No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't figure her out. Her guarded emotions, her art, Jace, I just didn't know what it was about her. I looked at her and just saw this, difference, how she moved, how she spoke, how people talked about her. What was it that made her so, special? I was probably over exaggerating the whole situation, but I just couldn't get over it.

Most likely, I wouldn't have paid any attention to her if Jace wasn't taking such an interest in her, but he was and that interested me. What can I say, Jace always put me on guard, and that meant the things that caught his eye, worried me.

I could feel her eyes on me now, watching me, studying my every move. She was smart, not easily swayed. The way she was challenging me, almost amused me. Yes, she was defiantly different.

I turned around meeting Clary's glace with a smile on my face and a pile of clothes in my arms. "What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her question filled face.

Her expression changed, as if everything was just becoming lightly smiled and brushed her hair back behind her ear, "Sorry, I was just day dreaming." What was she thinking about?

"Here" I said back as I handed her the clothes. I could tell she didn't care much for shopping, so I made sure to pick a good amount. And don't you dare call me a bitch for doing so, I just needed the extra time with her, you know, to figure her out. Besides, its been a while since I went shopping with a girl, sure she wasn't the most girly one, but she wasn't Simon who groans everytime I pick something up.

"Please tell me these are not all for me?" her voice a cloud of foggy boredom as she grasped the clothes. She held the cloth without effort, letting her arms droop under the weight of the material.

I laughed at her, "Are you asking me to lie?" Her head dramatically fell as if to mimic dread. I laughed as I watched her, "Just get a move on". As she lifted her head and met eyes with me, I smirked a devious grin.

I sat down on a hard wooden bench not far from the changing room Clary occupied. All our belonging set next to me as I eyed Clary's purse with interest. I was fighting an inner battle of moral, because The erg to rummage through her purse was growing stronger by the seconds.

Then I heard it, the muffled sound of a ringing phone. It was Clary's, Well at least the ringing was coming from her purse. I reached over, silently Telling myself that I was just going to answer her phone, but knowing secretly that there was much more to it. Rummaging through her purse I finally found the ringing device and read the caller ID. Jocelyn, who could that possibly be? To be honest, I was sure it would be Jace.

"Hello?" I said as I answered the phone.

"Clary! Where the hell have you been and why on earth are you not answering your fucking phone!" she yelled into the phone. I panicked a little inside, if Clary was screening this woman's calls, there was probably a reason. She sounded older, middle aged maybe, but also by her tone, I would say she had a very large stick up her ass!

"I'm sorry, but I'm not Clary I'm her friend, she's away. My names Isabelle!" I tried my best not to sound annoyed as I spoke respectfully. How irritating!

"I don't give a shit who you are, why do you have my daughters fucking phone!" she grunted. She was Clary's mom? Why did she not name her as "Mom" in her contacts like everyone else would . I quickly thought of a lie.

"I just came over to drop something off and I heard her phone ringing, so I thought I would get it." I sounded board, but really I was insanely interested in this woman.

"Oh I see, your there with that blond asshole! I bet your sleeping with him behind her back, maybe that guy does have good taste after all. Seconds on the side, smart guy, even if he is an asshole" my mouth dropped! What the hell was wrong with this woman, she just accused me of sleeping with- wait is she talking about Jace? Why would she know Jace and why would she think he would be at Clary's? Jace did ask me to distract her, maybe he's staying with her or something. But she thinks they are sleeping together, are they?

"No, he's not even here. " I was confused and angry. I just didn't understand who could say something about there child's friend like that. It just didn't make since, unless Clary did something to her!

She started to laugh. Why? "I guess I was wrong, she can get friends, but none of them are worth the least bit." what?

I was about to tell her off, possibly even testify on Clary's behalf, but she hung up on me. I almost called her back, but a thought crossed my mind before I could. What if there was a side to Clary's life, that wasn't something I wanted to see? Did Jace know, could I even ask him? Did I want to?

That was Clary's mom. She sounded and acted like such a bitch. She seemed cruel and extremely judgmental, how could someone possibly live with that?

"Izzy? Can you give me a hand zipping up this dress" I heard Clary call from down the hall. I set her phone back in her purse and stood.

"Yeah, sure" I was too distracted to comment, I wanted to, but I just couldn't. She slightly opened her changing room door and I walked insider as I reached it. She had a on a wonderful black dress that clung to her body perfectly in almost every way. it was simple, a sleeveless dress made of silk with a belt. She had her back to me and I could see the blush on her face in the mirror. Just as my hand touched the zipper I saw something, right at the area where a woman's bra would normally hook, a scar. Of course this wasn't the kinda of dress you wore a bra with, so it wasn't odd that I saw the scar, what was odd was the scar itself! It was like that thing we did in school where we made lines to count something and every time we got to five we would cross a line through the other four lines, she had one carved into her back, a check list, with six checks. It was clear there was no possible way to get something like that by accident, someone put it there. And if I was right and it really was a check list, that meant that whoever put it there, did something six times and didn't want her to forget it.

