So late update, been busy this weekend coz I have a Science mock exam tomorrow and that's not gonna be fun at all :(

Hope you enjoy this chapter though!

Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns TMI and it's characters!


Chapter 8:Sibling Disputes

Everyone has been snapping at me today so now I'm in a salty mood. Yes, salty. Not bitter, salty.

I take a deep breath as we get off of the train and begin to walk back to the house.

"Clary…" He breaks the silence.

I choose to ignore him.

He sighs, "Clary, I'm the only person on your team right now so –"

I cut him off, "oh really? You're on my team? It doesn't seem like it. Everyone is keeping things from me, you, mom and dad? I know you're hiding something so if you're not going to tell me then I'll find out for myself, you know I will." With that I continue walking even though I have no idea where I'm actually going.

I hear him go some other way since I feel that he's no longer following me. Ugh this has been the worst day.

I end up at a park at the outskirts of the town. I take out one of my notepads and a pencil from my pencil case and begin to draw. I lose my self as I recall the familiar feeling of solace as my pencil glides over the subtle ridges on the paper.

Once I feel I have finished I look at the page, I ended up drawing a face –two actually – one sad and the other happy, they're facing different ways, it's me. The happy one resembles me before, when I had my friends and the sad one is now I guess. I have no friends, except Sebastian I suppose, and I'm in an unfamiliar town and now I don't even have Jonathan.

I have to talk to him. I'm not mad anymore. I get what he did and I'm grateful for it. At least I still had him to defend me. I know I can always rely on him. He's my closest friend, beside Izzy that is.

Izzy… I sigh. I didn't see her at all today. I don't know if she was ditching to avoid confrontation or because she just didn't want to be reminded of the distance that my situation has put in between us. Everyone else in my former group seems to have given up on me and turned their backs on me but Isabelle is different. She was like a sister to me. She was my sister. There is no way she'd let this put a wall between us. I still have hope that she hasn't turned her back on me. I don't know whether that's foolish or not.

I begin to walk to where I think civilisation is.

As I turn a corner I bump into someone.

I look up, normally I'd say excuse you in a rude tone but I don't have the energy to be like that anymore.

"Sorry." I say then I realise who it is. "Jace."

"Clary, hi. Um, Jonathan's looking for you." He smiles softly, cautiously, as if he's unsure whether I'll attack or submit.

"I know. I kinda guessed. Walk me home? I'm not trying to get with you I'm just lost."

He smirks. "That's a lie, who isn't trying to get with this?" He gestures to his very attractive self.

I roll my eyes. What's worse than a hot guy who knows he's hot? Nothing. Well maybe world hunger. I'm just kidding, don't get butthurt.

Jace laughs and starts to walk.

As I fall into step with him, which was a feat considering his legs went on for days he asks, "where were you?"

"I was in a park. I think. There was a bench and trees so…"

He nods. "Maybe don't stay out too late."

"Why? Are there trolls here to?"

He chuckles. "No, I mean you don't know what's out there so…"

"Aw that's reall cute, Jace but I can take-"

"-take care of yourself? I have no doubt that you can. I just don't want some poor person running into you and getting their ass handed to them 'coz they were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

It's my turn to smirk.

"So… why were you in a park?"

"I… I snapped at Jonathan, he put me in my place. I got pissed. I walked to where ever and ended up in a park."

He nods following the short story.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No." I answer immediately. Then I think about it and sigh. "Yes."

"I'm listening." He says sincerely.

"I just… well I think I'm having an identity crisis. I don't know who I am anymore. Everything's changed, I'm in this new town, with new people, everything I once knew is gone and I just… I can't adjust. I can see that Jonathan can but I can't keep up, you know?"

Jace nods with a deep look on his face.

"I know that there's not much I can do. I've accepted that…" I add, feeling ridiculous; I don't even know this guy and I'm just opening myself up to him.

"Well I'm here for you, when you're in town. Do you have your phone? Can I put my number in it?"

I nod and unlock it for him. I'm feeling too down to be excited that I'm getting this gorgeous guy's phone number, also the hype of it isn't so big since I can't share the fact with Isabelle or anyone.

He also gives me his phone and I input my own phone number.

"I think Jon's keeping something from me." I add to my long list of first world troubles.

"How so?" Jace questions.

"I just… this town, he knows so much about it and apparently I did too once upon a time. I just wanna know. And the "failed investment"? That is such a lie; everyone's acting so sketchy."

"I'm sure they'll share in time. Maybe they feel like they're on thin ice?" He suggests.

I just shrug.

We come to a stop and I realise that we're here.

I smile at Jace. "Thanks for walking me here. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't literally bumped into you."

He nods accepting my gratitude. "No problem." He leans in and kisses my cheek, causing me to blush. I actually blushed. I never blush.

"I'll see you whenever I see you, I guess." I walk up to the front door and thankfully someone pulls it open suddenly since I remembered that I don't have a key and that would have really ruined the mood and been embarrassing.

"Clary!" It's Jonathan and he comes in and pulls me into a hug. "I'm so glad you're alive and weren't eaten by bears!"

I hug him back and whisper, "I'm sorry for being a real ass."

"It's okay. I'm used to it." He smirks.

I pull away and roll my eyes.

"Thanks for bringing her back, Jace. I was gonna go lead a search party except no one here knows what Clary looks like."

Jace nods, smiling a genuine smile and waves.

"Take care of yourselves." Then he retreats to where ever he lives.

"You're so lucky I covered for you with mom and dad. You would have been in so much trouble."

I sigh, "I wasn't away for that long. I just ended up in a park."

He shakes his head and we make our way into the house.

"So what's this I hear that you're hanging out with Sebastian Verlac?" He asks and I groan. "You still crushing on the guy?"

"No!" I exclaim. "I'm so over that, we're just friends. He was the only person to acknowledge me positively at school so I was like, why not?"

"Just be careful, yeah? You don't really know the guy."

"I know enough, Jonathan. He's a good guy. And I'm gonna take what I've been given 'cos right now I have nothing."

"That's a lie," Jonathan says simply, "you have me."


What a cute ending to the chapter :D

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