Hey guys :)
So I'm back after a long break of not writing :/ I was going to write last weekend, but it was my birthday and my family came around to help celebrate it; anyway I couldn't write during the week because I have exams at the moment...but enough with the excuses, I'll update more. In fact, expect another chapter for this by tomorrow :)
Oh and thank you for all the reviews and support! You guys are awesome!
Hope you enjoy :)
Clary's pov
"And your point is?" I asked.
He let out a soft laugh. "My point is, your friends and family are going to look past this because what happened is in the past and because of it you'll grow in yourself," he said.
"Into a scared, helpless little girl?" I asked with a sarcastic laugh.
"If you don't remember, but that girl back there moments ago at the fireplace was determined not to get hurt again. You fought for yourself Clary and because of that, I think you're not growing weaker, but stronger," he stated strongly.
"You think?" I asked raising my head so I could lock my eyes with his to see if his answer was true or not.
"I know," he smiled.
My smile widened, but before I could let a single word leave my mouth, a scream ripped through the house causing both of our eyes to widen.
Pouncing to his feet, Jace rushed towards the door only giving me enough time to retrace his movements. The scream that tore through the house at a great current was like a lighten arrow ripping through the monstrous storm clouds, gaining speed before hitting with a rattling force to the ground. Sprinting after Jace, I kept my eyes on his golden locks as he raced through his mansion-like house, heading towards the source of the noise. Racing down the long hallway, Jace's figure disappeared leaving me to retrace my steps back out to the backyard. Anxiety ran through me at the thought of getting left behind, but I speed up my pace which resulted on me tripping on the rug at the top of the stairs. As I fell, I quickly took my opportunity to grab onto the railing preventing my fall, and with only a second of thought, a shiver ran up my spine when I felt a hand grip my other wrist.
I ripped my wrist away from the hand's grip, turning around sharply only for my eyes to widen with shock as they stared at the tiny figure that stood before me.
"Did I hurt you? I really didn't mean to, you were going to fall," the boy before me said softly, as he pushes his glasses farther up his nose. I looked more closely at him seeing the innocence and vulnerability that was evident from his small frame and his soft blue eyes: obviously a sibling of Isabelle's. "Why are you staring at me? Do I have something on my face?" he asked wide eyed as he rubbed at his face with the sleeve of his shirt.
A small smile made its way onto my face as I watched the boys' innocent act. I shook my head. "No there's nothing on your face," I promised him.
Lowering his arm from his face, a questionable look appeared on his face. "Are you the girl that a bad thing happened too? I heard Isabelle talking to Jace about you," he admitted troubled. "Why did she ask what that man actually did to you? That's what I don't understand, did he pick on you? Is that way you look scared?"
"What exactly did you hear them say?" I asked, curious.
He shrugged. "Isabelle wanted to know what happened to you, but Jace wouldn't tell her. Jace doesn't like sharing stuff like that with other people," he softly said, looking at me through his glasses. "Are you scared?"
'Great,' I thought. 'Did I look broken to everyone?' "Why would you ask that?" I asked, trying to force a smile that didn't come.
He shrugged once again. "Because Jace is scared and I thought he was scared the same reason you are," he answered honestly flowing through in his soft voice.
"Jace is scared?" I asked, shocked suddenly. I knew Jace was beaten up about the accident, but not scared as well.
"He hides it, but he can't from me," he admitted slightly happy with the thought he could see things in Jace others couldn't. "So are you going to tell me with happened that caused you to be scared?"
I knew the boy had my best interests in heart, but I refused to give him any knowledge of the world that stood shadowy out of these walls. Instead my eyes narrowed on a book that he held tightly to himself. "What are you reading?" I asked.
Looking down at the book himself, he smiled brightly. "It's a story about the Vikings and a journey a boy took…"
"You can read these sorts of books?" I asked shocked as I glared at the book more closely to realise it wouldn't be in a library for primary children which seemed strange because the boy that stood before me had a figure of a seven year old.
"I can read it and if there are any words that I can't read, Jace always helps me with them," he smiles proudly.
I opened my mouth to reply back, but a door slammed from door stairs and Jace's outraged voice tore through the rooms. Turning to the sound, I took a step down the stairs when the boys' voice spoke up again, "excuse me?"
Turning around, I asked quickly. "Yes?
"I get scared too," he smiled softly at me before turning for a room that stood close by. Smiling, I turned back and raced down the stairs, feeling the anxiety hit me with more of a force. Coming into view of Jace, I saw Isabelle and their mother, Maryse standing closely behind him.
"I can't believe you stuck up for Aline after what she said about Alec!" Jace yelled furiously, spinning around to his mother.
"I had to after Isabelle physically assaulted her," Maryse said firmly as she patted down her dress.
"I only did because I wanted to stick up for my own flesh and blood, unlike you," Isabelle growled, folding her arms across her chest.
