Chapter 10
Since I have had several people say they want more Jace, and who wouldn't, I have decided to start this chapter from his point of view. Enjoy!
Jace had made it a point to get to chemistry before Clary did. It was Friday and Jace couldn't be happier about the fact that the weekend was right around the corner. This past week had seemed to go on forever and he wanted nothing more than to find the nearest party and have a good time. To drink and dance and make-out with some random girl, to just forget about Clary and her secrets and everything else. Jace suddenly realized he was being selfish and sounded like a complete jerk, but then again, that was what he had worked so hard to come off as, a jerk.
There was a thump and Jace turned his head to see Clary sitting beside him. She was wearing a simple long sleeved tee, washed-out skinny jeans that had rips in them with lace tights underneath, and a pair of black combat boots that looked well worn. Jace always noticed what Clary was wearing, he didn't know why, he just did. It was another thing about Clary that was an anomaly. Focusing on her face he noticed that she seemed tired and her eyes were a bit dull. He was about to ask what was wrong when the tardy bell rang and Mr. Banner turned to face the class, he had been writing something on the marker board as the students had entered the class.
"We are going to move on to a new project today." Mr. Banner said and if Jace didn't know any better he thought the teacher almost seemed amused.
Groans sounded around the room and Mr. Banner continued. "Now, before you complain too much it will be done with partners and it will not have anything to do with chemical formulas." This caught the attention of many of the students, Jace included. What project could the possibly do in chemistry that had nothing to do with formulas?
"You will be working with the same partners you currently have and will have to work out of class to get the project done because you will only have today and Monday in class to work on it. The project will be due the following Monday after Halloween, so I expect you do manage your time wisely." With that he started to hand out papers pertaining to our project.
"Mr. Banner, this is biology." A student across the room said as he looked at the paper. Jace looked down to see that the title was said: GENIOLOGY.
"And your point is, Mr. Jenkins?"
"We're in chemistry." The boy said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"So you are aware of what class you are in, Matthew." Mr. Banner replied with a twinge of sarcasm in his voice. "What a relief."
Some of the kids laughed a little. Matthew didn't seem to care.
"Then why are we doing biology?" Matthew questioned.
"Change of pace. I though perhaps if you got to know your new lab partners a little better then maybe some of you wouldn't try to blow up my classroom." With that the amused chemistry teacher went off into the details of the assignment and there were no more interruptions from Matthew or any of the others.
At first Jace wasn't exactly pleased that he would have to work on the assignment out of class until he realized that it would help him to learn more about Clary. There was even the possibility that they could work on the project some at her house. This lightened Jace's mood a little and he started to look forward to working on the project. It could very well be the key to him finally being able to figure out what is was Clary was hiding. He glanced over at Clary to see what her response to the new assignment was, but her face was a mask. There was nothing in her face or her eyes that gave Jace any clues to what she was thinking, her expression a complete blank. Jace puzzled over this for a second until he noticed that Clary was now looking at him as well, her emerald green eyes meeting his golden ones.
"Jace." She sounded a little bit annoyed.
"What?"
Clary sighed. "Did you hear what I just said?"
Jace fought back a blush, and was jubilant in his victory as he replied. "No, sorry."
Shaking her head Clary sighed again. "I asked when you wanted to work on the project."
"Oh. Well, we could do what we can on our own this weekend and then maybe work together after school Monday."
Clary nodded. "Sounds fine." Jace wasn't sure, but it almost sounded as if she was tired.
"Great, but we will have to work at your house." Jace said, curious of her response.
"Why my house?" Clary's voice was even and her face didn't give anything away, but Jace saw her fold her hands together under the table.
"Because between Isabelle and Max we won't get anything done at my house."
"Who's Max?" Clary's voice was curious.
"Little brother, he's twelve."
"Must be nice to have a little brother," Clary said almost wistfully. Jace couldn't help but wonder what the distant look in her eyes meant or the almost reminiscence in her voice.
"He's a good kid. He is always reading comics or playing video games."
"I'd like to meet him." Clary stated suddenly, the distant look no longer in her eyes. She must have noticed Jace's surprise to her statement because she continued. "I know your other two siblings; I think I'd like to know the youngest of the Lightwood siblings, especially since you are all extremely different."
