Guest: Sorry to say this, but it really can. Raquel's eczema was rrrreeeaaalllllyyyyyyyyyy bad. With HK pollution, dust, and stuff, it practically paralyzed her because her skin was so raw. There are different stages and types of eczema and your friend probably has a different one. But honestly, it can get that bad.
So… we're updating again!
That weekend later…
"Clarissa? Jonathan?" called Jocelyn through the front doors of their house.
"Hi, Mum!" Clary squealed to hug her mother. She had gone downtown to some convention centre and stayed there for the school days of the week. "How was er… whatever you went to?"
"It was fun! I met a few people too. Eligible men… but I still prefer Luke…" Luke was amazing. He was funny, a werewolf… but that made no difference to the person he was inside.
"I don't blame you," she agreed. "By the way, I found out Izzy was a Shadowhunter and we've been training together for a while."
"You're training again!" Jocelyn hugged her daughter closer. "I wish I could have been there to see you have your stele back," she sighed. A tear seemed to escape her eyes, but she couldn't help it. They were happy tears.
No one said a word after that. It was all just happy tears and reminiscing moments of the past.
"Find a partner to improvise with as a warm-up," said Mrs. Penhallow, the drama teacher. Jace and Clary had always been in the same drama class through and through. It was hard for her to believe that she only just found out about a week ago that he was a Shadowhunter… after 3 years of knowing him!
Everyone had a friend to be with them and partnered up. Jace had too many friends that they picked each other and he was left alone, Clary had zero friends and always ended up having Mrs. Penhallow pair her up with someone.
"You don't uh… happen to have a partner do you?" Jace stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Clary's breath hitched slightly as the ends of his golden locks got twisted between his fingers.
"No, I don't," she replied cooly.
"Would you be my partner?" Clary had alway thought Jace was good with girls. Why was he stuttering? Is his hesitation what turns girls on? It was a doubt.
"Sure, I guess." Clary huffed and stood face to face with Jace. This was the longest she had ever looked at him for. It was only now until she could really get a good look at his well-defined features.
Jace and Clary… they 'improved' for a while. Actually, they talked about Shadowhunting. When Mrs. Penhallow came by, she seemed to like the idea of 'mythological' creatures and nodded approvingly. The pair chuckled quietly after that.
"It's funny how I've known you for years, yet I still don't have your number," said Jace folding his arms gently.
"I'm your sister's best friend, why would you have my number?" Clary purposely didn't take the hint. She knew what Jace was trying to do.
"In case she goes missing and you're often the only person she's ever with. Though, I don't understand why since she's got way more popular friends than you."
Right in the feels… thought Clary.
"Probably because I'm not fake like them. Or should I say, the people you hang out with," said Clary with a childish smirk.
"And the people I hang out with are?" Jace raised an eyebrow.
"The people you hang out with are all fake, artificial. They change themselves to fit into a social status when on the inside, they hate what they're trying to be."
"Sure they do," said Jace sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure that they're just doing what they think is best for themselves."
Clary scoffed. "You think so?" She shook her head. "They're trying to change themselves so they can hang out with a more popular crowd. For example, Kaelie. She's a huge slut, but one of the smartest people I've ever seen. Did you know she takes AP everything?"
Jace's eyes went wide open to Kaelie who stood in the corner of the room with a bunch of the students that only took drama for an art credit. With hearing runes, the pair could hear them talking about Chem. Jace never took notice to that, just how her cups were hanging out of her shirt, and the skirt she wore was see-through to her red lacey underwear which he had ripped at least a dozen pairs of by now.
"Oh. Well, that's just one person. Not people in particular," said Jace on the verge of defeat. He was determined to win this verbal 'improv' against the redhead. She wasn't one to talk and he wasn't one to stop talking. It just kept going on and on and on and on and on.
Clary couldn't fight back. Mrs. Penhallow had stopped everyone from talking and decided to get on with teaching. Clary moved to the opposite side of the classroom from then, away from Jace, but couldn't help but to let her eyes wander towards him in the end.
"Okay, I think we got off on the wrong foot," said Jace as Clary was alone at her locker in between classes. She slowly got her binders out on purpose so she'd have enough time to hear Jace out.
"And what are you going to do about it?" she asked, still not looking him in the eye.
"I shall apologize," he said formally. It was probably the way his parents had brought him up. "And since I'm sure you're going to be around even after high school, I'd like to get to know you better; not just through my sister… who is currently storming over here and is about to accuse me of harassing you." Clary turned her head in the direction Jace was looking and saw a somewhat enraged Isabelle with her knee high boots, clacking loudly against the floor towards them.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked in a low voice.
"Having a conversation. Don't worry about it." It was surprising how Clary reacted so quickly; defending Jace was even more unexpected.
"No flirting, no dirty talk, no… nothing?"
"Nope. I would have run," Clary chuckled. Isabelle's eye's scanned Jace for a lie, but there was no sign he had shown of telling a fib.
