A/N: Funny story: While I was writing this, Word kept autocorrecting Meliorn to Melon. It's funny because I like melons a lot more than I like Meliorn.

Disclamer: I forgot to say this in the last chapter, but obviously these characters don't belong to me.

Izzy POV:

Jace is grumpy on the ride home.

"I'm freezing." He grumbles. I roll my eyes, "Serves you right for taking off your shirt in the middle of class." He frowns at me, "Hey, I had a very good reason for doing that."

"Getting Clary Fray to sleep with you does not count as a good reason." I tell him. He shrugs, "Whatever." He turns to talk to Alec, who is driving the car, "So, how was your day, big brother?" Alec just stares ahead, I'm guessing that he's trying to avoid staring at Jace's bare chest. Poor Alec; he tries so hard to please everyone and be "normal".

Sometimes I hate my parents for making him like this. So scared to be himself. Other days, I wonder how bad it would be if he just told them he was gay. I'd like to think that if it were me, I'd just do it. But it's Alec's choice, and he gets to make it. And I don't really know much about making hard decisions.

When Alec doesn't respond, Jace goes back to brooding in silence. Alec looks relieved and keeps driving, setting course for the Nephilim Elementary, where out brother Max goes to school. I put my feet up on the back of Jace's seat (serves him right for calling shotgun before me) and plug in my headphones. I scroll through all the top forty songs that I download so that I can sing along when I go to parties, and skip straight to the weird 90's alternative music that only my brother's really know I listen to.

Like all teenaged girls, I like to think that I am somehow different than the kids around me. I know it's silly, but my inner Haulden Caulfield still crows whenever I listen to American Music or Girl from Mars. Also, I just love those songs. As the distinctive sound of the Violent Femmes, floods into my ears, I think about the girl that Jace is currently pining over.

I've always dismissed Clary Fray as quiet, and a little naïve. But apparently I was wrong. She pleasantly surprised me today, and maybe, just maybe, she could be the one to end Jace's womanizing streak.

Yes, I know it might seem hypocritical, but I really don't approve of the way Jace treats girls. At least I enjoy spending time with the guys I date (though generally not for long), Jace just takes advantage of how stupid and shallow girls can be. My brother can be a jerk sometimes. But I liked the way he was looking at Clary today, like she was something new; something that he'd never seen before. Maybe she can make him better. Or at least, make him less of a man-slut.

The only problem is that she's dating Simon Lewis. Or at least, I think she is.

I mean, I've never actually seen them kiss, or hold hands, or anything, but they're always together. They never leave each other's side. Sure, they have other friends, some geeks that Simon knows and Maia Roberts, (who provides the booze at parties, because her boyfriend Jordan is in college), but the two of them seem to be their own unit. Inseparable.

It almost makes me jealous.

We arrive at Max's school, and my younger brother hurries over to the car. As he scrambles into the backseat beside me, talking about… something. I pull out my ear buds, "What was that?"

"Never mind." He mumbles, and I feel an instant rush of guilt. Max always seems to be the odd one out in our family. Jace and I are 16, and Alec is 17, so Max, at age 9, often falls behind. While we all have things about us that make us feel like outsiders (I'm a girl, Jace is adopted, and Alec is the oldest, the most insecure, and gay), but it's always been the worst for Max. "Sorry," I say, "I had my headphones in so I didn't hear you."

"Alright." He doesn't look convinced, "I was just saying how next week we're going to the science center for a field trip to see the human body exhibit." I wrinkle my nose, "Oh! I remember that exhibit. It was gross; full of snot and blood and stuff."

"It's not snot. It's mucus." Max informs me.

"Is it slimy and green?" I ask. He nods. "Then it's still gross." I decide. He rolls his eyes. "You know, knowing about science is important. You should really apply yourself more to your studies."

Jace snorts, and I hold back a laugh. Alec however, never misses a beat, "That's right Max. Isabelle you should listen to him."

That is simply outrageous, I think. I must defend myself, "Hey, I'm good at science! I just think biology is gross."

We continue to tease each other until we reach home, where we go our separate ways. I head upstairs to my room, to try and figure out what to wear on my date tonight. It's with a guy named Meliorn, a sophomore in college. He's pretty good looking, and he's definitely got that "man of mystery" thing going on. Also, he gets invites to all the best parties in the city, so it's worth my while to make this thing work.

I get to my bedroom and put my hair into a loose ponytail. I shed my sweater and my skirt so that I am simply wearing leggings and a camisole and go to my walk in closet. I adore clothing. Not just because it makes me look super hot, but also because there is such an art to it. When I found out Alec was gay, I had high hopes that we could bond over this shared passion. That hope seems laughable now. Apart from liking guys, my older brother really isn't very gay at all. Oh well.

I settle on a sheer, flowing blouse, over top of a black strapless bra, and a black mini skirt, with tall, black, high-heeled boots. I curl the ends of my straight black hair and regard my image in my mirror. I look good, Alec will probably be upset with how revealing the outfit is. You'd think he'd be used to it by now, but Alec is too responsible for his own good, and has kind of taken on the roll of a parent, since my mom and dad are absent to say the least.