Jace couldn't help but laugh a little. At the look Clary gave him he composed himself and smiled. "Sorry, it's just that statement is so simple and yet couldn't be truer."
Clary smiled back, though it didn't completely reach her eyes.
"Hey, are you alright?" Jace asked. He noticed that Clary stiffened a little.
"Why?"
"You seem tired."
Clary relaxed and sighed. "It's just been a really long week and next week will be even longer."
Jace nodded and was about to say something else when the bell suddenly rang, he was starting to really hate that bell.
"See you in precalculus." Clary said lightly as she stood up and left. Jace could only nod. It was the first time that they had ended on a good note, or at least good enough for her to acknowledge his presence in their fourth hour class with Mrs. Richards. Perhaps he could be friends with Clary.
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It was lunch and Jace was sitting between his brother and Kyle Jordan as normal. Clary was telling Magnus something and Simon and Isabelle had their heads bent together as they discussed something. They had gotten close lately and Jace didn't know what to think of it. He liked Simon, but the geek was most definitely not the kind of guy Isabelle usually went after, so the fact he would catch Isabelle flirting with him had him completely confused. Clary glanced at Jace for a second out of the corner of her eye and then looked back to Magnus he was now frowning a little. With a smile and a shake of her head, Clary pulled a loose strand of Magnus's hair. Magnus batted her hand away in mock irritation but was soon smiling again. Jace couldn't help but wonder how Magnus talked to Clary with such ease. It seemed like Magnus always knew what or what not to say, especially when Clary was in one of her moods. If Jace was completely honest with himself, he was almost jealous, jealous of the fact that even when Magnus did say something that upset Clary she was quick to forgive him and jealous of the fact that he could make her smile.
Jace shook the thought from his head. There was no reason to be jealous, especially of Magnus, even more when it came to Clary. Jace ran his hands through his hair, what was wrong with him?
"Clary."
Jace immediately tensed up at the voice and his head snapped to where the sound had originated.
"Oh, hey, Sebastian. What do you want?" Clary smiled at the dark headed boy. Jace's blood started to boil, just like it did every time the other boy so much as looked at Clary.
"I was wondering if you wanted to work on the backdrops for the dance Saturday. I know you are usually busy after school, so I thought Saturday might be a good day. It would be out of the way that way." The boy smiled at Clary and shrugged a little as he put his hands in his pockets.
Clary's brow furrowed a little. "Oh." Her voice was almost hesitant. "Well, I will have to ask Dad. I can text you once I know for sure."
"I'm sure he'll say yes, especially if you tell him you're helping me out."
Jace glared at Sebastian, who didn't even notice.
Clary scoffed. "Yeah, well it depends on if I'm finally on his good graces again."
Magnus stiffened a little at that and Jace noticed him give Clary a look.
Sebastian's smile dimmed a little. "Why what happened?"
"I missed curfew a couple weekends ago and even though he ungrounded me this past Sunday he's still been a little hesitant to let me do anything." Clary laughed. It sounded forced, but it didn't seem like anyone else noticed if it was or not.
"Well, hopefully he will let you. I thought we could start around ten or so in the morning and hope we were done by four that afternoon."
Clary seemed to think about what he had said and nodded after a few seconds. "I don't see anything wrong with that. I'll ask when he gets home."
"Maybe he'll be in a good mood." Sebastian smiled again.
Magnus seemed to huff a little at the comment but, once again, no one else seemed to notice. That or they just didn't really care.
"Maybe." Clary allowed a slight smile on her lips.
"Great, well see you in gym, Red." Sebastian waved and then sauntered off to a different table. Jace instantly bristled at the use the nickname.
"Like your dad will care rather or not you are with him." Magnus muttered a little under his breath.
"Magnus." Clary started.
"No, I don't care if he practically used to live at your house. That was three years ago. Things have changed since then and I seriously doubt your father will be too thrilled about the idea, especially when he hears why you will be with him." Magnus's voice was quiet and he seemed a little disgruntled. Clary shot him a look and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Clare, but you know I don't like him."
Clary sighed as well. "I know, Mags, but I figured you would be glad I was actually doing something for once."
"I am glad. I'm just surprised that you took him up on his offer. Any other dance, sure. But this one? I just don't get it. Are you sure this won't do more harm than good?"
