Six Stages of Having a Crush

Stage Two: The Research

'I think I might run out of wipes,' I informed Magnus as we sat in the library and pretended to study my biology notes, but were actually there for the WiFi. It was actually ironic that the sleepiest library ever would have such fast WiFi. I pegged it down to the fact that not many people visited this place and were aware of the service.

'Isabelle's on her way over,' Magnus said, 'Ask her to pick up a box.'

'You do that,' I suggested and turned my head upwards, the cool AirCon air filtering through. It was like the Gods were bestowing their blessings upon us.

'Isabelle?' I heard Magnus bark into his phone. 'Our damsel here requires a box of wipes, ASAP. Why? Because we might die of heatstrokes, that's why.'

I opened up the browser on my phone, and then Facebook. I had this urge to know if Jace was hotter than what I saw him as today. And phew, he seemed like one of those 'Lady on the Streets but Tramp in the Sheets' kind of guy.

Hot dayum. I'll take those cooling wipes now, I thought as his profile picture opened up. It was a candid shot of him with his arm slung over the back of a sofa, his glasses pushed up his nose as he read a book with a cup of coffee on the table next to him.

And then that made me think, What if he has a girlfriend? Who'd taken this picture? That thought sobered me and I scrolled down his wall. Pictures of book covers, pictures of him with his friends, posts about video games. No sign of a girlfriend.

I almost sighed in relief before I saw a link to his Instagram account.

And kaboom. The screen filled with pictures of him as I kept scrolling, quelling my urge to double tap the shit out of those selfies. Because, pfft, it is so not stalker-like.

'Whatcha doing?' Isabelle chimed in greeting as she skipped over to our table.

'Shh, Izzy,' I warned, glancing over at the sleeping librarian who was half sprawled across her desk, face-down. She was going to wake up with sleep-marks which would make her look like a giraffe. 'You'll wake the velociraptor!'

She waved me off. 'That's okay. She sleeps like a rock. This once, we almost got away with sticking goose feathers in her hair,' she said. 'Oh my God, Clary. I just had an epiphany. I could become a librarian.'

I laughed, despite the sleeping velociraptor. 'Why?'

'I mean, think about it. I just have to be able to shelve stuff and be mean to kids,' she thought out loud. 'I swear, that is my life goal.'

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my phone until I hit a dead end. Huh. Seemed like this kid joined recently. I felt a tickle on my shoulder and turned back. Isabelle leaned over me and I almost died.

'What is wrong with you?' I asked her, a hand on my racing heart. 'You should come with a warning. "Keep away from personal space."'

Isabelle held up her hands. 'Nah, that's alright. It's okay if you're checking out yummy guys on Instagram,' she said casually, plopping down in a chair next to me.

I propped up my feet on the table. 'Because obviously, like, who posts pictures of themselves publicly and expects people not to ogle them?' I asked, and Magnus nodded his head.

'I know. They're doing us all lonely, desperate people a favour,' he said, his hands locked behind his head.

Isabelle looked offended. 'Hey. I love Simon.'

'Which is why your feed has pictures of half naked men, among others,' Magnus said in a deadpan way.

Isabelle flipped him off. 'Okay, so I'm supposed to stare at Simon's chest all day? I need variety. It ain't like I'm running off with one of them.'

'Amen,' I agreed.

'So, does anyone want ice cream?' Isabelle suggested, swinging her legs and standing up. I loved my friend.

'I do,' I perked up the same time Magnus said, 'Hells yes.'

Isabelle crossed her arms. 'I'm not getting it here.' Most days I loved my friend. The other few, I wanted to run her over.

'Well, thank you for awakening my urge for a Magnum,' I rolled my eyes. 'That sounds like Magnus, but I meant Magnum.'

Magnus slapped my arm as we skipped down the steps of the library towards heat. 'You know that if I could, I'd flip and date you so you wouldn't be so lonely, but I can't. So, tough luck.'

I scrunched up my nose. 'Thank you for that boost of self-esteem.'

Isabelle narrowed her eyes at Magnus. 'What, you wouldn't date me? Am I that repulsive?'

Magnus looked like a deer caught in headlights. 'But…you and Stewart are soul mates.'

'Simon,' Isabelle corrected are we rounded the corner. The streets were empty because who in their sane mind would be out in this heat? Except us.

'Yes, yes, Stewart, Sandbox. Same thing.'

Ah, there it was. Our place. The ice cream shop. I could almost hear Isabelle and Magnus drooling, mixed in with a bit of my audio, too. 'This place is beautiful,' I declared and my friends nodded as we pushed the door open and it jingled.

Oh my God. You have got to be shitting me.

Jace stood behind the counter, ringing up an order. Now, I'd had crushes before and I swear, every time it went like this. I got too shy, and tried and avoid them. Which was basically my instinct at the moment.

The place was fairly crowded, the air conditioner a blessing from God. Almost all booths were filled, except one near the corner. We made a beeline for the booth and slumped into it, sighing.

'Thank God I didn't have to make you hold my earrings as I fought a bitch for this table,' I told Magnus. 'I am in no mood for bitch-fighting.'

Magnus mumbled a response, and Isabelle said, 'So, who's ordering?'

'Not me,' I almost shouted and Isabelle and Magnus looked at me all weird. 'Because I think I might pass out of exhaustion. I will pay you five bucks if you order,' I offered her.

Isabelle stared at me for a full five seconds before saying, 'Damn it, fine. You're lucky I like you. Else, your ass would be on the street.'

'I love you, too.'

A/N: Hello. I am back. Because it's Friday night and it's been raining all day, I was in a mood to write. Don't even ask me why. Just don't.

About the cover picture of this story, I was going to put a picture or something but then realised I needed permission of the owner and I ain't got energy for all that. I think the profile picture is a default for stories without covers. Hence, that. That is me. In case anyone wanted to know what someone un-Clary-like or un-Jace-like person was doing on the cover.

Thank you all for the reviews. Ten reviews for a chapter? Whaaaat? I don't think I've gotten those many reviews for a chapter before. Thank you for following, favouriting and reading.

Guest 1: I don't speak French, but I ran that through Google translate and thank you. I will definitely continue :D

Guest 2: THANK YOU. I SHALL CONTINUE. Sorry, I just felt like replying in caps.

SO. Review?