If you aren't familiar with Fallout Boy, you probably won't recognise the song at the beginning :P Just saying... It's Alone Together :)

ENJOY! :D

I don't know where you're going but do you have room for one more troubled soul?

The melodic tune drifted through my mind as I walked.

I don't know where I'm going but I don't think I'm coming home.

I repeated the last words to myself, changing them to suit my situation. I mumbled under my breath, "I don't know where I'm going but I don't think I'm going to my English class…"

I'll check in tomorrow if I don't wake up dead.

That is, I though sadistically, I'll wake up if Seb doesn't kill me before then.

I knew that I was once again lost, and the unfamiliar hallways seemed to stretch on forever without a sign of anyone. It was beginning to feel like the school was eating its students. The bell had only rung eight minutes ago, and the halls were absolutely deserted. Not to mention, every muscle in my body was as tense as they could be after Seb's glare yesterday in Biology.

This is the road to ruin. And we started at the end.

Well, I couldn't see how it could get much worse. But then, I caught sight of a glimpse of movement at the end of the hall. "Hey!" I yelled, "Could you please help me?"

The person paused, waiting as I jogged up to them. As I got closer, I realised that it was someone I knew. He was wearing a letterman jacket and had a dark tangle of hair. For a moment, Seb's face jumped into my mind and my insides froze. But then, I met a pair of piercing blue eyes and my spirits lifted.

"Alec!" I breathed in relief, "Could you tell me where – "

"No," he said simply and turned to walk away. I watched him turn into a class, and I was left standing alone in the hallway, completely baffled. At least the other day he had made conversation with me. I had actually thought that he was an alright guy.

Let's be alone forever, the song burst into my ears, we can stay young forever!

"I don't know about that last part," I mumbled sarcastically to the song, "But it looks like you and me will be plenty lonely for a while."

My morning classes ticked by slowly, but lunch finally came and I joined the rushing crowd towards the cafeteria. I felt eyes on me, no matter how small and unnoticeable I tried to make myself.

I heard a group of giggling girls behind me, and turned to see Seelie and a couple of her minions laughing and shooting strange looks at me. The girl next to her with blonde hair, who I vaguely recognised as my next door neighbour, raised her hand and whispered something to Seelie behind it. A small sliver of paranoia crept into my stomach. Did I have toilet paper on my shoe? Did I have something on my face?

I looked around as I walked amongst the crowd, but every gaze I met was trained on me, and I didn't know why.

I finally arrived at the cafeteria and sought out my usual table. For once, Simon wasn't waiting for me there. At first, I was relieved, but I soon found myself scanning the mass of kids in the cafeteria for his dorky face. I couldn't find it.

But during my search, I did find several other faces who seemed way too interested in me. People were still staring at me. I squirmed under their gaze, and immediately turned to find Seb. He was where he usually was, surrounded by all his jock and cheerleader buddies, minus Clary. His dark eyes burned into mine, and I soon realised that his friends were all doing the same to me. I spotted Alec and a dark-headed girl who sat next to him looking down, and I appreciated it, even if he had been a dick earlier.

A girl slid into the seat across from me, breaking my concentration. Before I could register who it was, the cafeteria fell eerily quiet. If there had been a few people minding their own business before, they weren't now. Every. Single. Eye. Fell on me and whoever had just sat down and drawn all this attention.

"Hi," came a monotone, yet familiar voice.

"Hey, Clary," I said cautiously, "Do you know what's going on?"

The red-head blew a piece of hair away from her face in a frustrated manor. "Hell if I know. But whatever it is it can't be good for you. I've never seen Sebastian go this far with a newbie. Forget what I said about him not hating you the other day."

I gave a sarcastic bark of laughter. "I already figured that."

Despite everything, Clary giggled, her eyes creasing with laughter and her white teeth glinting. I found myself laughing along with her for no reason. Her laugh was contagious, as mine must have been, because she laughed more and more each time I laughed. It was a never-ending circle.

Soon, I forgot about the glaring, and I found myself chatting and laughing with Clary throughout the lunch break. Chatter slowly resumed throughout the cafeteria, and the dreadful feeling in the pit of my stomach eased… but never went away.

I finally worked up enough courage to ask, "Clary, what was your fight with Seb about?"

