I was over the moon to see Isabelle already in form room the next morning. I'd already caught her up to date with everything that was going on over the phone last night once Simon had gone home. As far as she was aware, we now shared our art lessons with two college boys, which Isabelle seemed intrigued by.
"So what are they like then, these college boys?" She giggled, when I sat down. I tried not to roll my eyes, she didn't know the full situation so it wasn't fair of me to get mad with her.
"One of them is really nice actually, one of them has a little bit of an attitude." No doubt when Isabelle was with me, Sebastian would be the image of perfection that he played too well.
"We have another double this afternoon don't we? I'm quite excited." Isabelle laughed. I tried my hardest to smile but if I was honest I really couldn't be bothered. "Me and Si were thinking about bowling tonight, do you fancy it?" Isabelle asked and I shrugged.
"Yeah, sounds like a plan. I'll probably have a bit more luck with the bowling than I did with the ice skating anyway." I smiled as the bell for first period rang out.
Before I could even catch up with myself, it was time for Art. Isabelle met me outside the classroom, her sketchpad already in her hands. As soon as I reached the door, she stood behind me, following me into the room. Neither Jordan nor Sebastian was here yet. I led Isabelle over to our table and we sat waiting. Jordan was the first through the door.
"That's the nice one." I indicated under my breath as Jordan headed our way. Isabelle was playing nervously with her hair as he took his seat. "Jordan, this is Isabelle. Isabelle, Jordan." I introduced them and they shook hands across the table. Sebastian arrived shortly afterwards in a white shirt and a pair of black jeans.
"Oh my god!" Isabelle was saying as Sebastian joined the table. "I know you!" She laughed, shaking Sebastian's hand. "Clary! This is the guy who drew mine and Simon's picture!" Isabelle turned to me, a large smile on her face. I forced a smile.
"I didn't realise you three were friends!" Sebastian smiled back, looking directly at me.
"Simon and Clary are like the best of friends! He was disappointed that you weren't in the picture with us actually." Isabelle said, looking at me also.
"It is a shame, I would have liked to have drawn you." He smiled at me wickedly. "Maybe some other time?"
"Yeah, maybe." I added, before getting up from my seat to go and get our image board. I was trying my best to be civil with him for Isabelle's sake but it was testing. It made me really uneasy when I got back to the table to see Sebastian helping Isabelle with something, his hand resting over hers. It wasn't jealousy so much as it was anxiety.
"Come and have a look at this Clary." Jordan said as I got to the table, holding his sketchbook open in front of him. I moved into Sebastian's seat, flipping through Jordan's sketchbook. He'd been working really hard on our concept for the project, although it looked like he'd incorporated something new into it.
"What's this?" I asked, pointing to some sort of hand that was protruding from the image.
"That was Sebastian's idea actually. It sort of gives the image an extra dimension, if we have sort of sculpture coming from it, if that makes sense to you. Here, let me show you." He brushed my hand out of the way with his own, gently before running through the image with me. "It would have to a female pair of hands though because we'd want them quite small, hands like mine would kind of ruin it." He finished up with. "May I?" He asked, touching my hand. I shrugged, letting him examine one of my hands. "Yours are pretty much the perfect size. We should modrock them up in a couple of different claw shapes to see which one will go best. You up for that?" He asked.
"Yeah, not a problem." I smiled. He tapped me on the shoulder before he headed off into the supply cupboard. If looks could kill, I would have been dead 5 times over. Sebastian was looking at me with a completely neutral face but his eyes were burning. Isabelle was sat next to him laughing at whatever it was he was talking about. Once Jordan was back at the table, Sebastian caught his attention.
"What's the plan of action then?" He asked.
"Well, we need the outline of the portrait first before we can do anything. So how about you and Isabelle was it? You two start with the portrait outline. Clary and I were just going to experiment with a few of the sculpture ideas." Jordan said as he was unboxing the modrock.
"Are you sure you don't want to do the outline, I mean I don't mind doing the modrock?" Sebastian said, his gaze unfaltering. Jordan shook his head.
"Nah, it's cool mate. You outline better than I do, so I'd rather just do this." Begrudgingly, Sebastian gestured for Isabelle to follow him as they set up a canvas next to the window. Jordan was giving Sebastian a weird look, and I couldn't see the harm in asking him what was up.
"Does he usually act like this?" I asked, rubbing water on my arms before wrapping them in clingfilm.
"Not really." Jordan shrugged, turning back to the modrock before suddenly looking up at me. "I think I know what's going on actually, has he spoken to you about anything?"
"No, definitely not." I laughed, and Jordan looked over at Sebastian once more.
"He asked me last night when we left here…if I was interested in you." He laughed, running his hand through his hair. "It was just completely out of the blue, nothing prompted it. But I don't know if that's why he's acting so strange. Thought I'd give you a heads up either way." Jordan smiled as he started layering the modrock onto my arms.
