Thank you to everyone who reads my story. The current storyline that I am running at the minute has inspired me so much, I just can't stop writing. I love hearing your feedback.

When I got home that night, Jon called me into his room. I tried to plaster a smile on my face.

"Hey, how did it go?" I asked, subsiding all of my own feelings.

"Pretty great." He laughed. "I don't know what I was worried about. He totally understood." He shrugged. I smiled at him, genuinely happy for his progress. I went in the shower for a good think after our conversation.

I knew that all of my feelings were heightened by the fact I wasn't properly dealing with my father's death. The guilt that I felt, it made everything more stressful, everything more infuriating. Part of me wanted to catch Jace when he couldn't get away from me, to tell him everything. The other part of me wanted nothing to do with him. It wasn't the fact that he had left without giving me a chance to explain, it wasn't that he didn't believe me, it wasn't even that he had implied that I was slut– it was the fact that he thought Jon would lie to him like that. They were supposed to be best friends. He was supposed to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The situation wasn't supposed to turn out like this. When Jon was ready to see people, everything was supposed to get better. It was supposed to come out that I was his sister. Everything was supposed to be drama free. No more half-truths. No more lies. No more hiding. It was a mess and I had no idea how to deal with it. I couldn't ask Jon about it. I'd rather fix it myself than have to worry or burden him with it.

I went to sleep that night and fell into an uneasy sleep. I overslept the next morning, not making it to form class. I turned up to the library at the end of the school day and was the first one there – that was assuming that everyone was going to actually turn up. Lily wasn't long after me, sitting herself down next to me and giving me a small smile. She looked better than the last time I'd seen her.

"It's nice to see that someone is taking this seriously." She said as she rutted through her bag. "Here's hoping that Sebastian comes unaccompanied this week." She mused, pulling out her various pieces of paper and stationary. It didn't take long for Sebastian and Jace to turn up. The pair of them were joking around with one another, laughing and playing around, dressed in their letterman jackets. They sat down at the table with us without as much of a hello.

"Let's get on with this then." Jace grunted. "I haven't got all day. Places to be, people to see."

"Ladies to see to." Sebastian added, gaining a smirk from Jace. Lily verbally expressed her displeasure while I settled with an eye-roll.

"The task at hand." Lily cleared her throat. "The next part of our newspaper that we need to do is like a reflective section, something about the school – hence why I've brought you to the library, so that we can research interesting things about the school and the people who've went here before us." Lily sounded almost like a teacher. She gave us our various topics before sending us off amongst the bookshelves. I was thankful for the distraction, not wanting to really interact with either of the boys. I wasn't sure just how much Jace had told Sebastian, but whatever he could have told him, it wouldn't have been good. Every time I came across one of them up an aisle I needed to be up, I made sure to walk up a different one. As I was reading up on the more famous students who had attended our school, I heard someone approach from behind me. I buried my nose into the book, making it look like I was busy.

"I haven't told him if that's what you're concerned about." Jace said, smugly. I shrugged, looking at my book. A small silence passed, Jace's eyes trained in on the top of my head. "I'm guessing you're not bothered? Ready to come out and admit it?" He was trying to goad me, it was obvious. I moved further down the bookshelf, placing the book I had back and looking for another one. I couldn't be bothered with this. Any intentions I had of telling him the truth had went out of the window when he had started trying to be clever. Ignorance was the best course at the minute, I didn't want to lash out. Not in public. "Did he set you up to it? Trying to get with Sebastian and me?" Jace asked as I turned to look at him, eyes narrowed. Could he hear himself? That was supposed to be his best friend.

"Isn't Jon supposed to be your best friend?" I retorted. "Why would he do a thing like that to you?" I turned back to the bookshelves, shaking my head.

"I thought he was my best friend and then I realised that he'd been lying to me." Jace grumbled. "Making a fool out me."

"Maybe he doesn't think you can handle the truth." I muttered under my breath. "You're making a fool out of yourself."

