Clary gazed down at the fifth sketch in the past hour, glaring at it before ripping it out of the binder. She balled it up in her hands, getting the attention of a few of her classmates before tossing it in the nearby trashcan and starting again.

This process seemed to be happening more and more. Normally, even with a bad sketch, she could work with it. But lately she couldn't. Mainly because they weren't just misplaced lines, bad shading in the wrong spot, or too dark of marks. No. These were to the point that the whole picture haunted her.

And for the past few days, she'd been able to draw nothing but him. Jace.

It was getting on her nerves more than anything. Even in the most inopportune moments, she'd find herself drawings something about him: his golden eyes, those messy curls, his smirk where he showed a chip in his left incisor. It was always something, and she really wished it would just stop. Even if she was just sitting outside, doodling like she always did, he always seemed to be there, walking by, and then she wouldn't be able to draw anything else. She'd pretty much gone through a whole sketchbook in the matter of days trying to get herself to stop.

And she wanted to stop so badly. She was so over it! How he even got in her head like this was a mystery. Hell, she hates the guy! After their last conversation, she vowed that she wouldn't let him manipulate her or mess with her again. Never again would she let him bait her into anything. Because that was hell to go through because he was so fucking right.

That's what made the situation ten times worse. Despite the fact he's a cocky prick, some part of her inside regretted not letting him kiss her. Just once. Maybe it wouldn't be as glamorous as she thought, and she'd be able to get over it and move on with her life. Instead, when his lips touched her cheek, her whole body seemed to feel something. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was there and begging her to respond to him. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. She shouldn't.

"Clary? Is everything okay?"

Clary had realized in her minor train of thought that she'd dropped her head to her desk in the process, burring her face in her arms. Slowly, she rose from her spot, glancing down at the newly blank sketch page.

Her teacher, an older woman of about sixty with white blonde hair and glasses, looked at her wearily, glancing down at the paper with a frown. "Clary, you've been here for half the class, and you still haven't settled on something. You were supposed to get this started on this already. It's going to be due soon."

"I know. I'm trying."

"Well, try harder. I don't want to have to fail you because you're indecisive." The woman paused. "You're a great artist, but you have to stop letting things distract you. Instead, use them to your advantage."

With that, she left, walking around to chat with other students about their works that were already halfway finished.

Clary still sat there for five more minutes, wanting to draw but not knowing what. She wasn't sure what would be good for transferring over to a canvas, and she was internally fighting a battle that she was sure she'd lose.

Her phone buzzed as she dropped her face to her hands again, and she pulled it out.

WE HAVE A CODE RED! - I

Clary's eyes widened at Isabelle's text, worry settling in her gut. She glanced up to make sure her teacher was otherwise occupied with someone else before answering back.

How bad? – C

Pretty DAMN bad. – I

Clary sighed. With Isabelle, that could mean a number of things.

Isabelle, if your heel to those black boots broke again, it isn't that big of a deal. I can glue them back together easily enough. No need to stress. – C

That's not it, bitch. There was a fight. Some shit was said at practice, and then next thing anyone on the girl's team saw… well… Let's just say that Jace won. You can probably guess against who. Get down here as soon as you can. – I

I'm in class right now! – C

That's why I said as soon as you can. – I

Clary sighed, her body starting to come alive with worry and adrenaline. A fight. Great. That's just what she needed to deal with. The party fiasco started up again and Sebastian bit off more than he could chew for the second time in a row. Drama. Drama. Drama.

By the time she had finally gotten down to field, attempting to run in a pair of converse with jeans and a t-shirt, everything was pretty much calmed down. Almost everyone was gone, the field practically empty except for the few stragglers sitting at the bench. Clary could make out Jace easily enough, his head bowed with his hands clasped between his knees. Sebastian was a few yards away from him, holding what looked like ice to his shoulder as the trainer talked to him. Isabelle was standing in front of the bleachers, not too close to the boys. She looked to be concentrating, staring down at the floor. The coaches were behind the bleachers, probably discussing some kind of punishment for the boys.

