Chapter 2

An insistent knocking came from the front door. Clary groaned and hopped off her stool at the high kitchen table, running to let Isabelle and Alec in. Isabelle, the source of the knocking, smiled brightly and waved much too enthusiastically for 7:30 in the morning. Alec seemed more in Clary's frame of mind, blinking sleepy blue eyes when he greeted her.

Grabbing her backpack, Clary followed Isabelle out of the house, locking the door behind the three of them and walking down the sidewalk towards the school. Alec was a dutiful older brother, not even seeming embarrassed walking down the street with two freshmen while swarms of upperclassmen girls passed them. At the end of the block, the three of them stopped at the light.

Isabelle was just finishing a hilarious story about one of their classmates in her English class, and Clary was laughing shamelessly, when the girls heard Alec greeting someone to their right. Isabelle looked past Clary, and her eyes widened, but Clary couldn't decide if her expression was one of horror or exhilaration. However, when Isabelle smiled widely, Clary began to feel apprehensive, because this was Isabelle's plotting smile.

Clary turned to see what had made Isabelle react in this way, only to see Alec talking to a very familiar face. His golden eyes looked languidly at her, and he smirked, one side of his mouth lifting in a way that put Clary on edge and shy. Alec suddenly realized that his friend's attention was diverted, and hastened to introduce him.

"Clary, Isabelle, this is Jace. Jace, this is Isabelle, my little sister, and Clary, her friend."

Isabelle scoffed. "Little? I'll have you know, I'm much more mature than you. You blush at the mention of anything remotely dirty."

Jace's smile grew as Alec's expression grew more horrified. "Izzy, shut up."

Isabelle laughed. "Anyway, we've met-briefly-yesterday at lunch."

Clary's face flushed at the mention of yesterday's lunch, and Jace's expression grew impossibly smug. "Yes, I remember."

Alec looked surprised. "Oh, well, I guess you met Clary too, then, Jace?"

Clary chimed in, "Yeah, he's in my art class. How do you know him, Alec?"

Jace replied, "Math class this year, and that god-awful art elective last year." Alec groaned in agreement.

"Never take Ceramics. It's impossible."

Isabelle patted Clary on the head. "Not for this girl. She could make art out of a banana peel."

"Oh, be quiet Isabelle. I'm not that good," Clary demurred quietly.

Alec peered at her. "It's true, though. I've seen your artwork, and it's amazing."

Clary flushed at the praise and looked away. She could feel Jace's gaze on the back of her head, which felt heated under his stare. She heard him reply to Alec, "Well, then I'll just have to learn a thing or two from her this year."

Just then the walk sign flashed on, and the two boys fell behind as they crossed. Isabelle grabbed Clary's arm and winked at her. "He is cute. I approve of your taste."

"Izzy, you know my taste is flawless."

"That's true. You have the artist's eye," Isabelle quipped.

The two of them walked into the quad and sat by Simon and Maia. Simon was complaining about an upcoming test.

"And my notes are so freaking messy I can't even tell what I'm supposed to have learned. And who gives a test the third day of school?"

"Just be glad you have time to study properly now. I don't know how I'm going to survive finals week," Maia grumbled.

Isabelle smirked. "Already feeling the burden, Lewis?"

"Oh yeah, and it's like a ton of bricks."

The bell rang, causing all four of them to jump up and look around, determining which way each of their classes was. Clary tried to remember her first period, drawing a blank.

Oh, wait. She remembered. Biology.

Clary groaned and started off for her class.

By the end of the day, Clary was ready to go home. After nearly 3 months of freedom, the constant information being thrown at her was overwhelming. Isabelle waved her over, and she joined her three friends in front of the library.

"Hey," Maia greeted her. Simon grinned at Clary, who looked taken aback.

"Why is he looking at me like that?"

Maia snickered. "Oh, he heard about your gentleman friend. Why didn't you tell us, girl? As your best friends we have the right to know everything."

"Yeah, you didn't even tell me everything," complained Isabelle. "We all deserve to know every single detail about you and Jace."

"Well, not every detail," interrupted Simon, looking slightly alarmed. "The moment you start describing your make-out sessions, I'm gone."

"We're not making out, Simon!"

"Not yet," he muttered. Clary narrowed her eyes.

"Ow!" yelped Simon, rubbing his arm reproachfully. Clary smiled innocently and put her hands in the air, palm up.

"I'm going to get you for that," Simon countered, approaching Clary and wiggling his fingers. Isabelle and Maia stood back to watch the show as Clary's expression grew alarmed and Simon began tickling her.