"Very strange." I said, making a note in my head to question Sebastian about this when I got a chance. "Maybe when you've done mine, you should do Isabelle's as well, then you can test four ideas at once?" I suggested to Jordan and he seemed to think it was a good idea. Once my arms were completely immobile, I headed over to Isabelle to tell her that Jordan needed to use her arms as well. She and Sebastian were deep into a conversation when I reached them.
"Oh hi Clary, Isabelle was just telling me what a fantastic ice skater you are." Sebastian smiled, turning to face me. Isabelle blushed a little.
"I hope you don't mind Clary." I shook my head.
"It's fine. It's public knowledge I'm as clumsy as they come. Jordan needs your hands to do testers on Isabelle, do you mind?" She didn't need telling twice. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, she was over in the seat next to Jordan, her arms outstretched.
"This always was a good look for you." Sebastian said, as I walked over next to him.
"Shut up." I said, shaking my head. "Why have you been asking people if they're interested in me?" I muttered.
"Because you're off limits." Sebastian shrugged, filling in some linework on his canvas.
"Says who?"
"Says me. He will feel mighty awkward flirting with you like he was yesterday when we get back together won't he?" Sebastian said. He turned to look at me as I scoffed.
"What part of the 'leave me alone please' did you not get? Because I can run through it again now for you if you'd like?"
"It's easy to fall back in love with someone for the second time." He smiled at me. "Here come look at this, I need an artistic eye. Lord knows your friend over there is pretty useless." If it wasn't for my arms being wrapped up, I would have smacked him for his cheek. I looked at the image and immediately started to see some similarities.
"Is this me?" I asked.
"It is. Don't worry though, I'm going to be doing one of Isabelle as well. I'll just be spending a little more time on yours. Your kind of beauty is a difficult thing to get right the first time." He caressed the base of his pencil along my chin and I backed away from him.
"Your flattery will get you nowhere Sebastian." I informed him.
"It did the first time. I'm sure it will again." I stood next to him in silence as the next ten minutes passed, watching him sketch out Isabelle's outline. There was no question about it, he was fantastically talented. Watching him sketch like this took me back to a whole different time.
**FLASHBACK**
Sebastian: I'll meet you in the gallery 20 minutes before opening okay? See you soon x
There was a lump in my stomach as I dried my hair. I was so nervous about tonight, it HAD to go well. The school was hosting a gallery night to showcase our projects that we had been working on for the last couple of months to no one other than industry experts! Once my hair was dried, I left it naturally curly, using a couple of bobbypins to keep the stragglers in line. My mother had picked out a lovely sapphire blue dress for me to wear. It fell to my knees, the half-sleeves made of lace. Once I had managed to get it on, I set about putting my shoes on, which was a completely separate challenge on its own. I walked nervously down the stairs when it was time to go, my knees shaking slightly. My mum's jaw fell open as I stepped down from the final stair.
"So, what do you think?" I asked, twisting a strand of hair between my thumb and forefinger.
"You look so grown up Clary." My mum smiled, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Oh my god mum, don't cry!" I laughed, hugging her. She laughed into my shoulder as we swayed on the spot before holding me at arms-length.
"I'm so proud of you Clary yknow? I always will be. Now let's get you to your big night."
My heart was in my throat by the time we got to the school. My mum wished me good luck as I set off into the building. The night wasn't open yet, so the only people milling the halls were the artists and the teachers. I made my way to the room where Sebastian was due to meet me, a little early as per. Because he wasn't there yet, I found myself making final perfectionist touches to the piece.
"Wow." I turned on my heel, to see Sebastian resting against the arch of the doorway fully kitted out in a light grey suit. I could feel my knees going weak, my heart thumping in my chest, dying to burst forth.
"Ha, this old thing?" I laughed, playing with the edges of the dress nervously. He walked across the room, slow and determined, his eyes unfaltering. His hands grasped either side of my face, his lips smashing into mine. One of his hands snaked down to my back, holding me against him as he kissed me with unrivalled passion. I had to breathe long and hard when he broke the kiss.
"I've wanted to do that since the first time I met you." He smiled, grabbing my hands in his own. "I've also wanted to do this for quite some time. Seeing as it is our final night working on this project, I'm not quite ready to give up on our time together. Will you be my girlfriend, Clary?"
"You make a perfect model when you go all distant like that." Sebastian commented as he finished off his outline of Isabelle. I pulled a face at him before I realised it looked about time for the modrock to come off. I looked over to Jordan but he was busy finishing off Isabelle's. Grabbing a pair of scissors, I tried to line up my arm perfectly but in honesty, I was cutting blind. "Give them here." Sebastian said, holding his hand out. I looked at him, not wanting to give in. He easily took the scissors from my hand, holding my arm out straight in front of him as he cut up my arm. When he was pulling the modrock back from my arm, his fingertips traced up my forearm. I looked out of the window, not wanting to engage in eye contact. "There. You're all done. Next time ask, I don't' want you hurting yourself." That was rich! Deciding not to get into an argument, I returned to the table and set about remodelling the sculpture for the rest of the class. As I was walking out of the door, Isabelle caught a hold of me.
