The next day at school, I was leaning against a tree and sketching as I enjoyed a lunch with Izzy and Simon when Jace came sauntering over.

This time, it was Simon who took the first hit. "Woah, woah, woah. Careful. This area is restricted to losers only. If you cross that line, you will officially become one of us," Simon chimed.

Izzy hit Simon on the back of the head with a melodic thwack! Simon rubbed his head mournfully.

"No, seriously," I said as Jace let his back fall against the same tree I was leaning against. "Why are you here?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked sarcastically. "We're lab partners!"

This was news to me. "We—we are?"

"Well, ever since I told Dr. Aldertree I cannot stand to work with that insufferable beast Kaelie Whitewillow anymore. She kept straying off the topic of biology to bed. I can't really understand how animal feces can turn someone on, but I mean, whatever works for you..."

We all laughed and I gave Jace a warm smile. "You know how much this means to me, right?" Jace smirked and nodded.

"Yeah, I mean, every week when Clary would come home crying it was always 'Kaelie' this or 'Kaelie' that. The girl's a witch," Simon added. I sighed. Here it was.

"Excuse me?" Apparently, Simon never got the memo that I never told Jace about my school troubles. "Every week, Clary?" Jace was boiling. He was furious.

Jace was about to stand at stalk off in a fit of rage when Alec came strutting over. Magnus, at his heels, looked panic stricken. Alec, however, looked straight out of music video and as though he was about to start belting "These Are My Confessions."

"A-alec?" Even Jace, who had moments ago been furious beyond boiling point, was shocked. "What the-"

"Listen up," Alec interrupted. "It's time I tell you all something."
"Oh, no," I sighed.

"I'm gay," he blurted, like he was afraid the words would burn if they were left in his mouth too long. "Like, really gay."

Magnus plopped his face into his hands.

"And, um, one more thing. The night of that party, Clary walked in on me and Magnus...umm..." Magnus trailed off and Izzy's "omigod" was muffled by her hand over her mouth. "Kissing. And I made her promise not to tell anyone. Even Izzy or Jace. I'm assuming that's why Clary...umm...kissed him. To distract him from umm...interrupting." Alec had lost all his previous glamour and confidence.

Everyone stared at me. "Assumption confirmed...?"

Jace pressed his lips together and nodded. "Seems legit, now if you'll excuse me," and jace continued with the storm-off he'd been previously orchestrating.

"Bad time?" Magnus asked, finally speaking. I noticed his arm was now linked with Alec's. I was such a proud mama bear.

"Slightly," I told him, standing to go after Jace.

"Jace!" I called. When he didn't turn, I was easily frustrated. "Jace Herondale, get back here!"

When Jace finally turned, I resisted the urge to back away. To tell him I didn't want anything, that I was wrong. His eyes weren't empty, as they normally would be when someone got him angry. But because he cared about me, because I'd weaseled my way into his life without asking, he was furious. It was like there was fire, ice, chemicals and storms all contained in his eyes. It sent a shiver through me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded. His voice, quite different from his eyes, was only filled with hurt. "I thought that was the kind of thing we would tell each other."

I fought for something—anything—to say. "Simon was exaggerating!" I shouted. "I can handle myself better than that."

"I know!" He snapped. But he wasn't loud, and that was what scared me. "I know you can handle yourself but it doesn't have to be painful. And if you really could handle yourself and handle her then this wouldn't still be happening!"

"She's a robot! She won't back off, okay?" Then I saw something in his eyes. "Not even if you yell at her. That will only make her angrier. She might seriously kill me."

Jace grew silent for a long moment. "But why?"

"You weren't here. It didn't bother me enough to call you in the middle of whatever photoshoot you were posing for or whatever girl you were busy charming. It doesn't even matter that much to me."

Jace closed his eyes and breathed deep. "It mattered enough for you to run crying to Simon. It mattered enough for you to be bruised," At this, I subconsciously tugged down on my sleeves. I couldn't tell if it was to hide a particularly ugly bruise on my elbow (which hadn't even come from Kaelie, it had come from the corner of my desk) or the faint scars on my wrists that Jace noticed but never questioned. They came from the restraints I always tried to struggle against during my kidnapping.

"But it didn't matter enough for you to just mention it to me. You didn't even have to make a big deal. I want to help you, Clary, I want to be there for you," That hit me pretty hard.

"And," he added, spitting the words through gritted teeth before stalking off in the other direction. "I'm not a child. I do my job and I don't sleep with a new girl every week, okay? I though you understood that, but…"

I was left standing there, shivering. Not because I was cold or lonely, because I was scared. I was afraid I was losing Jace because of a stupid slip of words.

0.o.O.o.0

"Clary!" Simon yelled as soon as I'd made my way back to them. Alec was staring sleepily into Magnus' eyes which, for some reason, made me want to puke. "Did I totally ruin Clace?"

Izzy, quite uncharacteristically, gawked at Simon and this time it was Magnus who thwacked Simon on the head.

"What," I began, praying for patience, "On this godly earth is clace?" I obviously knew it was a ship name, but ship names were meant for couples.

"It's a friend ship!" Magnus cried. "We've started making them. Like you and Simon are Climon. And me and you are Clagnus. And you and Izzy are Clizzy. And-,"

"Okay, okay, I get it. But I don't like it. Please don't say that in front of me ever again. It's weird. And for the love of God, do not say that in front of Jace."

"Say what in front of Jace?" Jace suddenly appeared just like he always did, out of thin air.

I jumped because of my seemingly thin nerves and—like always—ended up on the ground. Instead of helping me back up, Jace plopped down next to me.

I tried not to let Jace know I was staring at him, but then Simon opened his mouth. "Am I the only one who thought that was an outrageously fast time to get over a fight?" Then his eyes filled with realization and he ducked before anyone could hit him, but no one tried. In fact, Simon's comment was met with equally confused grunts of agreement.

Jace simply shrugged. That was when I knew he absolutely hadn't gotten over it, he was putting on a mask. He couldn't risk Grumpy Jace being leaked to the media through the lens of a greedy press photographer or Kaelie's upgraded smartphone.

I couldn't look at him that way. I mumbled a few words, something akin to "excuse me," then picked up my things and scurried away.

0.o.O.o.0

Jace P.O.V.

I watched Clary walk away and my heart broke a little bit more. I hadn't really meant to hurt her. I'd meant get through to her. But it had consequences. I wanted to go after her. But something told me she just couldn't have him there at the moment.

"Awkward," Alec finally spoke. I couldn't help but shoot him a playful glare. "Anyone know what that was about?"

"Jace knows," Izzy's voice was cold, investigative, and calculating. "He always knows. That or he's the reason."

"Could be both," Simon suggested. I didn't like the feeling of being interrogated so I stood. I didn't go in Clary's direction though; I went to the library.

But none of the books could interest me. I shot a quick glance at the computers. I knew I shouldn't. Only bad things came up. But I couldn't help myself.

I pulled out a chair at one of the computer desks and typed my own name into the search bar.

The results should've shocked me. But they didn't.

Is Jace Herondale a Criminal?

A group of press caught the famed model for Aero outside a store with shockingly large bags. Is he…

Jace Herondale sleeping with Six?

A new group of teenage girls have stepped up to say they have in fact been sleeping with…

Jace Herondale in love?

Every weekend, the teen world's favorite icon disappears and comes back looking happier than ever…

I sighed, brushing the hair out of my face. The all-too-familiar knot in my stomach tightened another inch. With one swift motion, I closed out the page, signed off the computer, and flicked off the monitor, finally standing to leave just as the fifth period bell chimed shrilly.