A/N: I know that my last chapter wasn't received by many or you couldn't read it saying the chapter didn't exist. I apologise and am up dating faster so you can read the 'Friend Date' as many of you are calling it. Even though Clary insists it's not a date. You'll get two POV's in here, Clary's and Sebastian's, I hope you enjoy and don't forget to read chapter 11 if you haven't all ready. And I think Jealous Jace is so HOT!

I thought I'd let you guys know that I'll be let out in a week or more, which is good news, but the bad news, I have tons of homework I need to do, so I might not be able to write. After about three weeks, because along with my homework I have to do, I also have exams to revise for. But after my exams, I'll write a chapter everyday and put it up. Scouts honour, even if I've never been one, it still means something ... right?

CHAPTER TWELVE

TEARS

Clary's POV

I had soaked in the bath for at least fifteen minutes in the bubble bath I had poured in to soften my skin and make it smooth. After I was relaxed enough, I got out and headed into my shower and quickly lathered the shampoo into my hair and washed my body in strawberry shower gel. It lathered and foamed and I smiled when the smell hit my nose. I shaved my legs and under my arms and then got out and wrapped a towel around my head and dried my body off, slipping my underwear on. Then walked out into my room and looked for what to wear.

I mean, this wasn't a date, date ... was it? NO! It was just two casual friends having a casual coffee, talking about casual stuff. Casual my ass! Who were we kidding, Sebastian liked me, anyone with two eyes and a brain cell could work that out. Maybe I could set him straight tonight, maybe I could make it clear to him that I only see him as a friend. As a brother ... maybe, we didn't want to push it. I was just getting people back in my life. All I needed was to push Seb away because I thought of him as more of a brother then how I thought of ... Jace.

Hmm, Jace. When would I start going on my dates with him, everyone had asked me and he was still biding his time. It kind of made me wonder if he was ever going to ask me, but the way he got protective today and jealous, there's something about when a guy get's all jealous, it's cute, attractive and dare I say sexy. Jace would argue saying he always looked sexy, no matter his mood. And I would have to agree. I mean, the way he frowns when he's frustrated, and the way his lips pucker when he concentrates. It was so damn cute you just wanted to kiss him, no matter what his mood. I loved it when he got possessive, because I'd never been anybodies girl before. I mean, I'd been a daughter, I'd been a sister and currently I'm a best friend. But I've never been someone's girlfriend, or never felt like I have anyway.

Yeah, I've dated, if dating counts as Simon's friends from the Dungeon's and Dragon's nights he has. They'd all been 'gamer geeks' as Jace would have called them, and yeah they were sweet people, except they believed in never giving a girl a kiss on the first date, and that's the only date I ever had with them. I would come up with some lame excuse that I had chicken-pox or a fever. Suffice to say, I had a fever a lot around that time. I gave up on searching for clothes at that moment and walked away from my closet and towel dried my hair, then blow dried it so it didn't frizz. It actually turned out nice for a change.

But I didn't want to look nice, I wanted to look casual. I bunched it all up on top of my head in a messy bun and then turned back to my undefeated closet. I narrowed my eyes and decided that I just needed to go through it, t-shirt by boring t-shirt. I picked out my ripped skinny jeans and shimmied into them, then flicked through my t-shirts, and I came across a black and white vest top with Guns 'N Roses lyrics to 'Sweet Child 'O Mine' on it. I smiled and pulled that out and then found a chequered white, black and blue button up short sleeve shirt to go over the top. I found white ballet flats in the back of my shoe draw and slipped them on. Yip, the casual approach. I mean, it was only coffee.

When I heard a knock on the door, I jumped a little. I looked at my watch. Five o'clock. He was either really early, or there was someone else at my door. I skipped down the steps and opened the door.

Jace

I sighed. "He doesn't pick me up until six" I said to his back. I heard him chuckle and then turn around.

"Good, which means I get at least half an hour with you before I have to go" he said, turning round and giving me a kiss with the door still open.

"Feeling a little daring with the door open, people could see us you know Mr. Wayland." I said when he pulled away and I put my hands on my hips, over his hands as he shut the door with his foot. Spinning me around and pinning me to the door. He lifted me by my hips and stepped closer, for some un-known reason; I wrapped my legs around him and rested my elbows on his shoulders so my hands flopped behind his back.

"I couldn't let you go on a 'date'" he spat the word "without me having you to myself first. I just couldn't allow it." He said, bringing me closer and burying his head in my shoulder. Taking deep and long breaths. "I like your t-shirt" he said. At least I think that's what he said; I couldn't hear some of it because it was muffled by my shoulder.

