This is chapter 1. I hope you like it.
Clary p.o.v
I woke up to my alarm clock beeping in a way that everyone found annoying. I sighed and rolled over hitting it to turn it off. Groaning I flung my duvet off me and sat up before getting out of bed. The time was seven; I had to be at school for eight. I jumped in the shower washing my bright red hair and brushing out the knots while the conditioner was still in it. My hair was that bushy that if I did not untangle it while in the shower then I would never be able to get the knots out. After blowing my hair out so it sat in neat curls rolling down my back to my waist, I applied the little make-up I wore every day, just mascara and black eyeliner around my bright green eyes. I thought of myself as fairly plain though everyone said I looked like my mom but I couldn't see it, she was beautiful. I dressed in black skinny jeans and a band t-shirt with a pair of my converse. I grabbed my leather jacket as it was chilly out and ran downstairs to get breakfast. My mom, Jocelyn, was stood at the stove making pancakes when I walked into the kitchen. My step-dad Luke was sat at the breakfast bar drinking coffee.
"Morning, Mom, Luke."
"Morning, Sweetie," said mom.
"Morning, Clary."
Luke had been in my life for as long as I could remember; before they were together Luke was my mom's best friend and the only father figure in my life. I had been so happy when they got together when I was ten they married three years later, I got to be bridesmaid. When I asked about my father mom had told me all I needed to know. Mom had asked for a divorce as it was not a pleasant marriage (as I grew older I understood this meant an abusive marriage) but this only angered my father. He had granted her a divorce but disappeared along with their son, my brother. She had never told him that she was pregnant with me and I had taken my mother's maiden name Fairchild. I had no clue what my father's name was and had no intention of ever finding out. I could see the pain in my mother's eyes when she spoke about Johnathan and I was sad I would never get to meet my brother but was happy with the life I had. We had never moved out of Idris even though it was full of painful memories.
I made myself a coffee, black with lots of sugar, and sat down next to Luke as mom placed pancakes in front of us, both of us grinned and dug in. After breakfast I ran up to my room to grab my school bag shoving my sketch book and drawing pencils into it before running back downstairs meeting my mother at the door.
"You ready?" asked mom.
"Yep," I replied and opened to door going to the car as mom kissed Luke good-bye.
Luke owned a bookstore in town and would be leaving to go open up the shop. He used to live above the shop but it was two small for a family of three so he moved in with us. My mother was the art teacher at my high school St Xavier's so I got lifts with her to school as I did not have a car of my own even though I could drive. We did not really have the money but I was saving up. Sometimes if my mother was feeling nice she would let me drive the car to school; today was not one of those days.
We pulled into the school only to see the school building had been covered with a flour and water paste. It was everywhere on the doors and windows and a banner hung from the entrance to the school claiming the 'Alicante Rules' in massive letters.
"Oh my God," exclaimed mom, "those spoilt brats have done it again, Elaine will not be pleased. Lightwood will have to do something."
Elaine Lewis was the headmistress and my best friend's mother. We had bonded over the fact both our mothers were teachers and had been friends since we were in nappies. My mother parked the car and we got out. My mother ran off to Elaine's office as this latest prank was sure to have put her in a mood while I strolled over to my group of friends. We were not the popular kids but many people liked us; we were mainly the band kids. I was the lead singer in a band with Simon Lewis, Jordan Kyle, Eric Hillchurch, Kirk Duplesse and Matt Charlton. We were called the Mortal Instruments and were actually good though many people found that hard to believe. My friendship group also included Maia, Jordan's girlfriend and Magnus Bane who had been my friend for almost as long as Simon.
"Hey Clary," greeted Simon as I walked up to them sitting on the wall on the edge of the car park.
"Hey Simon," I replied.
The others all greeted me as well before Eric, Matt and Kirk went back to their previous topic while Jordan and Maia went back to whispering heads bent together. I rolled my eyes at this, half the time they were sickening.
"I cannot believe they pranked us again. What do you think Meliorn and Raphael will do?" asked Eric, he sounded far too excited.
Meliorn and Raphael were the kings of our school and unofficially in charge of getting Alicante Academy back when they pranked St Xavier's.
"No idea but they should record Alicante's reaction. They take it so much more serious than we do," laughed Simon.
"That's because they are more high-strung," replied I with a smirk.
"Who is more high-strung, darling," said Mangus Bane from behind me.
"Alicante."
"Well that's because they're all spoilt brats," Mangus flourished his hand as if batting away the conversation.
One word to describe Magnus was amazing. Today he was dressed in yellow leather trousers and a sparkly white flowing shirt and covered from head to toes in glitter with his cat eye contacts he was never without. With Mangus arriving their group was completed so everyone stood and walked into school heading for their lockers which were all near each other.
I grabbed my history book out of my locker, which was covered in my sketches, stuffing it in my bag with my sketch book and lent on my now closed locker.
"We've got band practise after school tonight, Clary, remember," yelled Jordan from across the hall.
I didn't reply just put my thumb up in conformation closing my eyes leaning my head back while Simon sorted his books out in the locker to my right.
"Hey, Clary," said the voice of Raphael. I opened my eyes and he was stood in front of me, smirking with his hands in his pockets.
"Raphael, don't you have a prank to be planning?" I asked wanting to be rid of him as quickly as possible. He had been pursing me for the past year and it was getting creepy.
"It can wait while I talk to a pretty girl."
"Really, well they have to want to talk to you."
"Come on Clary, you know you want to go on a date with me." I rolled my eyes.
Maia, sensing that I needed help and that Simon would be useless as he just stood there, detached herself from Jordan crossed the hall and said "Come on Clary we've got to get to History."
She grabbed me and we walked down the hall leaving Raphael and the rest of the boys behind.
Not everyone had the same classes. Jordan, Matt and Kirk were all seniors while Simon, Maia, Magnus, Eric and I were all juniors so they only class we all share was gym and the others in our year didn't have history.
Just as the first bell went an announcement came over the speaker.
"Would juniors and seniors please go to gym please."
Everyone filled into the gym, Maia and I found the boys and dropped into sits next to them just as Mrs Lewis entered and grabbed a microphone so people would be able to hear her.
"Okay, everyone as we all know Alicante Academy played yet another prank on us but I'm telling you that we will not be responding to this. This rivalry must stop. The headmaster of Alicante Mr Lightwood and I have come up with a plan. Juniors and seniors from each school will work together on a creative project. We have chosen juniors and seniors as it is mainly you that get into the prank war. The other years follow your lead. You will need to work closely with them and the result will hopefully be that you get on. The project will launch tomorrow after school. Also can Simon Lewis, Clarissa Fairchild, Jordan Kyle, Eric Hillchurch, Kirk Duplesse and Matt Charlton see me in my office after this please. Everyone else back to first period."
The announcement was a shock we had to work with Alicante that was never going to happen, ever and what had we done why did we have to go see Mrs Lewis, it was just the band that had been summoned. I shared a look with Simon and he just shrugged his shoulders as we said bye the Mangus and Maia and went to the headmistress office.