Isabelle was the first to notice Clary, looking up as the redhead stepped up beside her. "Bout time you showed up."

"Sorry, I came when I could." Clary stopped by Isabelle, assessing the situation. Jace didn't look too badly harmed. His shirt was beside him on the bench, so she could see a few bruises starting to form on his shoulders. She really looked at him, noticing how distraught and frustrated he appeared. The way he was sitting was like he had something eating at the back of his mind, like it was driving him crazy. She wanted to ask what it was, but figured that wouldn't be a good idea with Sebastian a few yards away.

"So what happened?" Clary figured that was the best neutral statement she could come up with.

Isabelle sighed, flipping her long black ponytail over her shoulder. "They got into a fight."

"No shit. I meant why."

"Hell if I know. Jordan wouldn't tell me before he left and Jace won't say anything."

That didn't make much sense. "Jace always has something to say," Clary whispered with an incredulous tone.

Isabelle shook her head, looking at Jace through thoughtful eyes. "Not this time. Whatever happened really got to him. He hasn't said a word since they pulled him off of Sebastian. He hasn't even moved a muscle."

Clary's gaze reluctantly moved from Jace's still form to Sebastian. "Did you ask Seb?"

Isabelle gave her a look that said 'you can't be serious'.

"Fine." Clary left Isabelle there, walking over towards her… whatever Sebastian was to her. When the trainer saw her approach, he nodded and left, leaving Sebastian on the bleachers with a pained expression.

He looked up at Clary, only to immediately look to the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"Isabelle texted me." She squatted down in front of him, leaning back on her heels. "Seb, what happened?"

He shrugged, wincing in the process and shutting his eyes tightly. She didn't like seeing him in pain like this, tensing when he did. "I got into a fight," he finally breathed out.

Clary dropped her head, her curls falling around her face before raising it again. It's like people thought she couldn't already see that. Did they think she was stupid or something? "I get that. My question is why?"

He took a deep breath. "Why does it matter?"

"Because I don't want you to keep picking fights you can't win."

He glared at her instantly, the darkness in his eyes giving off a bad vibe. She instinctively leaned back. "I didn't lose."

She raised one eyebrow in protest and pointed to his shoulder. "Then what's the bag for, champ?"

"A minor injury."

"Doesn't look like one."

"Well, it is," he snapped. "Jesus, stop pestering me."

Clary's eyes widened. "I'm – I'm pestering you? Is that what you call me caring about you?"

His eyes, dark and forceful, only showed the hostility behind them. "Obviously. It's annoying."

"Boys, listen up." Clary turned and stood, stepping aside as Coach Starkweather stepped in front of them. He had his hands on his hips, looking back and forth between Sebastian and Jace. Isabelle made her way to Clary's side before Coach continued. "You two have to stop this grudge match between the two of you. It's getting in the way of practices. It's messing with the other boys on the team. It's screwing the two of you over. I don't know what it's about, but it needs to stop."

Clary glanced back at the two of them. Both were looking at the ground, Sebastian looking tense and annoyed. Jace just looked… blank. There was no emotion his shoulders, and his face was hidden with his curls falling on his forehead, staring at the ground.

"So are you going to suspend us or what?" Sebastian asked, raising his head to look at Coach.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I want to." She saw Sebastian tense up, looking worried. "I need to."

Jace lifted his head for the first time. Clary finally could see his face, but there was nothing there to actually look at. It was just… empty. "But you aren't."

"I didn't say that," Coach Starkweather pointed.

"Why?"

"Jace, it's not that easy to suspend my two best players." Coach started to slowly pace back and forth. Clary didn't realize she was bouncing on her heels in suspense until Isabelle nudged her and told her to stop. "But I don't really have a choice. I have to show the guys on the team that this is unacceptable."

"So are you suspending us or not?" Sebastian asked impatiently. "Cause I have things to do other than to listen to a lecture."

Clary closed her eyes, wishing that Sebastian would just drop the attitude. He was only going to make this worse if he kept it up.