Clary giggled and screamed, slapping Simon's hands breathlessly. He laughed with her, lightening up when she smacked the back of his head. The two of them turned when Isabelle yelled, "Alec! Get over here!"

Alec emerged from a group of his friends and walked towards Isabelle. "What do you want, Izzy?"

"Oh, nothing. Who's that guy you were talking to?"

"Oh, Jordan? Yeah, he's one of my friends. We did baseball together last season, remember?"

"What, the little league? Oh yeah, I remember that. You were so cute in that uniform!" Isabelle teased.

Alec rolled his eyes. "For your information, I was on the varsity team. And you're one to talk, remember those ballet lessons you took? 'Wittle Isabelle looks so cute in her wittle weotard!'"

Isabelle's eyes narrowed. "Shut up, Alec, Mom made me. Besides, I quit after a year."

"I remember that," Clary laughed. "I had to bribe my mom not to make me go and send me to art classes instead. We went to your recital, too."

Simon looked amazed. "Isabelle, doing ballet? That's a sight I'd love to have seen."

Isabelle glared. "It's a sight you'll never see."

One of the boys from Alec's group of friends called, "Hey, Alec, what's taking you so long?"

Alec's eyes gleamed. "Jordan, Sebastian, get over here! My sister wants to talk to you!" He chuckled under his breath at Isabelle's shocked expression. She soon composed herself, however.

The entire group swarmed over along with the two boys. Isabelle smiled seductively at them. All the boys except Jace and a spiky haired, colorfully dressed boy looked stunned. Jace appeared to be holding back laughter at Isabelle's expression.

"Hey boys."

A tall, broad shouldered boy stepped forward. His hair, black and a little too long, curled at the base of his neck, and his skin was brown with summer tan. He blinked long eyelashes over hazel-green eyes at Isabelle. "Hey." His gaze flickered to Maia, and he smiled at her.

Maia smiled back. "Hey yourself, handsome," she replied.

Clary and Isabelle grinned at each other suggestively, nudging elbows at the exchange. Simon rolled his eyes at them. Jordan, on the other hand, looked positively delighted. Maia and Jordan began talking, while their friends looked on, amazed at the instant rapport the two enjoyed.

A pale, dark haired boy said, "So, Alec, what did your sister want?"

Isabelle smiled brightly at him. "Oh, I just wondered if you're the Sebastian I've heard of. You're the talk of the freshman class, you know. I have it from Kaelie Meadows's mouth that you're the handsomest sophomore. Although that's debatable, from the sight of all of you boys."

Simon made a gagging noise at the flirting, whispering to Clary, "She's really laying it on thick, isn't she?" Clary had to agree.

Jace smirked at them. "Well, most of these guys are juniors. So really, the only competition Sebastian has is me. But I'm pretty tough competition."

"Wow, could you be any more modest, Jace?" Sebastian said sarcastically. Clary laughed a little at this, and Sebastian winked at her.

Jace's expression darkened, but his tone was light as he said, "Modesty is only preached by ugly people. I, however, am extremely handsome, and therefore equally conceited."

The spiky haired boy snorted. "You got that right." Alec laughed for the first time.

"Oh yeah, Izzy, this is Magnus."

Isabelle looked delighted. "I remember you! You were at the fashion club meeting."

Magnus grinned. "Yeah, but I don't think I'm going to join. Their fashion is too tame for me."

Clary could see that happening, considering the boy's current getup. He had rainbow shoes, bright red pants, and a turquoise ripped shirt, topped off with his spiky, blue-black hair. Alec watched him in awe as he ran his hands through the aforementioned hair.

"I could totally see you two getting along," Simon put in. "I think you're probably the only person I'll ever meet that could match Isabelle in a shopping spree."

Both Isabelle's and Magnus's faces lit up. "Shopping!" Isabelle squealed.

"Oh, no," Clary and Maia said simultaneously.

"Simon, why'd you have to bring that up?" Maia grimaced. "We'll have to listen to her planning this the entire time walking home!"

"Sorry, I didn't really think that far ahead," Simon admitted.

"Let's get this over with," Clary sighed, and dragged Isabelle out of the school.

"Bye Jordan, I'll see you later," called Maia. Alec said his goodbyes, and followed his sister and her three friends down the block.

"Your friends are pretty cool, Alec." Isabelle smiled approvingly. "I'm so glad my brother isn't a social pariah!"

Isabelle had a lot to say about Alec's friends. No one could get a word in edgewise as they walked home.

A/N: So I think my updates will be weekly or every other week, just because school is pretty heavy handed right now and it's hard to find time. But that's no excuse, of course. Just like there's no excuse for you not to review! Thank you for reading, everyone!