"We've decided to break things off!" Izzy exclaimed happily, as soon as she sat down at the lunch table. Jon's arm was lazily slung over the back of her chair, a lazy smile gracing his lips.
"What?" I almost shouted. I acted the part rather poorly, even for myself. I knew that their breakup was going to happen soon, with all the conversations I'd had with Izzy, it was inevitable. Jace tutted at my attempt whilst Jon laughed.
"Izzy and I realised that it would be unfair to the rest of the male and female species if we just kept each other to ourselves" Jon's smile was wider now, whilst both he and Izzy seemed to share an inside joke.
"So in other words, it was mutual and you both want to see other people?" Jace guessed. Picking up a carrot stick from a salad Izzy was having, seemingly more interested in it than in them.
"Yep" Izzy and Jon both said in unison, popping the p's and even fist bumping each other.
"But we were all finally together!" Aline whined, Helen laughed but kissed her cheek in agreement . It was true. Everyone was now a couple (both Seelie and Kaelie had stopped sitting at the table after hearing that Jace was no longer single.) Well everyone was at least, but now Jon and Izzy had ruined it. But at least Jon and Izzy were both being truthful to themselves. It was Friday lunchtime, and both Jace and I had been dating for almost two weeks now. Alec and Magnus were celebrating their two week anniversary (It was mainly Magnus parading that information around, shedding lots of holo glitter everywhere whilst Alec blushed furiously.) Both Aline and Helen were more secretive to them dating, they had only told us that they were dating; close friends only. Whilst the rest of the school still saw them as best friends.
"Don't worry Aline, I'm sure your mysterious cousin 'Stan' can solve Izzy's single problem." Jace teased, mirroring Jon's earlier actions as he slung his arm lazily over the back of my chair.
"You can't call him that Jace, he'll kill me if he finds out that I called him that behind his back, only my family can get away with calling him Stan. " Aline scolded him.
"Well what are we meant to call him, you never told us-" I zoned out of Aline`s and Jace`s conversation. My mind focusing instead on how everything has changed so much. How two months ago I had just escaped Sebastian and left with bruises worn as his marks of possession. Two months since I last saw dad. I was starting to worry over Valentine now; he hasn't called me back in ages.
"His name is-"
"Aline can I borrow your phone please, mine's dead." I cut in, my gut starting to clench slightly, I might as well try to call him. Aline tossed her phone to me, and catching it, I walked out towards a quiet corridor.
Once getting into an isolated and abandoned area I dialled dad's number and waited for him to pick up. It had to be around 9am in L.A by now, so he'd definitely be up by now.
"Hello?" Valentine picked up by the third ring, I sighed in relief.
"Dad, why haven't you called me, you promised to call every Thursday, is everything alright?-"
"Yes everything's alright Clarissa, I was just preoccupied yesterday, and Sebastian showed up yesterday? Asking about you."
"Really?" My heart stopped then started racing rapidly. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him nothing of course," Valentine laughed lightly at my tense voice. " I know how you're not on good terms with him anymore. But he stayed for a few hours after that, so yeah, sorry about that." The tension that had built from Sebastian's name had lessened now. and I faked a light-hearted laugh along with him.
"That's good Dad, I was just worrying whether you were working too late again. " I added, my voice slightly tense again.
"No, you don't have to worry all about me Angel? Talking about work did you call for any other reason, I'm due for a meeting in a minute, so I'll have to hang up soon." Valentine would always be the same man, worried over work.
"No, I just called to check up, well I'll be calling soon again, love you Dad. " I smiled even though he couldn't see it.
"Love you too Angel" Valentine ended the call, I smiled at his name for me, he'd been calling me that ever since first grade when I had the part of an angel, it was the only ever play of mine that he'd been to.
I turned and quickly walked back towards the lunch hall. The otherwise deserted hallway now creeping me out. when I had finally got back to the chaotic canteen, Jace and Aline still seemed to be arguing over 'Stan', it was mainly Jace teasing her about calling him that and Aline threatening to embarrass him back.
"Jace quit it, I'm not sure that Aline can take your teasing anymore." I hit him playfully on the arm as I resumed my seat on the table.
"So when will we be meeting the lovely Stan?" Jace teased once more, I hit him once again.
"I think he's meant to be here" Aline checked her watch, "in 8 minutes, that's when his plane is meant to land anyway, but then again, you know JFK airport." Aline dismissed.