"Thanks" I said as I stroked his hair and ran my fingers through his locks, my nails scraping his scalp. "Want to go up to my room and listen to some music on my bad for half an hour. Just chill out a little?" I asked. He nodded and let me down. I twined my fingers with his and lead him to my room. I opened the door and Jace spun me round, picked me up and walked me to my bed, laying me down and then walking to my stereo, looking through my music and smiling when he found the right CD.

It was Savage Garden. I never took him for the Savage garden type, more Green Day. They had more guitars in it, and I know he liked to play the guitar from music class. We were the only two people playing the guitar; all the others had chosen other instruments.

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument

I believe we place are happy ness in other people's hands

I believe that junk food tastes so good, because it's bad for you

I believe you parents did the best job they knew how to do.

I sang along to the lyrics as Jace crawled up the bad and lay down next to me, pulling me into his side and resting my head on his shoulder, I could hear his hear beat, even though my ear was no wear near the pulse. I could feel my breathing matching his, like we were trying to synchronize ourselves. Like we were becoming one.

I believe in karma, what you give is what you get returned

I believe you can't appreciate real love, 'till you've been burned

I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side

I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I believe forgiveness is the key to your own happiness

I believe wedding bliss negates the need to be undress

I believe that God does not endorse TV of vandalises

I believe that love surviving death into eternity

Then the chorus stared over again and he hummed along and it vibrated against my ear. I smiled. This is what being a real couple is all about. Just lying here, not having the need to speak, or say anything. But just being able to have a conversation just by being silent, or by the look in his eyes. I looked up at Jace in that moment and he was watching me. I smiled at him. I flipped onto my stomach and put my hands under my chin and we looked at him as other songs played in the background.

"I've never been in your bedroom before" he finally said, but he never looked away from me. I had a feeling he'd taken in all that he needed to get to know the person I was. He didn't need to look at the paintings on my walls that my mother had done, with dancers in various positions, or of me as a baby on my back wrapped in my pink blanket that was still in the bottom of my closet in a box full of my baby stuff. Or of my brother Jonathon's crumpled up sweater in the corner of my room by my desk. Or of my father's dinner jacket that was visible in my open closet that he wore every Sunday to dinner that was in a thin plastic bag, just to keep his smell there. Or the fact that half of the CD's on my shelf weren't mine and that was obvious by the "Toby's Property" that was wrote in thick black marker on the side, the same way mine had white sticky notes with Clary on it in gold gel pen. Jonathon hadn't had much music, and I hadn't liked it, but it was in a box under my bed, because I didn't want to throw them away.

"There's a first time for everything" I smiled at him.

"You're so simplistic yet complicates all at the same time. I love finding out new things about you." He smiled. The tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I smiled into his hand. I looked at the clock.

"Shit, it's nearly six, we've been here for an hour!" I said, we both scrambled off the bed and ran down the stairs. I was about to push him out the door when Sebastian was there about to knock. We all paused and then it hit me. "So that's basically all you had to do. You had it right anyway, but the order was wrong" I smiled at Jace.

"Oh right! I get it know, thanks, Ginger" he smiled.

"No problem, Blondie" I winked. When he was past Sebastian, he turned to me.

"Be Careful" he mouthed with a sad look in his eye. I got my phone out, saying I had to text Luke saying we were going out, even though I'd left a note in the kitchen.

Only you Jace, remember that – Clary xxx

He got onto his bike as I closed the door behind me. My pocket vibrated and I flipped it open and looked at it. I saw him put his helmet on.

I know, same applies ;) – Jace xxx

I smiled at that and looked at Sebastian and nodded my head at his car as Jace revved his bike and wheel spun out of there, looking hot as hell in just his t-shirt and Jeans and boots.

Sebastian's POV

I was just about to knock on Clary's door and Jace was there asking for help on his project, when he said he didn't need it. He's after something, and I didn't know what, but I will. I narrowed my eyes as he sped away, doing a fancy wheel spin, trying to impress her. He may be a friend, but he would do anything to get a girl and I dread to think what he would do to get Clary.

"So, what did you think of Kye?" I asked, neutral territory as I opened her door and ushered her in. She looked nice. I had gone with something simple too, not to impose on a first date. Jeans and a Graphic t-shirt with some bad on it.

"He's okay I guess. A little, what's the word I'm looking for ..." she said.

"Hyperactive?" I said.

"YES!" she said. "I mean, he has good aim, and when he hit Carter in the face, I laughed so hard, I nearly fell of the bleachers." She admitted.

"Yeah, he's a little competitive too; he hates it when others win."