Starkweather turned on him quickly. "Sebastian Verlac, you keep up that fucking attitude and you're out of here permanently. I've put up with your shit for too long because you're a great player, but I'm coming to my breaking point. If you want to keep it up, you might as well quit right now. Because I'm done with it."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, but luckily he didn't speak again.

"Now, both of you have clashed since school pretty much started. You were fine at first, but something has happened the past few weeks. I see it. Coach Sullivan sees it. A lot of the fans see it. You two have something going on and I want it out on the table right now." Coach pointed to the floor. "Right. Now."

Jace frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You want us to talk about our feelings?" Sebastian asked with amusement in his voice. "Like women?"

Jace looked at Sebastian before his gaze fluttered behind him to Clary. She felt her face heat at the intensity of it, her body wanting to fidget under those golden eyes. Jace shook his head, glancing back at Starkweather. "No."

Sebastian nodded in agreement. "Fuck no."

Coach nodded. "Yes."

"Not with them here," Sebastian retorted, pointing at the girls. "And not around this jackass," he shot at Jace.

"I'm not talking, regardless of who's around," Jace added, leaning back against the bleachers. The new position showed off his abs, his V line, his pecks, and everything about his torso. Clary couldn't help but stare, taking it in.

Sebastian glared at him. "His problem is simple enough anyway." Jace's glanced over at Seb. If looks could kill… Seb just looked at coach, ignoring it. "But no matter what you do, we're going to hate each other. It's that simple. Talking it out in therapy won't help how much I want to bash his face against a brick wall."

"You'd fail if you tried anyway," Jace smirked. "Just look at your shoulder."

That must have snapped something, because Sebastian jumped to his feet, tossing the ice to the turf. Jace stood as well, both looking ready to kill each other if they got a chance. Their fists were clenched, but Jace's golden eyes were the most intimidating thing about him.

"That's enough," Starkweather stated, stepping between them. "You're not doing this again."

"Why not? If he wants to fight, I'm more than willing to kick his ass for the third time," Jace growled.

Starkweather turned towards him. "No. If you try it, you can say goodbye to your scholarship, Jace Wayland. Understand?"

His eyes were cold and hard, and he looked like he didn't really want to do what was suggested. He really looked like violence was something he needed, but his gaze drifted from Coach, to Sebastian, to over Sebastian's shoulder at Clary.

Their gazes locked momentarily. "Alright." Jace said as he backed off, stepping a few feet back.

Starkweather seemed to visibly relax. "Thank you. Now, both of you get out of here so I can figure out what the hell to do with you." Starkweather didn't wait after that, heading towards his car without another glance at the boys.

Jace didn't need to be told twice. He turned on his heels, grabbed his t-shirt from the bench, and headed towards the locker rooms.

"He's pissed," Isabelle observed. "I'm going to talk to him. You going to be okay?"

Clary nodded, glancing down at Sebastian. He had bent down and grabbed his ice again, placing it on his shoulder before taking another seat on the bench. She really hoped he'd drop the attitude in order for them to have a civilized conversation. "Yeah. Go after Jace."

"Clary?" She glanced at her friend's worried eyes. "Are you really going to be okay?"

There was more to the question than Clary wanted to answer. "Yes. Go on."

Although it was obvious Isabelle didn't believe her, she took off after Jace, jogging in order to catch up to him. Clary watched, wondering what it was Isabelle saw in him. Why did she care so much for someone like him to begin with? He was so… moody.

"If you're going to scold me, don't bother," Sebastian mumbled.

Clary sighed, putting her hands on top of her head and trying to relax. "I'm not going to."

"Good, then let's get out of here."

He reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling her in the opposite direction towards the Village, the place where Sebastian stayed. Although she really didn't want to go, she let him pull her along, glancing back at Jace and Isabelle once and only once.

He was furious. So fucking furious. He was so mad he felt the need to blow up a small country, and where that came from he had no idea. He didn't have temper issues. He didn't have so much anger inside of him before moving. He was always calm, composed, and he had to try to keep that. But back there, with Sebastian at practice, he couldn't hold it in. He just… snapped.

