LAST CHAPTER BEFORE EPILOGUE!
SEE BOTTOM FOR IDEAS TO THE SEQUEL!
"And that," Mrs. Bozeman said, "Is how you do -"
A thundering, impatient knock thundered through the room. Isabelle grinned slyly in her corner. Finally, Sebastian was gone.
Mrs. Bozeman looked up in surprise before muttering, "Students," and rolling her eyes. Isabelle bit her lip, restraining her giggle. She knew exactly who was at the door, and it wasn't a student.
Mrs. Bozeman slowly made her way to the door, when another irritable pounding hit the door.
"I'm coming, you idiots!" Mrs. Bozeman shouted, opening the door violently.
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Rachel wasn't at school.
She was at the Herondales', packing her things.
She knew it wasn't right to be upset about this, but she was. It was her fault this happened, but she still hated the fact that she was leaving.
The scene the night before repeated itself in slow motion.
The scraping of the fork on the glass plates echoed loudly in Rachel's ears. No one had said anything aside from complimenting Celine on the salmon patties.
Rachel had never really liked Celine's cooking, but it was better than sitting on the side of the street begging for food. She knew that she salmon patties came from a box and the green beans from a can, but it seemed that Jace and Stephen did not care about the quality of their food.
Rachel pushed the preserved vegetables around on her plate, missing her mother's cooking already. She'd only been at the Herondales' for two days.
"You know," Stephen grumbled, "Your parents must have been screwed in the head."
Rachel looked up in shock; amazed that Stephen had the nerve to insult her parents. She loved her parents, even if they no longer loved her. It was her fault. Everything was her fault.
"Excuse me?" Rachel asked, her fists clenching under the table.
Celine laughed cruelly. "Oh, yes, I agree, Stephen. I mean, how else could you possibly create two abominations like Sebastian and Rachel if you weren't messed up?"
"Excuse me?" Rachel asked, her nostrils flaring as she stood up. "Watch it, buddy!"
Jace looked at his parents in shock, his Adam's apple bobbing as he studied them. "This is not how I wanted this to happen," he muttered.
Rachel's eyebrows creased in confusion. What was Jace talking about? What was happening?
"I mean, really, did she think we weren't going to find out?" Celine asked, looking at Rachel in disgust.
Find out what? Rachel thought. What's happening?
"Mom, stop!" Jace cried, standing up beside Rachel.
Stephen stood up as well, his fist slamming down on the table. "Do you really think I'm going to stand for this, Jonathan Christopher? She forced you to kiss her, and as your parents, I think it's best that this is how it happens."
Rachel paled. Jace had told them.
"Yeah, well, I don't!" Jace hissed. "Don't you think kicking her out is enough?" His gold eyes burned with intensity.
"What?" Rachel asked quietly, her eyes filling with little water droplets.
"No, Jace, we don't," Celine said, wringing her hands in her lap. "If Clary hadn't gotten there when she did, I don't even like to think about what would've happened."
"Mom, I'm a tough boy. I could've handled it," Jace argued.
"That's enough. Rachel, you're out by the time I get home tomorrow," Stephen interrupted.
Rachel felt a tear slip out of her eye. It landed on her shirt, the last one she packed. It really was her fault. If she hadn't given into her hope that Jace felt the same way she did, then this wouldn't have happened.
She opened the bedroom guest bedroom door, her suitcase following her noisily. She looked one last time at the place she could call an actual home.
Rachel began her way towards an orphanage building across town.
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Mrs. Bozeman had stepped out into the hallway, speaking to the guests whom Jace had yet to see.
"So," Jace murmured, "I have something to tell you."
Clary looked up from her worksheet, nodding. "Cool."
"I'll tell you later," Jace whispered as Mrs. Bozeman reentered the room.
A police officer entered the room, and Jace felt a wave of nausea wash over him. Why he felt nauseous, he did not know. The entire class felt tense and anxious. All except for the raven-haired girl in the back of the room.
"We need Isabelle Lightwood, Sebastian Verlac, Clarissa Morgenstern, and Jonathan Herondale to come with us, please," the woman said.
