Thank you to everyone who has reviewed Idris Academy or placed it on their favourite or alerts list. It means a lot to me that you like. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well-NTR
Chapter Two: The Mistakes You Don't Want To Make
Studying didn't help. Clary was still too riled up to possibly think about studying Advanced Calculus. Those bloody Shadowhunters, thinking they were the best. Thinking just because they had money, they were better than everyone else, that they could buy everything they wanted.
"Clary? Are you okay?"
Clary turned towards Cecilia, who was looking at her with concern and she realised that she had unconsciously screwed up a piece of paper with her fists. Clary smiled somewhat forced and said
"Would you excuse me for a minute?"
She could feel Cecilia's eyes burning into the back of her neck as she left the library hurriedly. Once she was out of her view, she started running, her arms pounding backwards and forwards, her eyes plastered on the Fire Exit sign up ahead. She reached it and she pushed open the door, before it slammed behind her. She stood in the emergency exit, staring at the grounds in front of her, their sprawling greenery and high fences to keep out security only making her angrier. She closed her eyes and screamed loudly, knowing full well everybody would be busy watching the "show".
"WHAT THE HELL?" she yelled and listened as her words echoed across the greens. She lowered her clenched fists, waiting for her anger to subside. Then before she could control it, she yelled
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? LITTLE RICH BOYS. IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE MONEY, WHO WOULD YOU BE? NOTHING".
She then tore off her school blazer and started jumping up and down on it, pretending it was Jace Wayland she was squashing beneath her feet.
"WHY..DON'T...YOU...JUST...GO...DIE?"
She stopped before pulling the blazer up off the floor, dusting off the dirty footprints and huffing loudly. Right now that was over with, she would get back to class and pretend that nothing had ever happened. Like she was stuck in some hellhole that spawned children of Satan. She only had one and half more years to go and SHE WOULD SUCCEED. It was the only reason she stayed, because if you went to Idris Academy and came out with academic excellence, nobody cared that you were a commoner, a nobody, a victim. Nobody in the field she wanted to get into would care who you were, just what you had achieved. And she would get into it, no matter what.
She swung open the door and left the emergency exit. As the door swung closed behind, on the staircase below, Simon Lewis slowly sat up, looking at the closed door behind her, her angry words still ringing in his ears. That had been a show and a half. He had barely noticed the red-haired girl during her first few weeks, she had been quiet and shy and meek, too meek to warrant much attention. But this could be interesting...very interesting.
Clary took an angry bite out of her apple, crunching on it loudly. Beside her Magnus looked at her aghast.
"What? Someone got a red notice again?"
Clary nodded furiously and Magnus said
"What did this Starkweather boy do?"
Clary looked up from her seat behind the counter and said
"Scraped his car against Wayland's. It was a tiny scratch, I couldn't even see it and the way everybody carried on, you'd think Starkweather had punctured the tires or destroyed the engine".
"What?" said Magnus again, unable to formulate a better answer.
Clary nodded sombrely and said
"And you should see the way everyone throws themselves at him. Female and male. The way they act if girls confess to them, it's like they are Jesus himself. God forbid, if a boy should confess to them, their heads would probably inflate so much, they would need a pump to bring it down".
"God' said Magnus, fanning himself with the latest season's brochure, 'even I would not stoop so low as to desire men that have no soul. Even if they are attractive as sin".
"Which sadly they are".
"Their looks are wasted on them" said Magnus sadly.
Clary took another savage bite of her apple and Magnus came over from where he had been adjusting the mannequin's clothing and Clary begrudgingly admired his work. The khaki jacket, white dress and straw fedora combined grunge with sweet and plenty of people who came in always seemed to go out with the same clothes the mannequins wore when Magnus played around with them. He leaned over the counter and said
"I wonder why you can live with their stupid behaviour. You know when we were young and those ignorant asses used to bully me about being gay".
Clary surveyed Magnus, from his black and purple streaked hair, blue eyeshadow coating his eyes, glitter nail polish that adorned his nails and rainbow leather pants and said
"Which shockingly doesn't worry you now".
Magnus twirled his hair between his fingers and said
"Well yes now I know I am absolutely perfect".
