Chapter Ten:
When Monday rolled around Jace was pretty anxious to go back to school. Everything was just so fresh still, and unreal. The only thing that was helping him right now was the thought of seeing Clary today. It would be weird, since their relationship was still extremely new and nobody at school knew, but he was ready to face the stares and the whispers about it.
Izzy and Jace got into the car and drove to school in silence. When they pulled up to the parking lot Jace immediately spotted Clary standing talking to Simon. He heard Izzy take a deep breath and he looked at her and smiled. She smiled back and they both got out of the car. They made their way over to Clary and Simon and when Jace locked eyes with Clary he immediately felt lighter. He walked over to her and pressed his lips to hers. When they pulled apart she smiled at him.
"How are you?" Clary asked and Jace grabbed her hand and started walking.
"I'm a little overwhelmed but its not as bad as I thought it would be." Jace answered and Clary nodded. As they both suspected when they entered the building they were greeted with shocked eyes. Jace and Clary both tried to ignore it as much as possible. When Jace walked Clary to her locker he lingered for a little.
"I'll be in the art room at the end of the day if you want to stop by." Clary said and Jace smiled.
"Will you be there during lunch?" Jace asked knowing that's normally what she did.
"No, I thought I'd eat with Simon and Izzy today." Clary said and Jace nodded.
"I'll join you." Jace said and Clary smiled at him. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his and she felt Jace smile in the middle of the kiss. When they pulled apart he smiled at her once more. "I'll see you later. I love you."
"I love you too." Clary said and than Jace walked away. She watched him leave and couldn't help but smile as she watched. Clary couldn't more thankful for Jace and she couldn't wait to explore their relationship more.
As Jace walked into his first class he was completely zoned out. He wasn't processing anything that was happening, and he just wanted to be around Clary again. His friend Sebastian sat down next to him and wouldn't stop staring at him. After a couple minutes Jace was getting annoyed.
"What do you want Sebastian?" Jace asked and Sebastian laughed.
"Heard you were making out with that feisty little redhead a couple minutes ago." He said as he smirked and Jace rolled his eyes. "What's the plan of action?" He asked.
"What do you mean?" Jace asked him.
"Come on dude. You know, how are we going to humiliate her." Sebastian said and that just set off Jace.
"We're not, because if you so much as step anywhere near her I'll kick your ass." Jace said and Sebastian looked at him with a confused expression.
"Chill dude." Sebastian said.
"I'm serious Sebastian. This isn't a game to me. We're actually in a relationship and I swear to god if you try to sabotage this you'll regret it." Jace said and Sebastian put his hands up in a surrendering motion and in that moment the teacher walked in and started teaching. Jace wasn't happy about what Sebastian was probably planning in his mind, but he had to warn Clary when he saw her at lunch. She was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he wouldn't let an asshole like Sebastian ruin that.
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Simon and Izzy figured they'd get a couple stares, but they had no idea when they stepped into the school the entire hallway stopped. They were staring wide eyed at the two holding hands. Simon was the first to break and started walking pulling Izzy with him. Eventually everyone went back to their business and Izzy and Simon got to her locked. Simon brushed a stray hair off her cheek and she smiled.
"Forget about everyone. They don't matter." Simon said and she smiled.
"I know, but I was just getting used to not being the center of attention, and now here we are." She said and Simon laughed.
"Yes, but you aren't alone now. I'm right in the center as well." He said and Izzy nodded. Simon leaned down and pressed his lips to her. "I'll see you at lunch?"
"Absolutely." Izzy said and Simon smiled and walked away. Izzy took a deep breath and got her books and made her way to first period. Today had the potential to get much worse and she wasn't looking forward to it.
When lunch rolled around Izzy was greeted with not only Simon at lunch but also Jace and Clary. She was glad she didn't have to go through all of this alone. When she sat down Simon kissed her cheek and she couldn't help but smile. Lunch was going by fine, they laughed, and talked and Izzy was grateful for these three people. She never knew what it felt like to have real friends and now she did and she loved it.
"Well well well, if it isn't the reject table." Izzy heard Aline say from behind her as her posse approached the table. "Well, except Jace, but watching you make out with the leprechaun this morning kinda killed your status at the school." She said and Jace just laughed.
"Rather make out with her than with your whore mouth." Jace said and Clary, Simon and Izzy were all stunned.
"That's not what you were saying when we hooked up." She smugly said and everyone could see Clary visible tense but Jace started rubbing circles on her arm and it calmed her down.
"I'll admit, that's not my proudest moment." Jace simply said and Aline glared at him, and than turned her attention towards Izzy.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're all buddy buddy with the nerdiest guy in the school. Having no friends, and being the social outcast doesn't leave a lot of room for actual friends." She said and Izzy stood up, and she towered over Aline.
"We were never friends Aline. You made that perfectly clear when you spread my business all over the fucking school." Izzy said and Aline just smiled.
