Clary didn't remember the last time that she had had this much fun.

Not that she didn't enjoy hanging out with her friends, but it just wasn't the same.

Clary went to school with Simon most mornings, she had cheerleading practice twice a week after school which she only went to half the time even though Lydia had started sending her texts and telling her she couldn't keep showing her 'special treatment' and then every other moment of the day was pretty much spent either with Jace or at the tattoo parlor. Maia and Magnus always grinned in this...In this insanely genuine way whenever she showed up, and Magnus had told her multiple times that he would pay her for the work that she was doing, but Clary just waved him off.

In regards to cheerleading, she was barely paying attention to it anymore. It had never been something that she had really enjoyed, she had only joined because Kaelie had talked her into it, and then she had just stuck to it once she and Jordan had started going out, because that made sense. She was dating a jock so she should be a be a cheerleader. She told herself that she didn't do what people told her to do or what was expected, but the more her eyes were opened to this whole other universe, she realized that that was kind of all she had done. Lydia still hadn't clicked onto the fact that something was wrong, even though both Kaelie and Clary were completely avoiding her. Clary kind of wondered how completely stupid she was not to notice, but she hardly saw the blonde around at lunch, and so she wondered if she was swanning off somewhere with Jordan. Kaelie made a few snide remarks that seemed to go over Lydia's head, while Clary just ignored her.

Simon knew that she was seeing someone, of course, and Clary saw him sometimes, looking standing in the front courtyard of his home when she was getting picked up or dropped off by Jace on the back of his motorbike, and he had text her a few times just after she had walked into her house, so he had obviously seen her, probably through the window from his bedroom. But he didn't ask any prodding questions, just told her that he was ready whenever she wanted to talk about whatever was going on.

Her father was home a lot more, but usually only in the mornings. Essex would wake up some nights, really late, and Clary knew that Valentine was coming in, but she didn't pay it any attention. It was just surprising that he was still around, usually he didn't stay in town for such an extended period of time.

Jocelyn was gone, although she had told Clary that she wouldn't be away for long. She had gone to New York with a couple of women that she had met at yoga class.

Clary wondered if that was code for a young trainer that she had met at yoga class, but she didn't say anything.

She didn't care enough to.

Jonathan had finally sent her a reply to her long list of responses, at the same time that he had posted a new photo on Instagram. The picture was of him with three girls, all with different, brightly coloured hair, all falling out of their bikini tops, arms thrown around him. He looked like he was having the time of his life. Jonathan's reply had been short, just saying he was trying to sort something out, but it shouldn't take long, and then he'd be back.

She had no idea what was with his cryptic messages, because she was pretty sure the only thing Jonathan had ever tried to 'work out' was not pissing off his myriad of girlfriends that he had on a rotating schedule. But she didn't care, because if it meant he was going to be back soon, then that was good enough for her.

And then there were Jace and his friends.

Jace was busy a lot, but he seemed to find time to come and see her at least every few days, even if it was only for an hour or so. Clary had more time in the weekend, but it seemed as though that was when Jace was more busy, although there had been a few times that she had been able to spend the night with him, Clary driving out there late on a Friday night and leaving early on Saturday morning.

Maia and Magnus were always so welcoming and told her over and over again that she was welcome at the parlor, and so it had just gotten to the point where whenever she had free time and she wasn't with Jace, she would go there.

"I think maybe a bit more detail here," Magnus pointed his pinkie finger, which had a dainty silver ring on it. Clary pursed her lips as she looked down at the sketch. She had been sent three photos of the same cat at different angle, clearly the woman who was coming in was absolutely obsessed.

"I don't know..." she hummed out. "Sometimes less is more." There was a snort from across where the two were sitting and Clary glanced up at Maia, who pointedly looked Magnus up and down.

"I really think you're talking the wrong audience here," she stated and Clary looked Magnus over properly and then giggled. Magnus was wearing a pair of black pants that had that whole wet leather look about them and there were sporadic glitters when the light caught it just right, with a black singlet tucked into the pants that was also splashed with glitter and then a blue kimono printed with flowers. That wasn't even starting on the rings and necklaces he was wearing as well.

"I see what you mean," Clary stated and Magnus rolled his eyes at the pair of them.

"Fine," Magnus said. "Well, why don't you keep your draft and then make a copy and sketch a bit more detail in to the second one, and we'll present both of them to her." Clary looked up at the clock on the wall, which said it was almost four, when the woman was about to show up, and she let out a sigh.

"I feel this comes under some sort of child slave labour law," she tore the page carefully from her book and went over to where the scanner and computer were, at Maia's desk.

"It really doesn't, Princess," Maia sung out with an amused smile. "First of all, you're not a child, and second of all, you're just drawing a couple of pictures."

"A couple of pictures—" Clary shot Maia an indignant look, even though Maia's grin widened and she knew that the other girl was just teasing her, and that she appreciated the work that Clary did for them. "Fuck you," Clary pulled the fingers at Maia, who just laughed and Magnus looked between the two of them affectionately.