"Tell me about it, My plane was delayed for 3 hours, Mom had to browse in the shops for ages, waiting for me." I laughed along with Aline. "Are you gonna eat any of that pie Magnus, I'm starving." I added to Magnus, who was currently sucking the life out of Alec. Without breaking from the kiss, Magnus slid the bowl towards me. and picking up a fork, I begun happily munching on it, my thoughts of everything else gone.
The final bell had rung, I sighed in happiness, Izzy was somewhere else so I had sat in homeroom alone, the noisy chatter of my fellow classmates adding to my slight headache. Everyone had left now, leaving me alone, rubbing my temples, I stood up and slung my bag around my shoulder, and still looking down, I bumped into someone.
Shocked, I looked up and was met with a pair of chocolate brown eyes.
"Simon?" I gasped, shocked, he'd been avoiding me ever since I mentioned that I was Jon's sister. His dark brown curly hair fell into his face as he brushed t away with his fingers.
"Clary right?" Simon started, even though we both knew that he already knew my name. His glasses fell down slightly on his nose and he pushed them up again.
"Yes, to what do I owe the pleasure?" I smiled timidly. Simon blinked, momentarily looking confused before he remembered what he was going to say.
"Um yeah, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for ignoring you and yeah. It was wrong of me to be rude to you just because of who your brother was." Simon rushed out, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Oh okay, well thanks. But why are you telling me this?" I felt slightly confused now. unsure of where this conversation was heading.
"It's just we seem really similar, like we could be friends or what-"
"So you want to be friends with me?" I questioned.
"Yeah, it's just we seemed to be getting on well and-" Simon looked rather embarrassed as he then muttered out " and I also noticed that you have volume 12 of Tokyo Ghoul. So I wanted to ask if I could borrow it."
I laughed at that, like the kind of doubling over on the ground laugh, it took a minute before I could stop laughing and wiping my tears away I answered with the straightest face I could manage "So I'm the only one with the book so you want to befriend me?" Simon was red in the face by now. and he muttered out a 'yes' I laughed slightly again before rummaging around in my bag trying to find it. That was when my sketch pad fell out, containing all my ideas for a graphic novel I wanted to create, I still wasn't really set on an idea yet.
"Let me get that." Simon said as he picked up my pad before looking at it. He whistled, turning to the next page.
"Hey! give that back!" It was my turn now to look embarrassed, my cheeks flushed as I tried to reach for it. Simon was far taller than me though, so he just lifted the pad further from my reach.
"These are actually really good, shame you have no real idea behind it though." Simon noted, assessing the pad from a height. I used Tokyo Ghoul to hit him consistently before he lowered the sketchpad and giving it to me, before rubbing his arm in defeat. I hugged the pad to my chest and finally gave him the book he wanted.
"Did you really think it was good?" I asked, now feeling slightly awkward, I felt bad for hitting him now, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Yeah, from what I saw anyway, but they're all unconnected. You know, if it's ideas that you're lacking, I've got this whole notepad dedicated to manga's I wanted to write. We could always; I don't know, add our skills together and try to create one." Simon suggested.
"Sure." I replied, surprising us both with my answer.
"Oh cool, so are you doing anything now, like we could start now if you want?" Simon asked. I thought of what he said for a second. Jace and Jon were at football training for two hours so I had that time to spare.
"Yeah, I have two hours to wait for Jace and Jon before I go home so I guess we could do it now." I smiled at him. "We could go to the school library or that coffee shop." I suggested.
"Let's go to the coffee shop, I have some of my ideas in there, hidden in the book section."
"Sure, can I just text Jace first, to let him know where I'm going, for all I know, you could be a serial killer." I joked.
"What type of serial killer wears such surprisingly witty shirts like me?" Simon gestured to his shirt that read 'I'd rather be watching cats on the internet' "Anyway don't all psychopaths' dress like Patrick Bateman from American Psycho?" Simon remarked.
"True." I sighed in mock defeat. "I'll text him at the coffee shop."
"You can't kill the main character in the first volume Clare, it always leads to the readers getting confused as to whether they should like the new main character or not."
"But I've always wanted the main character to die, we're talking about demon slaying warriors Si, some are bound to die" We had been arguing over parts of the manga for almost 2 hours now, all track of time lost. 15 minutes into our conversation of what the mange would be about, we had come into our first disagreement, and most of it continued from there. But despite all the arguments, we were getting along greatly; Simon was like the friend I always wanted. I was on my fifth drink now and Simon on his eighth. I had switched to decaf on my fourth and Simon on his third. But caffeine was pumping through our veins like water through pipes. We were both jittery and disputing animatedly. Luke, the shop owner was now leaning over and shamelessly listening into our discussion, we had chased away all of his other customers with our loud voices, but as long as we kept ordering drinks every 20 minutes or so, he didn't mind.