Clary couldn't help but laugh. Magnus had been one of her oldest friends since kindergarten and he was one of her most ardent supporters. She didn't know what she would do without him. He said
"You always protected me and anybody else who need protecting. You'd clench up your fists and beat them up. In kindergarten, elementary school, freshman year, every time I needed you, you were there. Nobody at Idris knows exactly how nice you are".
Clary took a final bite of her apple and tossed it into the bin.
"I wish I didn't have to go to Idris. I wish they didn't go to Idris".
Magnus looked at her and said
"Don't leave, okay? You were the smartest girl in our grade. You deserve this opportunity so much. Don't let the Shadowhunters do this to you".
Clary smiled briefly but before she could say anything another customer came in. She turned and said
"Good afternoon, welcome to...Mom?"
Her mother smiled broadly came into the shop and said
"Hey Clary. I have been shopping for dinner. Hello Magnus".
"Hello Mrs. Fray' said Magnus, 'you look lovelier than usual. I see you are wearing a new outfit".
Jocelyn went faintly pink and said
"Yes, Luke got a small raise, so I was able to buy Clary and myself some new clothes. I didn't waste time on Jonathan, he wouldn't notice if I bought him a onesie".
Clary said
"What type of..outfit?"
Jocelyn said
"That's a surprise,darling. And look, the beef was on special at the markets, so I bought quite a bit".
Clary stared at it, leaking slightly through the bag and said
"I thought the fridge wasted electricity, so we turned it off".
Jocelyn said
"Yes but Dorothea, from next door, was ever so grateful when we brought back Mr. Abbadon, so she is letting us use hers for a couple of weeks, as a thank you".
Clary weakly smiled and said
"That is...so kind of her...to let us use a fridge...that is due to expire in about two months".
Jocelyn didn't seem to hear her.
"Now darling, enough about me. How was your day?"
Magnus went to say something but Clary cut him off
"It was fine. I showed a new transfer student around, Cecilia Queen. And I received second top in my class for the Biology test".
Jocelyn kissed her on the forehead and said
"I am so glad you go to that school, darling. It is helping you to achieve so much that your father and I can't give to you".
Magnus said hurriedly
"Clary agrees. She finds it so...stimulating".
Jocelyn beamed and said
"Everything is going so well. Luke has been told he has his job for another few months, Jonathan is studying hard for scholarships and you are enjoying yourself at school. I am so happy".
Clary couldn't bring herself to break her family's heart so instead she nodded and said
"Mom, I suggest you get home before the beef completely leaves that bag".
Jocelyn looked down and said
"See you when you get home, Clary. I am making beef stew. Magnus can have some when he brings you home".
"Mom, I am grown up, I don't need Magnus to..."
"Clary, we have an agreement. Magnus takes you home or you don't work here at night".
Clary gritted her teeth and said
"Fine, fine".
Magnus smiled and said
"It would be my pleasure, Mrs. Fray. Although I must say, walking with you would lessen my embarrassment slightly about walking with Clary, who seems to be channelling Bruce Vilanch and Madonna ".
Jocelyn laughed before kissing Clary again and said
"You have such a sweet friend".
Clary smiled until her mother left the room before glaring at Magnus and saying
"I seem to be channelling Bruce Vilanch and Madonna? You think my dress sense is that bad, say it to my face".
"You're right' said Magnus, fanning himself with the brochure again, 'I'm sorry, Fray. Your dress sense is worse than Bruce Vilanch and Madonna combined".
Clary was still angry at Magnus as she sat in the cafeteria that day. What did he know about dress sense?...well what right did he have to tell her that her dress sense was bad? She gazed at her beef stew unenthusiastically and it was several minutes before she looked at and saw Cecilia. She had been corned by two sophomore bigwigs and as Clary listened, she heard one of them say
"Hey, come on. Come sit with us, let us get to know each other better. You are coming to Wayland's party right?"
Clary called out to Cecilia.
"Hey Cecilia. Over here".
Cecilia looked up and the two boys turned around. Clary pointed to the seat and Cecilia muttered an apology before coming over to Clary. The two boys dissolved back to their table and Cecilia smiled at Clary.
"Thanks' she said, 'I'm not very good with guys".
Somehow her aversion to them didn't stop them from coming after her. Long scarlet hair, sapphire eyes, a slender figure and a delicate smile, Cecilia was fast becoming the male student's fantasy girl. Clary grinned and said
"No problem"
Cecilia leaned forward and confessed
"I don't think I can get used to this school"
Clary was about to agree when Cecilia looked down at her food and gasped.