"It's been three years, Magnus, and besides this will be a great opportunity to expand my art."
Magnus spoke even softer and it was hard for Jace to pick up what he was saying. "Are you sure he will say yes?"
"If he's in a good mood then yes." Clary answered just as softly.
"What if he isn't in a good mood?" Clary just looked at Magnus and he narrowed his eyes a little. "Don't do anything stupid."
"Oh, please, Magnus, I spend most of my day in my room and out of his way anyways. He wouldn't even notice I was gone as long as I'm back in time to cook supper." Clary replied dryly.
This peaked Jace's interest. Sure he felt a little bad for listening in on their conversation and ignoring Alec, but he couldn't help it. Jace wanted to know Clary's secret, and the current conversation seemed to be in the ballpark. Magnus frowned at Clary and said something so low that Jace could no longer hear what was being said. After only picking up a few insignificant words, Jace turned his full attention back to his brother, or at least tried to.
The rest of the day Jace tried his hardest to not stare daggers at Sebastian anytime he saw him in the halls or in class, though gym was a challenge. Jace couldn't help the anger that swelled up within him when he spotted Sebastian talking to Clary. He also couldn't help when he hit the whiffle ball too hard and accidently, purposefully, hit Verlac in the back of his head. Sure he had been thinking it would be nice, but he hadn't actually meant to go through with. Jace hadn't even fully realized what that he had indeed went ahead and pelted the white ball at the boys head until Sebastian turned and looked at him with his hand rubbing his head. Thankfully, Coach hadn't been watching and Jace was quick to put on a look of shock on his face as he apologized. Sebastian seemed to believe him, nodded, and didn't say anything about it later in the locker room. Jace really didn't know what was going on with him, all he did know was that he wasn't going to party after all because he had other plans for the weekend that didn't need to be hindered by a killer hangover.
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Clary was surprised when she looked at her clock and saw that it was already nine o'clock in the morning. Heart beating fast she got out of bed and quickly made her way downstairs just to find a note on the kitchen table from her father.
Clary,
I didn't feel the need to wake you as I left early this morning, should be home by six.
-Dad
With a sigh, Clary picked up the note and carried it with her back up the stairs and placed it on her desk. She then quickly got dressed in a pair of washed out jeans that had paint on the bottom of the pant legs and an old gray t-shirt that had a random design in black that had faded from being washed so many times. Then, after digging through her closet for a good ten minutes she found an old beet up pair of high top vans that were denim blue and had bleached out stars littered on them. After piling her hair on top of her head into a pony tail she grabbed her car keys and headed down the stairs. Clary still couldn't believe that her father was actually letting her help. Even thinking about it now, it was hard to believe.
Clary was twirling a piece of her hair around her finger when she heard the cruiser pull into the driveway and the sound of her father's footsteps making their way to the door. She could hear the door open and close and her father kicking off his shoes for the day. Valentine trudged into the kitchen and sunk into his spot at the table.
"Smells good, Sweetie."
"I hope so." Clary smiled as she pulled the lasagna and garlic bread she had left in the oven to keep warm out. She dished some of the lasagna onto a plate and placed a couple pieces of bread with it and took it to her father. He smiled at her and dug in. After only a couple bites he looked up at her.
"I swear I have to be the luckiest man to have a daughter who can cook as well as you." He smiled at her. "Why don't you join me instead of just standing there?"
Clary did as she was told and dished some lasagna for herself and grabbed herself a piece of bread as she sat down across from her father. "You're just lucky I enjoy cooking." Clary said good heartedly.
Her father nodded and continued to eat his supper. Clary did the same and they ate in slice for a while. It was actually kind of nice. Comfortable even.
"Dad," Clary said softly as she picked up her father's plate to get him seconds, her father looked at her and she continued. "I was wondering if it was alright if I went to the school tomorrow."
"What for?" Her father asked confused as she placed his plate back down in front of him.
"Sebastian Verlac asked me if I could help him get together some of the decorations for the dance next weekend. The student council is trying to save money by making as much as they can on their own instead of buying things." Clary responded.
"Oh." Valentine's brows creased a little, not in anger or frustration, but more as if he was puzzled. "Well, that would be fine with me. I'm actually going out with some of the guys tomorrow and will be gone most of the day. I don't see anything wrong with you helping as long as you still get work school work and chores done."
