Chapter four

Jace pov

Guilt.

Every second of every single day I am filled with guilt.

Guilt for being mean.

Guilt for making Clary upset.

I thought that if I became the most wanted guy in school, kept going through cheerleaders, I would get over her.

And when I say get over her, I mean really get over her. In the first few weeks of school I couldn't keep my eyes off her. Her smile makes me smile, even I it isn't at me. I feel like I could listen to her for hours. Isabelle picked up on it and I had to deny the whole thing.

I've stopped bullying her.

I'm friends with Sebastian, but I just say I have something to do when I get the feeling he's going to torture Clary.

Soccer tryouts are tomorrow. So i tell my mom the reason I'm out until 2am every night shooting goals is because of that. But really it's because I'm angry at myself.

Angry because I'm not brave.

Angry because Isabelle won't talk to me.

Angry because I don't know how to fix this.

•two days later•

Clary pov

Sebastian yells at another me. I stare at the scene, words flying through the air, terrible words. The other me breaks. "ENOUGH!" She shouts. "Enough."

Those were the words that ended it. But I know what happens next. I try to move, to through myself in front of the other me, but I'm stuck. Sebastian hits her. Or me I guess. Pain ripples throughout my body, sending shocks through my mind.

I wake up with a jolt.

Everything moves. Tears swim in my eyes, my head aches. I glance at my alarm clock. It reads 7:55. I quickly rush up to my dresser, ignoring the painful head rush that overwhelms me. I dress quickly ( m/set?.embedder=12995876&.svc=copypaste&id=144836517)

and run outside, skipping breakfast, and hop on my bike. I hurry into school as quick as I can. If I get another late mark, I'll get detention. I just turned the corner into homeroom wing when I get push into the wall. I'm staring into Sebastian's cold, black eyes.

"You," he spat, "are gonna get it. Suddenly everyone thinks I of all people is the bad guy. And I don't know what you've done to jace, but he'll come back to me soon enough." With that he hits me in the face, hard, and I feel my head hit the wall. I lie on the hard floor as I watch him walk away through my tear stained eyes.

Jace pov

I tap my foot anxiously, watching the clock. Homeroom is about to start, and Clarys still not here. I can see her friends mimicking my movements, especially Simon and Isabelle. The door starts to open, and I perk up, but it's just Jonathan, wearing a smug expression and rubbing his knuckles. He comes and plops down in a seat beside me, glancing around the room for a teacher. There isn't one, these homerooms are hardly ever monitored.

"Haha so man guess who I ran into?" He baits, I shrug. "Clary," He continues "got a good smack in. Don't think she'll be seeing the light of day for a few hours if you know what I mean."

My brain tried to figure out what he meant. It dawned on me. He hit her. He hit my Clary.

So I hit him.

Everybody stares.

"Iz, he hit Clary, I think she's in the hallway somewhere."

Iz moves to get up, and the whole class starts whispering, asking if she's going to be okay.

"Why do you people care about her?" Sebastian yells, after snapping out of his daze, "she's a fucking little girl! Why the hell do all of you care about her so much?!"

A boy I don't recognize stands up.

"She helped me after my mom died." He states, then walks out the door after Isabelle. More and more people stand up, saying how she helped them.

"She kept me from failing science."

"She stopped me from committing suicide."

"She drove me to the hospital when my dad hit me."

"She was my friend when nobody else was."

The reasons kept coming, until finally, the head cheerleader, Aline, stood up.

"She helped me come out to my parents, and now, to you." She said, her voice quaking. A girl, I think her name is Helen, stood up quickly and outstretched her hand to Aline, and they walked out together.

I push Sebastian to the ground.

"Don't touch her again, you bastard." I spat, shoving him with more force this time.

Then I ran out into the hall to see a crowd formed around a small body. Clary.

I didn't think, I just ran forward, kneeling down next to her. I scooped her up, and carried her to the health office, her friends following.

I barged into the health office, getting a very shocked look from the nurse, and placed her down on the cot. The nurse says something, but I can't hear her. Reality comes back quickly, though, when I look at the red mark on Clarys face.

I explain everything to the nurse and she just nods in understanding.

I'm dragged out by Isabelle, who says I should go home and rest.

I do as she says, but I assure you, I wasn't able to sleep a wink.

sorry for the short chapter but it'll be my second for the day so I figure I deserve to make it short

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