Hehe. Hey all. Second chapter is hereeeee. Yayyy.
Disclaimer: I don't own the mortal instruments. if I did the story would be unresolved because god I'm such a lazy bum.
Clary had learned a few things about her new friend Jace Herondale since their second encounter at school. Like the fact that Jace was probably the most densest person ever, in the whole entire world. And the only things that Jace ever cared about was soccer and school work.
Five entire years had passed since the day that Clary met her new found friend, Jace. Not much had changed since their second meeting in middle school. Their relationship and his attitude towards her hadn't really change, but he did like her, and he had to admit, he had a soft spot for the girl, though he would never actually say that aloud.
Clary still didn't know a lot about Jace and the things that she did learn about Jace didn't come from conversations with him because they didn't really talk to each other much. Well, Clary talked to Jace, but Jace being Jace, he wasn't a man of many words, so it was quite hard to hold a conversation. Whenever Clary said something, or if she asked Jace a question, he would usually just nod his head, or reply with a few short words here and there. Clary never actually minded though. Had it been anyone else they would have flipped a lid, and left Jace alone, but for Clary that was enough, for her a few words worked. She was content with the relationship they shared.
Her friends and Jace's soccer team buddies however were not happy with the relationship between the two. Why they were so invested with the lives of the two friends, Clary and Jace would never know, but they were both thankful. Not then of course, back then they were just plain annoying, but when they grew up, and as years passed, they were grateful.
They were all in their third year of high school now. And on that particular winter day, the same winter day that Isabelle had finally had enough of Jace's oblivious boy brain and came up with her plan, things had started off normally enough. Clary sat in her homeroom class, with her friends Simon and Isabelle, and they all waited for Jace as he fought to stay alive in the hallways, being attacked by fangirls. Well, Clary was waiting, her friends were busy doing other things. It was always like that in the mornings. Clary, waiting for Jace's arrival. Simon, finishing his forgotten homework from last night, asking Clary for answers here and there. Isabelle busy scribbling away fiercely in her notebook coming up with new ways for Jace to notice Clary. And Jace, being attacked by rabid fangirls. It was the daily routine, and it never ceased to happen.
Simon was in the middle of a question, directed at Clary when Isabelle leaned across his desk to look at Clary.
"Hey, hey, Simon, do me a favor and shut up a second, 'kay?" Isabelle smiled at him, and Simon rolled his eyes, the tips of his ears pink. "Alright so I, the amazing Isabelle Lightwood, have come up with another genius idea for you to gain Jace's attention, and capture his heart. You ignore Jace. Avoid eye contact, never look at him, and don't talk to him. That way, he'll wonder what he did wrong. Then in the weeks of your absence he'll realize that he's madly in love with you. That way he'll have to approach you and start the conversation, and then after he does, he'll kiss you passionately in front of the entire student body."
"Isabelle, I see many flaws with your very genius plan," Simon said, as he looked down at the girl. "For one, Jace already avoids eve contact. His eyes are always closed because he's freaking sleeping all the goddamned time. He's not going to notice if Clary doesn't look at him, and do you really think he's going to notice Clary's absence. Sure, he always sits by her but I wouldn't be surprised if he found another girl with red hair and called her Clarissa."
"Oh my God Simon, stop it. I know you don't really like Jace all that much but this is for our dearest friend Clary and her one and only chance at love. So please just stop being such a killjoy for once," Isabelle told him.
Clary's face was a bright shade of red. God, she was such a prude she realized. Just the thought of Jace kissing her embarrassed her. Yes she liked him, but he didn't like her. Isabelle never seemed to actually understand that key factor.
"Honestly Isabelle, I think I've told you this about a hundred times at least by now. I can't not talk to Jace," Clary frowned at her friend the girl was just so forgetful. She really had explained this to her so many times. "I swear to you that it's really pretty much impossible."
"Silly girl," Isabelle shook her head and waggled her finger in Clary's face. "Of course it's not impossible. I don't care how many times you tell me it is, I know it isn't. It's actually really pretty simple. Just ignore him. If you don't look at him, you won't feel the urge to speak to him."
"No, really, Isabelle, I am being completely serious right now. For me, the action of not talking to Jace is really quite impossible," Clary insisted, clutching the end of her desk, and looking earnestly at Isabelle. "It's like, when Jace is around me, anywhere near me, the words just pour out of my mouth. No matter how embarrassing anything I say is, I can't manage to stop myself from talking. My mouth has a mind of its own, and that mind just lives to make me suffer, and make me sound like a babbling idiot. It is physically impossible for me to look at Jace and not began talking."