Back at the water break, everything was calmer and more relaxed. He and Jordan were just talking, chatting away about the little things when Sebastian and his gang of punks walked up.

"So how was it?" Raphael had asked. "Was she as good as you expected?"

Sebastian smiled, popping the top off of a water bottle and chugging it. "Fuck yeah. She's a bit bossy and wanted to do it her way which pissed me off, but I can definitely tell you that she felt fucking amazing."

Raphael frowned. "That's not even fair. I want a piece of that ass."

"Back up," Sebastian answered with amusement. "She's mine. Besides, she's got these weird quirks though that were pissing me off. It was kind of getting on my nerves. But hell, I got it in so it doesn't really matter. I got what I wanted."

That's when Jace had snapped. He didn't give two shits if Sebastian would've been talking about anyone else, but he knew that conversation was of Clary. He knew that Sebastian had been after her for sex for a while, little hints here and there, but he never thought that guy had the audacity to say it in front of Jace. He had balls, but couldn't live up to his talk.

Jordan had done all he could to hold Jace back, especially before anything even started. It was like he could tell that Jace was a live wire, a tightened rubber band that was about to break, a nuke ready to explode. Anything would've set him off, and Sebastian seemed to notice. That dark haired asshole turned towards Jace, smiled, and winked. Jace just lost it.

He wasn't even really sure what happened if he was being totally honest. One second he was shoving Jordan out of the way, and the next he was on top of Sebastian. He had his mortal enemy on his stomach, his face in the turf and before anyone could stop him, the satisfying crack of a dislocated shoulder erupted throughout the field. Jace probably had a sadistic smile on his face, enjoying the moans of pain Sebastian evoked and was pulled off before he could do anymore damage.

"JACE!"

He turned, stopping at the sound of Isabelle's voice. He noticed Clary and Sebastian walking in the background, a bad feeling starting in stomach when Clary actually looked back at him. But he ignored it. He had to ignore it.

Isabelle had ran up to him, her bag in hand and swung over her shoulder. "Hey, damn you walk fast."

"Sorry." He turned and headed back towards the locker rooms, Isabelle right by his side. "I guess I just couldn't take it anymore."

"I don't blame you."

"You shouldn't. He tried to egg me on, so I'm not sorry for almost breaking his arm."

Isabelle whistled, the smile growing on her face in what looked like pride. "I'm just glad someone finally taught him a decent lesson. That broken nose the first time wasn't enough."

Jace shrugged, internally wishing he'd done more than just a week's worth of damage. Sebastian deserved to be in a fucking coma after the way he talked.

"Anyway," Isabelle continued on in his silence. "Do I get to know what Sebastian said?"

Jace lifted his head to the sky. "I'm sure it'll take you only one guess to figure it out."

"Clary," she said more than asked. Jace nodded his answer. "God, I wish she could see how bad he was for her. She's so oblivious to how bad he really is. I just want to smack some sense into her. It's like she doesn't believe there's any good guys out there."

Jace laughed despite the pressure against his chest was still there. "There aren't any."

"Sure there are."

"Oh, yeah?" Jace turned towards her as they walked, eyebrows raised in question. "Who?"

Isabelle bit her lip in concentration. "Jordan."

"He's good in a way. He has just as many revolting thoughts as the rest of us. That makes him okay, not good."

"Simon."

"He's not a guy. He's… something entirely different."

Isabelle chuckled, not bothering to say anything to that. "Clary's brother, Jonathan. He's a pretty decent guy when he wants to be."

Jace snapped his fingers in victory. "When he wants to be. That doesn't mean he's a good guy. Because when he doesn't want to be, he's probably an asshole like the rest of us."

"Jesus, you're being harsh today." Isabelle shifted her bag up over her shoulder. "My brother Alec is pretty good. And before you say anything about anything, he's gay, so he's practically a girl's best friend."

Jace nodded, biting back a small smile. "Touché. Gay guys aren't classified as men though. I'd throw Simon in that category."

"Simon's not gay!"

Jace shrugged. "I fail to see your reasoning behind that."

