Jace sat in the cab with Clary and Simon on their way to the mall that afternoon. Isabelle was supposed to show up in the next hour with Maia and Jordan, so the day would be a lot more interesting after the three of them were done browsing at Macy's and Abercrombie.
"Do we really have to be here?" Jace asked, looking out the cab window at the mall where teenagers and moms with babies in their arms were walking in and out of the front and back exits. "I mean, couldn't we have chosen to do something other than walk around a mall while Isabelle shoved clothing in my arms and took pictures of me in skinny jeans and tight tee shirts?"
"You already wear tight tee shirts, Jace," Simon piped up. He was also looking out the window, but not with the same wistful expression that Jace had. "You wore one that one time when we went shopping and you asked what a mango was."
"Beside the point," Jace said. "And did I ask you for your opinion, day lighter?"
"No, but you didn't NOT ask for it either. And FYI, it wasn't an opinion, I just stated a fact, and you would know that if you weren't so busy trying to insult me all day."
"Guys, just stop it," Clary complained, and stepped out of the cab. The other two followed her out, and together, they walked to the front doors of the Macy's. As soon as they walked in a couple of girls started giggling at Jace.
"What's their deal?" Jace asked, running a hand through his hair, and looking around the crowded department store.
"They're admiring your looks," Simon said. "As in, they have a crush on you already." Jace gave him a look and then looked over at the girls, winked, and walked to one of the stands with multiple hoodies. Simon followed, while Clary shot the two girls a glare and then walked over to one of the shoe displays where they had converse ranging from the colors black to white.
"I want these," she said, holding up a pair of green and blue flannel ones. "But they're forty dollars, and I don't have that kind of money." She was startled when Isabelle came bursting through the second entrance with armfuls of bags filled with clothing and makeup. She ran over to Clary, and was soon followed by Maia and Jordan, who were looking miserable.
"I can pay for those, Clary," Isabelle said. She handed Clary a forty, but Clary shook her head.
"I don't have the guts to take money from you like that. I don't want them badly enough to pay with cash that came from your own wallet."
"Oh, come on, Clary, it's just a bit of money! Besides, these are cute, and they'll look fantastic on you." While she talked, she glanced over at Simon who was holding up a Pacman tee shirt and examining it with a "should I buy it?" expression, which was soon followed by a "nah" expression and him setting it back down on the display table. Clary also watched him, and then looked over at Isabelle again.
"Help Simon, not me," she said. "He's your boyfriend after all, so I think its best you leave my problems to myself and help him instead. Plus I think the only reason he set it down was because he probably couldn't afford it."
"Alright," Isabelle said, and while she walked over to the display table where Simon was, she was knocked over by a crowd of girls who were rushing over to Jordan and Jace like an angry mob. They both fell to the grown. Clary gasped and her expression turned from surprised to amused when she saw that several of the girls were holding pens and pads of paper, while others were holding lipstick, and were putting it on, as if getting ready to attempt a surprise attack on either of their faces.
The mob went away after about ten minutes of laughing, and giggling, etc, and Clary, Maia, Simon, and Isabelle gave "thank god" looks toward the heavens.
"That was terrible!" Jace, said, getting up, and using one of the shirts on display to wipe his face off, afterwards handing it to Jordan.
"Are you kidding me?" he said, laughing. "That was amazing!"
"You two are crazy stupid sometimes, I swear," Isabelle said.
The six of them continued to shop, while Jace was unaware that he still had a lipstick mark that matched the color of Simon's lips.
But Clary noticed, and laughed.
THIS CONCLUDES PART THREE