Jace's eyes widened. He hadn't done anything illegal, he knew, but being called with a police officer? Something was wrong.
The room seemed to let out a long sigh as they realized that they weren't the ones being called to go. Girls looked at one another, eyes alight with new gossip, and boys smirked at Jace and Sebastian.
Isabelle jumped up suddenly – the first loud noise that resounded throughout the classroom – and rushed to the front. What the hell was going on?
Clary stood up next, and on instinct Jace began to follow her. He already had the overprotective boyfriend down perfectly.
Every step that Jace took felt slow and heavy, as if he were drunk. He heard each individual noise in the room, the echoing snickers, and the escalated sound of breathing. He was hypersensitive, the air seeming too warm, yet too cold. Jace still knew he had done nothing, but why were the police calling him? Principals, teachers, he could handle, but cops? It was almost like a dream. He almost felt like screaming, "It wasn't me! I swear it wasn't me! I've done nothing, I promise!"
Jace noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sebastian had risen from his seat at the time that Clary and Jace arrived to their chosen destination. Jace felt everything go back to normal, and his breathing slowed slightly.
"Let's go," the male cop said gruffly.
Isabelle began walking out the door, almost eagerly. She had a special bounce in her step. Clary had her doe eyes turned on, looking so preciously innocent and confused. Jace was biting his lip with ferocity, also with confliction written across his features. Sebastian followed slow and confidently, a proud smirk on his face. Jace felt the need to punch it off.
It was like this that the four walked out the school building.
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Rachel looked at the run down orphanage. This would be her new home. She would create a new reputation here. She would be honest and kind. She was tearing down her old self and creating a new one.
Her finger was hesitant against the doorbell, taking moments of courage. She could walk away now, and be herself. She wouldn't be deemed with parents who didn't care about her, she wouldn't be pitied.
But she would have no future. She would be homeless, begging for love and food. Here, she could at least a bed and a warm meal. She could have people that were like brothers and sisters that didn't hate her.
With that, her finger pressed down. A loud, beautiful sound rang throughout the building. Run! her mind screamed, and her legs almost followed the command. Then, a nun appeared, her features young but old at the same time.
Rachel bit her lip, looking down at the ground. The nun's eyes burned into the top of her head, and finally the woman sighed. "Come in, dear. It's almost dinner time."
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There were two different cars for the four. Isabelle looked at Jace and Clary with disgust in her eyes. She was upset with Clary for dating the imbecile that was too scared to fight for her dignity. So Isabelle chose to ride with Sebastian.
Clary looked at Jace, smiling softly at him. "C'mon. I think Isabelle just did us a favor," she whispered, even though she could speak louder if she wished. Clary took his hand, the two fitting together perfectly.
They sat down next to each other; the cage behind them locking them in, though the police officers that sat in the front knew they had no need for it.
"Neither of you are in trouble," the blonde cop said condescendingly. Clary frowned, but said nothing in return. She was not a child.
Jace, however, let out a long sigh, almost relieved. Clary gave him a supporting smile, and he squeezed her hand.
The ride was eerily silent, only sudden voices coming through the radio at the front.
The halls of the station were dusty and white. The floors were a forest green color with sudden spurts of a rusty colored yellow in the middle.
"Wait here," the blonde ordered, pushing them into the room. "We have some questions for the both of you."
The door slammed, and Jace muttered, "How welcoming."
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They waited for two hours until a black male entered, taking off his hat and sitting down with a warm smile. "I trust you two found some way to occupy your time?"
Jace shrugged. "I guess."
The police officer let out a long, cheery laugh. He held out a hand, "Nice to meet you, Clarissa and Jonathan, my name is Officer Williamson."
Clary resisted the urge to correct him and give him her nickname.
"So, you two are probably extremely confused, I trust?" the officer asked. "My coworkers leave all the small talk to me. Never tell anyone anything."
"Yes," Clary replied, surprising herself. "What's going on?"