"Okay… If I see you two looking suspicious again, I swear I will get to the bottom of it." Izzy marched away towards her mundie friends and kept them company to talk about 1D. Jace and Clary both started to laugh to themselves as they heard Izzy talk about Justin Bieber and his new tattoos next. It was hilarious.
"You don't like JB, do you?" Jace sounded hopeful.
"Hell no. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against him… he's just not my style," Clary admitted. Jace nodded in approval.
"I'm actually more of OneRepublic kind of person," Jace confessed. It took Clary a moment to realize what he just said. He looked more like a rapper fan.
"Wow, didn't see that coming," said Clary as she zipped up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.
"Walk you to class?" Jace offered as he noticed her closing her locker.
"Sure." It took a split second for her to reply. Not too fast, thank all angels, but it was good. Her heart leapt at the sight of his golden features when they stepped outside to go to the next block of the school.
"This is going to be fun," said Jace randomly. Clary snapped out of her daze and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "We're sort of 'friends' now, right?" Clary shrugged and nodded. "Yup, this is going to be ffuuunn."
"Why?" she finally spoke up.
"You'll see. You're going to fall for me, pretend like you still feel like you're just a friend, force yourself onto someone else so you try to get over me, but it won't work. No one gets over this," he gestured to himself. Clary rolled her eyes.
"Is it because I'm a redhead?" Clary asked not too harshly.
"Nope," he said with pride. "It applies to all girls and some guys." Clary chuckled at his self-righteous attitude. He was overconfident. That could get him to places, but it might get him to a bar or a strippers club first.
They walked around the building to the side doors where Clary's next class was. Around that though, there were potheads. Jace seemed like the kind of guy who would go out to joints and smoke weed or cigarettes. He would join them to leave Clary, he would. Well, it looked like he would.
"Don't worry. I know them," he said. Hm, so he was going to join them.
They picked up their pace and headed for the doors, close enough to the potheads to smell the weed and smoke in the air. It was a wonder why teachers never came around this area.
One of the potheads whistled.
"Knock it off, Raph. Mine." Jace's protectiveness over Clary got her to blush. Mine, he had said. She liked the sound of that, but it wasn't how Jace had implied it.
Raphael had pale skin, bloodshot eyes, and a spanish like accent. It was faded, but evident. Vampire. Clary had instantly figured it out.
"Alright, amigo. But don't get too caught up with this one. I know her, she's feisty." That was true, Clary did know Raph. She knew him because of Magnus. Magnus was an old family friend of Jocelyn's. He knew what Valentine was up to and decided to help with that. He even tried to warn Valentine of what he was trying to do, summoning his father. Valentine didn't pay attention, causing Magnus to hear and watch him burn to his death.
"I'll help you get back on your feet," Magnus had said. "I always keep my word." and he did. For that, they owed him their lives, but Magnus had countered, "Having friends is enough to thank me." Clary figured it was from being immortal. She couldn't dream of that.
When the Morgenstern family was visiting Magnus after Valentine's burial, Raph had come by to ask for a potion to let him drink or eat mundane food for a while. Once he saw that Magnus had 'human' guests, he said he'd come back another time and left in an instant. He probably heard Clary rampage-ish after that about Valentine and his obliviousness to his actions.
So, yes. They did know each other… somewhat. It was more of a familiar face than 'knowing' each other.
Jace cast a glance at Clary with a raised eyebrow.
"Long story. I'll tell you on the way." He shrugged and held the door open for her, glaring at the Downworlder before letting the side doors swing closed.
Clary told him how they met for the rest of the time they were together. Jace kept asking questions about her past. She smartly replied, able to dodge all questions. Valentine had taught her how to do that.
Jace didn't push on the subject, just left it alone and moved on. They had only recently become proximity friends so he didn't feel like pressuring her into anything. That confused him even more. He often got what he wanted, when he wanted it. He couldn't understand himself to why he wasn't rushing to get her to blush somehow.
"I'm not going to make this sound like I wanna leave, because I don't, but I have to," said Jace looking down at his phone.
"It's okay. Just go. I'll see you around." Clary gave a :) face and watched Jace's golden body walk away. Her eyes didn't leave his back until the golden glow was out of sight.
At the end of the school day, Izzy and Clary walked together to their lockers as they had last period together.
"Nothing is going on between you and Jace, right?" Izzy wanted to be sure. Clary rolled her eyes.
"We're just… acquaintances," she reassured her best friend. "He said so himself that he'd see me even after high school. I guess that's why he wants to at least be somewhat comfortable around me. For the past 3 years it's just been completely awkward."
"True…" Izzy was still unconvinced.
"Don't worry. I'm never going to get up to that level where I'm choosing him over you." She sighed in relief and brushed off the last bits of dust from her boots.
"Good. Now, you're coming over to the Institute today to really train. Not in a basement, in an actual training room."
Clary couldn't hide it. Her excitement to hold weapons and swing different kinds of swords was catching up to her. All of the power she had been holding in for years was about to explode.
"Awesome." Jace is going to be there.