"Or maybe this is just all you." Jace muttered quietly. "Maybe you decided that you'd cast your net a little bit while Jon is out of action. Let's be honest, he's hardly running marathons at the minute." The anger inside me built up as I dropped the book I was holding to the floor. My hands made contact with his chest, pushing him backwards and taking him by surprise. He fell against the bookshelf behind, causing a small bang. I moved myself up close to him so that nobody could hear me.

"Will you be quiet?" I hissed. "That's private information. He trusted you with it. Maybe you need to think about how good of a friend you are, betraying his trust like that." Jace was looking at me, his eyes trying to suss me out. I'd had enough of this. I was on the verge of telling him, on the verge of screaming 'He's my brother!' and letting everything fall into place.

I opened my mouth as Sebastian popped his head over the bookshelf, alerted by the bang. I quickly closed it, stepping back from Jace.

"Now now, let's not get frisky in the aisles." Sebastian teased as I stormed back to the table with the book I had in my hand.

Sebastian's PoV

I'd been standing on the other side of the bookshelf listening. My mouth had fallen open a few times. This information was pure gold. Clary and Jon were an item. I pulled my phone out of my pocket penning a quick message to Aline. She had to know about this. It was just too good to resist. Plus, if I was the one to tell her about this, it would be so beneficial for me in the long run. She'd actually want to be with me.

Sebastian: You will NEVER guess what I've just heard.

Her response was instant.

Aline: Are you going to tell me or make me guess? You know how much I hate guessing.

Sebastian: You were right! Completely 100% bang on the money.

Aline: I'm always right. What about this time? Stop messing about Seb.

Sebastian: Clary + Jon.

Aline: You have GOT to be kidding me!

I waited until Clary had stormed off before looking at Jace.

"As if she's been seeing Jon this whole time!" I breathed, Jace shot me a look.

"How much did you hear?" He questioned, his brow furrowed.

"Enough." I smirked as my phone chirped again, Aline going wild.

"Who did you tell?" Jace sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"Just Aline." I grinned. This was going to be gold.

Clary's PoV

Lily let us go once she was satisfied that we had contributed enough to the project. I was glad to be let go, my rage at Jace slowly increasing the more I was forced to look at his face. Heading across the car park to the outer gates, I could hear voices behind me. I carried on my way, putting my head down against the wind. It was only when I was in touching distance to the gate that I realised someone was calling my name. I span momentarily to see Aline racing after me, her little crew hot on her heels with Jace and Sebastian following leisurely a good way behind, talking amongst themselves. I prayed in my head that he hadn't told her. Why on earth would he tell her? I tried to increase my pace, my shins starting to ache. She must have ran the rest of the distance between us as I suddenly felt my head tug backwards as she grabbed a fistful of my hair. I yelped as she pulled me around, her hand tightly wrapped up in my hair. Her little group surrounded us, Sebastian and Jace still walking through the carpark.

"I knew it!" She screamed in my face as her fingernails nipped into my scalp. I tried to wiggle free of her grasp, my hands on top of hers, trying to release her grasp. "I knew you were a slut." She tugged again, trying to pull me to the ground. I fought to keep myself standing, my hands trying to relieve the pressure. Her little gang was watching, Jace and Sebastian still heading down towards the gates. I couldn't tell whether they had seen what was happening or not, I was preoccupied. Her legs tried to sweep mine out from underneath me as she continued to goad me. I couldn't hear what she was saying, my ears ringing, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I reached for her with my hands, trying to pry her from me but it was useless, she had the upper hand. With one firm swing of her leg, she managed to send me sprawling onto the concrete, a sharp pain shooting up my back. My only saving grace was that she had let go of my hair. I could see that she had wisps of it remaining in her clenched fist. She stepped over me and I covered my face with my hands, bracing for impact. Whenever she tried to come near me, I held my feet up to fend her off. Why wasn't anyone helping me? Did Jace really hate me that much? Did Sebastian really think that I deserved this? Aline kicked me firmly in the side, screaming at the top of her lungs. I screamed, holding my side as she got a fist into my face. I felt my lip pop, blood quickly filling my mouth, making me feel nauseous. I braced myself for another hit but it didn't come. I opened my eyes to see Jace holding her around the waist as she flailed trying to get away, calling me every name under the sun. My head was spinning, aching. I placed a tentative hand under my head, praying that my head hadn't cracked when I'd hit the floor. I checked my hand and breathed a sigh of relief when it came back clean. I turned my attention back to the group. I could make out Sebastian almost dragging Aline away as I pushed myself up into a sitting position, embarrassment consuming me. I tried to gather my bits and pieces together as they had fallen across the floor when Aline had knocked me to it. My hair was hanging over my face but I could tell that Jace knelt down at my side, helping me place stuff into my bag.