Her face instantly contorted into a stony look. Her smile instantly snapped into a frown. "What's it to you?"

Uh oh. Bad question. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to – "

"It's fine," Clary huffed, "Maybe one day I'll tell you. Just not today." Something flashed across her face then, and she looked down at her lap. I frowned. Was that look… guilty?

When the bell rang, Clary gathered her things and rushed off in a hurry after a quick good-bye. I moved to leave as well, but a boy with a lean body, dark hair and black eyes stepped in front of me. For a moment, Seb and I exchanged no words, but Seb leaned in close and said, "See you tonight, Herondale."

A cold feeling clenched my heart like an icy grip. Before I could recollect myself, he was gone, and I was one of the only ones left in the cafeteria.

I shouldn't have been so bothered by Seb's words, but I became nervous and couldn't sit still all through my last lesson of the day. When the bell finally rang, I couldn't get out of the school fast enough. On my way home, my blonde neighbour walked closer to me than usual. I caught her looking at me slyly a few times, and heat crept into my cheeks.

Did she like me? Or was this just a continuation of earlier today. She had been one of the one's to stare and laugh at me in the hall. And I still had no idea what it was about. But that had been the last thing on my mind.

See you tonight, Herondale.

I sighed, tired from the stress, as I unlocked my front door. I found my way to my room and sprawled out on the bed. I looked at the photos stuck on my wall, and felt a twang of longing for my old life. Why was I finding it so hard to fit in? I should have been in that popular group. I was a star football player and, I won't lie, a pretty handsome bloke. Why? Why?

I found myself drifting off, repeating that question to myself, over and over.

I woke to a relentless vibrating beneath my back. My eyes cracked open to a dark room, yet not very quiet at all. The bed beneath my back trembled to the beat of a familiar song with bass. I sat up and looked around, wondering if my stereo had somehow turned itself on or something.

It hadn't. I got up and left my room. As I shifted towards the front door, the music gradually grew louder and louder. It was muffled, but blaringly loud. Once I was in the lounge room, I caught a glimpse of a bright light flicker past the window. I squinted out and saw the house next door was flooded with lights of all different colours. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 11 at night.

A bubble of anger and confusion rose inside of me. Were the neighbours really throwing a party on a Thursday night?

I stood in front of the front door for a while, wondering whether or not I should be saying something or just try to ignore it. The floor trembled beneath my feet, and I instantly made up my mind. I opened the door and my ears burst with the sudden roar of music, no longer blocked by the door. I could hear the high-pitched voice of the singer, the zipping sound of the electro mix and the jumble of slurred voices that shouted along to the chorus. I was sure that houses five blocks away would be able to hear this racket.

As I strode towards the next door house, a guy dragged a tipsy-looking girl out of the front door and led her around the side of the house. I wondered if he was doing something illegal. I reached the front door and raised my hand to knock, and the door swung open.

Startled, I took a few steps back. A kid with curly brown hair stumbled out as if he had been pushed. I considered trying to catch him, but I ended up just watching as he fell onto his hands and knees. "Stay out, Runt!" A voice called from behind him before the door slammed shut.

The kid picked up what looked like a pair of glasses and clambered back to his feet. When he realised that I was standing in front of him, he gasped but quickly regained his senses. "Jace?"

I squinted in the dim light. "Simon? What are you doing here?"

"Well," he replied sarcastically, "I do live here."

"You…?" My mind tried to process this, "You're my neighbour?" I couldn't hide the shock in my tone.

"You're my neighbour?!" He exclaimed, "Man, small world, right?"

I just stared at him blankly while he chuckled at his own joke. Finally, I asked, "If you live here, then why did you get kicked out of your own party?"

The nerd rolled his eyes. "It's not my party. It's my sisters. And she was meant to be looking after me while our parents were away. What bullshit, right?" he scoffed.

"You're sister is the pretty blonde that lives here too?"

"Well," he said, "She is blonde, although I can't agree with pretty. I would say most likely yes."

Just as I opened my mouth to say something, the door cracked open and a tall, lanky but lean figure stood in the door. Purple and green lights pulsed behind him, highlighting his vicious grin. The music poured out from behind him, making it hard for me to hear him when he spoke, "Herondale! So glad you could make it! I did say I would be seeing you tonight, didn't I?" Seb jeered at me.