"Watch the beauty of all our lives, passing right before my eyes
I hear the hate in all your words, all the wars to make us hurt
We get so sick, oh so sick, we never wanted all this
Medication for the kids with no reason to live"
-Young by Hollywood Undead
"So," I said. "What am I going to eat?"
"Chinese take-out, why?"
I scoffed. "For how long?"
"As long as you're here," he said bluntly. "I'm not that fond of making or well equipped for food. So, I order in."
I rolled my eyes. "I hate Chinese, I prefer Japanese."
Magnus coughed into his fist. "Alright, then I guess you're making your own food." he walked off down the hall, my cheeks burning with humiliation.
This wasn't going as planned.
I followed him into his brightly colored living room. "Then I'll need to buy groceries, and to buy groceries, I need money." I placed my palm out, facing upwards.
Magnus rolled his eyes, slapping a few bills into my hand. "I sure hope you can cook."
I left the apartment building quickly, shoving the money into my jeans pocket. About halfway through my walk, I realized I didn't know where I was going, and that I'd forgotten to ask Magnus where to buy groceries. Oh well, I'd stumble across one eventually. It was New York after all. But another thought crossed my mind. He could've totally made groceries magically appear with his crazy snapping finger skills, and here I was, wandering the streets trying to find a grocery store.
Grr, he made me mad.
I pulled my Ipod out of my pocket and shoved the ear buds in, pressing play. I had been in the middle of a song, coincidentally being No. 5 by Hollywood Undead. I hummed along to the tune as I walked.
Exactly four blocks later, I nearly ran into someone crossing the street and landed in a puddle on my butt. I paused the song, standing up so I could give this kid a piece of my mind.
The kid kept apologizing, asking me things.
"Simon?"
He paused, looking puzzled. "Do I know you?"
"No," I said quickly. "But, do you know anyone by the name of Jace Wayland?"
His cheeks burned with resentment. "Yes, I do."
"Well," I stuck my hand out. "I do too."
He shook my hand reluctantly. "How do you know him? You don't look like a shadowhunter—"
"That's because I'm not." I answered quickly. "My friend is. And I, am a warlock."
"I thought there weren't female warlocks."
"Well," I said, choking on my words. "I'm rare. Special." I smiled. "Would you happen to know if there's a grocery store around here?"
"Yeah," he said, pointing down the street. "Two blocks down." he paused. "Do you know Magnus Bane?"
"Yeah," I said grimly. "He's my mentor, and I'm his utterly devoted apprentice." I batted my eyelashes, and Simon blushed.
"Actually," Simon said. "Can I come with you to the grocery store? I needed to get…something."
I shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright." Damn it. What did I get myself into?
Simon and I walked to the store, our shoulders barely brushing. What had I gotten myself into? He clearly wasn't a vampire yet, which meant he still had a crush on Clary. But he knew Jace, so it must at least be City of Bones. I was guessing it was that blank space in between City of Bones and City of Ashes.
We entered the grocery store, and the most random thought appeared in my brain. The scene in City of Fallen Angels, when Simon and Jace go to the grocery store for a can of tomato soup and a mango. I don't know how random you could get with that, because if I told Simon what I was thinking, he would think I was crazy. I wasn't, I was prophetic.
A smirk curled onto my lips. I could utilize this.
I grabbed a basket, walking with Simon at my side.
"So, how's Clary?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Fine," he exhaled through his nose. "She's fine. Her brother Jace, that's a whole different story though. I don't know, I feel so bad for them, but at the same time I don't. I mean, I really like Clary, but she was so interested in him. And now they found they're siblings so—" he stopped. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"
I examined a peach for bruises. "Trust me, I do."
He furrowed his brow. "You do?"
"Totally, I'm psychic." I waggled my fingers ominously at my forehead. "What? You don't believe me?"
"Frankly, no."
I shrugged. "Your loss." we moved on, and I felt my fingertips brush Simon's. I jumped.
"What?"
"Nothing," I shook my head. "Sorry, it was just…never mind." I moved a few feet away from him.
Simon kept talking. "Do you know what I'm talking about though? You know, when you like someone but they just never realize or notice, and they're interested in someone else. And then they get their heart broken with them, and you want to still like them, but you still don't at the same time? Am I making sense?"
I nodded. "Totally." I had no clue.
Simon rested a hand on my shoulder. I stopped. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Do you think I'm crazy?"
"No," I said, moving down the aisle. "I know crazy, and you're not it."
He sighed. "Alright, whatever you say."
"Do you know how to grocery shop?" I asked. "Because I have seriously never grocery shopped in my life. Magnus has like, nothing in his pantry."
"Milk, bread, eggs, fruit, vegetables, the essentials."
I nodded. "Alright, let's shop."
XXX
Anya
"Again."
"What?" I asked in disbelief. "I've done it like, ten times already."
"And that's not enough," Jace said, sounding exasperated. "Are you sure you're a shadowhunter? It's like you've never held a sword in your life."
Yeah, I guess he was onto me.
I scoffed. "I've held a sword before, I'm just rusty."
Jace rolled his eyes. "Get on with it, just do it again."
I swung the sword, but Jace parried it and knocked it out of my hand with ease. He didn't even blink, and he was holding his sword with only one hand!
"Ah," I picked the sword up again. "Are you sure this is going to help me?"
"Yes," he made a move towards my chest and I parried it. Ha, I got him.
He moved so quick I hardly even saw him, and in an instant I was knocked off my feet, landing roughly on my back with my sword in Jace's hand. He smirked, laughing at me.
"Dick," I muttered, grabbing him by the ankle and yanking him to the ground next to me. He was caught off guard, not expecting me to retaliate. "Got you."
"Not fair," he hissed, a playful grin spreading across his lips. I stood, yanking my blade out of his hand.
My phone blared to life, and I pulled it out of pocket before Jace could tell me I wasn't supposed to answer my phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey," I heard Liv cough. "What're you doing?"
"Training, why?"
"Jealous," she muttered. "Anyways, I was just going to ask you if I could come over, seeing as I have Simon here with me and a few bags of groceries—"
"Simon?"
Jace looked alarmed as I said his name.
"Yeah, ran into him on the street. So, about coming over…"
"I doubt you'll be able to, I'm training. And aren't you suppose to?"
"Yeah," she grumbled, and I could hear a male speaking in the background. "Simon wants to come over. Don't. Ask. Why. Please, just say yes."
"Yes."
"Thanks." she hung up.
"What was that about?" Jace asked.
"Nothing, nothing at all."
XXX
Livvy
Simon followed me into the apartment as I dropped off the groceries.
I started to turn back to the door to leave, but I heard Magnus clear his voice.
"Where are you going?"
"To the Institute," I said innocently.
"And why are you bringing the mundie?"
"Cause I can," I said, mocking his tone. It felt a lot like I was talking to my mother, arguing with her about why I was going to Anya's after school when my grandparents were coming to visit.
"Well, I'm not letting you." he smiled. "You are my apprentice after all."
I groaned melodramatically. "Well, today I'm going to do what I want. My official apprentice-ness starts tomorrow."
"Fine," he said. "But don't whine to me when you beg and plead to go back over with the Nephilim tomorrow. You'll be under my power."
"Fine," I called back to him, already walking down the stairs with Simon.
"I'll hail a cab," said Simon, leading me to the curb.
Well, this one was longer. I hope you liked it. Can't wait to start learning spells! Ugh, not really. Hehe.