I quickly zipped up her dress before she could ask me what I was looking at and realize I had seen the scar. " there you go!" I said lightly as I took a step back trying to hide my shook and curiosity. "let me see how it looks?"

"seriously? Now not only am I being forced to try these clothes on but now I half model for you!"

I laughed "consider it an honor! Not everyone is so lucky to have my eye for fashion" I joked with her.

Maybe I did like Clary, maybe this whole worried feeling I got from her, was jealousy.

"well what do you think" she said with a blush across her freckled Face as she interrupted my thought. I took another look at her in the dress, and what can I say, it suited her. It also gave me an idea.

"Buy the dress Clary, your gonna need it" I smirked at her as a worried look passed over her features!

"Why?" her voice was hasty and slightly panicked, it's possible she knew about my history.

I walked out of the dressing room without answering but laughing to myself. I walked over to my seat and heard my phone beep.

I'd gotten a text a few minutes ago, from Jace. It read, "Can you bring Clary down to the coffee shop?". I let out a sigh.

"Clary you may want to hurry, someone's looking for you!"

Isabelle had been driving me freaking crazy all morning, making me try on hundreds of different clothes, dragging me from place to place and even making me buy a dress that really wasn't my kind of thing. Now we were walking into a coffee shop and she refused to tell me why, just telling me to put a sock in it every time I asked! I really couldn't help whining, I was tired and for some reason, I really wanted to talk to Jace.

Then I saw him, I would recognize that hair anywhere, even if his back was to me. But he was with someone, but I couldn't see his face, his head was down and his hair was covering his eyes. Strangely enough I felt like I knew him, it kind of creepy.

"Jace, their here!" he said as he lifted his head, again he caught my eye, like I knew him, Isabelle seemed to. He got up out of the booth as did Jace and Isabelle gave the man a hug. He was broad and tall. His dark hair fell over his eyes, and I hadn't seen him straighten his neck yet. He turned to me, looking down on me with what looked to be blue eyes, "Clary Graymark!" he said with a light laugh, I tensed at the sound of my old name, I hadn't used that name since middle school, I still remember begging the high school secretary to change my name in the records. "Your a hard person to find these days!" I looked up at him in shook, I could feel the weight of my mouth as it gaped.

"Wh-What? I stuttered, forcing the words from beyond my struggling lips.

"I'm sorry, it's Fray now right?" I nodded as a big goofy grin spread across his face. Jesus he was familiar!

"Jace?" I said whipping my head towards him, he was smiling, so genuinely and trusting that I felt compelled to relax, well a little.

"Clary, I would like you to be aquatinted with Isabelle's fiancé" I looked over at her, but she was busy staring at the man, a worried look present. When I looked back at Jace, all I saw was hope "Simon Lewis!" oh dear god!

"Wait-Jace- that's not funny-" he cut me off before I could finish.

"it's not a joke"

"Simon, what's going on? Is she-" Isabelle started but trailed off as something became apparent.

"Yes, Izzy, this is her" Isabelle looked over at me full of an emotion I didn't know. "So Clary" he said to get my attention. He spread his arms out, "after all this time! No hug?" I can't explain what it was, but I didn't hesitate as I took the step that separated us and threw my arms around his neck. He laughed and wrapped his arms around me, "I missed you Clary, I really did!" he said as he lay his head on my shoulder.

"You too Si" I laughed as I felt a tear fall down my face. I felt truly happy in that moment. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to see him, wanted to hear his voice. This was one of the happiest moments in my life, and yes that's cheesy but deal with it.

But then I started to feel it again, the claustrophobic inside me was rejecting his touch. That part of me that feared closeness was taking over again as I was forced to pull away from the found beacon. I smiled lightly at him reassuring him everything was fine as I stepped away.

Jace touched my arm, in an effort to comfort me. It was odd how he knew me so well. "I have to talk to Izzy, is it OK if I go or do you want me to stay?" he asked quietly as Isabelle probably said the same thing so Simon as she kissed him on the cheek.

"No, I think I'm going to be fine. But thank you. Am I going to see you again tonight?" I asked nervous.

"Of course! I have a date with your couch and I wouldn't dare stand her up!" he made me laugh as he wiggled his eyebrows in a very odd fashion.

"is that so?"

"Yes, I'm hoping she will let me sleep with her again" What a cheese ball.

"I'm sure she will let you! But it's weird she really doesn't seem like your type." I teased him

"Well if I'm being truthful, I'm only using her to get closer to this friend of hers, you would probably like her, she's kinda cute."

"Oh really, well I think your gonna have to try harder then that!"

"I am, and trust me, I have a few tricks up my sleeve!" you sly bastard, we will just have to see about that!

"Well, I guess we will just have to wait and see, only four days left. You may want to put some plans in action."

