Sorry for being MIA again!

I swear I will finish this story, I will not give up on it I've just had A LOT of revision to do, *insert crying face*

Hope you like this one, just a bit of friendship filler

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


Chapter 9: Loyalty

I walk into school, yet another day to dread.

I go through the hallway and there is no parting like the Red Sea, oh how I miss those days where people feared me. I reach my locker and take out the books I need, biology and chemistry textbooks, Macbeth and my notebook. As I close my locker door I am met with one of two friendly faces, Sebastian (the other being my brother).

I smile, "Hi, what's up?"

"Well, I'm gonna walk you to biology."

"Oh Yippee," he takes my books from me and leads the way.

"So I gather that everything is good with you and your brother?" He asks casually.

"Well, we just had to blow off some steam and now everything's alright again. It's not so bad now. I'm adjusting to Brocelind…"

He nods and we walk in comfortable silence. We arrive at the classroom to find it empty so we just sit wherever and together. It's nice to sit next to him in classes, Sebastian Verlac is like a breath of fresh air. I never noticed how much of a black sheep he was in this society of perfectly purebred pearl white sheep. Can sheep be 'purebred'?

"Have you talked to Isabelle yet?"

"None of my messages have been going out to her, the wifi connection in Brocelind in crappy and it's not like I can ask people about it…"

"Well maybe she'll come in today."

"Wishful thinking." I sigh.

Just then the teacher walks in along with a majority of the class following suit and the lesson begins.

I make my way to history painfully slowly as it is a subject that I share with Isabelle. I'm hoping shes there but also that she's not. I'm not sure how much energy I have for confrontation today but I also want some reassurance. I could not stand it if she decides that she isn't going to acknowledge me anymore.

I peep into the classroom and see her and I swear my heart drops to my stomach. I straighten up and take a deep breath. It's going to be fine.

I walk inside. The teacher for this subject is super strict when it comes to the seating chart and since I sit by Isabelle the conversation in unavoidable. I take my seat.

"Hey Clary." I'm shocked that she acknowledges me first. "I heard about what happened. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." Iz then wraps her arms around my tiny frame while I stay still. "I want you to know that I'm still here for you, I'm sorry I haven't been here the last couple days. I was out since Friday last week in France, family member was sick."

I sigh in relief and return her hug.

"I'm so glad you haven't thrown me away." I whisper truthfully.

"I can't believe Kaelie and Aline would do what they did to you. We are gonna make their lives hell."

Having Isabelle by my side gives me the confidence I need to be able to make it through the day, maybe even the week especially because my specialty is making others feel terrible about themselves.

I pull away from the hug and we begin to plot with 12 years' worth of knowledge on the two.

"So do you know what's actually happening with your parent's business?" Izzy asks.

I shrug, "All they're telling me is that in investment didn't work out but that doesn't sound legit at all. I'll find out though, I'll probably squeeze it out of Jonathan. "

She nods in contemplation. "I could try to sweet talk him into it?" Iz suggests?

"Wanna play double agent?" Occasionally in the past when Jonathan would keep stuff from me that I wanted to know Isabelle would be especially nice to him and of course he could never resist. He was infatuated with her and she just couldn't see how much so. I would of course do the same for her with her brother but it was a little more difficult considering Alec was gay and had no interest in my whatsoever.

"Well of course, it's so fun. Love the thrill of it." We both laugh and then begin to pay attention in the lesson.

Once the lesson ended we both had a free period.

"So I hear that you're staying in a cabin in Brocelind." Isabelle starts.

"Yeah, it's not too bad, I guess. Not a penthouse apartment in Alicante but at least it's not a shack?" I try to sugar coat it but it didn't work.

"You hate it."

"Ugh I can't, Izzy. I don't know how I'm going to hold out for much longer. Our cars, my baby, has been repossessed. All we have is the SUV mom and dad got like 15 hundred years ago."

Isabelle rolls her eyes, she's one of the few people I allow to do that without my attacking them. "Take me there."

"I have to take the bus there, Isabelle –"

"We'll bring my car. And I'll give dear old Jonny a ride there too."

I smile gratefully at her, "Okay then," I text Jonathan just to let him know.

"There's one upside though, right? I can tell you're holding out on me."

"Well, there;s this super hot guy there and I think he's into me but I'm not even 80% sure yet and I don't have a lot of dignity left right now so I'm not yet willing to sacrifice what's left of it."

Isabelle nods in understanding, "of course, it's our 80% rule. And now we need to put into motion our PBFI rule."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

The 80% rule is our rule where we don't ask a guy out until we are:

80% sure he's totally into us

80% sure he is a loyal person to friends and family as well as us

80% sure he is compatible with us respectively

80% sure he isn't just sticking around for our money (though I'm not sure that applies so much to me anymore.)

The PBFI rule is the Potential Boyfriend Inspection (of the respective best friend). The best friend has to approve 80% or more. Or else bye bye PBF.

Of course there's no actual logical way for us to determine 80% (or more) scientifically, we just go with our viscera. (That's the gut by the way, I had to look it up too.)

We get lost in conversation and don't even realise the time. The bell takes us away from all our gossip and we head back to class.


The end ahhhh

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