The officer let out a long sigh, scrubbing his eyes. "Your friend, Clarissa, has requested a restraining order for both you and her. Isabelle, I believe her name is. She wants the order given to Sebastian Verlac."
Clary swallowed thickly. "Oh."
"She said that you and Jonathan were witnesses of what happened on October 24th, two weeks ago?"
"Uh, yes, I guess," Jace muttered.
The officer let a small smile grace his lips. "Well, we have full intentions to give the order, but only for Isabelle as of right now. Isabelle said you were mentally abused, but has no evidence."
Jace gulped anxiously. Clary could tell he didn't like the idea of Isabelle giving stories of that day, given he wasn't in Isabelle's best books.
"I don't think abused is the right word," Clary said quietly. "I mean, yeah, he was overprotective and frankly, an asshole. But, really he only ever said awful stuff when we were we in arguments. He didn't do it repeatedly."
Jace looked down in disapproval. "I wouldn't say that him saying, "You're nothing," isn't abusive, Clary. He shoved you two the ground in the second week that I knew you. He practically owned you."
Clary bit her lip, looking away. "I don't think that's abusive, Jace. I think he was just being temperamental."
"She's right," Officer Williamson said quietly. "Although I do think that's enough to get a restraining order, I think that's up to Clary."
Clary shook her head quickly. "No, he doesn't deserve that. He was an asshole, sure, but he doesn't deserve a restraining order."
The room was quiet for a few minutes, the officer hurriedly writing down notes.
Jace was looking worriedly at Clary, but she refused to meet his eye. He would be upset with her.
"Okay, now we have all the evidence we need for Isabelle. Thank you two very much," the officer said, patting Clary's back. "I'll walk you two out."
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Alec returned to his apartment two days later. Magnus was asleep on the couch, empty bottles of liquor surrounding him. Alec looked worriedly at him, draping a blanket over his lean body. Magnus stirred lightly, but showed no signs of waking.
Alec went to their bedroom, sitting on the couch. He'd been to class recently, realizing he needed to pick back up on his project. He didn't know what had happened after the skating rink, but after meddling, he was sure Clary and Jace were closer. He'd intended for Sebastian to say something snarky, and Clary wouldn't stand for it.
He'd gone to philosophy class, and his professor called him after class, wondering why he hadn't been there recently. Professor Hawkins was on top of things like that.
So Alec told him what was going on in his life, the deal with his father. His teacher smiled sadly at him and said, "Look, Alexander, our parents have their flaws. Everyone has their flaws. And everyone has a reason for them. But what we need to do is learn to forgive these flaws, especially if they ask for forgiveness. You're going into a philosophy major, son. You need to accept everyone, no matter what they've done."
And that was why Alec sat with his phone in his hand, listening to his father's voicemail again. After it was over, his finger hovered over the call back button before deciding to just go with his instincts.
Robert picked up on the second ring with a tired, "Hello?"
"Dad, it's me," Alec said quietly, "Alec."
The other side was quiet for a moment before his father's voice cracked as he replied, "Alec?"
"Yeah," he replied with a small smile. "Look, I don't want to hear anymore apologies, okay? Let's meet up for lunch. How's Cosmos?"
"Sounds great," his dad said hoarsely.
"I'll see you then, bye."
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When Clary arrived home from practice, it was four fifteen. It was odd, her mother banning her from State, but allowing her to practice.
"Clary," Jocelyn called. "We need to speak to you!"
Jonathan, Valentine, her mother, and the Herondales were gathered in the living room.
"Rachel was kicked out of our home," Celine said hurriedly. "She forcefully kissed Jace."
Clary raised her eyebrows in shock, slumping down on the couch next to Jace.
"And we realized you were right," Jocelyn said. "So you can go to District."
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Jace was passing the Cross Country room again whenever he was pulled by the collar into his coach's room.
Clary sat on the desk, her eyes bright. Coach Patterson smirked at him.
"Welcome back, Jace."
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Clary ignored the butterflies in her stomach, looking at Jace happily. They'd shared their first kiss two days before after their technically second date, but their first as a couple.
