So I would like to apologize. I know it's been so long since I've updated and I'm very sorry. I was away on a huge (and important) sport trip and I wasn't able to write :/

BUT here I am now, right? Very sorry guys, but hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm trying to get another one up again this week to make up for my slack :)

ENJOY! :D

Seb never came back to school. It had been a week since the incident and he was still an absolute no show. Two days ago, on Tuesday morning, Clary was the bearer of great news.

"Jace!" she squealed as she charged towards me, pushing past people in the crowded hallway. I turned around just into to catch her as she jumped into my arms. "You're about to seriously fall in love with me." She declared as she pressed her lips against mine briefly. The gesture shocked me, and something in me pulled away from her. I had a brief sense that this – whatever it was – was moving too fast. It was almost like she was rushing it – pushing it. But I fought against my doubts. She's just affectionate. You've gone faster. You used to be the school's star womanizer. Deal with it.

"Miss Fray!" a teacher called from somewhere down the hall. It didn't seem to affect her mood.

I laughed at her and asked, "What is it?"

She took a deep breath. "I've organised with the coach and Alec to let you try out for the football team!"

I was speechless. "I… I-I-I, um…"

She giggled at me and kissed me again. "Training is on Thursday afternoons. Meet Alec on the oval after school and you'll go through the training routine with them. The coach will decide whether or not you're on the team!"

"Clary, that's amazing! Thank you!" I paused for a moment, thinking, then I said, "How did you know I even play football?"

She just grinned up at me. "I've seen the photos in your room Jace. You're a star."

And so there I was, on a Thursday afternoon, waiting for Alec at the gates to the back oval. I could already see a few guys on the field stretching. When Alec actually arrived, I didn't notice until he was right beside me. He swung an arm over my shoulders and started pulling me towards the field.

"Alright, Rookie," he started, "What experience do you have?"

I was shocked. I didn't take Alec to be very forward at all. Now he seemed less quiet and curious, and more outgoing and intimidating. "I, um," I fumbled, "I played on my high school team at my old school."

"Were you any good?" he asked, "Win anything?"

"Um…" My brain worked to think, "Yeah. Quite a few wins. We won the…"

"I don't care about what you won." He said.

I had to stop myself from screaming in frustration. If he didn't care, why'd he ask? Instead I asked, "Are you the team captain or something?"

We stopped as we reached the field. Alec dropped his arm and looked at me. "Not permanently. Not yet. Seb is usually captain."

"Oh…" I said dismally, "Maybe I shouldn't be trying out for the team…"

Alec sighed. "If you ask me, even when he comes back to school he won't be captain again. He'll be lucky to stay on the team. The school knows about what he did. Don't worry about it." A little bubble of a pleasurable surprise rose in my chest, and I felt a smile tugging at my lips. Alec just rolled his eyes. "Don't look too happy. There's still a few guys on the team that will more than likely hate your guts."

Even so, I didn't really care. All I wanted to do was play football. Who knows, maybe we'd even get to go away for matches. Maybe I would meet my old team on the field one day.

Alec introduced me to a middle-aged man who was the coach of the team. He was very forward, loud and to-the-point. Within the first few minutes of meeting him, he ordered me to run ten laps around the oval at my comfortable pace. And so I did. On my eighth lap, the coached boomed at me to pick it up for the last two laps and go all-out.

And so I did.

My legs pumped as I pushed myself forward, my shoes digging into the ground fiercely. A sheen of sweat was now covering my body, and the cool air blew against my skin. I blew past the coach on my second last lap and pushed myself even faster for the last. He blew his whistle and pressed a button on his stopwatch as I finished up my last lap. I jogged back to him and he nodded in grudging respect. "Not bad, newbie," he muttered, "But can you handle a ball?"

I was puffing a bit, and I could tell my face was probably bright red, but I grinned at the older man. Could I handle a ball? Pfft.

Some boys had stopped there crash training and were gathering around in a loose ring to watch my manoeuvring and passing. The coach got some volunteers for me to dodge and another boy who doubled up to be my partner. We weaved through the defence where we could and, although I wasn't confident enough in training, the other boy mercilessly tackled a smaller kid at one point. In the end, my speed and his power got us to the make-shift foul line.

One glance back at the coach told me he was impressed, and I couldn't help the small smile that played on my lips as we moved onto tackle practice. I joined in the line of boys in front of another boy holding up an oversized crash mat. When it was my turn, I took a deep breath and I put everything I had into the drive.

And that is the story of how I was accepted into the football team.

The coach pulled me aside after training had finished. A few of the boys, including the one who had teamed up with me earlier, had come over to talk to me. I found out their names, but of course they already knew mine. Even so, most of the boys on the team seemed friendly enough, and I was beginning to think that maybe I could fit in here.

"Jace," the coach called, "Come over here for a second."

I did as I was told, trying to train the smile off of my face. He could be telling me that I wasn't good enough. Maybe I shouldn't be letting my confidence get out of control again. Best to always hold at least a smidge of a doubt. But then again, I used to be the most confident guy around. It took me a moment to realise just how far I had fallen from my perch. Maybe it was time to start climbing up again…

"You, young man," the coach said, his lips cracking into a smile, "Hold so much damn talent and potential. I'm blown away. I think it's only fair to give your hard-working ass a spot on my team. Congratulations son. You'll be a star player someday soon."

My grin widened until I'm sure my teeth was all that consumed my face. "Thank you, sir," I beamed, "Thank you so much! I'm honoured."

He clapped me on the shoulder and chuckled. "The pleasure is all mine."

I turned to go back to the boys and tell them the news, but the coach called me back. "And Jace," he called, "I think there's something you should know," he lead me a fair distance away from the rest of the boys and said softly, "I know you've had troubles in the past with one of our players, Sebastian Verlac. I want you to be aware that his suspension is over in a week. And he will be joining the team again. I want to put my trust in you to be the mature one and put this dispute behind you. I don't care about anything but the well-being of this team and victory! And so I need you two to work as a team from now on."

My muscles tensed, my jaw clenched and I'm sure the coach noticed. He gave me a prompting look and I let out a deep breath. "Yes, sir. I'll do my best."

"Thank you, son," he said, giving my back a clap one last time, "Glad to hear it."

Suddenly, I wasn't feeling so great about all this. I glanced back up at the hill besides the oval, where I had arrived from. The sun was just about to disappear behind it, but I spotted a figure, looking down at the field. I squinted, wondering who it was. The figure turned to leave, and all I managed to make out was a wisp of dark hair as they disappeared on the other side of the hill.

Also, I apologize because I know next to nothing about football and I know my attempt in writing about it was pretty dismal. Don't hate me. I'm not a star football player! Hope it was ok though :)