"Well, I know you don't want to hear it but you're one of the good ones." Jace shook his head, looking back at the floor when her blue eyes, full of sincerity, tried to meet his. "Whether you believe it or not."

"I don't believe it."

Isabelle let out an exasperated breath, her hands reaching up to top of her head. Her arms brushed his in the process, but he had gotten so comfortable around Izzy that it wasn't a big deal. It kind of shocked him that he could be friends with her and not feel anything sexual. That wasn't normal for him, for any guy.

She dropped her hands just as quickly as she raised them. "You're really a pain in my ass when you hate on yourself."

"I only do it around you."

She frowned. "Why?"

"Because you try to see the good side in me that is nonexistent." He glanced at her like a friend does when they tell someone something is a bad idea. "And it's only going to give you false interpretations of me."

She crossed her arms over her chest just as they reached the locker room. Jace was about to walk in when Izzy's hand shot out, cutting him off. "Jace, can I tell you something?"

He sighed impatiently and nodded, leaning against the wall. "If you hurry."

Izzy bit her lip, taking a moment to think. "I know Clary better than anyone. I think that much is obvious, but I also know that she doesn't really know herself. She doesn't know what she wants, never has. But you… you know what you want. Where she fights to keep things she doesn't need, you're pretty much refusing to even try to go after something that you've craved since you got here."

Despite the fact that Izzy was right, Jace didn't appreciate it. "Look, I'm keeping myself out of harm's way for a reason."

"I know. But she isn't who you think she is. Just because she's with Sebastian doesn't make her the stereotypical white bitch. She's… different. I know you can tell because you fight for her when no one else does. And I don't care if you like it or not, she needs someone like you just as much as you need someone like her."

Her words left Jace as at loss as she dropped her arm and walked off, heading towards the other school buildings. Jace was frozen in place, taking in Isabelle's words of wisdom. He didn't know what to say, what to do, how to do it, when to do it. This internal battle he was fighting because of this girl was going to be the death of him.

When they got to Sebastian's lone room, Clary put him on the bed without letting him even decide. It was obvious her bossiness was bothering him, but she told him to stay put as she left to get some ice out of his freezer. The other bag had long warmed up, and with so with a new on in hand, she returned to his room to find him in the same position, staring at the floor.

Clary sighed in a not so good way, taking him in. His posture was an indication that he was in pain. But more than that, he looked to be distant. His body was there, but his mind had to be somewhere far off.

She inched towards him slowly and sat next to him on the bed. He never moved, never made a move or spoke as she reached for his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Immediately, she put the ice on his shoulder after he was done whimpering softly in pain, and held her hand there, keeping it in place.

The silence was killing her. She was only comfortable around a few people in silence like this, and Sebastian was definitely not one of them. She sighed. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I already told you."

"Fine. Do I get to hear the reasons or not?"

The last thing she wanted to do was provoke him, but luckily her attitude didn't hit him too hard. He sighed, using his good hand to reach up and rub the back of his head. "Wayland and I just don't see eye to eye on certain things. We're guys, Clary, so we're bound to fight. Just let it happen and stop asking questions." He shrugged her off of him, grabbing the ice with his own hand and holding it there.

She frowned, hurt rushing to her facial features. "You don't get to choose what I do and don't know. I want to know why Jace felt the need to go this length," she gestured to his shoulder, "to make a point."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, looking directly at Clary. "Because he's Jace Wayland. Because that's what he does. Because I like provoking him. Is that enough?"

"No."

"Well, that's all you're getting," he shot back.

She slit her eyes at him. "I'm not afraid to ask him, Seb. So you might as well tell me. I'm going to find out either way."

"Why is it so important to you?"

"Because I want the details. If there's a way to stop it, I have to have all the information to do it."

"Jesus, Clary," Sebastian stood, grabbing the ice bag as Clary's hand fell. "What is it we always fight about?"

She bit her lip, not having to think too long about it. "Me." The answered actually surprised her, but it was true. She hadn't really thought of it like that.