"I never would have noticed" she said sarcastically. I chucked and she laughed along as we got to the little coffee shop called Cafe Noir and led her in. They were having an act in tonight; she was supposed to be good.

We ordered out coffee and sat in two comfy chairs that where opposite each other. When the act came on stage and started to strum her guitar, you could tell Clary was listening intently by the little movements she made.

She held her coffee in both hands. She slouched a little and she rested her head back and tilted it to the side a little. She had a look in her eye, a relaxed look I hadn't seen since her brothers where alive. She had a twinkle in her eye, but she'd had that twinkle in her eyes since she had come back to school just after winter and it had stayed, which I was glad off. She's had too much happen to her in such a short amount of time, so much for such a little person. She looked at her phone a few times and her eyes shone when she read whatever was on the screen. That was her business, not mine, so I wasn't even going to ask who it was.

I turned to the person playing and we both listened.

"Don't you love it? When an artist becomes so engrossed in her work that she's no longer playing for the crowd, but for herself? Like she needs that one song to make her happy, to fulfil her day. That she could make others feel like that? Where someone just hears that right song and all their troubles go away? I want to be able to do that" Clary whispered to me.

"Makes you feel like your apart of something bigger then what you can see" I said.

"Exactly" she whispered. I smiled, I understood her in that moment. She just wanted to be heard, to make a difference. And that sparkle in her eye, it grew.

The rest of the night was spent listening to artist and nothing else, but even when nothing was said, I could tell she was at peace. She had that look on her face, like it said she was home.

By the end of the night, she was on her fifth cup of coffee and third double chocolate chip cookie. When she finished that, she yawned. I smiled and took her home, we said good night and I leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped me.

"Sebastian ... listen, tonight was really ... great. But I only see you as a friend. I mean, you've looked out for me, almost as long as my real brothers did, and I don't want to upset that friendship. I like you, but only as a friend. You're ..."

"Like a brother to you? Yeah, I get it Clary" I sighed. I knew it was too good to be true. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more" I bowed my head.

"I'm not. I'd rather have you in my life as a friend, then we date, I screw it up somehow and then we don't talk ever again. It's better this way. I promise." Then she gave me a hug. I hugged her back and then took a step back.

"You'll always be more than a friend to me Clary" I said softly.

"I know ... I'm sorry I just don't feel the same" she actually looked sad.

"Goodnight" I said, kissing her hand and then returning to my car.

Clary's POV

I'd thought of Jace all night, texted him a few times when I was listening to the music, when I was talking to Sebastian, I felt like he was saying those things because it was what I had wanted to here, not because it was what he really though. If it had been with Jace, he probably would have told me to shut up and enjoy the music, not babble on and we would have talked about it later. About our favourite bits. I felt like I was the one mainly talking and all he was doing was going along with me. I hated that. But I did love the cafe, and the music, and the coffee wasn't bad either. I needed to learn how to make cookies, maybe I could get Jace to help me and we could have a cookie dough fight.

The thought made me laugh. I walked up my stairs and stripped, throwing my dirty clothes into the hamper pulled a pair of plaid pyjama bottoms out and slipping into them. I yawned, even after all the coffee I had consumed. I sat on my bed and my phone vibrated again. My hand shot out and flipped it open.

"Hey beautiful" his voice said, it didn't have the normal smoothness to it, but it was still warm and comforting.

"Hi handsome" I said.

"So how was your night?" he asked reluctantly.

"You ever have the feeling people only say what you want to hear? Well that's what tonight was like. It was like he was pre-programmed, to say and agree to everything I said. But apart from Sebastian being there, it was lovely. The person that played there tonight; she breathe taking. It was like she took me into a dream world of mine own, but I was still conscious to witness it all. I just wish you had been there to witness it with me" I said a little sadly.

"Yeah, I do too. I'm glad you had a good time though, the way you talk about stuff when you get compassionate, it's mesmerising Clary. You draw people in, and make them want to experience everything just the way you did. It one of things I like most about you." He said. I tried to stifle a yawn, but he caught it and chuckled.

"Sweet Dreams, Ginger" he said softly, his voice was back to normal. Smooth, soft and warm. Just the right tempo to send a pleasurable shiver down your back.

"Night Blondie" I yawned and hung up, turning my lap off and going to sleep, drifting off and dreaming of blonde boys and red headed girls who just existed to exist.

So, it's the end of chapter 12, what did you guys think? Good? Bad? Sad? Terrible? Stop writing for the love of good? Up Date as soon as Yesterday? Let me know, because I need reviews, being in hospital, there all that's keeping me smile and stay sane right now.

Loves, hugs and kisses.

Lauren xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

P.S. reviews are way way way better then a 'friendly date' with Sebastian