Clary's POV
It was as though my senses were running tenfold. The smell of shower gel burning my nose, the feel of the cold hard floor beneath me sending shivers up my spine, the sound of the stairs creaking sending fear into my heart. My immediate response was to look for an escape which proved impossible in my windowless en-suite. The doorknob rattled and I felt on the brink of tears. This wasn't at all how I had imagined my first day at school panning out and here I was thinking Jace was my biggest problem. Naïve.
"Clary, come out here please?" It was Jon. Why hadn't he just left?
"Go play football Jon." I shouted back, pressing myself against the door.
"I'd suggest you move away from the door, if you're not coming out, I'm coming in." Was he serious? He couldn't be.
"Mum and Dad would kill you."
"I'll deal with that when I come to it. Back up Clary." He sounded deadly serious.
"You're kidding right?"
"Try me." I couldn't let him break the door down, because then Mum and Dad would ask all sorts of questions and it would be a lot harder to get out of that one than it would be to just talk to Jon now.
"Calm down Hulk, I'm coming out." I sighed, lifting myself my feet. I gingerly pulled the door open, feeling awkward that he was seeing me like this. As soon as the door was a fraction open, Jon pushed it further, trying to help me out of the bathroom.
"Are you okay? Do you need help?" Jon asked, as I walked over to the bed.
"I'm alright thank you." I smiled best I could, getting into bed and pulling the covers up to my chin. "Go to practice. I'm fine." I tried to sound convincing.
"Clary. You forget I'm your brother. I've seen you in some pretty bad states like that time I accidentally sat on and broke those expensive pencils you'd been saving up for, but even that doesn't compare to now. I've never seen you like this before. Let me help, please." Jon said, sitting himself down on the bed next to me. I didn't know what to say to him.
"It's nothing, honestly." I muttered into the blankets. I just wanted to be left alone.
Jon wasn't buying it. "You're not all that good at lying." He frowned. I had to give him something. Some believable piece of information that would get him off my back.
"Fine." I let him believe that he had won. "A break up." It wasn't a lie really. Jon sighed.
"I knew there was something! Are you missing him – or her?" Jon asked.
"No, I'm not missing him. I'm just finding the transition difficult." I admitted. It was so good to get this off my chest, even if I was telling it in its vaguest form.
"You know what you need to do then, don't you? Delete all the pictures, block all the numbers, seal away that part of your life and don't look back. You've got a new life here now Clary. It's like having a fresh start, a clean slate." Jon said and a lightbulb flashed in my head. I could just block the number, why hadn't I thought of that before! Probably because I got into my head too much and panicked. As for the pictures, they were deleted long ago. The memories on the other hand, were not as easy to discard.
"You're actually pretty good at this y'know. The whole advice thing." I nudged his shoulder, the feeling of dread having finally lifted from my stomach. If I blocked the number, then he would just think he'd gotten the wrong one and leave me alone!
"I have enough practice with Jace." Jon scoffed. I was surprised.
"Jace doesn't really me strike me as the type of person to fall in love, or have a girlfriend for that matter." I added.
"Oh he isn't. He just tends to get himself into situations that require a massive amount of advice and a healthy dose of excuses." Jon flashed me a grin and I shook my head.
"Why doesn't that surprise me? Anyway! Get yourself off to football, I'm sick of looking at your face." I smirked, shoving Jon's shoulder. He laughed, getting to his feet.
"Only if you're sure?" He said, backing out of the room, slowly.
"I'm sure, go on. Thank you for the advice as well. I appreciate it." I smiled.
"Anytime." He smiled before I heard him clattering down the stairs and out of the door. As soon as I was sure he was gone, I set about blocking the number on my phone.
Jace's PoV
Isabelle finally called me as I was taking a water break.
"What do you want?" She mumbled on the other end, pretending like she was pissed at me but I could tell that she'd already forgiven me.
"You alright Iz? Just seen Clary at Jon's and she seemed a bit shook up. Anything I should know about?" I asked, casually.
"Uh – she said she'd eaten something funny I think? Is she alright?" Isabelle asked, concerned. So she didn't know anything either. Whatever was going on with Clary wasn't just food poisoning, she looked scared half to death.
"I think so yeah, just was wondering if you knew anything." I said. "And to see if you were okay, of course." I added.
"Hmm, I bet that was why. Why the interest anyway?" She was probing, I could hear it in her voice.
"No interest, she's Jon's sister – I'm just looking out for a mate. Jon would do the same for me if it was you."
"I'm sure. Is that all – just I'm a bit – busy?" Isabelle started to ramble, acting nervous all of a sudden.
"What are you up to Isabelle Lightwood?" I laughed down the phone.
"Nothing! Goodbye!" She practically shouted before hanging up on me. As I was putting my phone back in my gym bag, I caught sight of Jon talking to the coach, clearly apologising profusely. He was never one for being late so I knew he'd get away with it.
"All good?" I asked as he reached me, putting his gym bag next to mine. He seemed in better spirits anyway.
"All sorted." He smiled, grabbing his water bottle.
"Anything you need help with?"
"Nah, probably just some douche from her old school. Sounds like she was pretty stuck on him though. I've told her to just forget about it." Something still wasn't sitting right with me. I couldn't shake the feeling that she'd looked scared, but maybe that was just paranoia on my part. If Jon said she was fine, then she must be fine. I was probably just thinking too much into it. Why was I so bothered anyway?
Clary's POV
I found the best way to clear my mind was to make myself busy. Being the only one in the house, I thought it would be nice if I made everyone dinner, considering our first night all together had been rudely interrupted by golden strangers and my parents 'making up for lost time'. My Dad was the first to get back.