"That's it. End of story. He got jealous because he can't have you since your mine and tried to dislocate my arm." Clary didn't miss the fire in his eyes when he called her like that, like a possession.

"He didn't exactly try, or fail as a matter of fact," she pointed out. Sebastian's gaze turned hard and dark instantly, and she swallowed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Then why don't you think before you say shit like that again?"

She looked down, hating the anger and hostility in his eyes. This was always the worst part of their relationship. She wished that they could just get through and argument without being rude and feisty towards each other. It wasn't too bad at first, but now with Jace around, it seemed like a daily routine. Sebastian always had something to say, and no matter what Clary said bad it wasn't the right thing. She just couldn't be right at all with him, and it always turned back to bite her in the butt.

With a sigh, she chanced a glance back up at him. His eyes were still on her, taking her in, and she tensed under his gaze. Whenever she pictured herself with a guy, she always thought it would be different. She wanted to be swooned, to melt under their gaze, not lean away from them. Maybe that was just a fairytale; that things didn't work that way in real life. She didn't exactly have other examples to really go by. This might be the bump in the road that people always talked about. It was just a simple thing they could fix, right?

She slowly stood, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him. Her cheek pressed to skin on his chest. "I didn't mean to upset you."

He sighed. "You've been doing it more and more lately."

"I'm sorry."

They stood there silently for a minute. Clary wasn't sure what to say, what to do. She never knew how to handle him like this, when he was angry and upset, and many times she failed to handle it the right way. It never ended well, so she learned to keep her mouth shut and not push anything that would shove him over the edge.

Finally, after what felt like years, Sebastian pulled back. She hadn't noticed that he'd dropped the ice pack, and with his hands free he pulled her chin up to meet his gaze. "I know. I am too. I shouldn't have snapped at you, but you just make me so furious sometimes."

"Sebastian, I–"

"Shh. Just kiss me."

But he never gave her the chance before he kissed her. It wasn't soft, kind, apologetic, but hard, rough, and forceful. Clary gasped at the amount of pressure he used, giving him more access accidentally. Although she wanted to push him away for a number of reasons, the fearful part of her refused. She knew what it was like to be alone for eighteen years. She knew how it felt when Isabelle, Maia, Aline, Helen, and all her other friends had dates and she didn't. It was the worst. The last thing she wanted was to go back to that, so against her better judgment, she kissed him back.

Her hands snaked up his torso, ghosting over his different temperature shoulders, until she wrapped her arms around his neck and was holding him close.

If there was one thing that she could say was her favorite thing about Seb, it would be that he really was a very good kisser. She wasn't lying to Aline when she said that. He had a way of working it that could have her falling apart in minutes. Before she knew it, he had grabbed her and lifted her. He struggled a bit with his shoulder, but she guessed the adrenaline had kicked in as he carried her to the bed, tossing her on it none too gently and sliding on top of her.

His hands roamed her body quickly, taking no time to rid her of her shirt before kissing her quickly again. She wiggled underneath him, not sure how she should handle it. It was more than obvious that he was getting carried away, wanting a lot more than she was willing to give at the moment, so when he reached for the button on her jeans, her hands flew down and grabbed his wrist.

"Wait."

He sighed immediately, dropping his face to the crook between her neck and her shoulder. "Jesus, Clary, not again."

Her hands tightened their grip when he tried again. "Seb, I'm serious. Wait, please."

"Fine." He pushed himself up, moving his hands to either side of her head. From this angle, he looked completely different. Yes, he was attractive, but Clary could see lines of his face that most people wouldn't notice. Probably her artistic side talking. But she could see the crookedness of his nose since Jace recently broke it, the way one side of his mouth was barely higher than the other, the different shades of his iris, the waves of his hair that framed his handsome face.

Without registering anything, she reached up and touched the corner of his mouth. "Sebastian, why do you keep pushing this?"

"I'm a guy," he answered as if she was stupid. "This is what we do."

"But–"

"Here's the thing. If you don't sleep with me, I have to find girls that do." He lifted one hand, trailing it across her shoulder, down her arm, and tiptoeing it across her stomach. It felt nice, the light touches that he never gave her, but she couldn't stop the pit in her stomach. "I have needs, babe, and you're not exactly up to helping me with them."