It was the truth. Everything Clary had told Isabelle about her minor talking problem was true. Ever since the first day of meeting him, Clary was never actually in control of what words came out of her mouth when Jace was around. And then then the other problem was that, when she started spouting her nonsense to Jace, she could not just make her self shut up. Jace was nice, though. He never told her to shut up, or stop talking, and he never told her she was bothering but then again, maybe he wasn't being nice. Maybe he was just being Jace, and after all, Jace didn't say anything.
"I like it how Isabelle just leans over my desk, and you two just converse about your little boy issues but you never actually bother to include me in your conversations," Simon said.
"We don't have to invite you to talk to us because you just weasel your way in when you feel like it," Isabelle retorted, and leaned back into her own seat.
"Well that's all I'm allowed to do, considering the fact that if I didn't, nobody would talk to me," Simon shot back, although he was a little disappointed that Isabelle was no longer draped across his desk.
Just then a collective sigh was heard around the room coming from most of the female population (and some guys). Some girls like Aline Penhallow, and Helen Blackthorn just kept their head lowered, not bothering to look at the person who walked in.
He made his way to the back of the classroom, where Clary and her friends sat, and he fell into the seat on her left. Ever since that very first day of sixth grade, whenever they shared a class, there was an unspoken rule that that would be the seating arrangement. Jace seated by the window, and Clary in the spot right beside him.
His appearance was disheveled, his curly hair an unruly mess and his school uniform wrinkled. He looked like he always did, and Clary would be damned if she said he didn't look attractive. That was how he looked since middle school and that was just how Clary liked it. Middle school. Not much had changed since middle school, for any of them. Like Jace. His face and tone still carried that bored note, no matter who he was talking to or looking at. But the changes that Jace himself did undergo, well those changes were drastic.
Jace was no longer the little short boy who was just skin and bones. He was tall now, taller than most people he came across in their small school, and a lot taller than Clary was. He was no longer classified as cute to all the girls who harbored crushes on him, for he was now extremely handsome and lean. But other than his appearance nothing changed about the boy wonder.
"Good morning Jace," Clary chirped, turning her back to her arguing friends and smiling brightly at Jace. Isabelle's eye roll went unnoticed by her.
Just like Jace, Clary hadn't changed much at all. She was still five feet tall, having not grown since middle school. Her hair was still that bright fiery red that made her easy to spot in a crowd, tumbling past her shoulders and down her back in a tangled mess of curls.
"Hey Clarissa," Jace replied lazily, his usual greeting for the girl in the morning. He looked at her for a split second before he tossed his sweater at her face, and turned his head to stare out the window.
Clary smiled softly at the back of the boy's head. It started back in eighth grade. Clary still hated the winter so she thought that maybe if she didn't wear a jacket when it was snowing out, the snow would spare her and leave. It didn't because that's not how life works. Jace took one look at the girl when she walked into the school before tugging off his jacket, mumbling about stupid girls, and tossing it at her head. Isabelle was delighted and insisted that Clary never wear a jacket again. Not like she was planning to.
Just as Clary slipped the sweater over her head, a gasp was heard throughout the room. Which could only mean one other thing if Jace had already showed up. More members of the soccer team had arrived. She looked up and confirmed her suspicions. In the front of the classroom, some posed like they were Gods, stood five more members of the soccer team. Sebastian Verlac, Jordan Kyle, Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, and Clary's own flesh and blood, Jonathan Fray.
Sebastian Verlac was Jace's self-proclaimed best friend and he took advantage of every situation he saw the boy, finding different ways to irritate the younger boy. Which usually led to Sebastian entering Jace's homeroom class and bothering him there.
Jordan Kyle was one of the quieter boys on the team, and he had the very unfortunate luck of being dragged everywhere by Sebastian.
Magnus was a glitter fanatic. He entertained himself by teasing Jace and Clary. Although he mostly tagged along to speak with Isabelle Lightwood.
Alec Lightwood followed his friends to keep them out of trouble, but he secretly harbored a crush on Magnus Bane and used any excuse to be near him.
Jonathan Fray? Well it was a miracle he was actually on the team. He stilled played pretty bad compared to Jace, but compared to others, he was pretty decent. The only reason he bothered to go anywhere with Sebastian was to make sure he wasn't flirting with his younger sister.
