It's Just Starting

A month past by after that strange and most definitely hated Saturday. Valentine hired a new cook, an older man who didn't appear to have any close family, and Jonathan and I continued our bickering and fights. Nothing had change. Well maybe I changed, or at least how I look at Jonathan has. He's not just some spoiled brat that does whatever to who ever he wants. He's an abandoned child that has serious emotional issues to work out. . .

So like I said a month had past by, and I was working even more now. The holiday season was coming up and everyone had relatives coming into town, which meant Pandemonium was packed with traveling teens. Raphael was complaining that I didn't take enough time off, but I just ignored him and continued to work every day serving the hockey players that had made the bar their new current hangout. And every day I had to beat Zeke's hand away from my ass, and suffer the dark glares from my fellow Junior who had once again plastered herself to Jace Lightwood's side. I had learned her name was Clary Fray and that she was taking most Senior classes to be with her boyfriend more. I thought that that was a stupid reason since they always seemed to be fighting over something one week but then okay the next. It left me dizzy to even think about.

It was November and the air had cooled to the point were I had to start wearing a winter coat that only made me sweat to death when I was on the bus but left me freezing while walking the several blocks to and from the bar. Some days after I got off work I would bump into Mark Blackthorn and we would walk to the bus stop together, or stop at a coffee shop to just chat. Apparently he lives nearby with his large family. One of the nights he was with his sister, Helen, who was dating Aline Penhallow now that the drama with her kissing Jace had blown over, or something like that. I don't care for listening to drama, it only makes more of it. Helen's a nice person with inhumanly blue-green eyes.

It was a Wednesday in mid-November when things seemed to completely flip on me. I was in the middle of my shift, the hockey team screwing around in their booths, Lily in the back washing dishes, and Raphael chatting it up with Johnny a new regular that had taken to dropping by during the week. I was wiping down the other tables listening to the loud blabbering of the jocks, there was a comment from Eric about my ass and I had to restrain the urge to throw the smelly old rag at his face. I don't understand the male's fascination with a girls rear, not exactly a turn on if you ask me. I was passing by their table when someone brought up the subject of their first game.

"You're going right, Clary?" Sebastian asked leaning across the table.

Jace pushed him back as he said, "Of course she's going. She's my lucky charm." Her freckle spotted face turned bright red as she cuddled into his side. I just rolled my eyes and kept walking.

"Hey, Tyler!" Zeke called, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from snapping. God seeing them every other day was slowing killing all my resolve and self-restraint.

Turning around I muttered, "What?"

The spiky haired guy beamed, "You coming to see us crush St. Nicholas' team tomorrow?"

"No." I replied without pause. Zeke frowned.

"Why not?" Eric whined pouting his bottom lip.

"Because I have work." I answered flatly.

"You can have off!" Raphael called from behind the bar. I shot him a lethal glare but he only half smiled in return.

"See! Now will you come?" Sebastian piped in and I was sure I would end my day strangling one of the three annoying bastards.

"I said no." I huffed, irritated.

That's when Mark turned around in his booth with a friendly smile and said, "You don't have to come, but it would be cool if you did. We have a get together afterward to celebrate, and it's pretty fun. You should come."

Flatly rejecting the "Annoying Bastards" is easy and comes without any worries of hurt feelings because they bounce back so fast- rejection being apart of their daily lives anyway- but rejecting Mark was completely different. I like him, he's a nice guy, and I guess I consider him a friend now. We talk regularly, we share the occasional text message, so brushing him off like some idiot was out of the question. The other issue was declining his polite and very appealing invitation. Raphael had practically backed me up into a corner saying I could have tomorrow off. Asshole boss.

With a long sigh of complete and utter defeat I answered, "Okay, I'll go."

Laughing started from the middle of Mark's booth, it was sharp and dark and I knew exactly who it was. "The mighty Blackthorn has a date." He chuckled and that got the whole team going.

The wet rag in my hand suddenly felt very light and my shoulder hurt slightly. It took my brain a second to realize why. The rag was no longer in my hand, I had thrown it hard and fast at Jonathan. It hit him right in the face and now hung there dripping down the front of his shirt. I leaped back knowing what was waiting for me on the other side of that filthy piece of cloth. Hell, and possibly my soul chained to a bowling ball that would be dropped to the bottom of the ocean. Dear god did I do it this time.

"Are you okay?" It was Clary. She was kneeling in her booth reaching over the back of Mark's to Jonathan. She pulled the rag from his head while everyone just stopped and stared. Jace looked infuriated, while Jonathan's expression left me dumbfounded. He didn't look upset or angry, in fact he looked just as surprise as the others.