He lowered himself down more, resting most of his weight on his good shoulder as he kissed around her neck. She pushed her hand into his hair, hating the fact that she was getting distracted. "Seb, I don't – I don't think this is a g – good idea."

"I disagree," he nipped at her ear. "I believe it's a great idea." As if to add to it, he pressed their torsos together, skin on skin, and Clary would've enjoyed it if she wasn't so worried about him. "You'd enjoy yourself if you'd stop worrying about it. Just let go for once, babe. Let go. I can make you feel so good if you'd trust me with it."

For a moment, she wanted to fight back, almost fought back, but he kissed her protests away, swallowing her breath. His hands traveled to hers, clamping around them and he pulled them above her head, completely exposing her under him.

That's when she'd had enough. She wasn't about to let him get away with this, to almost force her into it. She wasn't some piece of meat for his amusement. She pulled her mouth from his, turning her head when he tried to kiss her again and his lips met her throat instead. "Seb, get off."

He shook his head, kissing down her throat.

"Get off, I'm serious." She yanked her hands out of his, and shoved against his chest. He wasn't budging, so she took a chance – a stupid one – and grabbed his injured shoulder. "Get off!" With a squeeze and a shove, Sebastian gasped in pain and pulled back, falling beside her with wide eyes.

"What the hell?" He grasped his shoulder as she slid from the bed, picking up her shirt and throwing it on quickly. "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

"Seb, I told you I wasn't ready for that!"

He stared at her in disbelief. "It's not that big of a deal."

She shook her head, grabbing her phone and keys. "It is to me." With that, she finally walked out on him, not letting him control her and shut the door behind her. She pulled her shirt on quickly, looking around so no one was watching before practically running out of the room, past Jordan's door and out the entrance.

The sunlight almost blinded her as it started to set in the West, shining right down on her. She recoiled at the bright light, taking it in as she realized what she just did. She'd walked out on Sebastian. She actually up and left him for once. What did that mean? Were they done? Would he take her back?

Did she want to go back?

"Clary?"

She stiffened, hoping it wasn't Seb but then realized that the figure walking towards her wasn't him. He was taller, broader, blonder. Jace.

"Hey, Clary?" He called again as he approached, looking genuinely concerned. His practice gear was currently in a bag over his shoulder, and the new jeans hung on his hips while the white shirt showed his abs as if it wasn't even there. Clary swallowed at the sight of him. "You look like you saw a ghost. Are you alright? What happened?"

She stepped back when he came to close, holding her hand up. "It was nothing. I've just got some stuff on my mind. I just – I'm just going on a walk."

"Umm, you were running, not walking."

"That's a difference of perception." Although she was pretty sure that's exactly how she looked. Flushed, breathing hard, hair matted, eyes wide, and frightened.

"What happened with Sebastian?" Was she that obvious? The last thing she wanted was to talk to Jace about stupid relationship problems. In fact, she kept telling herself that talking to him just wasn't a good idea to begin with.

"Nothing."

He took a step closer. "Come on. You can trust me. And if you don't tell me, you know that Izzy will."

"What makes you think I'll tell Isabelle?" she challenged. His golden eyes lightened up and he raised one eyebrow, clearly fighting her on it. "Fine," she gave up. "Seb and I just had a fight. It's no big deal."

Jace nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets, the strap of his bag sliding on his shoulder. "Right, well, if you ever want to talk, I'm here."

"I'm sure you are."

He was suddenly in front of her, and her gaze reluctantly met his. She could see it in his eyes, see that he meant every word he was saying, but that's what worried her. "I mean it. I'm here for you, Clary."

He bent down, his hand touching her shoulder, and she momentarily thought that he was going to kiss her. She froze, not sure what to do, but his lips just made contact with her cheek, causing that stupid burning sensation again. What the hell was that feeling? He lingered there, making her feel hotter and hotter until his hand slid down her arm, goosebumps rising in his wake.