"Hello?" He shouted to the house as he walked in the door.
"Hi Dad." I smiled, popping my head out of the kitchen. He dropped his briefcase at the door, heading in my direction. Once he reached me, he hugged me tightly, catching me off guard.
"I'm used to nobody being home to answer me. What a welcome change this is. I'm so glad you and your mother could come home Clary." He smiled. "What is it you've being doing in here?" His eyes finally catching sight of the various cooking equipment.
"Magic." I said simply, attending once more to the various pots and pans.
"I don't doubt it. Speaking of magic, it sounds like your mother is home." He commented, drifting back off into the hallway. Sure enough, he was right. Moments later a sharp crack rang out as my mother clambered her way into the hallway. I could hear her grumbling about briefcases and leaving things on the floor and hoped that this wouldn't be the first argument I would have to witness. It wasn't the idea I was going for when I thought of 'family dinner'.
"I'm sorry honey, I just am so used to it just being Jon and I, I sometimes forget myself." My mum seemed appeased by this answer.
"You're cooking Clary?" She remarked, moments later.
"Yup, no biggie." I shrugged, trying my creation. My mum and dad exchanged weird looks, I chose to ignore it.
"I hope you've made enough for five." My dad eventually said as he was laying the table.
"Five?" I asked, already knowing the answer to my question.
"Well Jace has his dinner here most nights. As long as that's alright with you?" He seemed to be asking my mother more than he was me. She shrugged, not really caring either way.
"Well, I was kind of hoping –"I started but the door opened once more as I was mid-sentence. So much for that idea. Jon made a beeline straight for me.
"How you feeling?" He muttered under his breath and I was thankful that he was discreet about this.
"Good, thanks. Do you want to get some plates out?" I asked.
Dinner passed by without a hitch. Jace was unusually quiet and I wasn't sure whether it was my parent's presence that had silenced his tongue or maybe he was feeling embarrassed for what had occurred earlier today at his house. I'd put money on the first. He didn't seem like the type to get embarrassed. Once we'd all eaten in silence, I gathered up the plates. I should have known my parents were up to something when they offered to wash the dishes.
"Clary?" My mum caught me as I was leaving the kitchen. "I know you were aiming for a family night, but would you mind if you father and I went to a late night movie? It's been such a long time since we've had the chance and your father has a late morning at work tomorrow and –"She seemed to be rambling. Who was I to stop her happiness?
"Don't worry about it, Mum. I was going to have an early night anyway." In truth, I wasn't all that tired. Once they had left, I settled myself down in the lounge, checking my phone. Simon hadn't text me – that was weird. But I also didn't have any strange messages or phone calls, which put my mind at ease. After a while, I started to fidget and headed upstairs.
"Clary!" Jon shouted as I went past. I stuck my head in his room. He was sat with Jace on his bed, playing some sort of football game on his Xbox. "Come sit a minute." I hesitantly walked into the room, sitting myself on the very edge of the bed. Jace seemed to be avoiding all eye contact with me, which was bizarre considering how full on he'd been the last few days. "We're trying to organise some sort of day out this weekend, you game?" I shrugged,
"Yeah, why not?" I had nothing better to do, and no doubt I'd be able to invite Isabelle and Simon.
"Wonderful." Jace remarked, a fraction of a smile on his face. What was with him?
"Well if that's all. I'm going to bed." I picked myself up and headed off down the hall to my own bedroom. It was only when I got there that I realised my phone was ringing. Nervously, I searched for it. But it wasn't in my pocket. It was coming from Jon's room! As fast as I could, I ran back towards Jon's bedroom.
Jace's POV
I don't know why but I was in a bad mood. I just couldn't be bothered, it was as though I was just drained and over it. My usual wit was failing me and I was ready for this day to be over. Opportunity to regain some entertainment from today surfaced however when I realised Clary had left her phone on the bed unattended…and someone was calling it. Too perfect.
"Clary's phone." I answered, Jon shook his head at me, smiling.
"Clary?!"
"Clary can't come to the phone right now, can I take a message?"
"Wait – who the hell is this?" The voice started to get irate. Never mind who I was, who the hell was this? Was this him? The 'break up' guy?
"Who the hell are you?" Just as the voice on the other end of the phone was going off at me, calling me some rather choice names, Clary burst in through the door. Her eyes were blazing like they had been earlier and the smile on Jon's face suddenly wasn't there anymore.
Clary's POV
Jace had suddenly stopped in his tracks, the whole room silent apart from his voice on the other end of the phone. I could hear him swearing, getting angry – saying my name. How had he managed to call me? Hadn't I blocked the number? Had he just called me from another one? Jace handed me back my phone and I immediately hit the 'End Call' button before switching it off.
"Clary, I-"Jon started but stopped as soon as he saw the tears welling up in my eyes.
"Clary, I didn't mean-" Jace tried to take over, rising from the bed slowly. I held my hand up to stop him talking.
"You-You shouldn't have done that." I managed to say, stifling a sob before turning on my heel, not wanting to cry in front of them. Yes, he'd only meant it as a joke but he had no idea what he was getting involved with. As I was walking down the hall, I could have sworn I heard Jon say "You have to apologise." I threw myself under the covers of my bed, pulling them over my head. He could come and apologise all he wanted, but for now, right in this moment, I wasn't ready to listen to it.
Thank you everyone who takes their time out to read and review (: I'm trying to get at least 1 chapter of this story out a day, let me know how you find it! ~Sapph