"I will, I promise."
"Then it is alright with me." Her father smiled as took a bite of lasagna.
"Great. Thank you." Clary responded happily as relief flooded through her. She was instantly glad that her father was in a very good mood.
Shaking her head, Clary locked the front door behind her and walked to her car. When she got to the school she parked behind the gym and went in the back doors, as instructed by Sebastian. She had texted him last night that her father had given her the okay and again when she was getting ready to leave. He had said he would wait in the gym until she got there, but looking around Clary didn't see him anywhere. Suddenly Clary heard a thud and she hurried to the other side of the gym from where the sound had originated. There she found a box on the floor and random objects scattered across the floor. A figure was bent over picking stuff back up and Clary couldn't help but laugh a little.
"Having trouble there?" Clary asked
Sebastian looked up at her with his hair in his eyes. "Not at all, and thanks for the help." He picked the box up and Clary caught a bag of paint brushed before they could hit the floor again.
"You welcome."
"When did you get here?" They started walking to the middle of the gym where Clary noticed there were tarps spread across the floor.
"Only a couple minutes ago." Clary answered as he lowered the box to the ground carefully.
"That's good. I was hoping you hadn't been here too long waiting for me." Sebastian smiled. "I hope I got all the stuff you needed."
Pulling some things out of the box to see an assortment of paint, brushes, pallets, and a few other art tools Clary nodded. "Looks like you got everything. If not I can easily run back to the art room and grab something."
Sebastian seemed to almost be relieved and smiled back at Clary. "That's good."
"Where are the others?" Clary asked looking around as the lights slowly came on, the gym was still empty besides Sebastian and her.
"Oh. A couple people are in the cafeteria and a few others in the wood shop, they should be back soon. I think there are about ten people or so who should end up being here within the next hour." Sebastian stated running a hand through his hair.
Clary nodded and Sebastian opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the sound of his name being called from the gyms doors.
Sebastian sighed. "I'm sorry I better see what they want." He almost seemed disappointed.
"It's alright." Clary smiled. "Besides I better get started painting if I want to get done."
Sebastian frowned for a moment but then smiled again. "Alright." The voice yelled Sebastian's name again, this time a little irritated, and he turned to look at the doors. Looking back he said, "I better go before they have a cow. See you later."
"See you later." Clary replied as Sebastian started to walk away. He lifted his hand up in a sort of wave and Clary couldn't help but smile. Some things never changed.
Five and a half hours later and it was just after 3:30 and after Clary had washed out her paint brushes and put everything back into the box that Sebastian had brought. She had barely made it a couple steps out of the gym doors when she bumped into someone and fell on the floor, spilling the contents of her box across the hallway floor.
"I thought we've been over this, I know I'm irresistible, but you really need to stop throwing yourself at me." A familiar, sarcastic, amused, voice said to her.
Frowning, Clary looked up to see golden eyes and a smirk looking down on her. "You really aren't that attractive. How do I know you aren't the one running into me on purpose?"
Jace feigned a look of hurt. "Not that attractive? Blasphemy."
Clary shook her head as she pushed herself onto her knees and started picking stuff up and placing it back into the box. She heard Jace sigh and then he was bent down and started helping her pick up art supplies. Once done, Clary grabbed the box and stood up.
"Thank you." Clary said, shifting her wait a little.
"You're welcome. It's the least I could do. I wasn't paying any more attention to where I was going than you were." Jace replied.
Clary nodded and started to walk around him.
"Wait." Jace said and grabbed the box from her before she could protest. Clary frowned and opened her mouth but before she could say anything Jace shook his head and interrupted her. "Don't, just let me be a gentleman for once."
Clary scoffed a little. "You? A gentleman? Doesn't that hurt your street cred or something?"
Jace looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "Street cred? Really?"
"What? I just don't want you ruining your rep."
"What rep?"
"The: I-don't-give-a-crap-about-anyone-or-anything rep."
Jace shook his head. "I wasn't aware I already had a reputation."
"You do, in fact you seem to have many, but that basically sums all the others up into one." Clary replied. Jace made a snort sound but didn't say anything. They walked the rest of the way to the art room in silence. Clary was surprised to find the silence comfortable and not weird at all.