"You'll do great," Jace said supportively. "I mean, somehow in two weeks you became best girl on the team, and we're the third best team in the state. You'll do great, Clary."
She pressed her lips to his, ignoring the sweat on his lips. The boys had just finished their warm up, leaving them sweaty and ready.
He released her lips after another peck, giving her a hug. "Go win, babe," he whispered in her ear.
She arrived at the starting line five minutes before the start. The announcer was belting out rules, but Clary ignored them. She was dedicated to winning State, and Jace doing the same.
The siren wailed, announcing the start. Clary found a comfortable spot in between the leading five and the ones trying to keep up. She had three miles to get in the lead.
The sound of footfalls behind her began to lighten up; meaning the people that had gone too fast had backed down.
She passed the fourth girl going up the hill, quickly gaining on the third. Her legs pushed, giving her the strength to accelerate. She was in mile two, and it was time to make her move.
Isabelle, who was always beside her, had fallen back as she went up the hill. Clary came upon her cheering team, Jace wearing the biggest winning smile. Sebastian was not upon them, given that his restraining order restricted him from being on the team.
"C'mon, Clary!" Jace called. "Pass them!"
She smiled at him, and surged, her green eyes bright as she passed the third and the second girl. She would allow her finishing stride to pass the first girl whom she was right behind.
She saw the long line that marked as the finish and her legs pushed her. She heard the pounding of footsteps as she raced the first girl, marking her as tired. Clary matched her stride, only making hers longer. She was soon up to her.
"Sprint Clary!" her coach called.
"Let's go, Clary!" Chase called.
Jace sat with a supporting smile, all Clary needed to push through her exhaustion and reach the finish line.
Her legs sprinted as fast as they could, passing the girl by a mere foot as she finished, hunching over with a long breath.
Arms picked her up and swung her around. "Congratulations to Clarissa Morgenstern from Viking High School. She is the State Champion for 2015!"
Clary looked to see who was picking her up and recognized the figure as Jace. He grinned, setting her down. "Congrats, babe." After this, he pulled her close, and gave her a long kiss.
The end
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Okay, well, not quite.
So, many of you asked for a sequel, which will be given. I left it here, because you could be happy without reading the sequel, though I really hope you read the sequel. The five options below will decide the epilogue and the sequel. Leave in a review which options you want!
Story Number One: Memories: Clary Morgenstern had the perfect boyfriend, Jace Herondale, and Jace had the perfect girlfriend, Clary Morgenstern Until one day, all that's left of each other are memories. Well, for Jace anyways. When Clary forgets everything in a tragic car accident, will their love be found again? Sequel to Lovers are Winners
Story Number Two: Alone: It was no secret that Clary and Jace Herondale were high school sweethearts. But their perfect world crumbles away when Jace was drafted to the Marines. Clary is left with the constant dread that Jace will die, and leave her, well, alone. Sequel to Lovers are Winners
Story Number Three: The Best of the Days: Clary Morgenstern and Jace Herondale have the same college dream, in which they make it into. However, so does Sebastian Verlac and Jace's old lover. Will the Clary and Jace love story survive? Sequel to Lovers are Winners
Story Number Four: Olympian Lovers: In the year 2018, married couple Clary and Jace Herondale arrive in Tokyo, Japan (Okay, I know, the next Olympics are probably not in Tokyo, but I really don't care. This is fiction, people!) to race for the U.S Olympic teams in long distance. Together, the two may just win and become the ideal couple. However, will a baby get in the way of their dreams? Sequel to Lovers are Winners
Story Number Five: Long Distance Relationships: It was ironic really, Clary Morgenstern thought. Long Distance was the type of running she and Jace Herondale specialized in, but this wasn't the type of long distance she could do. When Jace's dream college is in England, and Clary's the Oregon State College, will their relationship survive?
And there you have it! Leave in a review the number or description that you want, and I'll take most voted! I want at least fifteen votes (So fifteen reviews) so I know that the one I choose is the most wanted! Thank you guys so much!