Upon seeing his teammates, Jace sunk lower in his seat in an attempt to remain hidden from the boys he considered idiots. It didn't matter. It never mattered. Even on the first day of school they had managed to find him. They had this ingenious plan and that was to follow Clary. According to them wherever she was, he was with her.
Sebastian practically skipped down the aisle, coming to a stop in front of Jace. He slammed his palms down on top of his desk and grinned at Jace. In return, he got Jace's coldest stare.
Jace saw Jordan head over to Isabelle's boy-toy. What was his name? Rat Face? Whatever, it didn't matter. Not really. Although Jace did feel a little bad considering the fact that he was on the freaking soccer team. But it wasn't like Rat Face was important, not when Sebastian was grinning at him like a maniac.
"Hey Herondale," Sebastian greeted cheerily, ruffling his friend's hair. Sebastian turned his head to smile at Clary. "And a hello to you, Clary. How are you doing on this fine day?"
Before Clary could respond Jace cut in. He scowled at Sebastian as he talked. "What are you doing here, Verlac? I'd have thought after your many failed attempts you would have realized Clary had no romantic interest in you. But since you're here, I take it the news hasn't made it through your thick skull."
Jace had lowered his voice so that only the boy standing in front of him could hear. Sebastian was still smiling, but this smile was wider if possible. He ruffled Jace's hair once again, and leaned down so that he was looking Jace right in the eye.
"Don't say things like that. Clary could hear you," Sebastian grimaced and added as an afterthought, "or worse, Jonathan. "
It was no secret that Sebastian Verlac had a crush on Jonathan Fray's younger sister. He had even admitted to liking the girl back when they were all still in middle school. Everybody knew it by now, and Jonathan always had to fight the urge to punch his friend when he saw Sebastian talking to Clary. What was really bad about the whole situation was that even Jace knew about his teammate's feelings toward his friend, as oblivious as he was. It was only a bad thing because Clary herself was the only one who didn't appear to notice. That made her almost as dense as Jace was in the romance department. Almost, but not quite. He really was a level all his own when it came to other's feelings.
"Besides why do you even care? According to you, you don't even like her like that. Unless of course, you do. And if that is the case then I will gladly back off," Sebastian promised.
"Of course I don't like Clarissa in that way. We're friends, and that is all we'll ever be," Jace spoke through gritted teeth. His hands were balled into tight fists at his sides. "And the only reason I care in the first place is because if you keep running your mouth we're going to lose a game. Why are we going to lose a game you ask. We're going to lose a game because you're going to show up with two broken legs, courtesy of Jonathan."
Jace was irritated at that point. He was always irritated when someone thought of him and Clary as more than friends. They were friends, period. Nothing more, and nothing less. Couldn't everybody see that? Obviously not if the annoying giggling girls walked up to him after practice all the time, only to ask the same, stupid question. Is Clary Fray your girlfriend?
How did they even come to think of them that way? Okay yes, he could be found with her if he was not found playing soccer, or at his house. And sure, Jace liked Clary more than he liked most people. She talked a lot more than the average person should and she never actually stopped, but in a way it made her slightly cute, and her rambling was quite endearing. Did that mean he liked Clary in a romantic way? No.
. . .
Or did it?
Sebastian rolled his eyes. He straightened his back so that he was once again towering over Jace. "Such a little brat. Clarissa this and Clarissa that, everybody knows you like her. Yet, you keep denying your true feelings for her. You don't even call her Clary. Have I taught you nothing?"
"Tch. You don't give yourself enough credit, Verlac. You've taught me a lot of things in the years that I've known you. Like, you know, you taught me that I should never fall in love with my teammate's younger sister, and then do idiotic things to get her attention, because I will not have proper use of my arm the next day."
"Oh, oh, oh. Is it that time of the day already? Are we making fun of Seb and his failed attempt at romance?" Magnus maneuvered his way over to Jace and Sebastian. He was trapped. Magnus on his side, separating him and Clary, Sebastian in front of him, walls surrounding him on the remaining sides. There was no where to run to. "Jace how many times have I told you not to tease your elders unless I'm invited?"
"So mean, so mean," Sebastian shook his head, his wide, insufferable grin back in place. "No matter. It is time I take my leave and take my friends with me. Bye Clary!"
Sebastian shoved Magnus out of the way, coming to stand at Clary's side. He swooped down and planted a kiss on Clary's cheek. Jace's eyes widened. Sebastian shot him a cocky smile before he sprinted out of the classroom, with Jonathan running right behind him. Alec and Jordan said good-bye to their friends before they trailed after the two boys. Magnus watched them go, chuckling as he did so, before he turned to Isabelle and Simon.
