Okay so next chapter up! Again trying to pick up the pace slightly whilst introducing all of the characters..hope you enjoy! Thank you for all of the reviews so far I am really grateful!

Disclaimer - AGAIN obviously I own none of the characters..Cassandra Clare does..(or Cassie as she may like to be known as..Cass..the Cassonator..right that's definitely enough I shall stop) Anyone know how many times you have to put this? Do you even have to?!

Chapter 3

I've made it to lunch, Clary thought while sitting down next to her brother, as if there was any other choice. Unfortunately Jonathan had caught the attention of quite a few female followers who decided that her table was the one in which their presence would grace. The girl/boy ratio was sorely unbalanced, though with a late arrival of the boy she sat next to in art class and who Clary supposed was his girlfriend the odds were looking up.

"I'm Aline" the new girl said, leaning over the table to give Jonathan a sizable view of her cleavage. Clary rolled her eyes at this blatant display, irritated that nobody knew what an ass he really was as they were too busy noticing his looks. She glanced at the guy who'd arrived with her, Jace she thought his name was, interested to see his reaction to her display. Clary was surprised when she saw him intently looking at her, even more so when he cocked his head in her brother's direction and raised his eyebrows. Embarrassed to have attracted this much attention from a small glance Clary stared at her plate of uneaten food, wishing she could blend into the background and disappear from sight. However when she saw Simon across the cafeteria, the guy in homeroom, laughing with some friends she couldn't help but sigh jealously.

Jace followed the girl's glance, intrigued despite himself, and found it resting on none other than Simon Lewis. A snort escaped him before he had time to control it which he knew she didn't miss as she sharply looked at him, frowning slightly. Please he thought to himself Simon Lewis of all people. Vaguely shocked by the thoughts entering his mind he decided to start a conversation, after all girls were usually falling at his feet around now.

"Simon Lewis?" were the two words that escaped Jace's mouth, who immediately regretted them. The tone was mildly jealous and that, Jace firmly decided, was NOT the emotion he wished to convey. Clary frowned again, clearly confused. Great Jace realised, I sound like a possessive stalker in just two words…maybe I'll make it to mass murderer in five...

"Out of all the people you could be staring at you stare at that nerd? What about your boyfriend over there?" Definitely over compensating…now I just sound like a jerk Jace inwardly groaned, wondering how his way with words was floundering talking to someone he had known all of five minutes.

Whilst he saw Clary furiously shaking her head Jace noticed he had caught the attention of the so-called 'boyfriend' who had shrugged off Aline to glare at him with a barely contained rage.

"Clarissa is he bothering you?" Jonathan snarled, never taking his eyes off Jace who was allowing a slow and careful smile to form on his face

"Because that's my sister, and should you lay a finger on her you would find yourself unable to talk or walk the next day."

Jace mentally readjusted his whole perspective on the situation. Seems pretty close for a brother was the first thought, followed by a swell of empathy for Clarissa, he had heard her brother call her. He glanced across the table to see everyone else's reaction, but when he saw Aline smile like a Cheshire cat he knew their thoughts were only going in one direction. Rolling his eyes at their blindness he looked over to where Clarissa was sitting, only to see her worried glance penetrating his as if to convey a message. Be careful it seemed to warn. Deciding causing a scene would be detrimental to his current school record on the first day, which he had promised his parents he would improve, as well as the redhead looking pretty on edge Jace slowly got up and shrugged his coat on.

"No scene, just friendly conversation. But then again if you react that badly to a 'friendly conversation' then some would question the level of insecurities you possess. Do you EVER let your sister decide what to do?" Jace delivered his mini-speech realising it had gone quite far, more so than he had originally intended. Jonathan clearly thought this too, and attempted to lunge out of his seat to grab Jace but his sister put a hand on his wrist, as if to calm him down. Jace had a suspicion that touching her brother was the last thing she wanted to do, and smiling gratefully at her looked over for Alec, Iz and the rest of their friends. Seeing them with Jordan and Maia in the opposite corner of the cafeteria he waltzed over to them, surprised that the exchange had ended relatively peacefully. Sparing one last look for Clarissa, who looked almost sadly at him before staring at her tray, he took the interrogation from Izzy about Aline almost without question, grunting at the appropriate points during her rant.

Clary found herself sitting in the girl's toilets despairing over her monumental fail of her day so far. Despite knowing that Jonathan's protectiveness would massively increase when they went to the same school, she was still unprepared for the swell of anger that was evoked whenever she was in near proximity to him. Locking herself in the cubicle she allowed her pent up rage to be released, furiously wiping tears off her face as she screwed her eyes closed. I'm stronger than this Clary reminded herself knowing that her mother wouldn't wish to see her unhappy. Before memories of her mother could send her sobbing again she forced herself to think of the positives throughout the day. Art instantly came to mind, remembering the blonde haired guy called Jace who had arrived late and sat next to her. Jace. Clary's heart swelled, thinking of the way he had stood up for her at lunch and the danger he had put himself in. Knowing she was beginning to like him far too much too soon she forced herself to think about the harsh words that had come out of his mouth, the only things he had said to her. Eventually she sighed, having a feeling that she wasn't the only one that went around masking her emotions.

Trying to climb out of the pit of despair she had fallen into she got a tissue and wiped her eyes, just as the door opened and the sound of two excited female voices entered.

"He's always been a player I suppose," a voice was saying, "though Aline is a real low I must admit."

"You need to let this go already! Look as you said, Jace never does anything without a reason…I'm sure it won't last long anyway" another voice replied.

"You're not the one who saw her practically naked! Anyway you're right, so moving on swiftly how is Jordan? I saw you guys looking pretty cosy over lunch"

Clary unlocked the door and walked out to see a long dark haired girl applying mascara and the other girl leaning against the dryer.

"Oh, God are you okay? Not that it's any of my business but you look pretty upset…Clary right? You're in my homeroom. I'm Izzy and this is Maia" the dark haired beauty gestured to herself.

Clary just nodded, seeing just how red-rimmed her eyes were in the mirror as she smiled at the two girls, wishing she could say something in return. Luckily they didn't seem to notice, allowing her to join in their conversation about some ex-boyfriend of Maia's called Jordan whose title may be updated pretty soon the way things were going. Allowing herself to relax and delve into someone else's problems she nodded at the suitable times and walked to her next class with them, grateful to have made some friends.

It was the end of the school day and Daniel was enjoying himself immensely, finally finding someone who hated the 'perfect golden-boy' Jace as much as he did. Sitting in his new friend's car catching a ride home he looked at the girl in the backseat quietly listening to music with a frown etched into her skin as she stared out of the window.

"So anyway," Jonathan was saying with eyes bright with emotion, "he needs to be taught a lesson. He's a cocky arrogant jerk who thinks he can come onto my sister while I'm sitting right there..." Daniel let him go on, glad at the anger he saw in his eyes. He continued to let him rant until they pulled up at his house, and thanking Jonathan for the ride, got out and went inside.

Finally thought Daniel, smiling to himself, Jace Lightwood is going down.

Okay so the ending is pretty abrupt but hopefully it makes it feel as if the story is going somewhere (which it is!) Like it? Hate it? Let me know whatever! And again say if you have any ideas/suggestions for the story...Hopefully you enjoyed it at least a little...