Chapter 10

Secret Adorations of the Cousins:

Clary felt a finger jab into one of the spaces between her ribs causing her to suck in. She spun towards her attacker who just happened to be Jace grinning like a Cheshire cat. Without warning her face filled with blood as she stared into his golden eyes. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. She mentally cursed herself. To him she probably looked guilty of something. Now she just saw the next hour of the detention passing slowly, the clock ticking away, and Jace pestering her on what she was drawing.

"What are you drawing there?" He nodded to her sketch book which she hastily retrieved and slipped into her bag that hung off the chair. She tried to casually lean on the table with her elbows but Jace just sat there with a quizzical expression and the hint of one of his infamous smirks.

"What's the matter Clare? Did you draw me naked?" He wiggled his eyebrows. She bit at the insides of her cheeks as they once again rouged over. She had never acted this way around him. She didn't think she had anyways…It's not that she found him attractive. Okay, yes he has the body of a male supermodel and yes she thought it was slightly adorable the way he parted his hair. Wait…NO! Clary thought to herself. She was Clary, the untamable red head that was about as stubborn as a brick wall.

Instead of answering his seductive wording, Clary craned her neck over Jace's head as she watched Will stomp out of the library.

"I think Tessa told Will off." Clary whispered to Jace still watching the door. Jace seemed taken aback that he hadn't been her first priority or the fact that she had completely tuned him out. "Won't he get in trouble for that?" Clary added. Jace shrugged. It wasn't so much as he was upset by the fact she was paying no mind to him but that he couldn't focus at the moment to deliver a heartfelt witty comment on William's behalf. He couldn't help but notice a wisp of stray hair that kept falling in Clary's eyes, beckoning him to brush it away so it would no longer distract him from the emeralds inset in her head. To Jace's dismay however she smoothed her hair back and twisted it into a bun on top of her head piercing it into place with a pencil.

"What?" She looked at him, a hint of a smile at the edge of her lips.

"You just have a bit of charcoal on your cheek." Jace played off his creepy gaze with a smirk as she blushed and started rubbing away at the smudge that wasn't there.

"I'm surprised you know your art terms." She grinned.

"Well freshman year I had an elective opening second semester. I guessed art wouldn't be so bad to squeeze in to my schedule."

"What made your schedule so tight?"

"Weight training, mostly in preparation for track practice. You know that whole ordeal."

"Actually I don't." Clary scoffed lightly.

"You don't?"

"Nope, athletics and I don't mix. I hate it and it I, we've come to terms with our hatred for one another." Jace lets out a small laugh. This was odd seeing as how no one really made him laugh, only Isabelle, Alec, Max, and Will. And on some occasion Jem when he tossed out some witty remark slandering Will's ego. It's not that Jem didn't like Will. He loved the guy like a brother. But there was only so much you could take of a Herondale, especially Will. And in all honesty Will respected Jem for calling him out that way. It let him know Jem honestly cared for Will's actions and how sometimes they could lead to a decrease in his humanity level.

Will sat in his car, blankly staring through the windshield. He had seen that when he had stated that rude remark to Jem and Tessa he had struck a nerve. But not with Tessa who he had aimed it at but at Jem. Jem, who was always so patient and kind when it came to Will. These thoughts raced through his head causing him to lose track of the time.

He was finally pulled back to reality when he heard a knock on the window. Jem stood there outside the passenger door waiting for Will's okay. Will turned away but heard the door open and shut and Jem situate himself.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you." Jem broke out.

"I'm sorry I slashed your tires…" Will stated.

"Did you really?"

"No, but I definitely thought about it. And then I realized I'd be the one that would have to give you a ride home."

"I have to ask you, do you know what Tessa and I were talking about earlier?" Jem swallowed.

"Unfortunately I only saw the two of you mauling each other."

"We weren't mauling each other William; she was hugging me because I had just told her about my parents." Will sat there gawking at his best friend. It had taken almost a year for Jem to tell Will and it had take Tessa less than a week.

"Why'd you tell her?" Will scoffed.

"Because she understands. Her parents died to Will and she told me. I thought if she was strong enough to tell me then I could tell her." Jem uttered softly.

"Her parents are dead then?" Will asked.

"Yeah they are. She's living with her aunt and uncle now." Jem smiled sadly.

"Well I guess I can't hate her now…" Will muttered absentmindedly.

Jace eased out the doors with one small wave to Clary as he got into his car. He mentally cursed himself. She probably thought he looked like a complete imbecile. Never had he been so unsure of himself. But with Clary everything was different. Jace was used to the regular swooning, the batting of eyelashes, and the longing stares. Of course Clary didn't do any of this. She had called him out so many times which was not normal. Well not for Jace anyways. He slipped his hand through his hair, staring through the windshield and yet not looking at anything. Clary just lurked in every crevice of Jace's mind at the moment. It wasn't extremely new though.

Tessa sat next to her cousin in the car. Her hand absently pressed to her cheek. She was smiling sheepishly remembering what had exactly just happened.

"Why are you smiling all creepily like that?" Clary stared at Tessa like she had just grown another head.

"Why are you harping on me?" Tessa replied but the smile still remained.

"Touché. Are you going to tell me though?" Clary gave a playful grin as she nudged her cousin.

"Jem kissed me."

"Where?"

"In the library."

"Not where like that I mean where on your face?" Clary rolled her eyes.

"Oh it was right here." Tessa tapped her cheekbone.

"Oh." Clary merely stated as if she were now uninterested in the topic.

"You sound disappointed." Tessa scoffed.

"Well you got a girl's hopes up and successfully made them crash and burn."

"At least he gave me a kiss. Did Jace kiss you?"

"EW no! We are just friends. That's it. No thank you!" Clary rambled out.

"Deny it all you want but I saw that grin you gave him when he waved goodbye."

"I did not grin!" Clary protested.

"Yes you did! You looked like Bashful from Snow White." Tessa giggled. Clary theatrically started to bat her eyelashes and twisted her lips as if she were cooing. "Oh gosh…" Tessa let out bark of laughter.

So no excuse for why I have not been writing. I suppose I wasn't feeling that old creative vibe. I had wanted to have this done by Sunday but I have developed a new obsession for the TV show Sherlock and each episode is an hour and a half. HOLY FLIPPING LONG! But I have written a chapter and hopefully it will be a success so if you would please be so kind as to review or favorite or follow this story I would be so very delighted!

Later gators- Emma