"I always have been," he whispered in her ear. Then, he was gone, walking into the building with his head down, leaving her standing there in shock.

Clary had pretty much made up her mind by the time she got back to the room. She had too much to think about, too much on her mind, and the last place she wanted to be was still at school. What she needed was a break, a weekend away from it all to remember what she wanted, to figure out what she's doing with someone like Sebastian, to handle art, to deal with Jace, to live her life how she wanted to.

Isabelle was just getting out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her waist when Clary walked in. "Oh, hey."

"Hey," she said quickly, tossing her stuff on the bed and turning to face her friend. "You don't have a game this weekend, right?"

"Nope."

"So you can leave campus?"

"Yup. No practice. No games."

"Let's do it."

Isabelle froze in the middle of pulling up her jeans, giving Clary a strange look. "What do you mean leave?"

"I mean a weekend trip. Anywhere. I don't care. Away from here."

Isabelle eyed Clary for a long time. Then, she finally pulled her pants on all the way, grabbing one of Simon's t-shirts that he'd "left" over here and slipping it over her head. Without a word, she grabbed Clary's arm, pulling her towards her bed. "Sit." Clary did as she was told, crawling up on the bed and sitting, followed by Isabelle. "Spill it."

Clary tried her best to look ignorant. "What do you mean?"

"What's got your panties in a wad and you freaking out?"

"Nothing." Clary looked down, twiddling her thumbs in her lap.

Isabelle tilted her head, shaking her head. "Don't bullshit me. Something happened with Sebastian."

"And Jace," Clary added, still not sure what to make of that. Earlier, he was caring, nice, and something totally different from the asshat he normally was. That wasn't who he was, who he always acted like around her. Maybe it was because Sebastian was such a jackass that Jace's attitude seemed toned down and nice for once.

Isabelle's eyes widened and she leaned closer. "Tell me."

"Jace just – he was all – you know like… Hell, I don't know."

"Don't freeze up on me Clary."

She leaned back, taking a deep breath and trying her best to think of a way to explain it that Isabelle wouldn't read into it. "He saw me after I left Sebastian's place a little shaken up, and he just acted all nice. He was being everything I know he isn't." And then he almost kissed me again, she thought. Her body involuntarily shivered the memory, her cheek heating where his lips had brushed it. Her arms wrapped around herself, trying to contain it.

Isabelle through a blanket over her legs, and Clary gladly took it. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but he is a pretty nice guy."

"I'm sure."

"I'm serious," Isabelle encouraged. "What exactly did he say?"

I'm here for you, Clary. I always have been.

She pulled her legs to her chest, her brain trying to make out what that even meant. He hadn't always been there for her. In fact, he's made her life hell. Sebastian had gotten worse since Jace showed up. He'd practically tried to take Isabelle from her. He'd started to use her for entertainment, poking fun and doing annoying shit just to get at her nerves. But he'd never been there in the sense he implied.

Except for the night of the party. Although she hated admitting it, she wasn't sure how that night would've ended without him. Sure, Sebastian was pissed off when he finally woke up, but that other horny guy that grabbed her never tried anything again. People stayed clear of her, and she actually enjoyed that. He'd kind of been her rescue that night, but also ruined it at the same time.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Clary–"

She shook her head. The contradictory thoughts were starting to eat at her. "Isabelle, can we please just go? You, me, and Simon? Go somewhere with no one else and just have fun like we did last year? I'm so sick of this place right now, and I have to get out."

Isabelle didn't answer right away. She seemed to be studying Clary, and the redhead refused to make eye contact because of that.

"Fine," Isabelle finally said. She pulled her phone out, dialing a number before putting it up to her ear. "Let's see if he's down for it. But you're not off the hook. I'm getting the story out of you one way or another."

Clary nodded, accepting that if she'd get out of this damned college for a few days.

Woo! Fun stuff. You got angry Jace, sweet Jace, quiet Jace. Lots of shades of Jace.

Round two: Jace - 2. Sebastian - 0. Love it!

Let me know what you think! Stay tuned! :)