"What do you want?" I said gruffly, wiping my bleeding lip with the back of my sleeve.

"I'm not heartless Clary." He responded, gathering up my pens. "Aline deserved to have it out with you. She didn't deserve to beat you senseless." I could feel the tears nipping at the back of my eyes. Is that the way he saw it? She deserved to do that to me? I was silent, pulling myself to a standing position. Jace looked at me and I couldn't read him. I wasn't sure what he was thinking. "Do you need me to walk you home?"

"No." I said bluntly, throwing my bag over my back.

"You lied Clary and Aline has had it out with you about that. Now it's over and done with. She won't bother you again." He shrugged as though it was that simple. "All is right with the world, balance is restored." I laughed through tears, sending blood spluttering down my shirt. I wiped my lip once more.

"He'll never forgive you for this." I shook my head. "He'll never forgive any of you for this." Jace looked at me, his eyes narrowed. I turned on my heel and ran the entire way home.

I could barely get my key in the door when I reached it. My hand was shaking, my breath ragged. I pushed it open eventually, trying to maintain composure as I walked past Jon's room and upstairs. I wasn't banking on my mother coming out of the kitchen. Her jaw dropped when she saw me, her eyes growing wide.

"Clarissa?!" She shouted, rushing to my side. "What's happened? Tell me what's happened to you!" She pulled me into the kitchen, sitting me at the table. I caught sight of myself in the mirror as we walked past. My hair was an absolute mess and I had blood all over my t-shirt and my chin. Add to the mix that I was out of breath and I must have looked positively crazed. My mum gave me some ice to place on my mouth as I heard scraping from behind me. I closed my eyes, praying that he would just turn around and go back to his room. Praying that he wouldn't see this and question me about it.

"Mum?" Jon asked, slowly entering the room. "What's the matter?" He turned to face me, his face falling. "Clary – who did this?"

They questioned me for a good ten minutes. It was only when my mum left the room to find me some painkillers that Jon started questioning me intensely.

"It was Aline wasn't it?" He said firmly. "Why did she do this?"

"She thinks we're involved." I said honestly, dabbing some tissue on my bottom lip. Jon screwed his face up.

"Who told her that?" I shrugged.

"Jace?" I said quietly, sighing. "He came to see you and left with the assumption that we've been seeing each other. He's the only one I can think of."

"Where was he when this was happening? Or Sebastian?" Jon quizzed. I could feel the tears threatening to fall. I didn't want to be the cause of Jon breaking away from his friends. I didn't want any of this. "They were there weren't they? They were fucking right there!" Jon started to shout and I hung my head, tears trickling from the corners of my eyes. My mum had come barging back into the room but Jon was like a man possessed. He was headed for the door, walking faster on his crutches than I had ever witnessed before. Mum pleaded with him, begging for him to come back and talk about it as he tried desperately to pull the door open. His phone was ringing in his room, he turned his attention, trying to get there as fast as he could. By the time he reached it, it had went off, a text tone beeping afterwards. I raised myself from my seat, heading into his room. He was laughing at his phone, almost manically. He turned the screen to face me, shaking with anger. I read the message on the screen.

Jace: Blood is thicker than water man! We're brothers. Don't let this girl come between us.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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And as always…

All my love,

Until the next time

~Sapph