The Warning

"You're in the way." Jonathan drawled behind me as I searched through the fridge for the yogurt that I had hidden for myself. He was tapping his foot impatiently. Nothing was any different, even after last night. Not that I really expected anything to change, I was just his human ice-pack. Then what about the thumb trailing thing? I wondered as I grabbed the small container of dairy and stood up, giving Jonathan my I-could-care-less face.

"Just trying to survive here." I replied moving out of the way and going for the drawer that held the silverware. I grabbed a spoon while he began a slow and dull scan of the fridge's contents. He completely blocked the exit to the kitchen.

With a sigh I pulled the foil off the top of the container and licked it clean before throwing it away. Turning back around Jonathan was still in the fridge, taking forever like usual.

"What are you looking for?" I inquired merely to get him to move along.

"Food." Was his reply. There was no sarcasm or anger to his tone. The one word was a statement of fact.

"Well there's plenty in there. I don't see why you're having trouble today." I said stirring my strawberry yogurt, then licked the spoon clean.

He didn't say anything in response. I continued to eat my food until it was gone and Jonathan was still searching the fridge. Cleaning up after my breakfast I walked over to the open door and peered down at him. He wasn't even looking at the fridge he was on his phone. I groaned as I leaned against the door banging it against his knee.

"What the hell?" He snapped looking up at me.

"Want me to cook for you?" I asked as he slid his phone into his pocket.

"I don't need your help. Move out already." He was definitely back to normal.

"Then get out of my way I need a shower." I said pushing the door into him again, rattling the bottles and condiments on the shelves.

He huffed and glared at me, but stepped out of the way. I walked around him and got ready for school. He was gone before me like always, but as I was leaving I bumped into Valentine who was just getting home from work. He works at some firm for something. I don't really know and never cared enough to find out. He looked worn out and ready to drop. His dark eyes had even darker circles under them, and there were more lines in his face than normal. We said nothing to each other in passing, only because there was never anything to say to one another unless I was paying for my rent.

Upon arriving at school I seemed to become some sort of topic, people whispered to themselves as they looked at me. I ignored it playing it off on my lack of sleep and stress that had started last night with Clary. That wasn't even the most surprising thing that happened that morning, waiting for me at my locker was Mark. I didn't even know he knew where my locker was. He greeted me with a smile, and I could only respond with a nod. It was like I walked into the Twilight Zone, I kind of wanted Jonathan near me to fight with to calm this unsettling feeling inside of me.

"How's you're ankle? You left right after bandaging it right?" He asked as I spun the dial unlocking my locker.

"Uh, yeah. It's fine, thanks for asking." I said shoving my backpack into my locker along with my coat.

"Was it really Clary and Isabelle who did it?" He asked lowering his voice so only I could hear.

I grabbed the books I needed out of my locker then closed it before facing him. He looked nervous. I couldn't imagine why. "Yeah. Why would I lie about that?"

Mark shrugged and leaned away like I was accusing him of some serious crime. "No, I know you wouldn't. It's just hard to picture them picking on anyone. They're not exactly the bully types." He said averting his multicolored gaze to down the hall. I follow his line of vision to Isabelle Lightwood's locker where she and Clary were chatting with some brunette guy that I recognized as apart of our grade.

"It doesn't matter I haven't done anything. So just forget it." I breathed taking off towards my class.

"Wait Mira." Mark said and I paused. "I just wanted to thank you for coming last night. I had a lot of fun." He smiled, his cheeks turning a light pink. He's always so sweet, I didn't understand why I didn't like him more than I did. Maybe I lacked the passionate side of a girl like I lacked the feminine grace and the delicate looks.

"Thanks for inviting me. The game was fun." I half smiled back before heading off to class.

As school progressed I learned it wasn't my imagination, everyone was looking at me and whispering. I didn't know about what until Mark raced up to me at the end of the day apologizing like a mad man. I just stared at him as he panted out his last few sorries.

"What are you talking about?" I asked closing my locker.

"You haven't heard the rumor?" He asked looking up at me. His eyes wide and startled.