"Shouldn't have been such a slut than. Although, you're family is riddled with problems." She said and Izzy's eyes got cold. "I mean, your older brother is a faggot, Jace here is the charity case, and you're a slut and a murder." She said and Izzy's eyes widened.
"How…" She said and Aline laughed.
"My cousin works at the hospital. She told me all about your little brother Max. Tragic really. Too bad you didn't die right next to him. How do you sleep at night Isabelle? Knowing you murdered your little brother." She asked and Izzy was about to fall over when Simon caught her.
"Shut the fuck up Aline." Jace said as he stood up. His fists were clenched and Aline just smiled.
"What are you going to do? Hit me? I'd love to see how this school handles that situation." She said smugly and Clary couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and punched Aline so hard that you could hear the crunch of her nose and she fell right on her ass.
"Keep fucking talking I'll break more than your fucking nose." Clary said and Aline's friends helped her up and they ran out of the cafeteria undoubtedly to tell the principle on Clary. Clary turned around and looked at Izzy who was completely pale. Simon was talking into her ear but Izzy couldn't hear anything. She stood up and ran. Simon looked at Jace and Clary and they both understood. Simon ran after Izzy and found her around the corner crying on the floor. Simon picked her up and took her to his car. He put her in the passenger side and than he drove off. Simon had no idea where he was going but he knew that Izzy needed to be in a completely isolated place. She couldn't be around people right now.
Suddenly an idea clicked in Simon's head. When he was younger his father build him a pretty crazy tree house in the forest. He would go there to escape from his parents when he was mad at them or when he just simply needed to be alone. He immediately drove there and when he reached the forest Izzy had finally calmed down. She looked up at him and was very confused.
"Where are we?" She asked and Simon smiled.
"I figured you needed some distance from everything and everyone. So I brought you to my old hide out." He said and Izzy smiled. They got out of the car, Simon grabbed her hand and they started walking. They got to the ladder and Izzy looked up.
"Are you sure this is safe?" She asked and Simon laughed.
"I would not put you life in danger Iz." Simon said and she shrugged and started making her way up the ladder. When she reached the top she was surprised. This wasn't a regular tree house, but it looked like a little room. Simon made his way up and he looked around. "My dad and I worked on this for an entire summer." He said and Izzy smiled.
"How the hell did you get a sofa up here?" She asked as they took a seat.
"How else? A fork lift." He said and she laughed. Simon grabbed a blanket and Izzy curled up into his side and just took a deep breath. After a couple minutes Simon spoke. "You wanna talk about it?"
"I can't believe she would say that." Izzy said and Simon couldn't agree more. "I mean the nerve of her to call Alec that when she in fact is a lesbian, or at least attracted to both genders."
"I can't explain why Aline is the way she is, and I would never try and excuse what she did. Some people are just horrible Iz. They are the product of their environment and maybe she just wasn't raised right." Simon said and he felt Izzy nod. "At least Clary got in a good hit."
"Clary hit her?" Izzy asked and Simon nodded.
"Pretty sure she broke her nose." Izzy couldn't believe it. "Look, you are in no way guilty of murder Iz. Aline was just trying to get a rise out of you. She likes pushing your buttons, and she used all the ammo she had in order to do that to you."
"I already feel guilty enough, I don't need her adding to the guilt." Izzy said and Simon pulled her closer to him.
"It wasn't your fault Iz. One day you'll have to accept that, and than it'll be easier for you to grieve." He said and Izzy nodded.
"Thank you." She said and she looked up into his eyes. "I don't think I could have be able to make it through today, or his funeral, or his death without you and I don't thank you enough for that."
"You don't have to thank me Iz. I'd do anything for you." Simon said as he pressed his lips to her temple. Izzy curled against him and smiled to herself. Today sucked more than she would like to admit, but she was glad she had someone as amazing as Simon to help her through it.
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Alec still hadn't gone back to his classes and Magnus knew that if he didn't get a kick in the ass he would sit on his couch for the rest of his life. Magnus got back from class to see Alec sitting on the couch watching TV like he does all day. Magnus walked over, grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.
"Hey, I was watching that." Alec protested.
"Alec, you can't sit here and watch 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' for the rest of your life. Your brain will disintegrate." Magnus said and Alec groaned.
"I don't think I can do this Magnus." Alec said and Magnus sat next to him.
"You'll never know unless you try. I know this is devastating. I really do, and maybe you can ease yourself back into school. But sitting here doing absolutely nothing isn't good for you." Alec leaned into Magnus and Magnus couldn't help but smile.
"I guess I could start with my night class tonight." Alec said and Magnus laughed.
"How about you start with your class at 11 am tomorrow? A three hour night class isn't exactly easing your way back into school." Magnus offered and Alec laughed.
"Okay." Alec said and Magnus gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Now, how about we watch good television?" Magnus offered and Alec laughed and nodded. Magnus grabbed something to drink and something to eat, and sat down on the couch and turned on a good TV and cuddled together. Alec knew sitting on the couch being unproductive wasn't good but he couldn't find the energy to go about his life, but having Magnus there to motivate him definitely helped.