"Thank you for helping." Clary said as Jace set down the box on a table that she had motioned to as they walked into the art room.
"No problem." Jace said.
Clary started to put things back in their place. Half way through the box Clary could still feel Jace's eyes on her as he watched her and she turned around to look at him.
"What?"
"What?" Jace asked back.
Clary sighed. "Why are you just standing there watching? Is there something else you wanted?"
"No," Jace said almost slowly, "not really."
Clary shook her head and finished putting away what was left. When she was done Jace was still standing by the door, his hands in his pockets.
"So, you like to draw?" He asked her suddenly.
Clary scoffed at him. "Do I like to draw?" She said in an almost unbelievable tone.
Jace raised his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, it was just a question."
After a moment Clary sighed. "Yes, I like to draw." She said using air quotes. "I also like to paint. Really if it's anything art related I probably like it." She shrugged.
Jace nodded and then to her surprise she asked. "Would you like to see something I'm working on in class?"
Jace's eyes widened for a split second and then went back to normal so fast Clary thought she had imagined it, but he nodded and Clary motioned for him to follow as she made her way to the back of the class room. She stopped in front of an easel and took the cloth off that was covering the painting, revealing a picture of a city landscape at sundown.
"It's not what I usually like to paint or draw, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head."
"What do you usually do?" Jace asked as he stared at the painting.
"I like scenery, but I usually stick to something less urban, like the ocean or a river, or a fall landscape."
"Then why did you paint this?"
Clary sighed. "I guess it's supposed to be a present, in a sense. The person I thought of when the idea came to me really would have loved it."
Jace continued to look at the painting for a moment before he looked at her. "Clary, why don't you ever talk about your family?"
Clary could feel her eyes go wide and opened her mouth to say something, what she didn't know, but Jace held up a hand before she could even try.
"I don't mean to sound rude or noisy or anything, I'm not even trying to start something or be a jerk, I'm just curious. All I ever hear you talk about is your dad, but I get the sense that there are more to your family than just you and your dad. It's just no one talks about it, ever."
Clary closed her mouth and look into Jace's eyes. In them she could tell he was being completely sincere in what he had just said. He really did just want to know. Clary sighed, she couldn't blame him. It wasn't Jace's fault he didn't know anything, he was new and her friends wouldn't say anything, neither would anyone else in the school either most likely.
Clary sat down on a nearby stool and looked at the painting, getting lost in the orange and reds and pinks of the setting sun and the golden colors of the city she had painted, whishing things weren't as they were and that she really could give the painting as a present.
"My brother, Jonathan, he always wanted to travel. It was the only thing he could ever talk about. All he wanted was to graduate high school and travel the world before he went off to college. He wanted to go to Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria, Norway, and the Netherlands. There were so many places he wanted to see. But most of all he wanted to go to Germany.
"I could never fully understand his wanting to see Berlin and Munich and every other city in Germany, though I did understand his want to travel and appreciated it. I personally would love to go to Ireland or Japan, especially in the spring when everything is newly blooming.
"But not Jon, he wanted to go to Germany, in the middle of summer. Granted some parts of Germany are cold, even in summer because they are so high up in the mountains and it rains so much, but it's where he wanted to go. He was always going on and on about how he would love to see the sun set over Rathaus-Glockenspiel in Munich. I don't know why, it still seems idiotic to me, but it's what he wanted.
"So I painted what he wanted. I think a part of me was trying to figure out what was so grand about it, so magical, that my brother was so insistent to see it in person. Even after almost finishing the painting, I still don't understand. Not completely. I think I understand a little bit of where he was coming from, the clock is impressive, but I don't see why he would choose it over seeing the sun set in Italy or Spain or anywhere else really. "
"Why don't you ask him?" Jace asked, even though Clary could tell in his voice he knew why, or at least suspected.
"Because I can't, because he no longer has the ability to want or wish or dream, because he's not here." Clary replied. It had been a long time since Clary had talked about her brother and she wasn't ready for the pain that came along with talking about him or acknowledging the fact that he no longer walked the earth. Even after nearly three years it still hurt as much as it did the day he had left the world, left her alone. The only thing that had gotten better was Clary's ability to not think about it all the time. She had gotten good at avoiding things that reminded her of her brother and when she couldn't avoid them she tried her hardest to just ignore the pain all together. But when she actually talked about him and thought about him, there was nothing that could keep her heart from aching from the loss, nothing to buffer the pain.
