o.O.o
"Jace!?" Clary cried.
There in front of her was Jace and Jonathan. The scene would've looked okay, if it weren't for the scarlet dripping from Jonathan's nose, and the purplish, blue bruise on the high of Jace's cheek.
"Stop it!" Clary cried once more as Jonathan's hands flew to Jace's shoulders, pushing him back against the living room wall, Jace, resisting his brother's touch and pushing on Jonathan's chest.
Clary would have none of it. She wasn't weak, and she knew that.
She stormed over to the boy's, slipping into the boys range, Clary took hold of Jonathan's arm.
Smack!
The noise echoed in the room.
Did that just-
Clary didn't have enough time to process as she dropped to the floor gripping her hand firmly against her cheek.
"What the fuck Jonathan?!" Jace cried, as he leaned down to comfort Clary.
"Serves her right. Getting in the middle of a fight."
"YOU DON'T FUCKING PUNCH A WOMAN YOU SICK BASTARD." Jace yelled, fire behind his amber eyes as he glared at his brother.
Oddly enough, Clary hadn't shed a tear. "It's okay Clare. Come on, let's get you home." He said, coaxing her onto her feet.
Jace snatched her pursed, grabbed her shoes, and slid them on her feet for her, as she leaned against the wall in the hallway.
By the time Jace had gotten Clary outside, Jonathan had not moved an inch from the place he stand in the living room.
But Jace really didn't want to fight with him, he wanted to get Clary to safety. Buckling herself into his car, he leaned back in the driver's seat, and sped away from his house.
He stopped outside of her house, parking the car just meters away from her front lawn.
"Here, let me see your face." He said coolly, looking in her direction.
She turned to face him, still slightly shocked.
She's never been punched before.
Her eyes widened and were full of fear, looking at Jace as if she had just witnessed a murder.
"Please? I promise I won't hurt you." He said, all certainty in his voice.
Finally, she slowly turned her head, presenting him with her swollen and bruised right cheek.
He placed his fingers softly on her chin, tilting her head up and down to examine the damage. He had been so focused on her cheek, he had barely noticed the line of wetness running down her face.
He looked up, shocked.
She looked at him, still wide eyed, tears streaming down her face.
He had no idea how to handle this until she sprang into his arms, tightly wrapping her own around him.
Quietly sobbing into the crook of his neck, Jace wrapped his arms around her waist, slowly dragging his hand up and down her spine.
"Hey, now we're matching." He said lightly.
She chocked on a sob, slightly shaking. She was laughing.
"Clary I will never let him do that again. Or anyone for that matter." He paused, leaning back to see her tear ridden face.
"Thank you Jace." She whispered, slowly detaching herself from him.
Taking the hint, he leaned back in his seat, and watched her walk to her front porch, before disappearing beyond the thresh hold.
o.O.o
She waited from him to pull away, before she immediately went back outside. Knowing her mother and her "father", if she came home with a swollen cheek, they would go on a police chase to track down the sucker.
She didn't want that to happen.
Closing and locking the door behind her, (after grabbing a black spring jacket) she walked through the groggily Saturday weather.
Simon's house wasn't too far. You just made a right past the small convince store two blocks up from Clarys house, and then turned right again past the roundabout. He lived on a small side street, one with a funny name that had the word 'berry' in it.
She shuffled along the sidewalk, tugging her jacket around her.
No she did not care if she was still in last night's party dress, she only wanted -needed- to see Simon.
o.O.o
"Hey-, Clary?"
She looked nervously up from her feet.
"Uh, hey." She prayed that he wouldn't question why she was still wearing a party dress, or why her hair was shielding half of her face.
"Um, come on in." He stepped back gesturing for her to come in.
She stepped into the house, and glided towards the familiar staircase.
"Mom's not home." He said in general, following behind her to his room.
Oh Simon.
His room was messy, comic books and manga spread across the floor, mixed with empty water bottles and dirty clothing.
"Don't mind." He said, flushing.
"Since when do I ever mind?" She pushed his laptop (that was marked with nerdy stickers on the front) to the side of his bed, and sat down.
"So what's with the visit? Usually you would call me. B-But I don't mind if you come over! I mean, it's not that I don't like you coming over-" He paused his rambling.
"Oh my god, Clary what happened?!" He said in a freaked out hushed whisper as he sat beside her on the bed, and pushed the hair away from her face.
"Who did this to you!?" He cried, looking at the bruise on her face.
"I don't suppose you'll buy the 'I fell down the stairs' excuse?" A smile ghosted her face.
"Clary, what aren't you telling me?" He said, gazing into her eyes, his own browns filled with hurt.
"I-I got in-between a fight." She muttered.
"And why were you even near a fight?" Simon questioned.