"I will take that challenge, miss Fray" her turned his head away towards where Izzy and Simon were, a giant smirk still on his smug face.

When I looked over at them I saw they had been watching us and both of them were smiling and trying not to laugh. It was a cute sight, Simon was leaning against the booth with his head turned to the side, he had his arms wrapped around Isabelle with his fingers entwined with hers. They rested their hands onto her stomach while she leaned into him, they fit against each other perfectly.

"Clary, you are really starting to grow on me. I like that attitude!" commented Isabelle.

Simon Couldn't hold his laughter any longer, "She's stubborn too Iz, just like you. Maybe worse!"

"No kidding" Jace said beside me.

"I don't remember asking you Jonathan!" his head whipped in my direction at the sound of his full name

He laughed, " come on Izzy, before I get into it with Clarissa again!" I looked at him with an intensity that could only be tamed by the warm smile on his lips.

Me and Simon stood in silence as we watched them leave, both silently wondering something that had caught our tongues. But when I met eyes with him once again, staring though those black locks I saw an old memory become brand new.

We both sat down in the booth and looked at each other. I wasn't sure what to say to him, but apparently he knew.

"I looked for you! I want you to know that. I even went back to your old house once, but your step dad refused to tell me where you were." my body tensed at the mention of the man who had raised me.

"Thank you for looking Simon, looks like you finally found me."

"Actually I didn't, Jace found me." my ears perked at the mention of his name. "He's different from what I've heard, I'm glad." Jace found my Childhood friend for me, he came here and he met him, for me.

"Me too." I smiled thinking back to when he told me about the tricks he had up his sleeve.

"So I hear your an artist?" he asked with that tone that everyone had when they thought they were right about something. He had always told me as a kid I should be one.

"Yes, but what do you do?" It was something I had always wondered as a kid.

" Um, well I own a music store back home."

"seriously? That's got to be a total geek store?" I laughed at the thought of a store filled with shelves of music and a wall covered in awesome band memorabilia while every inch of the walls had posters on them.

"Trust me, it is. Iz tells me that I'm lucky she fell in love with me because I'm a geek or else she would have run for the hills the minute she saw that store ."

"she's quite the catch! How did you two even meet?"

" Well, I was looking to buy something for my sisters birthday, and I'd spent weeks looking all over town till I was standing in this women's clothing store. I had no idea what to do with myself, where to look or even what it is I was looking for. Izzy saw me, and she thought I looked kinda cute when I was helpless, So she gave me a hand, using her skills to find me the perfect gift in a matter of seconds." the enthusiasm in his voice was amazing. He really loved her. "To repay her, she demanded I buy her a drink and I did. When the night was over she was getting in a cab and I was watching her afraid I would never see her again. When she suddenly turned around and said "Meet me here for breakfast tomorrow" and handed me a slip of paper with an address and her number on it."

"Got to admit, she's good, and she knows it" I said smirking as I let out a nice laugh.

"She sure does." he laughed, the way we were talking, it felt like we had never been separated at all. "So what's going on with you and Jace?"

"Me and Jace, that's an odd combination!"

"Oh don't even try bull shifting your way out of that question!" he snickered.

"Well me and Jace, we're a long story!"

"I want to hear it, from the start to the finish." Crap

"well me and Jace are, I don't know what to call it, I could say friends but you can't tell him I said that, not yet. We made a wager, he thinks that at the end of 7 days he can make me think of him as a friend. That I will trust him, and if I for some reason don't, he will leave me alone forever. See we made this deal while he was standing on my porch in the rain, in the middle of the night telling me he wants to be a better person." I told him as much as I was comfortable with trying my best not to tell him something.

"You not telling me everything are you?"

"nope"

"your not going to are you?"

"Not yet, maybe some other time"

"I can see he's trying hard, I don't even think he has to think about it, I think he just does what comes naturally"

"no matter what anyone thinks about him, he's not horrible. He's kind, caring and the only reason he's ever acted different is because there's a lot of pain inside him. I don't think I have ever met someone who has been so broken that they can't seem to fun themselves in the bright of day" except myself. Simon sat there smiling at me with his head still tilted downward.

"I will take your world for it!" he laughed and patted his bangs down on his head, his hand lingering there for a moment.

I knew he was hiding something, but he had every right to, I was hiding something from him to. But I still couldn't help wondering why it is that he hid by ducking his head and wearing his bangs the way he did.

I let the question fall from my mind as we talked. We talked for what felt like hours, talking about our lives, the people we knew, the things we liked, anything that came to are minds.

Hey guys its my Birthday! And for my Birthday I want you all to review!
Tell me what you thought!
Any thoughts you may have on Isabelle, or what she's doing!
What you think Simon's hiding!
What you would like to do to Clary's mom (not kill just maim or seriously injured, Killings no fun these days!
I WANT TO HEAR IT ALL!
SO REVIEW
LIKE RIGHT NOW
YOU SEE IT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN SO GO AHEAD AND JUST REVIEW

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