"I hate rumors." I replied.

"Umm, well," He stammered avoiding looking at me directly.

"Does it have anything to do with me and you?" I asked raising a brow. I needed him to get talking so I could get to work.

"NO." He said frantically.

"Then why were you apologizing?" I inquired crossing my arms. This was taking too long and I was going to miss my bus.

"Because I believed it." He admitted and his face turned a brighter shade of pink.

"Believed what?" I almost snapped. Mark was dragging me in circles and I was getting pretty tried of it, or maybe it was just the lack of sleep talking.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself before he looked at me and asked, "Are you living with Jonathan?"

My brain froze for a moment as I just stared at the Senior. What had he just asked me? Where the hell did that come from?

"No." I spat and turned away from him.

He called after me as I stormed down the hall but I didn't look back. I hurried away from him ignoring the stares and hushed tones as I past. This was ridiculous. Who on earth could have started that rumor? The only person I could think of was Jonathan but he didn't want people to know just as much as I did. Someone could have seen us share a taxi, but that wasn't a reason to assume we were living together. I didn't need this right now, I already had a redheaded monster after me, and I didn't need Jonathan ripping my head off because everyone found out.

The whole way to work I tried to force the rumor from my mind, while Mark kept blowing up my phone. It got to the point where I had to shut it off and bury it deep inside my backpack. There was a black cloud hanging over my head as I banged the door open to Pandemonium and stalked inside.

"Hello sunshine. You're looking particularly gray today." Raphael said as I made my way to the bar.

"Stuff it." I grumbled shoving my backpack into the cupboard.

"Oh and feisty too, I see." He commented.

"Bad day?" Bat asked from his usual place at the bar. Next to him sat Johnny who was watching the conversation with mild interest.

"It wasn't exactly good." I replied grabbing my apron and putting it on.

"Want another day off?" Raphael asked casually.

I spun around anger and exhaustion fueling my actions. "Are you slowly trying to get rid of me?" I snapped.

"Woah, calm down chica." Raphael said as his thin brows shot upwards. "That's not at all what I'm doing."

"Then why do you keep pushing days off on me?" I challenged pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Because you're a kid and you shouldn't be working all the time. ¡Dios mío! You can be so stubborn." He complained.

I lowered my hand and groaned inwardly. You're being an idiot Mira. I yelled at myself. "I hate teenagers." I huffed going back to the bar and grabbing the cleaning rag.

"I'm not a big fan either." Raphael said stepping into the back room to do I don't know what, Owner-like things probably.

"So what's got you all pissy?" Bat asked as I began wiping down the bar.

"High school drama." I growled.

"Well I figured that." Bat said with a smirk.

Just then the front door opened with it's usual creak and I greeted the person without looking to see who it was. "Welcome to Pandemonium."

"Is Mira here?" Asked a woman.

"Who wants to know?" I asked lifting my head to see the woman who had been fighting with Valentine. Today she was in regular jeans and a jacket with her fiery hair tied into a tight bun on the top of her head.

"Oh it's you." The woman said with an uneasy smile. "I need to talk to you, and I heard you work here. Do you have a moment?" She was polite in a direct way. She was clearly not the type to take no as an answer, maybe she really was Jonathan's mother.

"Who are you?" Bat asked changing stools so he was blocking the woman's view of me. A good tipper and protective, he was definitely my favorite costumer.

"My business isn't with you. Now Mira can I have a moment of your time?" She stepped closer to the bar. She was certainly confident.

"What's this about?" I asked leaning around Bat.

"Your housing." She stated and suddenly realization dawned on me.

"You're the cause of that rumor at school?" I stormed around the bar.

"Please follow me." Was all she said as she left out the door.

"Tell Raphael I stepped out." I told Bat as I hurried after the redheaded woman.

The woman led me to the alley next to the bar away from any passersby. The cold air assaulted my body, I should have grabbed my jacket but I had to know what was going on. She paused for a moment in the dark alleyway with her hand shoved inside her pocket searching for something. When she finally pulled her hand free she held out a white envelop to me.

