary, you're okay. I'm so sorry about what happened earlier – I don't know what came over me. You're okay right?"

Realizing it was Jace, I was stunned into silence. When I finally got my mouth to function like it was suppose to, the only thing that came out of it was a stupid question. "How did you get my number?"

I heard Jace sigh, almost as if he was expecting it but was hoping that I wouldn't ask anyways. "I got it from Simon," he replied.

"How did you get Simon's number?" I inquired. The last time I checked, they weren't friends friends.

"I – look, it doesn't matter, okay?" he said impatiently. "I just want to know if you're okay. And if you forgive me."

For a heartbeat I didn't answer, just heard him breathing lightly on the other side of the phone. "I want to know what happened. And why you lied."

He didn't answer right away and if it wasn't for the noise on the other line, I would've thought he hung up. Finally, he answered. "It depends on what you want to know."

"I want to know why you lied," I repeated.

"I thought I was going to go shopping with Izzy. She canceled on me," he said, a logical and reasonable explanation. However, I didn't think he was telling the truth. Izzy, for all the time I've known her, would never do that. And even if she did, why didn't he tell me so before?
And why did I have to keep asking him?

It was as if he was stalling for time.

"Okay," I say slowly. "How did you know that guy?"

"I don't," he answered right away.

"Then what did you say to him?" Asking him question after question made me feel like a police officer, as if I was investigating something. And, I was. Jace was hiding a deep, dark secret. Of course the new kid who's insanely hot would have issues.

Just my luck.

"That's not important," he responded, his voice taut.

"Then why won't you tell me?" I countered. This game was getting old – I wanted answers, and I wanted them now.

"It's just – don't worry about it, 'kay?" His voice took on a pleading note.

Somehow, I succumbed to it and let it drop. "Fine. Anyways, I really have to do my homework, so I'll talk to you later Jace."

"Bye Clary," he said in response, sounding lighter than before.

"Bye," I said before I hit the end button. I leaned against my bedpost, and just stared at the ceiling for a bit. I had a feeling things were going to get complicated, and change fast.

Licking my lips, I vowed that I would find out what secret Jace was harboring, no matter what.

I started my homework again, but not really focusing. My mind was going a million miles a minute, thinking of the ways I was going to pry the secret out of Jace, like a dentist pulling out teeth.

I was going to find out, no matter what.

Secret Word: medicine, since I just got over being sick and had some nasty medication. Not that you would want to hear about that :P

Okay, I am REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry. I know it's been a little over a month. I swear to god, I have a good reason. One, I actually wrote almost all of this during break, finishing it by January. Then I got a shiz load of work and midterms to study for.

And right after that, I got the worse fever and infection ever. Pay back, I guess, for not getting sick in four years. So I was out for a week, and I couldn't even write since I was shivering and sleeping all the time. Of course, right after that, I got writer's block. The ending of this, I couldn't think of anything.

So I apologize for its extreme crappiness and how late this is. For anyone still following me on this, I thank you.

~Icyfirelove3

P.S. Anyone else read CP? Thoughts? I'm still flipping out.

P.S.S. I got a tumblr, if you guys wanna follow me. It's xxeveryrosehasitsthornsxx and then dot tumblr dot com.