Clary closed her eyes and took a deep breath and then opened them and looked at Jace, forcing a smile. Even with her heart feeling as if it was being ripped apart, she wouldn't cry. In fact she hadn't cried since her brother had been placed in the ground, forever separated from the living and from her. Part of it being the fact that her father saw tears as a weakness and Clary had learned to agree with him and part of it being the fact that she refused to let her pain have that much control over her.
Jace looked at her with sad, understanding eyes, but he didn't say anything. Finally he said, "You had a brother." Most people probably would have found his painfully obvious statement ridiculous, but Clary found comfort in it. Mostly because he didn't say he was sorry like people did. She couldn't express enough just how sick she was of people giving her pitying looks and saying they were sorry whenever they found out the truth, which was most of the reason Clary had just stopped telling people who didn't already know. She didn't want their pity, didn't want their apologies over something they had no control over and had nothing to do with whatsoever.
"Yes, I had an older brother, Jonathan." Clary said, standing up. "Come on, I'll show you something."
Jace gave her a questioning look but did as he was told and followed her as she walked out of the art room and down the hallways of the school until she arrived in an area close to the gym where the school kept all of the sports trophies. She stopped beside a trophy case that held a jersey and a picture of her brother. Clary had never allowed herself to notice the case that was a constant reminder of her brother. Just standing in front of it now was a feat in and of itself, because every nerve of her being was telling her to turn around and run away, but she refused. But in all honesty the true feat was the fact that she was opening up to Jace. She didn't know why, but Clary just had this feeling that she could trust him, that if she let herself open up to him some he would be a valuable friend. Clary didn't know why, especially after all the crap that had happened between the two of them, but Clary wasn't about to back down now, even as she stared into the dark eyes of her dead brothers picture.
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"What's this?" Jace asked, standing beside Clary. He had walked past the trophy cases many times and had even stopped to look at the many state trophies a few times. In fact, he had even looked at the two tribute cases that were found among the trophy cases, one was of a football player from the seventies and one of a soccer play from a few years ago. They were now standing in front of the soccer player's. In the case was a picture of a boy with blond hair so pale it was almost white and incredible dark eyes, a jersey, and a soccer ball.
"My brother was good at almost everything he did," Clary started, her voice sounded almost distant, "especially when it came to sports: football, basketball, baseball, tennis, hockey, even swimming and lacrosse. If it was a sport, he was good at it. It didn't matter if he didn't know how to play, once he knew the ground rules and understood the overall gist of a game he could play it, and sometimes was even better than those who had been playing that sport for years. But out of all of those sports, the one my brother loved the most was soccer, and in all honesty I think it came second to boxing, but the school doesn't offer boxing as a sport." Clary smiled a little sadly at this and continued. "He was good, he was the first freshman in almost twenty years to start varsity. Everyone said he was going to be a legend. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that by the end of his senior year he could literally choose any college he wanted to play for, because what college wouldn't want him. Some even thought he would be good enough to play for the Olympics if he kept at it.
"When he died the school retired his number and put it in this case, along with his picture and the ball from the last game he played in. The coach had kept it and was going to give it to him after the weekend because of the fact that they had beaten their rival team and my brother had scored the winning goal." Clary looked at Jace but he wasn't sure if she could really see him or not, but he stayed quiet and didn't say anything.
He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her, not that he was about to say that out loud. He knew for a fact it was the last thing she wanted to hear, but it was so obvious that she loved her brother and that his death was hard on her that he couldn't help but feel a little bad. But overall he just felt overwhelmed by the fact that she was telling him this.
"Thirteen, huh." Jace said after a moment of silence as he looked at the jersey.
Clary laughed a little, a laugh that sounded happy but if you listened carefully you could hear it was full of sadness and longing. "Jon loved the number thirteen. Even though everyone thought he was crazy what with thirteen notorious for being unlucky and everything, but Jon said he made his own luck and he was going to prove that his talent was more than any supposed unlucky number could hinder. At the time I had thought he was just being extremely cocky and arrogant, and I told him just that. All he did was laugh and play it up some more. But now, looking back, I realize he wasn't being cocky at all. He was just stating the truth." Clary shrugged at the end and smiled a little at the memory.
