PoV Clary

I was standing in front of a mirror in the bathroom, putting on my guy face when I felt someone enter the room. I started to shake, my hand trembling so badly that I had to put my makeup brush down. I let out a shaky breath.

"Hello?" I said.

There was no answer.

I didn't hear him, but I could feel him coming closer. I felt him walking towards me. I looked down at the sink, my hands clutching the sides of the porcelain, my knuckles white. My breathing was fast and shallow, my forehead breaking out in little beads of sweat. I raised my head to look in the mirror. Obsidian eyes met mine, pale lips stretched into a grotesque smile. I turned slowly to face him, but…

…he wasn't there.

I grabbed all my things and ran back to my room. I slammed the door and slid down it, letting out a quiet sob. Simon sat up in his bed, squinted at me and reached for his glasses. He stood and rushed over to me.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"I thought… I thought he w-was in the bathroom." I buried my face in his thin chest. He smelled of beer and boy and sweat. "H-he was there, I know he was, but... but when I turned around to face him… he wasn't. Simon, I'm scared."

He gently shushed me, his thin fingers stroking my hair. He wrapped his other arm around me and pulled me closer. I curled up in him, letting him hold me.

"You'll be okay, Clary, I promise." He lifted my chin with a finger. "I won't let him hurt you."

He placed a soft kiss on my forehead, and then held me closer. We stayed there for a few minutes, but had to get up when someone knocked on the door. I walked over to my bed and sat down. Simon let Magnus in. He was smirking happily, holding up today's paper.

"I didn't know anyone still got that," Simon said.

"I like to get the news paper old fashioned like, you gotta problem with that?" Magnus asked.

Simon raised his eye brows and shook him head.

Magnus entered and sat on my bed as Simon shut the door.

"He's dead." He held out the paper, pointing to the main story with a delicate finger.

"Early this morning, a police vehicle was following a speeding car when it veered off the road and crashed into a nearby tree. The driver side of the car was completely crushed, the driver instantly killed. There were no skid marks; it was almost as though the driver, who is stated to be Sebastian Verlac, wanted to be killed. Sebastian Verlac, 18, was last seen at a Hallowe'en party at Greenview College, late last night. Read more on page nine."

I sat back and stared at Magnus. He was smiling.

"Why are you happy?" I asked.

Magnus' smile faded, replaced with a frown.

"Clary he tried to ra-"

"Don't say it!" I yelled.

Magnus jerked back a little.

"Clary, he tried to hurt you," he said sternly. "I don't want that monster in my school, and the farther away, the better."

"I don't want him around me either, but I didn't want him to die!" I stood and started to pace. I stopped and looked Magnus dead in the eye. "It was my fault anyway. I shouldn't have gone dressed up like that."

"Clary, he was a monster, and a jerk, you can't blame yourself!" Magnus yelled.

"Hey, maybe we should be quieter about the Clary thing," Simon said.

"Shut up, Simon!" Magnus yelled.

"Hey, don't yell at me, I'm just trying to help!"

There was a banging on the door. Magnus pulled the door open angrily. "What?!"

Alec was standing at the threshold, looking stunned. "I was… just going to ask you to keep it down…"

"Get in here," Magnus growled, grabbing Alec's arm and pulling him into the room.

Alec staggered in, his eyes drifting from Magnus to Simon to me. His eyes moved down and came to a stop on my chest. "Um…"

"It was early, she didn't put on her binding yet," Magnus explained.

"But… what?" Alec looked back at Magnus, completely confused.

"Oh, Cain's really a girl named Clary; can you get it into that thick skull of yours?" Magnus shouted.

"Hey!" Alec shouted, scowling. "I don't have a thick skull!"

"Stop yelling!" I shouted. "Please, I hate it, stop it!"

There was a stunned silence between the three boys.

"Clary," Magnus started.

"Don't you dare open your mouth!" I said. "I'm not going to put up with anymore fighting and yelling. I don't care if you think it wasn't my fault, I don't care if you think he's better off dead. I didn't want him to die, no matter how much I hated him. So leave it be!"

I picked up my things and walked to the bathroom again. I put on my binding and started to put on my make up when I heard someone enter the bathroom. I looked at him in the mirror out of the corner of my eye. Black hair, pale skin. Alec.

"Alec, could you please just leave me alone?" I asked.

He walked up behind me and placed his hands on my hips.

"Alec, get off," I said. I looked at him in the mirror.

It wasn't Alec.

"Did you like my little stunt?"