"We'll come pick you up at 6, okay?" I agreed before making my way home.
It was 5.45 and I was strangely running late. I'd decided on some black skinny jeans, a black tank top and leather jacket. Once I'd reached the bottom of the stairs, I pulled on a pair of black combat boots.
"You going to a biker bar?" Jon was stood behind me dressed in a loose grey shirt and some dark jeans, his hands shoved into his pockets.
"You're not funny." I commented, tying the laces on my boots.
"No, genuinely. Where are you going dressed like that? I don't feel comfortable you leaving the house dressed like that by yourself."
"Calm down Dad. I'm going out with Isabelle." Suddenly his face lit up.
"You're coming bowling too?" Oh wonderful! Fantastic!
"What do you mean 'too'?" If Jon was coming, surely that meant…
"Isabelle asked Jace and me if we wanted to go earlier. You know me, game for any opportunity to kick arse." I nodded, just what I needed, to see Jace whilst he was still in his mood. "Do you not want to zip that up?" Jon asked, as he put on his own shoes. I flapped him off.
"Get off! The way you're going on it's as though I'm going out of the house in a bra!" I growled at him. Jon looked me over with his eyebrow raised. "Bore off will you!" I shouted, chucking one of Mum's slippers at him. He laughed holding his hands up earnestly.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Calm down!" A beep echoed from outside and my heart fell further into my stomach. Fantastic. Jace was taking us it seemed. I followed Jon from the house and headed straight for the back of the car, climbing in next to Simon. I could see Jace looking at me through the rear view but I ignored it. Isabelle, Simon and I spoke about trivial things on the way to the bowling alley, mainly having a catch up.
Once we were inside, we were given the lane right at the back of the alley. Isabelle must have finally taken the time to have a good look at me.
"You look sooo good today Clary! Why didn't you come dressed like this to school today?" She asked and I could only respond with a laugh as suddenly everyone's eyes were on me.
"I don't think this is really something I'd wear to school." I smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear.
"Could you imagine if you had though? Those college boys could barely take their eyes off you today when you were dressed normally, let alone like this!" She laughed heartily and I shut my eyes, blinking slowly.
"What college boys?" Jace and Jon piped up in unison. Isabelle looked around the group.
"I thought you guys would have heard by now, it's going all around the school! In one of our classes, we have college students working with us." Isabelle looked at me grinning, I smiled back lightly.
"What class?" Jace muttered.
"What college boys?" Jon repeated.
"It's not a big deal really. It's in Art." Isabelle answered, picking out a bowling ball.
"What college boys?" Jon repeated as Jace just looked on, his jaw line hardened up completely.
"I doubt you'd know them-"
"What - college - boys?" Jon cut her off. He wasn't going to rest until he'd heard their names.
"Jordan Kyle and Sebastian Verlac." I piped up as Isabelle took her turn bowling. Jon's face didn't settle, neither did Jace's.
"Jordan Kyle? I know him. He's got a bit of a reputation Clary. You need to stay away from him." Jon told me, picking out his own bowling ball.
"And you and Jace don't?" I looked between them. Jon laughed.
"Yes Clary, but you're not going to date me or Jace, so that's irrelevant." He smiled before going to bowl. Just as I was about to go and pick my own bowling ball, I felt Jace step up behind me.
"Clary. A word. In private. Now. Please." He said through gritted teeth, walking towards the bar.
"Does anyone want a drink? Jace and I are just going to get some?" I asked, taking their order before following after him. He led me over to a dark corner, next to some flashy dance machines.
"Why didn't you tell me this?" Jace asked, looking down at me. I shrugged. "What, you didn't think this was important?"
"It's not that I didn't think it was important. I just didn't think I was important to you. You've been pushing me away the last few days. Sorry that you weren't the first person I thought to run too. I can deal with it anyway. It's fine."
"Clary, you are important to me. You heard what Jon said though. I can't get involved with you like that, it wouldn't sit well with him."
"Why didn't you think about that before you kissed me?" Jace was getting frustrated, his hands held firmly at his sides.
"I wasn't thinking clearly when I kissed you, I don't think clearly when I'm around you." He grumbled through gritted teeth. I was taken aback. His hands softened as he said it, his eyes looking right down into mine. I didn't break the gaze, looking up at him, eyes full of curiosity. "Oh for goodness sake." He growled, before his hand sprung around my waist, spinning me on the spot before pinning me against the wall behind me. His lips cascaded into my own, his mouth hungry, his tongue even more so. I gripped firmly onto his jacket, sinking into the kiss. It was far too short for my liking as Jace pulled back, his eyes closed. I knew what was coming, he was going to do the same as he had done last time – kiss me and then push me away.
"Let's get the drinks, we'll talk about all of – this – later." Jace said, walking off towards the bar. I stalked behind him, biting my lip. Well, that was a better response than last time.
Thank you to every single one of you who reads and takes their time to review – it really warms my heart to read your feedback. All my love, until the next time (*hint* It's tomorrow *hint*) ~Sapph