"After the party, Alec took me home, and then Jace picked me up from there. Jonathan was busy with some," Her voice cracked. "Girl, and he had my purse and keys. So I slept in Jace's room, and when I tried to leave this morning, they started to fight."
"See," His eyes turned to the floor. "I told you I had a gut feeling. But, in general, are you alright?"
Their eyes met, green to brown. "No." She whispered, trying to hold back tears, but only succeeded on choking on them.
"Oh Clare." He said pulling her in for a brotherly hug. Time slowed down as they embraced each other. She loved Simon so much and she was so happy she had met him. She tangled her fingers into his hair, and sighed into his shoulder.
"Thank you." She mumbled.
"For what?"
"Being you. Being here. Being with me. No one else could be doing this better than you right now."
"Anytime Clare."
o.O.o
He held the door open for her. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?"
"No no I'll be fine."
"Okay." He said pausing to glare amusingly at her. "And actually answer my phone calls for once, I called you at least ten times."
"Oh sorry. I don't have my phone. I think I left it at home in my purse. Hey, what time is it?"
She questioned.
"Uh 1:37."
"Oh crap. Luke's home, and I'm not. I'll catch you later. Bye Simon!"
She said, dashing off once more towards her house.
o.O.o
"Where have you been?"
"Uh, I was at Simons. I lost my keys in my purse last night so Simon let me crash there."
Clary smoothly lied.
Luke stopped and furrowed his brow. "Jocelyn's at an art show a few towns over. She's selling some of her work."
"Really!? How come I didn't hear about this?" Clary cried, something good coming out of this day.
"Well. You know her, always secretive." He stopped looking up at her with a fatherly gaze.
"Let her have her moment today." He smiled softly.
"Why didn't you call me?"
"Well, uh, actually I misplaced my phone, I think it's somewhere in the bottom of my purse." She said, turning away to grasp her purse. When she looked back, Luke's eyes were on her, piercing right through her.
Luke's hand traveled up her cheek and landed on her cheekbone.
His eyes widened, and Clary knew he was about to start questioning.
"I know I know, it looks like I got a slug to the face but I didn't. Last night I was dancing and I tripped. When this kid went to go catch me, his hand slipped and I hit the ground pretty hard. I'll be fine."
Liar Liar pants on fire. He subconscious screamed, tauntingly.
His gaze dropped, letting his hand fall from her face.
"Well," He looked back up at her, smirk, radiating from the center of his face.
"You should be more careful." He said. "Now go get changed, and I'll leave you to it."
Clary nodded, turning to stumble up the stairs towards her room.
When she finally entered her room and plopped on her bed, it was like a chorus of heavenly angels were singing. She was Scott free. Well, except…
She stared out her window, eyes landing upon Jace's house.
I hope they're okay.
I hope Jace is okay.
Shaking her head, she proceeded to clean out her purse.
She found old bus transfers, empty gum wrappers, even a coupon for buy one get one half off coffee's at this random coffee shop. But her phone was nowhere to be found.
She dreaded.
Good job Clary. You passed out drunk at your first party and left your phone there too.
She screamed at her subconscious to stop tormenting her.
She quickly did what Luke had told her too, and changed from her dress (now crinkled), into a pair of soft ripped jeans, a black tank top, and an oversized knitted cardigan. All she needed was a tattoo choker and a flower crown, and she would be the ultimate hipster. She smirked at her reflection in the mirror and hopped down stairs.
"I'm just making some lunch." Luke called from the kitchen. "Chicken Fajita's sound good?"
"Yes please." Clary called back, flopping onto the couch and turning on some Netflix on the TV.
Before she could make her selection…
Ring Ring!
"I got it!" She called, walking over to the cordless phone on the living room coffee table.
She looked at the caller ID and her eyes scanned across a very, familiar, phone number.
"Someone you know?" Luke popped his head into the living room.
"Yeah, a friend. Let me take this."
She said, scampering out of the living room and to the front hallway.
"Hello?"
Oh hello there my sweetness.
"Who is this, and why do you have my phone?" She said in a demanding tone.
Oh come on, that's no way to act. How's the face? Swollen yet?
Her eyes widened. "What do you want Jonathan?" She spat.
Oh, feisty. Well I wanted to know if you wanted to get your phone back, maybe spend some quality time with your truly. He said, an amused tone to his voice.
"You think this is a game?" She whispered fiercely into the phone.
Oh why yes. It's hide and seek my dear. I'm hiding, now you come find me. I'll see you at RossWood park in an hour, meet me by the fountain. Later.
That indecent prick.
Heyyyyyy guys. New chapter, hope you like! This goes out to THEClaceShipper who told me this must be published by 9:30 of March 16th, 2015. And guess who did it? Anyways I hope you enjoyed and if you did remember to follow, fav, and review if you like this and would love to see more. And as always I will talk to YOU in the next chapter. Byeeeee!
~Melaina :3
