I know its been a CRAZY long time but this chapter is kind of long so I hope it makes up for me being M.I.A

Anyways as aways R&R, constructive criticism is always appreciated :)

Enojy!
-Gifted

Chapter 9: Creating Scars

6 months ago

I ran from the house, tears in my eyes. The text messages between him and that unsaved number were obviously much more than nothing. Especially after what I saw, I came over to finally confront him about it after nearly a week of stalling. I dug my phone from my pocket, and called Isabelle when I finally got the stupid thing to unlock. I heard him calling my name but I just ran straight to my bike as she answered on the second ring.

"Hey Clary,"she said warmly.

"He was–I saw him–he doesn't love me," I said sobbing, not able to complete a simple sentence, hopping onto my bike and revving the engine.

"Calm down, just come over and we can talk about this. Okay Clare-Bear?" she said calmly, obviously hoping to soothe her crying friend.

I shook my head, though she couldn't see it, "I can't, I have to go–leave. Now," And with that I hung up and shoved my phone into my pocket before pushing my helmet into my head.

"Clary wait, please!" His voice called desperately from the door of the house, I looked at him through my chrome visor, knowing he couldn't see the pain, or tears, in my eyes. He started jogging across the lawn to where my bike was parked next the curb.

I shook my head. If he got any closer than I'd give in to those stormy gray eyes without a doubt. I put the kick stand up with my foot and took off, not a single destination in mind.

It was nearing sunset by now but I didn't care. I had to get away. From him, this house—filled with amazing memories—from all of it. I didn't even want to be in the same state anymore. But right now I had absolutely no sense of direction. My mind was just telling me to leave, to run, and that's exactly what I did. I was going so far past the speed limit on my motorcycle I'd probably get locked up if there were any cops around. I was in such a rush to get away that I hadn't even clasped together the strap of my helmet at the chin.

I felt my phone vibrate in the pocket of the brown leather jacket I was wearing. I could only guess that it was him or Izzy calling. Tears pricked at my eyes and flowed hotly down my cheeks, slightly blurring my vision. However even that didn't stop me as I switched from 3rd gear to 4th, going faster than I ever had before. Hearing my dads warning in the back of my mind; "Clary, I need you to remember something, alright?" I nodded at him. "Never under any circumstance go into 4th or 5th gear, I promise no where you need to be is worth your life. Besides what's family game night without Big Red and Minnie."

I blocked him out and revved the engine, before looking left and then right. Where the hell am I? It was a street I didn't know. Maybe I had gotten to another town. I sighed inwardly. I'd done it, I'd gotten away. But it seemed this heartache and stabbing pain just wouldn't go away, no matter how far I got.

I felt more tears flow down my cheeks, effectively soaking the padding on the inside of my helmet and most likely causing my mascara to run. I continued racing down the streets that I didn't know when a duck came into view, taking its sweet time waddling across the street. I swerved in order to avoid it and lost control of the bike. I was thrown along with it since I had yet to let go of the handle bars. I ended up hitting something hard, and left a sharp pain on my right side. I look down and realized my helmet flew off at some point. I pressed a hand to my side, and when I pulled it back it was red. Blood. I screamed, when I tried to press down and stop the bleeding, while simultaneously fighting off the throbbing of my head. I heard a quack and turned my hard much too quickly, because my vision began to blur from something other than tears. The duck waddled right past me without a second glance. I sobbed, "Daddy I'm sorry, I won't make it home for game night" I stated to no one at all before everything went black.

~•~•~

My senses pricked before I was fully awake. I could hear the sound of someone snoring, and something beeping beside me but I had yet to open my eyes. I leant over and tried to shut off the alarm clock when I felt something tug at my arm.

I finally opened my eyes and was greeted by a sterile white celling, walls, and blankets. Looking out the window I could tell that it was just after sunset. What the hell am I doing in the hospital? I thought. And who is snoring like that? I looked towards the noise and saw Jon, and he was out cold on an uncomfortable looking hospital chair. I looked closer at his features, as the sleep began to leave my eyes, and saw that he had dark circles under his eyes. I frowned and was about to call his name to wake him up when the door creaked open and my mother walked in, dad not too far behind.

"Oh Clary, you're up," my mother chided, tears in her eyes and a loving smile on her face, "We were so worried about you," she sat next to me on the bed and I moved to sit up but winced when there was a sharp pain in my right side and laid back down.

"Mom?" I questioned my voice raspy from just waking up, "What happened?" I asked my memory hazy.

"We were hoping you could tell us that," my dad stated seriously. He had a look on his face, almost as if he was disappointed(?). I was confused until I finally remembered the duck, the crash, and everything that happened before that. I felt tears sting my eyes, but quickly blinked them away. The last thing I needed was to cry in front of my parents and have them worry more.

"I was on my motorcycle," I began slowly, "and there was a duck in the road so I swerved to make sure I wouldn't hit it. Thats the last thing I remember," I told them squinting my eyes in pain as I tried to sit up again. My mother rushed over and propped 2 pillow up being my back and sat down on the edge of my bed. She took a glass from the nightstand and held it to my lips as I gulped it down.