"Remember today, right after practice," Magnus told them before he turned and winked at Clary. "Sebastian loves you almost as much as Jace does."
Clary's eyes widened even more, if that was even possible. Her face resembled a tomato. He head swiveled back and forth between Magnus and Jace. "N-No Magnus, that's not it, it's not like that! Jace is my friend and so is Sebastian! Friends, that's all. N-Nothing like that."
Magnus didn't say anything, merely left with a shrug of his shoulders.
Clary sat in her seat. The bell rang. The teacher walked in. The lesson started. She didn't even chance looking at Jace. Her face had finally gone back to its normal shade. So instead, she leaned closer to Isabelle, and whispered in her ear.
"What's going on after practice today?"
"Nothing you need to be concerned about really," Isabelle smiled sweetly at her. ""Nothing you need to worry you pretty little head about."
"Alright so the plan really is rather simple. Even someone like you can understand it. All you have to do is walk Clary home, like normal, like nothing is wrong. Then when you get to your house all you need to do is say you forgot something in the locker room. You run back here, and meet me at the soccer field. Can you do that, Jonathan?" Isabelle asked the boy who was looking at her quizzically.
Isabelle had grabbed Clary's brother after soccer practice, right before he made it into the locker room. They were standing in front of the door, the rest of the team had already filed inside. Jonathan had no time to ask Isabelle what was going on because as soon as that door was shut Isabelle began talking.
"Well, yes, I am highly capable of accomplishing that task. My question for you is why do I have to do that?" Jonathan asked her.
"I'll explain it all to you when you get your scrawny ass back here to the school. I'll be sitting on the bleachers with the others so you know where to look," Isabelle told him. She kept glancing at the locker room door, checking to be sure no one was about to walk out. "And hurry up while you're at it. I don't think anyone wants to wait long."
"What? Others? You mean there's going to be more people than you? Who is it, Simon? Jace?" Jonathan asked her, trying to think of all of Isabelle's friends. This was not how he expected the conversation to go. He really just thought it was going to be another girl confessing her love. He should have known better. Isabelle Lightwood liked Simon Lewis, his teammate. But other than a love confession Jonathan could not come up with another reason as to why Isabelle Lightwood would want to talk to him.
Isabelle frowned and shook her head impatiently. "Of course not, why would Jace be there. Yes, of course, Simon will be there, along with Magnus, Alec, and others. But really, Jon, enough of this chit-chat. We have more pressing matters to attend to. Now forget about changing and just go meet Clary before she gets suspicious."
"Isabelle, I'm not going to do anything for you if you don't tell me what's going on."
"You listen to me Jonathan Fray," Isabelle growled. She grabbed Jonathan roughly by the front of his uniform shirt and pulled him closer to her so that their noses were touching. "I have worked too hard setting this up. Okay yes, Magnus informed everybody but this was my plan. I will not have it ruined because you want to know every little thing I have planned. That's not how it works. How things work is you trust me, and listen to me. Nothing bad is going to happen. If anything, this is a good thing. So just trust me, and calm down."
There was a sudden bump, lots of shouting, and then the door to the locker room was flung open, and a good amount of the soccer team fell onto the ground right in front of Jonathan and Isabelle. It was a tangled pile of boys and body parts. Shouts were heard, along with profanities. Jonathan could make out the blond head of Jace on the very bottom of the heap of flailing limbs.
Meliorn emerged from the locker room. He stepped over the pile of bodies and turned to smile at Jonathan and Isabelle.
Meliorn was a mystery to everybody. The smile he wore looked innocent enough. Meliorn himself looked innocent enough. But to anybody who actually knew him, knew that that smile meant nothing. Meliorn was always smiling. No matter what, That same twisted smile that always made you think he was up to something. That something was never a good something.
"Ah so it's true about what my teammates are saying about you two," Meliorn spoke softly. "You are dating."
to clarify. simon lewis is a member of the soccer team. and then you have a bunch of random other characters also apart of the team, because you know, substitutes. Only the major characters will be at this secret "meeting" in the next chapter. Magnus, Alec, Simon, Jon, Seb, Jordan, izzy, Meliorn. and I think that's about it. more characeters may be there but yeah, I think that's it. Not jace and clary cuz u know, they have things to do. Clace things.