I had never seen Clary and Jonathan talk before. They always seemed like the types that would have nothing to do with the other because Jace and Jonathan were hardcore rivals. Now looking at her and her concerned expression it was clear that their worlds were connected, not just by the common link: Jace Lightwood.

"I'm fine." He replied flatly turning away from her. His black eyes were on me and I could clearly see the dark flames of anger flickering in them. I was dead. Dead and buried.

Clary turned around in her booth and tossed the rag at me. I caught it easily as she said, "That was completely uncalled for. You're even at work."

My hand clenched around the rag as my temper rose again and I could feel my mouth forming words that my brain had not accepted as a reply. That wasn't going to stop my tongue though, causing trouble was it's specialty apparently. "Outsiders shouldn't get involved." I stated glaring back at her. Her bright green eyes against my pale hazel.

"That's enough Tyler." Jonathan broke in darkly.

I gaped. Was he defending her? Jonathan Morgenstern doesn't defend anyone but himself. What the hell was going on here?!

"No she's right." Now it was Jace. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was staring intently at his empty glass. "Clary wasn't involved in that conversation. That was between Mira, Mark, and Morgenstern." His tone was flat and cold. Clary visibly flinched away.

"Jace-" She began to say but he brushed her off with a quick fierce sideways glance.

After that everyone fell silent and I used my job as an excuse to leave. Raphael raised a brow at me as I dumped the rag into the bucket under the bar. I just shook my head as I returned to cleaning. It wasn't long after that when the jocks began leaving in groups. Like usual Mark hung back and waited for me to get off. I don't get why, but it's nice not being completely alone waiting for a smelly cramped old bus.

"You'll still come right?" He asked as we stepped out if Pandemonium. The air was cold and the city lights blocked out the stars over head.

"Huh?" Was my reply.

"To the hockey game. It starts at seven." He explained. His mismatched eyes looking down at me with hope and something else I couldn't place.

"I don't think I should go." I said turning my gaze back to the path ahead of us. "I crossed a line today, and it's clear Jonathan and Clary don't want me there."

"Who cares about Clary, she's a tag-along. And as for Jonathan he never wants anyone around. He's a sour grape." Mark blurted out. It was so unlike him.

I laughed. A real good long laugh that I hadn't had in quite a while. "Who says sour grapes anymore?" I said between laughing and wiping the tears from my eyes.

Mark's cheeks turn even more red, clearly not all from the cold nighttime air. "It was the first thing that came out." He murmured pulling the collar of his jacket up like it would help fight off the cold.

"But still," I giggled. "It's such an old saying."

I looked back up at him and his expression was no longer of embarrassment, but now of contentment. My laughter faded as blood rushed to my cheeks. What was going on?

"Good you can still laugh. I thought Morgenstern killed your humor." He said and a lump formed in the pit of my stomach. What was going on? This feeling was all warm and fuzzy and totally foreign.

I yanked my wool cap tight around my head using the moment to cover my face from him. "He's just a pain in the ass. And like all pain, it passes." I said dropping my eyes to my beat-to-hell sneakers, watching them scuff against the sidewalk and kick aside the stray soda can or fast food wrapper.

"Very modernly wise words." Mark commented. And we both laughed again.

By the time we reached the bus stop the bus was just arriving and I hurried forward to get on it, but something caught at my backpack pulling me back. Looking over my shoulder it was Mark with a nervous expression on his face. He dropped his hand as he stepped around me never breaking eye contact.

"So I can expect to see you tomorrow? At the game?" He asked shoving his hands into his jeans pockets.

"Yeah, I guess. I don't have anything better to do now that I don't have work." I answered shrugging my shoulders.

"Great." He smiled. Before I could comprehend what was happening Mark was leaning down and kissed my cheek. It was a quick peck that sent a fresh round of blood flooding to my cheeks. "I can't wait." He said taking off down the street while I stiffly made my way to the idling bus.

What the hell was that? I exclaimed inside my head as I took a surprisingly free seat in the front of the bus. I felt dizzy and my heart was pounding in my chest, but it wasn't with affection. I was so confused. I never expected that from Mark. I gripped my stomach as it did unsteadying flips. What am I going to do tomorrow if he does that again? No wait, what am I going to do about Jonathan when I get home? He's bound to still be mad, and out for revenge.

"Ugh." I groaned gripping my abdomen tighter.

Please leave a review and thank you for reading. I hope that the story is interesting and has all of you itching to know what is going on with the Morgensterns. ^^ the next chapters will come out quickly becauEd this is my favorite part of the story. Actually this whole chunk is what inspired me to make a spinoff.