My parents work for an international insurance agency, so they travel a lot. Right now they're in London, for a conference. But even when they're home, they're always working. They pay almost no attention to us, and then, it's only when we do something bad, or attention grabbing. Max sometimes travels with them, so he still feels a connection to them that us three have long lost. I lost it when I was eleven, and my mom told me that my father had had an affair, and that the only reason they weren't divorced was Max. At that moment, my image of my parent as the perfect, loving, couple shattered.

I've never told anyone about that, not even Alec. My mom told me to keep it a secret (I'm fairly certain that she only told me, because she was a little bit drunk, though I have no proof). But ever since than, I have lost almost all by respect for either one of them.

A psychiatrist would probably say that my loveless childhood is the reason I never date the same guy for more than a week or two. Maybe they would be right.

I stand up, satisfied with my outfit, and the make up which I have just applied. I grab my purse and walk out of my room. I sneak through the halls and steer clear of the kitchen, where I know Alec will be, cooking dinner. "I'm going out with Meliorn!" I shout. Then I hurry out of the house before any of my brothers' corner me with questions like "Where are you going?" or "When will you be home?" or "Who's Meliorn?"

I walk down the street, wrapping my arms tightly around myself. One disadvantage to dressing like me is that my clothing is not always strictly weather appropriate. So I'm often cold. But who cares? It's worth it, and I look very good in blue. I keep walking and distract myself with music. Unfortunately, the song that plays on my iPod is "Sweater Weather". How appropriate.

I'm meeting Meliorn at this little café called Java Joes. I've never been to it before, but it's a block away from a club called Pandemonium, which is where we'll really be spending the night so meeting there seemed convenient. I find the coffee shop fairly easily, and head inside. I'm half an hour early, so I head to the counter to get something to drink.

Some guy with glasses is headed towards the counter as well and I snarl at him internally. I AM COLD! I need coffee immediately, and I'll be damned if some pretentious nerd who hangs out at coffee shops is going to beat me to it. So I rush forward (impressive, considering my heels are four inches) and cut him off. "Oh come on!" He moans. I turn around to give him a triumphant grin, but am surprised to see that I recognize him.

"Simon?" I ask. He somehow manages to grow pale, and blush at the same time, "Isabelle?" He asks. I smile at him, "Hi." There's an awkward silence. The barista coughs and I quickly remember why I cut him off in the first place, "I'll have a low fat latte." I tell the guy, and hand over a five-dollar bill. I receive my change, and move over so that Simon can order.

"Two small coffees." He says. I raise my eyebrows, "Two?" He starts and blushes deeper (it's kind of cute, in a super dorky way), "Um… Yeah. One's for Clary." He grimaces, "I forced her to come to Eric's poetry reading, which started an hour ago, and is terrible. So to make it up to her, I'm buying her as much coffee as she wants." I laugh, and then ask the question that has been gnawing at my mind since I talked to them earlier, "So are you two, like, dating?"

Simon looks at me with wide eyes, "Me and Clary? No. She's like my sister. I mean- we kissed once, in middle school. But it was really awkward." He glances at me, and sighs, "That was probably too much information." I laugh again (god, I don't usually laugh this much), "Don't worry about it. I love hearing about other peoples romantic drama."

We get our coffees, and somehow I find myself following him to the couch where Clary is sitting, drawing in her sketchbook. "Hi Clary!" I call. She jumps, and looks over at me, staring as if an alien had just come up to her, and started talking. She then looks at Simon, who just shrugs. Is it really that weird that I'm talking to them? I guess I already know the answer to that. I'm one of the most popular kids in our school, and the two of them are… not. But am I really such an unapproachable bitch? I guess I'll have to change that.

"So how's the poetry?" I ask, unable of coming up with anything better to say. Clary and Simon snort simultaneously. "It's like Vogons wrote it." Says Simon. "Sorry- Vogons are these beasts from-"

"The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, yeah. I know what vogons are." I say (what? Having to nerdy brothers has rubbed off on me a bit). Then scrunch up my nose, "If it's that bad, I may just have to stick around to hear it." As his friend heads up to the microphone, I perch myself on the arm of the couch, next to Simon. People around me groan, "This is fifth set." Simon whispers, looking a little pained.

I laugh. Again. Seriously, what is up with that? But before Eric can start speaking, I can hear a voice behind me say, "Isabelle." I turn around and see Meliorn. Oh. Somehow, I'm not as eager about our date as I had been earlier.

I recover from my surprise and smile up at him, "Hey."

"Let's go." He grunts, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Simon is looking up at me with a strange expression. "Uh…" I feel inexplicably awkward; "I guess I'll have to listen to your friend's poetry some other time. Bye you two." I follow out of the cafe, pretending that I can't feel Simon's eyes boring into my back.

I shake it off the feeling and let Meliorn sneak his hand up the back of my shirt. I am Isabelle Lightwood, I spend my nights partying and hooking up with hot guys, not at bad poetry readings in cafes, with guys who reference Douglas Adams novels. When we reach the club I go immediately to the bar, pulling out my fake ID. I down two shots of tequila, and turn to Meliorn, pulling him closer to me by his belt loops, "Come on." I whisper seductively into his ear, "Let's dance."

This is wear I'm supposed to be. This is who I am. Isn't it?

A/N: OK, so this was a really fast update, you guys probably shouldn't get used to it. Also, I think this story's rating might go up to M, there won't be any lemons, but it might get a bit sexier than my stories usually are, because it's about Isabelle.

Please tell me what you think!