"Oh just listen to you two. Alec knows with the choice he made he'll get reactions like that," Maryse said, backing herself up.
"But that's it, he does, but he never expected you to have the reaction everyone else has," Jace stated, a disgusted look appearing on his face as he turned around to meet them.
A sharp expression came across her elegant face. "What does that have to mean, Jace," she asked.
"It means you're disgusted with how your own son feels and who those feelings are aimed at. No wonder why he seemed so quick to leave," Jace stated, narrowing his eyes at his mother.
"Don't speak to me like that, I'm your mother," she growled, her voice lowering in case her visitors were listening.
"That's it," Jace said through his teeth as he ruffled through his pocket for his keys. "I can't bear to be here at the moment, I'm going."
"Sounds like a plan," Isabelle said, grabbing her coat off the coat rake. "I'll go with you."
"Don't do this," Maryse complained, "you can't leave."
"Maryse, just let them. They need some time to cool off," a man with black hair coming into view, obviously the father of the lot.
Glancing at their father once, Jace and Isabelle started to walk towards the door, only stopping when I came into their view.
"You know you can always come with us," Jace said with a weak smile.
I knew going with Jace in his time of need would be the right thing to do being his friend, or whatever you like to call us: acquaintances or two people who understands what the others going through? But my anxiety pushed itself forward, tugging forcefully at my chest as the thought of going somewhere unknown echoed through my mind. I shook my head. There was no way I could make it out there, not when I basically just made it through a grocery trip without a meltdown taking place. I shook my head. "I should probably just go home with mom and Luke," I said softly. "Thank you for inviting us for dinner though."
He shook his head and gave a pitiful laugh. "So you can see my pathetic family?" he asked.
"Jace!" Maryse growled.
Turning back to look at her, he said firmly, "it's true isn't it?" Glancing back at me, he gave me a soft smile. "I'll text you." And with that he shot out of the house, with Isabelle on his tail.
After they left, I stood awkwardly at the foot of the stairs, with Maryse and the Lightwood father staring mindlessly at the door. "Is everything okay?" I heard my mom's voice echo through the room as her and Luke came into view.
Maryse turned back shocked before pulling a forced smile onto her face. "Just a little mishap, nothing to worry about. I'm sorry the night didn't turn out like expected," she said to mom, formally.
Mom didn't look convinced. "Well thank you for your hospitality, but we should be heading home. Luke has work early in the morning," she said, which was obviously to me and Luke that she was using it as her escape card from the awkward astrosphere that now flowed between us.
"Well thank you for coming," Maryse said politely, smiling a pearly white smile. "It was nice meeting you all."
"As for you and your family," mom smiled, before looking over to where I stood. "Ready to go?"
I just nodded my head and started for the door, feeling Luke's presences behind me as he followed me out to the car. "Well that was awkward," Luke commented in a whisper of a tone as he made his way around to the driver's door.
"Well whatever happened tonight, it's none of our business. Agreed?" Mom looked in between us in a seriously manner causing a chuckle to escape my lips and in return mom's lips turned up into a grin. "So did you have fun tonight, sweetie?"
"It was okay. Their cousin is a bit weird though," I stated softly, as I moved into the back seat of our car.
"But you had a good chat with Jace?" she asked, placing herself into the passenger seat.
Thinking about the chat me and Jace had, and the freedom that I felt when my anxiety wasn't there seemed like bliss. For a moment, I sat there in silence before answering mom's question. "Yeah…I did."
Jace's pov
My grip on the steering wheel tightened, causing my knuckles to turn a ghostly white as the scene in the backyard and Maryse's words echoed through my mind repeatedly as if there was a projector stuck in my mind and the switch was trapped on replay.
"I can't believe that plastic Barbie said all that stuff and mom just sat back and listened!" Isabelle said furiously, "doesn't Alec mean anything to her? Like who cares if he's gay or not, he's still our brother, her son!"
"No wonder why Alec left, I envy him right at this moment," I said firmly through my teeth. Anger and frustration tore through my mind and body at what just occurred, but that wasn't just it…there was a sense of aloneness and guilt that hid deep in the shadows of my mind that started leaking out into the light. "Urgh, I need a drink."
"Same, I just want to let go of all this and have some fun, even if I have to pay for it tomorrow," she commented, rummaging through her bag until she pulled her ID out, correction-fake ID. "Pandemonium?"
I shrugged. "Better than no where I guess," I said, while turning the car around and heading in the clubs direction.
Ten minutes later.
Pulling up, I breathed in a sigh of relieve of finally reaching our destination so I didn't haven't to listen to Isabelle waffle on anymore and drink away the sorrows that have buried themselves deep inside of me. Locking the car, I shoved the keys into my pocket and made my way to the entrance. By this time of the night, the sun had been lost in the blanket of endless stars, the only thing lighting my path was the dim street lights.
Once I got inside after holding my breath that the bouncer outside would be convinced that I was the so-called Joe Henderson that my fake ID said I was and let me in; I directed myself straight to the bar where I ordered a drink. Handing money over to the barman, I said, "something strong."
