Jace's twelve year old brain wasn't thinking about anything else besides what else he was doing, it couldn't. Only pack what he would need, leave the rest. He heard a slight rustle and felt his heart go into his throat. His eyes met familiar green ones; it was only Jonathan. "Hey- Jace!? What are you doing?" Jace wasn't in the mood to be interrupted, "Just because you're father's little mindless robot doesn't mean you have to act stupid all the time." He snapped. Jonathan merely blinked, but Jace knew he was hurt. Jonathan scowled, and moved like he was about to turn around, but Jace said, "Wait, Jonathan, I didn't mean that," he sighed. Once Jonathan gave him his full attention again, he continued, "I'm packing, Jonathan, because I'm leaving. Running away." Seeing the look in Jonathan's eyes, he said hastily. "I know you'll be fine here, father loves you after all. But not me, never me." He realized he had been gripping his bag so tightly up he was afraid it might rip. He stopped hastily and continued. "You have to promise me that you won't tell him. Please." He looked deep into Jonathan's eyes as he said softly, "Jace, you know I can't-" "Fine," he cut him off, "but at least let me get a head start. Give me until dinner, that's in a few hours, if he doesn't ask you won't technically be lying to him." Jonathan hesitated, then finally gave a small nod. Jace let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Thank you, Jonathan. I promise I'll visit you sometime." Then, he waltzed over to the window and disappeared out of it, leaving Jonathan standing there, shell shocked. He couldn't believe it; Jace was actually leaving.
He knew how much Jace disliked their father, which he couldn't understand, and how desperately he wanted freedom, but he didn't expect him to actually leave! How would he stop his father from finding out? Jonathan knew how bad of a liar he was, especially to Valentine. Jace was the one who was good at lying, not him. He couldn't help but think that if their situations were reversed that Jace would be able to keep it from their father.
By the time he was finished with tutoring, that's what came after lunch on their strict schedule, (thank God the teacher didn't ask where Jace was, he did usually skip tutoring, anyways) and 6'o'clock rolled around, Jonathan was pacing and sweating nervously, still unsure how he was going to keep the news from his father, for at least long enough for Jace to get a good head start. He decided on playing dumb, and pretending not to know anything as he walked towards the kitchen for dinner. He tried to suppress his nerves, but he wasn't good at hiding his emotions like the rest of his family. He must've looked worse than he felt because he felt his father's scrutinizing gaze on him all the way from the doorway to the table. He sat down and pretending not to notice. He nearly choked on his salad apwhen Valentine asked, "I haven't seen Jace lately, do you know where he could've gone?" "I, er, no I haven't seen him either." He said quickly, too quickly, and avoided his father's gaze. "Jonathan, I know when you're lying to me." He paled but didn't say anything, a trick he'd learned from Jace. "You don't suppose he ran away did he?" He had to bite his lip, hard, before he could answer in a straight voice, "How should I know?" "I'm sure you know very well, Jonathan, and if you won't tell me, I'll have to get out of you by force." The threat in his voice was obvious, and it made Jonathan cold to the bone. Well, Jace had plenty of a head start, he supposed. He sighed and said bitterly, "Fine. He ran away, and that's all I know. He wouldn't tell me where he was going. He's much smarter than you give him credit for, you know." His father sighed, "I know, Jonathan," he stood up after he said that. "Now, we must find him."
