Chapter 2 –

Clary walked into the school slowly, clutching her ribs carefully. She was wearing a plain green hoodie, white singlet and grey jeans with her favourite black canvas shoes, he fiery hair twisted into a messy knot at the back of her head and stuck through with a coloured pencil. She guessed it wasn't the fanciest outfit, but it was just school, why even try at all?

Her best friend Simon was waiting for her outside her locker, she casually slid her hand away from her ribs so that he wouldn't worry, she smiled at him and he waved, "Hey Simon, how's it going?"

"Much better now that you're here, Fray" he called and pulled her gently against him when she got close enough, she sighed happily, he smelled familiar, like soap and washing detergent, he smelled, to Clary, like home.

"Why do you always have to call me Fray" she asked, half-jokingly.

"Well, it is your last name, isn't it" he laughed and looked down at her, his eyes hooded.

"Yeah, it's just, it reminds me of her" she whispered the last part, half of her hoping he wouldn't hear it and worry about her.

"Hey, it's ok, she'll wake up one day, I promise" he smiled as she stepped away from him so that he could look her in the eyes.

"Pinkie promise" she said in a small voice.

"Pinkie promise" he stuck out his pinkie and interlinked it with hers, finalizing the promise.

She laughed, "I can't believe we still do that" she pushed his shoulder playfully and he smiled, he seemed distracted though, like his mind was somewhere else.

She made a promise to herself to find out what was bugging him at recess just as they parted ways so that she could go to her math specialist class and he could go to human Bio.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Hey Simon, are you ok, you seem a bit, distracted, lately" Clary poked him in the shoulder to get his attention, he was staring at her face, but not staring at anything at the same time, ti was as if his mind had simply floated away for a while.

He jerked his head up straight, "S sorry, did you say something?"

"Yes, doofus, I asked you what's wrong" she smiled and waited for him to answer.

"Well, you see, I like this girl" he started, she smiled at him reassuringly.

"But…" she prompted when he just sat there staring.

He swallowed nervously, she felt a small giggle rise inside her, it was so cute that he was still this nervous about girls.

"Uh, um, she kind of, already has a boyfriend, and, I don't think she likes me like that" he pushed his glasses up his nose and she rested her hand on his, she felt his hand stiffen beneath hers and wondered what was wrong.

"It's ok, Simon, if she's smart then I know she'll love you" Clary said calmly and with full confidence that it was true, who wouldn't love Simon, he was cute, funny, and endearingly dorky.

"Uh, Clary, I have to tell you something important, I…" his words faded away as a head of golden hair came into her view, now it was her turn to space out.

She felt her fingers itch for paper and pencils as he turned to see her, his lion like eyes shimmered under the bright cafeteria light and the corner of his mouth was quirked up into a smirk.

She curled her fingers as if around an imaginary pencil, and moved them around the table, making out the shape of a pair of fierce golden eyes and sharp, angular cheekbones.

He winked at her, just as she was getting to his mouth and she felt an unfamiliar flutter in her chest, then he walked away and she felt her hands relax, Simon's voice seeping back into her mind.

"Clary, I know it's a lot to take in but I really hope we ca-" he was saying, she frowned and interrupted him.

"Sorry, what was that?" she asked and he sighed, sounding tired.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter, who were you looking at?" he asked.

She felt like he was hiding something important but the need to tell him about 'Golden boy' was overwhelming and she leaned forward excitedly.

"Did you see that boy, the one with the golden eyes?" she asked him.

"No, I didn't, why?" he asked, although he seemed to already know something about the answer.

"I saw him last night, after Sebastian b…after I was done at Sebastian's, we sat at the bus stop together and he asked which school I go to" she said, nervous energy filling her voice.

Simon sighed again, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, "You like him" he said.

"I do not" she said, but even as she spoke she remembered his golden eyes and the way she hadn't been able to get them out of her head since she woke up on the floor next to the bus stop and found her way home.

Simon opened his mouth to speak just as the bell rang throughout the cafeteria, muffling his words.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The rest of the day she looked out to see if she could spot 'Golden boy' again, but found that he was nowhere in sight. As she walked down the hall to put her stuff back in her locker and go home, she thought back to the cafeteria, wondering if she had just imagined the whole thing.

No, she decided, he had to be here somewhere. She stepped out the front doors and right into the, hard, broad chest of a random stranger. She felt a weird warmth fill her body as the stranger pulled away from her to reveal a pair of liquid gold eyes set in a tan, smooth face, "sorry" she whispered and then repeated more loudly, though he seemed to have heard it the first time.

"Hey Longstocking, how's it going" he grinned.

She heard Simon call out from somewhere across the street but couldn't take her eyes off of 'Golden boys'. "My name is Clary, Clary Fray, not Ms Longstocking" she said and his grin widened.

"Well, hello Clary, my name's Jace, Jace Wayland" he stuck a hand out and she put her hand in his, expecting him to shake it, but instead he raised her hand, back up, towards his lips and planted a kiss just above her knuckles, she felt a small jolt of pleasure shoot up her arm and saw his eyes widen as if he had felt it too.

He let go of her hand and stood up straight, she clutched the hand to her chest in shock.

"Bye, Ms Longstocking" he said and she felt a sudden spark of disappointment at the fact that he hadn't called her by her real name.

He walked away and she turned to see Simon sanding a few metres in the other direction, "Hey Simon" she said happily, still rubbing circles on her hand.

"Hey, Clary" he sounded sad, like he had lost something important to him, she opened her mouth to speak but he interrupted her, "I really hope he doesn't hurt you" he said as he hugged her gently.

She was confused by his words but snuggled into his embrace anyway, "Will you drive me home?" she asked and she felt him let out a small laugh.

"Of course I will, Fray, what are friends for?" he said and she felt herself relax, this was home, this was safe.

But as she pulled away from Simon and they got into his car a certain set of Sparkling Gold eyes filled her thoughts and she wondered if maybe, she was tired of playing it safe.