Jace didn't know what to say. So instead he looked at the case and his eyes focused on the name tag below the picture of Clary's brother that read: Jonathan Christian Morgenstern. Beneath the name were the dates 1994-2009. Jace looked over at Clary and even though she was doing a remarkable job of seeming in control of her feelings, he could tell that she was feeling the pain of the loss of her brother and it was taking her every fiber of her being to try to hide the pain in her eyes and in her body language.
"He doesn't look anything like you." Jace said finally, not wanting the silence to continue any longer.
Clary laughed, and Jace was relieved to hear that it was a genuine laugh and not a forced one. "People could never believe we were siblings. Even though after a while of being around us they would admit they didn't know how they missed it because of how we acted around each other but they could never get over the fact that we didn't share one thing in common with each other when it came to looks. Hair, eyes, bone structure, height, we didn't share a shingle physical trait in common. Somehow he was a carbon copy of my dad and I was a carbon copy of my mom. Not that I mind, though I wouldn't have minded getting my dad's height at least." Clary smiled.
Jace tried to imagine Clary being taller than she was and couldn't picture it. He wasn't going to admit it, but he like her the way she was, vertically challenged and clumsy included.
"That makes a lot of since." Jace said.
"What does?" Clary asked, her eyes not hiding her puzzlement.
"Why you also look nothing like your dad." Jace said. He wanted to ask about her mother, what had happened to her, but he wasn't about to push his luck. It was a miracle in and of itself that she had opened up enough to tell him about her brother, especially since it seemed like it wasn't something she talked about.
Clary's smiled broadened. "Yeah."
Silence filled the hall as Clary didn't add to what she just said and Jace didn't fully know what else to say. Finally he asked, "What about Sebastian?"
Clary furrowed her brow for a second. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, how do you really know him?"
"Oh, he was Jon's best friend. I swear Sebastian practically grew up at my house. It seemed like if Jon wasn't at Sebastian's house, then Sebastian was at our house. Usually it was our house. I think that was because of the fact that my father's a cop and they boys thought that was cool, what with them being little kids and all."
Jace chuckled a little. "Makes since, granted when I was younger I wouldn't want to be in a cops house, even if it was my best friend's dad." He joked. Clary raised her eyebrows at him, but he didn't give any more of an explanation.
Clary looked at him for a second and then turned back to look at the jersey and picture of her brother. Once again silence filled the hallway until Clary turned to look at him again, only she didn't say anything, and neither did he. Jace took advantage of the opportunity to take a good look at her, from her old vans to her curly red hair in a ponytail. She had paint on her clothes and hands but she didn't seem to care. Looking into her emerald eyes he could tell she was analyzing him as well, but at the moment he didn't really care.
Jace was starting to get the weird since that even with her tiny frame she was a lot fiercer than most thought she was. In fact, he knew from experience that she wasn't afraid to stand up for herself and that when agitated her attitude was just as fiery as her hair.
With his signature smirk he said, "You, know, you have paint on your face."
Clary's hand flew up to her face and her hand covered the blue paint that was on her cheek. With a smirk of her own she let her hand fall and shrugged. "Glad to know that you paid enough attention to notice."
Jace couldn't help the grin that spread across his lips at her snarky remark.
"See you later, Jace." Clary said as she turned and headed back to the gym.
"See ya; don't forget about our project Mr. Banner assigned us." He called after her. Clary gave him a thumbs up over her shoulder and kept walking.
When she got to the gym doors she looked back over her shoulder. "Thanks, Jace." She said before she opened the door and disappeared into the gym. Jace didn't know why but the sound of her saying his name without its normal malice and agitation made his heart beat a little faster.
I cannot state how immensely sorry I am for the horribly long wait. I started this chapter at least two weeks ago but I just never had the chance to finish it and I really am sorry. But between my term paper and softball and random other school activities I haven't had the chance to write. Crappy excuse I know. But I only have about three weeks left until I graduate, which means I'll have more time to write! Anyways, hope you enjoyed the fact that most of this chapter was from Jace's pov and that he finally found out a little bit about Clary and that the two of them are finally becoming friends! So, please, tell me what you thought.