"Oh no. Your food is mouldy".
Clary gazed down at the spinach floating through the stew and said
"It's beef stew. Do you want to try some?"
Cecilia looked at it and Clary almost laughed.
"It isn't mouldy. It's spinach".
She offered Cecilia a little portion in a plastic cup on the table and Cecilia took the cup gingerly. She picked up a spoon and slowly raised it to her mouth. She swallowed and Clary watched her. Cecilia's eyes lit up and she smiled brightly with pleasure.
"It's really good" she said and Clary nodded.
"My mom is a good cook".
Cecilia took another sip and said
"Delicious".
As lunchtime went on and Cecilia began to eat her own pumpkin soup and mineral water, she and Clary discussed her time in Britain, why she had moved and what it was like travelling the world.
"Whoa' said Clary, 'so you actually met Prince William. Did you speak?"
Cecilia nodded and said
"He was really nice but we only spent about ten minutes together in the entire six hours of proceedings and that was in a group".
"Wow' said Clary, sitting back, 'you really get around".
Cecilia giggled and said
"I'll back in a minute. I need to give this to the dish washer people".
Clary prevented herself from remarking on the half empty soup and the fact Cecilia called them dish washer people and instead nodded. That's all she seemed to be doing lately, nodding and smiling. Cecilia stood up and lifted up her tray. She turned and as her head turned towards the stairs, she stepped forward and...
Bumped into Jace Wayland. The soup left in the bowl slopped forward and the bowl tilted forward, the remains onto his white shirt. The orange soup stained immediately, spreading down his shirt and through it onto his singlet beneath. The entire cafeteria went silent, everybody staring in shock. Jace slowly looked down at his now orange shirt before looking up slowly. Cecilia's face changed from surprise to horror and Clary stood up suddenly, too shocked to be her normal meek self.
The rest of the Shadowhunters came down the stairs, from their private dining area and surveyed the mess. Cecilia stuttered out an apology and Sebastian said
"That's an unusual greeting".
Cecilia gulped and said
"I'll pay for the cleaning costs".
Jace started unbuttoning his shirt and said with great boredom.
"Cleaning costs? Are you joking?"
Cecilia watched as he undid his shirt and tossed it onto the floor. As it went down, it hit Cecilia, who dropped her tray. Sebastian squeezed Jace's shoulder and said
"Now, now Jace. Don't bully such a cute girl".
He sat down on the table and said
"If you were ten years older, I would have wanted to meet you. You don't have any older sisters, do you?"
Alec said
"But would they have wanted to meet you, that is the question?"
Sebastian chucked a plastic spoon at him and Alec ducked, smiling for the first time. It illuminated his face and brought a light to his face that he never normally had. Jace ignored them both and said
"Ahhh, I feel cold".
Both Sebastian and Alec moved away from the table, realising the anger in Jace's voice. He said
"If I catch the flu, what will you do?"
Cecilia shook her head and he moved forward. Cecilia backed away and fell down onto her chair. He said
"I am the son of Wayland Pty Ltd, which half of America relies on. I own businesses, which own businesses. What do you know about the future of America? What would you do if I die?"
Cecilia shook underneath his gaze and he repeated his question louder this time, so the entire cafeteria heard it.
"I said, what would you do if I die?"
He shouted the last two words and suddenly Clary, scared for Cecilia's sake, found herself yelling
"STOP".
The whole cafeteria went silent. Suddenly everybody was looking at her, Jace had frozen and Clary realised what she had done. She swallowed and said
"Stop...please".
Slowly Jace's head turned towards her, his golden eyes boring into hers. All three of the others, Simon, Alec and Sebastian were staring at her. She continued, unable to stop herself.
"It wasn't on purpose".
Jace slowly got up, his moves suddenly predatory. He moved towards her and she gulped. He was three centimeters, two centimeters, one centimeter then he was passing her. The other three followed, the silence following their exit. It was only at the door that Jace turned back and looked at her. She averted her eyes and then he was gone. She had made the one mistake she told herself she would never make; she had stood up to one of the most powerful and wealthiest students in the country. Which was a BIG mistake.