"Well kill the boyfriend or something, but don't kill the main character." Simon retorted, pushing his glasses up his nose once again.
"Are you plotting to kill me?" A new voice asked. Realising how loud they'd been, Clary turned to see Jace, who was leaning carelessly against the doorway. His expression as one of mock hurt.
"Yes" I laughed out narrowing my eyes at him in mock aggressiveness. "And replace you with a robot."
"Clary, I'm telling you, no robots!" Simon started up our earlier discussion. I came back with another retort then we were at it again, arguing over the most minor details. Jace cleared his throat a minute later.
"Clary." He whined. "C'mon, it's already 5:23, it's late, let's go back to your house. Jon's waiting in the car." I looked up puzzled at Simon who was now checking his watch.
"Is it really that time already? I'm gonna be late for the D&D game with Kirk and Eric, well I'll talk to you later Clary." Simon got up and nodded towards Jace and Luke as a goodbye before heading out.
"D&D?" Jace asked puzzled. Trust Jace not to know what Dungeons and Dragons was. I rolled my eyes before saying goodbye to Luke.
Heading towards the car, I was greeted with the semi angry looking Jon. "What were you doing with rat boy?" Jon asked, narrowing his eyes at me in frustration.
"You mean Simon? He doesn't even look like a rat, and what's your problem with him."I replied back, as angry as him, my good mood gone.
"Everyone knows he's been crushing on Izzy for ages, I don't want him using you to get to Izzy." Jon sighed slightly wearily.
"You're not even with Izzy anymore! And he's not using me. We're just discussing ideas for a manga. "I could see Jon's shoulders slightly slump in defeat. "I can see his reasons now for disliking you. "I added.
"Whatever, just get in the car, we're going to Izzy's, greeting Aline's cousin." I got into the front as Jace got into the back of the car.
"Sure, get going then." I said.
"Have you never heard of the French phrase 'quart d'heure de politesse', it means Quarter an hour of politeness, and her cousin's French so- " Jon trailed off as both Jace and I laughed.
"Just drive Jon." I urged him, and Jon finally pulled the car into first gear and started driving.
Less than ten minutes later, we were at Izzy's house. Jace was out first and knocked on the door and Izzy answered it 3 seconds later, along with Magnus, who threw glitter on him, Jace cursed before chasing him. Jon greeted Izzy saying something about him being famished; I was the last to get to the door.
"Clary!" Izzy greeted me,"You should meet Aline's cousin, come, he's in the study." Izzy led me to the study bet then she heard a crash from somewhere in the kitchen. "What did Jon do this time? You'll have to greet him by yourself, he seems really nice." Izzy was already walking away towards where more noise was being made, sounding something like smashed glass.
I entered the study, books adorned each of the walls. There was a fire crackling quietly as the room felt slightly stuffy and too warm. Stood at the edge of the fireplace stood Aline's cousin. He seemed to be looking at photos of the Lightwoods. It was of Izzy Jace, Jon and Alec in the snow. Jon's arm was slung over Izzy's and Jace's shoulders, his hair damp with some snow, the picture catching him mid laugh. Alec was stood further back, a snowball in hand as he seemed to have it aimed at the back of Jace's head. I stood still for a second before speaking.
"Hi Aline's cousin, I'm Clary. What's your name?" I greeted him, slightly embarrassed over not knowing his name.
"Your brother looks a lot like your Dad Clare Bear." He replied, the voice was so familiar, no, it couldn't be. His back was turned away from me, I couldn't be sure.
"How do you know-" I gasped, shocked. It couldn't be him.
"Your Dad? Of course I know him Clare, I even saw him only yesterday." He was still facing the fireplace. I no longer felt the heat of the warm room, ice was in my veins, and I was frozen.
"Y-Yesterday?" was all I managed out, even my tongue seemed frozen, unable to form any other words.
"To ask about you of course. You didn't think that I'd let you go so easily now would I?" And with that, he turned around and I was met with the piercing black and soulless eyes of Sebastian. My nightmare.
...And the plot thickens. This has to be the most I've ever written for a chapter, that's why it took slightly longer this week to update. I really wanted for Sebastian to be revealed in this chapter and for Clary's and Simon's friendship to blossom. What do think will happen between Clary and Seb now? Your reviews are always wanted and they also motivate me to write. This story isn't that far from being finished now, but it's definitely not over in the next few chapters. Once again, please review.
PS; I listened mainly to Lana Del Rey whilst writing this, even though I don't usually listen to her much :-D
-Ruby |-/