Pulling a dark liquid into a glass, he placed it in front of me and then left me to sink into my sorrows. I let the nights actions haunt my thoughts as I thought over Clary's words of distress and then Isabelle punching Aline after she mindlessly assaulted Alec in front of her; then Maryse, my supposed mother. How could she just sit there-I shook my head, knowing that answer could never be answered because even though I had been living with the Lightwoods since I was ten, I still didn't understand Maryse at all. It was like Maryse was living in a different word than I was, like she saw thing different from right and wrong…
"Hey sugar, you look a little lonely over her. Do you want so company?" a husky voice said beside me, cutting through my thoughts.
Glancing to my side, I saw a girl with brown hair leaning into me wearing a tight dress that showed off her perfect curves; and the amount of makeup that she had piled on already starting to run. "No, I'm fine sitting here all on my own. I can assure you on that," I said, before turning back to my drink and drinking it back before calling to the barman again for another.
"Oh come on, honey. Your hot, I'm hot…we could have fun," her husky voice said, the smell of alcohol coming off of her breath as it hit my neck.
Turning back to her, I had no patience to listen to someone who was only looking for a root in the back room. "Even if I wanted to have fun, it wouldn't be with you. Got it?" I said harshly.
"Oh come on baby," she whined.
"He's obviously not interested," a familiar voice said behind me said. Turning around, I was faced with an almost forgotten Maia. "But I think that guy over there is," she said, pointing to a guy that sat at the end of the bar, staring at the brunette.
A small smile spread across her face as she bounced over to the guy, but not before calling back to us, "thanks!"
I glanced over to Maia, and her expression read the same as mine; shock. "Well, looks like brains aren't her thing," Maia laughed as she sat down beside me. "So what are you doing here?"
"Drinking," I raised the drink that the barman just had shoved in front of me, before taking another long drink of it. Behind me I heard a guy yell out over the music- 'great a volunteer!' I knew it would have been for something pointless, but I couldn't help let my head wonder to the night of the accident where that guy was shot…dead in front of us. The guilt that hid in the shadows buried itself into my shoulders, weighing me down causing a need for the fresh air.
"Trying to get drunk?" she asked, as she sipped on a drink that I hadn't noticed she was holding.
"Would it matter if I was?" I asked, questionably as I took another sip.
She shrugged. "You're still getting eaten up, aren't you?"
I raised my eyebrow, before sculling back the drink. "No, I'm absolutely fine," I commented.
"So why the need to drink?" she asked, questioningly.
"Because it's a free world Maia, I'm allowed to!" I snapped at her causing her to look taken back. "Look I'm sorry okay. I've had a rough night." I shook my head at my outburst, calling the barman over again. "Can you just give me the bottle?"
Nodding, he pulled one out of the fridge and handed it to me collecting my money as he did. "Want to talk about it?" Maia asked, softly.
"Not really," I mumbled as I stood up and started on my way out.
"Where are you going?" she asked me as she caught up to my long strides.
"Nowhere. Did you come here alone?" I asked her, ready to bolt out the exit.
"No, I came with my boyfriend and a few of my friends," she commented, looking around obviously for them.
"Well you should go back to them," I said swiftly as I disappeared out the door and into the freshness of the night. Opening the bottle, I took a long, needed drink and headed down a dark path wanting to escape if only for the night into a mindless state where the guilt from the accident and the actions of the night couldn't follow me.
Clary's pov
I twisted my pathetic body around in my bed sheets as the sleep that I needed and called for wouldn't arrive as my thought keep leading to the memory of Jace's angry expression and the hurt that I noticed hiding behind the anger. Was something eating him up? Or was it just what had happened tonight with Isabelle and his mother? He seemed so confident with me that I could get better, but was he putting on this act to help me? Questions flooded my mind as I mindlessly reached for my phone and began to type-
I'm sorry I didn't come with you tonight…Are you alright? ~C
I waited for a good thirty minutes, but no text arrived. I looked at the clock that sat on my bedside cabinet and read: 12:49am. Maybe he was asleep? Closing my eyes, my thoughts moved to tomorrow when my meeting with my counsellor was. I had to go see her every week and every week she didn't help. Her words were calming, but never to the extent that could help resolve this thing that I had…
I felt my mind fold and turn as sleep started to reach out to me with outstretched arms; calming my body and my restless mind.
Little did Clary know is that as sleep came upon her that out there in a dark, gloomy ally with a near empty bottle in his hands sat Jace who stared up into the endless amount of stars, wishing the guilt and sorrow would stop tearing him apart as if he was nothing but a rag doll.
Jace is as broken as Clary is :/ Maybe they can fix each other? ;)
How did you like it? Did you guys expect the scream to be from Aline? Go Izzy for hitting her :)
Review and tell me what you thought :)
Ex oh ex