"It's so nice when the family all gets along," he said teasingly and Maia laughed again, but Clary felt the smile freeze on her face, feeling a bit strange at the word. Magnus and Maia didn't notice, and they shifted the topic of conversation while Clary printed off the copy of her picture and then made a few more changes, adding in more details in the cats eyes and the whiskers, and then handed it over to Magnus, just as the woman came through the door.

She was loud and colourful, seemed like she was exactly the kind of person that Magnus would get along with.

"Afternoon, lovely!" Magnus sung out and the woman smiled and greeted Magnus. It seemed as though she had been here a few times before, judging by her familiarity with Magnus and the tattoo's up her arm and one on the side of her neck, stretching toward her collarbone.

"Alright, well, let me get you all started," Maia said, joining Clary behind her desk and pulling out the consent form. Clary moved away from the desk, handing both sketches over to Magnus and then taking a seat on the couch, making herself comfortable. Maia finished up with the woman and then Magnus handed both sketches over to her, waiting for her to pick one. She tapped her fingers against the sides of the sketches for a moment before handing Magnus the one that she wanted. Magnus shot a look over at Clary, narrow eyed and playful, before screwing up the one that the woman didn't want and throwing it in the direction of the couch before the two of them went into the back room.

Clary flattened out the picture and snorted.

The woman had chosen Clary's original sketch.

"You know we're serious about paying you for the work that you do, right?" Maia commented idly where she was scanning the womans work into the system. Clary shrugged a shoulder, because it wasn't as though she needed the money.

But then, on the other hand, it was kind of nice that someone was appreciating the little sketches that she had been doing for years, which no except Simon had really ever recognized.

"Maybe," Clary shrugged. "I don't know..."

"Girl," Maia arched an eyebrow. "People get paid good money for sketches like that, it helps tattoo parlors out a lot if they've got an artist who can actually draw an image from scratch, or adapt one to what the customer wants. And you're one of those people who could get paid for that." Clary didn't really knew what to say to that, so she just fiddled with the corner of the paper that she had resting on her knee.

"Hey, Maia," came a voice from the doorway, and Clary's head lifted to look toward where Alec and Jace were coming in. Alec was the one who had spoke to Maia, which made complete sense since he really didn't talk to Clary.

He more just glared at her.

And when he wasn't glaring, when he was in a better mood, like when he was about to see Magnus or when he was with Magnus, then he just stared at her with distaste curling his upper lip.

Now, it seemed like he was in a good mood.

He just let his eyes skim over Clary, pressing his lips together, and then heading into the back part of the shop. Clary knew that Alec wouldn't be going into the actual tattooing room, because Magnus didn't like anyone else in there with him when he had a client, but he would be going toward one of the offices back there, or maybe Maia's piercing room.

Anything to get away from her, apparently.

"Afternoon, Maia," Jace had come in behind Alec, and he was standing by Maia's desk. She grinned at him, reaching over as he pressed a kiss to her cheek and touched a hand to her hip, before he came over to Clary. "Hey, sweet thing," Jace murmured as he reaching out a hand to wrap around her wrist and then tugged her to her feet. The nickname had definitely grown on her, although she still gave him a bit of a hard look when he used it in front of other people. "You wanna head out?"

"Yeah," Clary nodded.

"You want to follow me to the clubhouse? I need to pick something up. Or you want to drive back to my place and meet me there?" Jace asked.

"I'll meet you at your place," Clary answered without even needing to think about it. Jace wasn't surprised, because she had only been to the clubhouse a couple of times since the party. It just made her feel a little uncomfortable, and she hated feeling off balance, since she felt like that enough when she was around Jace.

"Alright," Jace nodded, and he leaned in and captured her mouth with his. His tongue pressed into her mouth almost immediately, making her feel breathless and weak-kneed, and when he pulled back, he shot her a wink, knowing exactly what he did to her, even though she tried to hide it.

Maia smirked knowingly on their way out.

I just want to write a quick note...Please make sure you guys are looking after yourself. The world is scary right now and...Yeah. Please look after yourself and your family and friends. Please stay safe and sane and remember you're important, valid and loved.

My top 10 songs of this week are;

1) You Broke Me First - Tate McRae. 2) Must Have Been The Wind - Alec Benjamin. 3) Daechwita - Agust D. 4) Too Sad To Cry - Sasha Sloan. 5) Puss - Jimin featuring IRON. 6) Burn It - Agust D featuring MAX. 7) Boys Will Be Bugs - Cavetown. 8) Stupid - Tate McRae. 9) What Do You Think? - Agust D. 10) Cruel Intentions - Delacey featuring G-Eazy.

And then...I've recently watched Whisper of the Heart and Kiki's Delivery Service, which are both just beautiful and soothing movies if you need something sweet to just transport you away.

Leave a review, let me know what you think, let me know what you're listening to and watching x

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Twitter: CalamitySerene