"Take this and move out of that place. It's not safe and you don't belong there." She said with the strictest expression a stranger had ever given me.

"Who the hell are you to tell me this?" I fought planting my hands on my hips. "I have nothing to do with you."

"Actually it is you that has nothing to do with the Morgensterns." Her tone cut through my anger just like a mother's would. "You need to leave that loft and find some place else to live. I'm telling you this for your own good." Her green eyes stared right into my hazel ones, unwavering and completely serious.

"You're saying this now? I've been there for a year, and everything has been just fine. You're the one who's told the school! You're the one who's messed everything up!" I didn't back down. "YOU LEFT THEM, SO JUST LEAVE US ALONE."

Her hand tightened on the envelop and the paper crinkled. "You are not their family. They don't see you as apart of them. You're just a replacement. Is that what you want to live as? A surrogate for a person they don't deserve to have in their lives." Her voice took a darker tone and her gaze turned into a glare.

"Where do you get off in saying that? You abandoned your own son!" I yelled back. My body no longer felt cold, the adrenaline pulsing in my veins helped that. I was panting and ready for a fight. This woman, I couldn't believe she was saying this to me. She didn't know anything. She didn't know what happens in that house, she hasn't seen the dark hollow expressions of the bitter men that live there. She had no right to kick me out and send me away.

"Is that what Valentine told you?" She snapped back. The sophisticated adult facade fell and we were just two females fighting in an alley next to a bar.

"It's what I've pieced together. You were the one who said you were done with Jonathan. Don't pretend to be the innocent mother when you're clearly not!"

SLAP.

"You know nothing about that." She choked out. "I'm warning you now to just leave that place. It only causes problems." Her shoes smacked the ground as she walked by me.

My head was still snapped to the side from the force of her slap she delivered to my left cheek. At my sides my hands shook in fists, holding back the rage that wanted to go after the woman and beat her to a pulp. I don't know when I went back inside the bar, seconds later, minutes? I couldn't tell, I was only seeing red.

"You no good bitch!"

"Get out of here!"

"Good for nothing! Stop wasting my money."

"You're tired? I had to work all night!"

"Shut up you pathetic brat."

Breaking glass. Raised fists. More screaming and bl-

"Mira?" Bat's voice broke throw the dark haze of my mind.

I looked up to see three sets of wide curious eyes. I didn't have anything to say to any of them.

"What happen?" Raphael asked coming around the bar. "Maldito." He muttered under his breath as he tilted my head to the side so he could get a better look at my cheek.

"Should I call the police?" Bat asked getting up from his stood.

I jerked out of Raphael's hands. "I'm fine. Just forget about it." I said flatly.

"You're just a kid she can't-"

"Bat just leave it!" I yelled stomping off towards the kitchen.

I spent the rest of my shift in there. Cleaning making only one plate of Nachos which were unappealingly limp. My head was buzzing like a swarm of angry bees. The only time I looked outside the kitchen was when Johnny yelled something about a heartbreaker, and I saw Magnus Bane sitting with one of the Lightwoods. Alec, I think was his name, and apparently they had been kissing, well that would be a shock for his upper class stuck-up family to find out he's gay. I shrugged it off and returned to my kitchen brooding until my shift ended.

I was pleased that Mark didn't show up to walk me to the bus. I was even more pleased when I got back to the loft and no one was there so I could yell and curse and complain until my voice gave out and I collapsed onto my bed too tired to do my homework. I felt like this was one of those times girls cry their eyes out, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't cry. The tears just wouldn't form.

I knew it. I wasn't meant to be girly at all. Maybe I wasn't meant to be. . .

I'm sorry about Mira's reaction to Malec, I had said it would be entertaining but as I began writing this chapter I realized, "Nope that's just not going to happen the way I want it to." So I apologize! . Anyway I hoped you guys liked it anyway. Next is the Party and things will only get more intense from there. Things will come to light and Mira will have to face her past after all

Sorry about that mis-post .