"C'mon Elmo," I heard Jon's voice and looked over to him, realizing that he must've just woken up, "After the call I got from Iz a few days ago I know theres more to it than that." He looked at me seriously as I noticed that my father had barely moved from his spot near the door. Despite this I caught something specific that Jon had said.

"Wait. A few days ago? How long was I out?" I questioned, worry seeping into my voice.

"Four days," my father stated, his voice cracking in the slightest. He still had that look on his face and it made me uneasy. My eyes widened as I went to run my hand through my hair but Jon caught my arm, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"Don't think thats such a good idea," he stated. My brows furrowed and he released my hand, which I tentatively reached up towards my head and felt around slightly. I could feel the bandages against my finger tips and looked down and realized my right hand was in a forearm brace.

How did I not notice this before, I thought to myself, frustrated. Slowly I lifted up the t-shirt I was wearing (my mom must've taken off my hospital gown since we both hate them) and looked at my bandaged abdomen and knew that this must have been the reason for all the pain in my right side. I let the shirt fall back down, covering the starch white bandages.

Tears stung in the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

"What were you thinking Clary?" My dad asked, his voice laced with fatherly concern. I looked down at my good arm, as he walked over to my bed. Mom stood up from the bed and he took her place at my side, "I saw the bike—which is practically totaled—and I saw that you were in 5th gear!" He exclaimed his voice rising with every word, I flinched slightly and continued to look down at my hands. "We could have lost you, you know better than to go faster than 3rd," he stated, the disappointment seeping into his voice. "Please Minnie, you have to tell us what happened," I finally looked up at his them, a single tear escaping at the nickname. The last time he called me that was when Jon and I decided to climb a tree when I was 9 and ended up falling and dislocating my shoulder.

"Daddy I'm sorry," I began my voice breaking as I chocked out a sob. He was quick to wrap his arms around me, being cautious of my wounds, "I didn't me to worry you," I said letting go and looking to my Mom and Jon, "Any of you."

"But Elmo wha—," Jon was cut off when the door creaked open and Simon, Izzy, Alec, Maia, Magnus, and Jordan walked in.

"Clary!" Izzy exclaimed as she shot over to my bedside with tears in her eyes. She hugged me but quickly let go as I let out a grunt of pain, "Oh my gosh Clare I'm sorry! Did I hurt you? We were so worried! What happened? What was with the cryptic phone call? I have half a mind to—"

"Izzy!" Magnus said, effectively stopping the raven-haired girl who was talking at the speed of light, "Let the girl breathe, she obviously just woke up," Izzy nodded looked to me for answers. But I didn't even know where to begin, just as a I was about to speak a doctor walked in. Jordan's dad specifically, which was odd seeing as though he usually worked on more serious things than motorcycle crashes. However I guess I fell into that category since I was in a coma for four days.

"Ah," he began, "I see you're finally awake," he gave me a friendly smile and looked to my parents and the others in the room. I'd always liked Jordan's dad, he was kind and made some of the best baked ziti I'd ever had in my life. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask Clary a few questions, we should be done in about 5 to 10 minutes," he smiled softly at them.

"Of course Jordan," my mom stated smiling back at her long time friend.

"Oh Junior," Dr. Kyle stated look at his son, "Can you tell your mom that I'm taking over the nightshift of Jerry tonight?"

"Sure thing dad," Jordan said before leaving the room with the others. I'd almost forgotten that Jordan was a junior, the thought made me chuckle inwardly. But it was obvious as to why he would be a junior. Jordan was the spitting image of his dad with the brown hair and hazel eyes, though he got the tan skin from his mother. However Dr. Kyle had strands of gray on the sides of his hair, but this only added to his doctorly charm in my opinion.

With that Dr. Kyle went from checking my vitals to making sure the stitches on my side were still where they should be. When he wrote the last of what he needed to on the clip board he sat down in the chair that Jon formally occupied and look at me seriously.

"Can I ask you something, Clary? he questioned.

"Sure," I stated.

"How did this happen? What exactly were you running from?" He questioned softly but there was concern etched in his voice. My eyes widened slightly and I looked away, "When Junior told me that you were in an accident, I thought 'no way, Clary is the safest driver I know car, motorcycle, whatever'. But then I came in here and couldn't believe it. To be completely honest I thought if any would would end up here it would be Jon or Junior." I chucked quietly at that knowing that those two were some of the most reckless speeders I'd ever met, "So there must be a reason. Can you tell me what it is?" He asked, the softness and concern never leaving his voice.

I looked at him then and sighed, knowing that there was no way I would be able to hide the truth from him, "Aaron and I, things haven't been going to well lately. Then something happened that day and it pushed all of our problems right over the edge of the cliff," I sniffed and felt tears run down my face and quickly looked away and wipe away the tears. When I tuned back to him he was handing me a tissue, "Thanks," I said taking it, " I just, I had to get away."

He nodded, not pushing the subject any further and stood from his chair, "Thank you for telling me," he said, "I'll let your family know they can come back in now."

With that he walked out of the room.

However when the door opened I was expecting to see a group far too big to possibly be allowed in a hospital room.

Instead I was greeted by stormy gray eyes.